in the office of Frank Harmon Architect, PA

The Smith House was designed to address the needs of a family of four on a residential street near a flourishing elementary school. For the Smiths, sleeping areas needed to be private and secluded, but all other spaces could be as open and full of light as possible. At the center of the house, a two-and-a-half story living room is surrounded by a mezzanine spilling from the bedrooms upstairs. Large windows and sliding glass doors open to the front and back yards.

The house is oriented to face south. Its footprint is long and thin, allowing for windows on at least two sides of every room and numerous opportunities for cross ventilation. Exterior materials include vertical cypress wood siding, corrugated metal, stucco, and ipe wood for a trellis along the full length rear deck, designed to allow seasonally appropriate amounts of sunlight in the house through the large windows.

For more information on solar-sensitive building orientation, contact us here.