The Neighborhood Site
This project is located in a post World War II neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin (aerial view below). The surrounding houses are modest in size and quality. Our Cape Cod-style design is scaled to fit in. Zoning constraints dictated the basic shape, size, and location on the lot. Because the house is located in an existing neighborhood, the basic infrastructure that supports a home - streets, schools, utilities, police and fire services, garbage collection and so on - are already in place. Therefore, the environmental impacts from building this house are far fewer, unlike if it were to be located, for example, in a new subdivision.
Ths term Affordable Natural House actually refers only to the main house portion. The old house (from 1930, tiny & poorly built) will be completely remodeled when the main house (in fact, an addition) is ready for occupancy. A one-story family-room/workshop space connects the main and old sections; this connector is the only portion with a basement and it houses most of the mechanical equipment and the rainwater collection tanks. |
