3) What to Build?
So we made the decision to build anew, the question now is what to build. Here's the list of criteria we came up with: 1) An energy-efficient house powered by the sun
2) A house suitable for older folks with no stairs 3) Has to have a hot tub
4) Suitable for friends and renters
The 'old' cottage was 644 square feet, and it turns out that Woodstock zoning rules will only allow you to build a new home 50% larger. So we were constrained to 966 sq ft for the SunCottage, the name we chose to describe the project. It turns out that for what we had in mind 1000 square feet of space is more than adequate, and will make possible the idea that it is net-zero, that is to say the building provides all the electricity needed for heating, lighting and living. Click for a definition of a zero-energy building.
The building needs to be directly south-facing to take full advantage of the winter sun. Similarly more windows should be on the south than the north. A basement or underground bottom floor would benefit from earth insulation. The building should be more square than rectangular to retain heat. We decided that a three floor design would be optimal. Exercise, hot tub and utility room on the lowest floor; kitchen, bedroom, bath on the main ground level floor, making it handicap-accessible; and a family and playroom on the top floor. Theoretically it will only be necessary to heat the middle floor when the cottage is not occupied.
So with those parameters in mind, I downloaded Sketch-Up and got to designing. But first a couple of shots of the proposed site: On a south-facing hillside:
View to the east
Amateur Sketch-Up designs: View from the south, main floor and top floor family room:
Basement. Hot tub, sauna and exercise room, utility room in rear:
A fire pit and staircase down to the patio:
Hah! Just as I was writing this the power went off... Man, I can't wait until this house is complete!
OK, power restored.
As to design, we wanted the side of the house to blend in with the New England countryside when viewed from the road. Woodstock is renowned for its Colonial architecture (thanks to Laurance Rockefeller). Our road and the village of South Woodstock consists almost totally of homes built in the early 19th century. We were thinking of something like this:
Smaller, without the fence and central chimney, but you get the picture.
