Earth House
Overview
Sustainability is resiliency. Designed for high-performance durability and passive efficiency, this all-concrete home is integrated into the earth’s natural slope to create a thermal buffer and shield against high-severity storms. Beyond the house, a master-planned, self-sustaining ecosystem includes natural aquascapes and integrated horticulture. Architecture acts as the foundation for a regenerative landscape where structure and nature exist in a living, breathing symbiosis.
Client | Private Homeowner
City | Highlands, North Carolina
Geography | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
Engaged | May 2021 – Current
Current Phase | Preconstruction
Type | Residence & Light Agrotourism
Method | New Construction
Role | Designer. Coordinator. Construction Manager
Services | Architectural Design. Land Use Masterplanning. Horticulture Design. Structural Engineering. Cost Estimating. Subcontractor Management
Features | Environmental Passive Design. Climate Disaster Resiliency. Earth Berm. On-Site Renewable Systems. Greenhouse. Natural Swimming Pool
Size | 2500 square feet
Land | 4.12 acres
Cost | $1.35M, 2019
The idea of a concrete house emerged concurrently with climate and site data. An earth berm and heavy green roof system would regulate the temperatured during peak summer without the use of air conditioning and extend the night-time comfort through heat sink and release effect.
The unconventional structure was tested for feasibility through rigorous preconstruction estimating, we considered both local precast options and cast-in-place labor.
A lofted solarium brings daylight into the portion of the home that is mostly underground. A perfect place for growing food year-around, it's immediate connection to the kitchen embodies whole-life regenerative design.
