The Farmhouse design have evolved over time. We first used the Farmhouse style in 2008 in the Coppersmith Way development in Townsend, MA. Building Science Corporation, our subcontractors and a review by MassDevelopment helped evolve the designs in 2011. The hall bathroom on the second floor was brought into the main box. This allowed for the bonus room over the garage. The changes for Laurel Street included stepping back the garage 10 feet to meet the Northampton Design Guidelines and changing from propane hot water to an air source heat pump for the hot water.

The energy performance objective for this site was to provide all of the home’s energy needs using renewable energy. Both of the homes had the opportunity for projected overproduction that will either be used for electrical vehicles or exported to the grid. We also had a goal of having the homes be fossil fuel free. The air source heat pump water allowed us to meet that goal.

The overall site was ideal---wide open and sunny. Since the southern exposure was to the right side as you faced the building area, we needed to use a home design with the large roof area facing toward the side. To accomplish this, we used the Farmhouse design. It had the gable end to the street, the garage to the north and the open living area and large roof area facing south. This enabled us to install 33 solar electric panels on each of the home’s roofs---more than enough energy to supply the efficient home’s needs.