LINCOLN HOUSE

      The Lincoln House is located within the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge along the Sudbury River. Due to the slope and orientation of the site an inverted design was implemented. The inverted design placed the living, dining and office spaces on a new second level. The entry to the living level is accessed via a bridge connecting from the driveway. The living and dining rooms, with a substantial span of southern facing glass, give the feeling of a tree house in a pristine forest environment. The design enlarged and consolidated three bedrooms and three baths on the existing first floor with the walk-out basement for a family room and mechanical systems.  The Lincoln House development process was featured on Houzz.com – link provided below.  

Passive Strategy 

  The building orientation and inverted design arrangement sets the framework for the passive heating and cooling strategy. The air-tight and highly insulated envelope (R-48 roof, R-30 walls) with the southern exposure at the top floor utilizese basic physics to minimize mechanical energy consumption. 350 square feet of south-facing insulated glass collects solar heat in the winter and is shaded during the summer. Excess heat gain is circulated throughout the house with a high-velocity air system when the interior temperature exceeds 72 degrees. This effectively turns off the mechanical heating system during those beneficial hours. The envelope consists of exterior-applied closed-cell foam insulation sprayed directly to the sheathing as an air and vapor barrier. Wrapping the exterior insulation is a very low-maintenance zinc alloy rain screen.  

Heating System

  The mechanical heating system consists of a natural gas double-headed tankless hot water boiler that provides 140-degree water to the radiant floor heating system at the living level and by proximity additional warmth to the bedrooms on the first level, as well as domestic hot water.  It also supplies heat to a high-velocity air system that circulates and filters the air on the first level and basement. 

Cooling System 

  To ensure efficient and proper cooling, we utilized a 2-ton heat pump and two ductless mini-splits. The roof is a white rubber membrane to maximize sunlight reflection while reducing cooling needs in the summer. The two mini-splits cool the living level and the cool air migrates down to the sleeping level. During the fringe seasons, the heat pump can be reversed for heating. Again the high-velocity air system collects and circulates air to the sleeping level and basement when the air temperature goes below 72 deg, effectively reversing the passive winter function.   

Energy Consumption & Production 

  The passive strategy allows for an efficient active energy system. A 7 kW photovoltaic array supplies the electric demand and is supported by a house battery pack. There is sufficient roof area to allow for additional solar thermal collection to augment and eventually replace the ground source heat pump.  

Water & Septic

  The property’s rural setting provides well access to groundwater and is outside of the wetland area allowing for an efficient septic system. Consequently, the property is off-grid for both water and sewer.  

Natural Systems 

  The design has minimal road-facing windows to increase privacy and put the primary views on the pristine wetlands towards the south. To increase privacy and natural aesthetics, a grove of birch trees was planted in the front yard along with ivy ground cover to increase soil and water retention. In order to maximize water retention, the gutter system of the house was connected to a drainage system for the foundation which led to a pond in the middle of the backyard. The pond acts as a micro-environment for local amphibious species as well as many migratory bird species.