Trail House

Ebb and flow was the literal and metaphorical inspiration of Trail House. Located within the flood plain of an adjacent creek, the house is meant to coexist with the land and respond to its natural forces. Trail House is also highly visible, being located next to a popular trail head. This required addressing how much a private place is expected to yield to the public realm.

Resiliency and privacy directly influenced the building form. A pier-and-beam foundation with flood vents will allow water to flow out of the foundation crawl space. Resilient building materials include an air-tight zip-system shell, and fiber cement and stone veneer siding. Trail House is certified Net Zero energy usage. Geothermal and a solar array provide heating and cooling.

The design language is a contemporary take on the farm house with a big porch. Yet Trail House flips the porch as public gathering space and moves it to the back/private side of the house, facing the creek. In plan, the house is L-shaped; the private outer edges face the trail access and walls of glass face the private creek view. Here is where the expansive porch embraces the site. The porch and south-facing window wall are protected with a large roof overhang, allowing ample natural light and solar heat gain in the winter.