Sycamore House

HASTINGS Architecture

The home’s geometric forms rotate around a central courtyard with an east/west axis, creating interlocking volumes that respond to the pragmatic of the house and establish interior/exterior connections and visual transparency from one wing to the other.

A predominantly glass central volume wraps the main living and entry spaces and opens to the front of the house and central courtyard, drawing nature through the space. To ground the volume, it is set upon a raised, elongated porch, providing an elevated viewpoint over the home’s public realm.

The flanking volumes—kitchen and dining contained in the lower volume, and bedrooms, studies, and library in the taller volume—are interlocked and layered in a manner that filters light and navigates slope of the natural grade.

The careful placement of the home’s primary volumes also manages solar heat gain, a long-span beam creates a unique pergola at the front porch that shades the west-facing windows. Low-e glazing, a highly insulated envelope utilizing foam insulation, 6” exterior studs, white roofing materials, motorized shading devices, and 100% LED lighting further enhance the home’s overall energy performance.

A 7 kW solar photovoltaic array (with expansion capabilities) resides on the highest roof and helps power the geothermal HVAC system, which utilizes nine (9) 300’ deep wells in the northwest corner of the site. Rainwater is harvested from 100% of all roof areas and is captured along with ground water in a below-grade cistern for non-potable irrigation.

The home seeks to eventually achieve net zero energy consumption through high-performance building envelope, the addition of a green roof at the middle and lower wings, and expansion of solar photovoltaic arrays. The site was carefully studied to determine that the building orientation would also enhance energy and sustainability goals.