Inside Out House: Vermont Net-Zero Home Plan for Aging in Place
Northwest view at dusk - shows rear of house and terrace and inside outside living
What is the Inside Out House, Net-zero prototype?
A small house design prototype modeled along a classic modern design aesthetic updated with green building design advantages and an intentional blending of inside and outside space to help homeowners connect more closely with their surroundings.
Overview
1,300 sf +/- of single level living space, 2 bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths, storage and utility spaces with a flexible kitchen-dining-living area whose space extends to a generously inviting stone terrace and solar shade pergola. 700 SF of entry atria and carport / maker space, generous hardscape which could be paved by pervious pavers.
Entry view from Southeast
4.5 KW of roof mounted solar photovoltaic on the carport roof with up to another 5.2 KW ground mounted solar tracker with the use of Tesla Powerwall battery storage technology to promote off the grid living, enhanced resilience to the effects of climate change, and energy cost predictability. Lower roof graywater harvesting for watering plant lies on the south side of the atria carport served by a gutter extension.
Pre-Closing Pre-Purchase Site Feasibility: Considering a similar custom Net-Zero build or prototype adaptation on land you're evaluating in Stowe, Woodstock, or the Upper or MadRiver Valleys? We offer flat-rate site due diligence consultations options to fit different budgets to assess solar performance, site and building planning, septic capacity, and budget alignment prior to closing.
What is the enclosure built out of?
The home is shown as double wood wall construction with dense pack cellulose and 2" of rigid exterior outsulation comparable to an R-40 insulation level. The roof is built from 18" roof trusses, loose pack cellulose, fully vented 30 year (rubber) roofing system comparable to R-60 insulation levels. The floor slab is insulated with 4" of EPS foam to an R-20 performance level. The slab could be polished concrete with beautiful stone aggregate strewn in for decorative effect with optional color added. Base windows would be low-e argon filled triple insulated wood (interior) fiberglass (exterior) at R-10 levels, or alternatively double insulated argon filled with a bit lower performance and cost. The exterior siding shows a mix of cedar shingles and metal siding over a rain screen sub-assembly.
Plan Organization
Organized around a larger rectangle plan, your enter the home deep within it after entering through a skyspace atria shared by the carport and makerspace area. When you enter you have a choice to turn left to the common spaces or go down the hall to the bedrooms. The plan almost encourages a clockwise use of the interior spaces.
Floor Plan
how does it help with single level living?
The single living level recognizes the growing need for homes allowing older homeowners to age in place, reducing the need to further downsize to apartments, and condos when the time comes. Reducing stairs and level changes also simplifies construction and ultimately costs. Inside Out House can be designed to be accessible ready with closer attention to bathroom and kitchen design as desired.
what does a prototype home mean and is it adaptable as our family needs change?
This house concept is meant as a point of departure as a design with many ways to add value to family living both internally and externally. For example the added exterior terrace spaces you see at the back could be if staged to come later to with less upfront costs in the first building phase. We intend this design to stir your thoughts for possibilities for how you and your family may live in the future. Merely a departure point, it represents a place to begin the design and value conversation together.
can you tailor this design to meet my needs and those of my family?
Note, size as shown in the images for one family might be too small,.and for another family way too large. We would work with you to adjust the design to your needs. However, with the increasing impacts of climate change and other factors we do need to think differently about house size and ultimately how and where we live. We like to encourage our clients to consider walkable properties closer or within village or city centers reducing reliance on fossil fuel powered cars, and creating healthier people and communities. Of course those properties tend to be more valuable hence expensive. However less space and simpler living closer in to a vibrant community offers many tangible and intangible values, not so easily found n the country or more remote settings.
In regards to rightsizing to your needs, the floor plan could be refined and made smaller with less space internally with the trends to shifting mindsets towards more compact, smaller bedrooms, living areas, less bathroom, tinier appliances and more. It's all about balancing needs versus wants for livability, creature comfort, and flexibility keeping in mind long term total costs of ownership and affordability over the course of your time horizon in the home.
let's continue the conversation
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Experience gallery [click to enlarge]
want to see more projects? Return Back to our project portfolio
To see more examples of recent home design project work, go check out our project portfolio by clicking on the button below. There you will find a mix of recently completed built residential work, new builds, renovations, or home design projects now in progress. Here in this section of our site, you can also find examples of our growing collection of customizable net-zero ready prototype and spec houses. Our portfolio awaits your visit. Welcome home!