Getting Back to Basics

By Margaret Gilmour

We loved this home because innovative design decisions took the house’s original character and intimate scale into consideration. Walk into the addition, and it feels as if it’s part of the older structure. Yet, the well-conceived space is constructed with lasting materials and incorporates sophisticated energy-conservation strategies, as well as the basics: topography, sunlight and window placement.

For over 50 years the small, circa 1810 house belonged to the gardener on her family’s Chester County working farm. And by the time this homeowner was ready to call it her own, she knew she wanted it tailored to echo her love of nature. 

“I always loved little houses with cozy rooms,” the homeowner says. “When the time came to move in, having owned it for years, I had virtually mapped out the flow in my mind. The architect turned the concept into reality.”

In 2003 she and a friend teamed up to undertake their dream of creating an alternative-energy living space. To them, preserving much of the house’s 19th-century architectural elements, like the small, energy-efficient rooms, was just as important as planning their green-living goals. Even the original exterior windows would be saved to become portals for sunlight in the hallway upstairs or a bookcase peeking through to the new addition.

But they also knew they needed to open up the floor plan, making easy-flow, multi-purpose spaces suited to their lifestyles.

And lifestyle, for this homeowner, is what guided most of her design decisions.

It was over 35 years ago when the owner spent five years living in New Mexico and working for the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA). There, she saw how most homes in the southwest are situated to take advantage of the sun’s warmth in the winter, so she knew to consider her house’s setting when planning the layout for her rooms.

“Our rooms were designed around our needs,” she says. “Since we knew that we would never be using our living room during the day, we were not wasting a lot of southerly rays on that space. We really thought a lot about our southern exposure.”

For her, waking up with the sunlight pouring in was a priority, therefore the new master bedroom would face east, while the long, skinny living room where she spends most evenings would snuggle up to the hillside. In fact, the entire bottom floor of the addition would be intentionally built into the south slope of the hill, putting northern exposure underground to naturally insulate the house by keeping it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

There are also energy-efficient details in the living room that most visitors wouldn’t recognize, but were thoughtfully conceived with conservation in mind. For example, a Rumford fireplace, configured tall and shallow to reflect more heat and streamlined to reduce the loss of warm air in the room, is centered along the back wall. And even though the room is dark most of the day, just about the time daily routines come to a close and the space is ready to be occupied, late-afternoon westerly light streams through the French doors. By evening, with spot-lit paintings and lamps turned on, the room is well illuminated.
 Like most homes, life here revolves around the kitchen, so the heart of the design centers around plenty of windows opening to southern exposure to flood the room with daylight. And in the scaled-down eating/sitting space, simple shades are raised to collect solar energy in the winter, or when lowered, to keep the area cool in the summer.

Still, even in the spirit of minimalism, convenience isn’t sacrificed in the galley kitchen. To make the room work for her, the owner strategically placed the refrigerator at the far end of the room, giving her plenty of countertop to use as a buffet when entertaining. She also put a small refrigerator in the walk-in pantry across from the kitchen for extra storage.

With the help of local architect Zach Davis from Montchanin Design Group, Inc., a design build firm, it took two years for the house to evolve into a simple, intimate structure rooted in history. In addition, the homeowner hired green advisor Tad Radzinski to work alongside Davis to help implement sustainable design strategies and healthy living practices. With Radzinski’s guidance, the most up-to-date, energy-efficient appliances were selected.

No matter what building material was used, all was well researched and chosen with conservation in mind, like non-toxic sealants for hardwood floors, and the use of local products when possible. In addition, they used antique bricks reclaimed from Philadelphia sidewalks to pave the new section downstairs, and poplar floorboards from the original attic became flooring for the second story addition. They also had recycled composite siding and porch flooring installed.
 

Since going totally green can be a huge financial commitment, some sustainable design options – like growing a green roof – were eliminated. But living an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t have to be costly. The owner knew pursuing simple alternatives like buying locally, installing rain collectors and using native or fast-growing wood were all concepts borrowed from long ago when these basic strategies were followed without question.

“You have to make choices,” she says, “and plenty of sacrifices. But based on our inclination and commitment to keep the house small, we leaned heavily towards conservation and efficiency – favoring little windows on the north side in spite of the spectacular view.” 

The renovation stretched the house from its original 1,500 square feet to about 3,600 square feet and included tearing down the old kitchen and upstairs bedroom, and building the addition on the back of the house. A new cellar houses the geothermal heating and cooling unit and the hot water radiant heat system, which runs throughout the entire first floor. The hillside behind the house became an ideal location for the solar panels, enabling the homeowner to sell energy back to the grid and buy it back at a discount. Even with modern updates, this house still feels like the cozy home that sheltered its habitants long ago.
   
When all is said and done, becoming part of the solution by being less of a consumer and making each move more responsible is what motivates this owner. It’s true that she traded off big closets in her pursuit for simple basics, but there is still an abundance of space waiting to be visited, like the turret hidden in the attic that becomes a retreat when the house is full of friends and family.

 “The point of committing to responsible building, even though it can be more costly in some instances, is to participate in the change that we all need to make,” she says.

These days she’s taken over the role as gardener in the house she hopes will stand another century or two. She’s also a beekeeper, and for a while raised chickens, living in a well-planned dwelling where nature continues to inspire.

Green elements for the small house that make a big difference:

• Double-glazed windows to replace exterior windows
• Heating zone temperatures in different rooms
• Geothermal heating and cooling system
• Rumford fireplace
• Hydronic radiant flooring
• Recycled composite for porch floorboards and exterior siding
• Considered sun’s exposure when planning each space
• Recycled bricks for flooring
• Water collectors for all gutters
• Bottom floor addition built into hillside for natural insulation
• Dual flush toilets throughout
• Solar energy panels on the hill (to sell back to the grid)
• All the latest energy-efficient appliances
• Fast-growing, farmed wood
• Non-toxic sealants
• Attic floorboards were reused

Resources

Montchanin Design Group, Inc.

Green Advisor, Tad Radzinski

Davis Young Associates  
302|239.1682 

Reference

Rumford Fireplace Named after Count Rumford, who was known for his studies on the nature of heat in the late 1700s, these fireplaces are configured to both radiate heat better and carry smoke away more efficiently.

Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHPs) Geothermal heat pumps are systems that use the earth or ground water for its natural heat storage capacity to provide energy-efficient heating and cooling. (“Geo” for earth, and “thermal” for heat generation)

Radiant Floor Heat Radiant floor heat systems supply heat directly to the floor of a house. The most energy-efficient radiant floor heating system available is hot water (hydronic). The tubing for the water is either embedded into the house’s foundation or installed under the air space beneath the floor.

Green Roof Green roofs are plant-filled roof tops built over conventional, waterproofed roofs. They reduce summer cooling loads and decrease storm water runoff, while filtering pollutants and removing greenhouse gases from the air.

Photography: Rick Ziesing