Zero-Energy Single Family Residence

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Greenhouse House is a design for a zero-energy, single-family residence. Strawn.Sierralta designed the home with Cradle to Cradle design principles, which are rooted in the idea that materials should exist in a waste-free, holistic lifecycle. Physically connected, recycled and recyclable materials were specified throughout. A greenhouse placed at the center of the home, doubles as a thermal chimney. This new “hearth” for the home ensures that fresh air can be pulled through all spaces of the house and provides year-round growing space for fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. The kitchen flows directly onto a terraced garden that provides space for seasonal outdoor gardening. A rooftop photovoltaic array and horizontally positioned wind turbines produce 30% more energy than the home uses, allowing the excess energy to power an electric vehicle, or to be sold back to the grid.