The clients, who hired us to design this home on their lake area property, had done their homework. They had a good grasp of what they wanted to acheive, and how they might get there. The goal from the onset was a net-zero home with as much passive solar advantage as they could acheive with a house that would not be ideally oriented. They wanted to be able to "age in place" with mobility friendly features like a curbless shower, and they wanted to make a minimal long-term environmental impact. With an understanding of mechanical system options, and a pre-selected builder who was already delving into high performance building techniques, they brought us on to help turn their ideas into reality. 

The Echo Lake Residence is a one-story, slab on grade, two bedroom, two bath home. The home combines 12" double stud exterior wall construction with better-than-average attic and sub-slab insulation, triple-glazed insulated fiberglass windows, a 7.7 KW PV array, and a ground source heat pump. The home was designed to blend well with the open, "prairie-ish" site and take advantage of the westerly lake views while adhering to the "not-so-big-house" principles. The house is simple in form and plan with a little extra architectural exuberance afforded to the entry porch and screened porch.