Home Plan Detail

Designed by: Matthew Bialecki

Matthew Bialecki Associates

Specifications

Square Footage

Total living area: 2,200
Total with basement: 3,650
Main Level: 2,200
Basement: 1,450
Footprint: 105' 0" W x 46' 0" D

Rooms

Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.0
Master suite: Main Floor

Attributes

Levels: 1

Foundation:

Modifiable to:

Basement, Slab

Crawlspace, Pier, Slab

Lot type(s):

Modifiable to:

Flat

Sloping

Features

• Passive Solar
• Open Floorplan
• Versitile Design

• Energy Efficient
• Large Fireplace

• Abundant Windows
• Radiant Heat

Description

Inspired by a view of the nearby Shawangunk Mountains, Meadow Ridge was originally built as a high-performance "green" building. The house is designed as an advanced passive solar structure with a strong emphasis on maximum energy efficiency and total passive cooling.

This home is an extension of its local landscape. Particularly in the living/dining/kitchen area with its large glass curtain wall, the home's natural stone flooring, exposed wood timbers and structural framing, and healthy natural lighting pass seamlessly from interior to exterior. The effect dissolves the normal boundaries between the site and the structure. On either side of the open central area of this single story home are two angled wings. One side contains the large private master suite, as well as the home's conveniently placed laundry. The other wing contains a bedroom, and a study that could easily be utilized as a library, office or the home's third bedroom.

The original home was carefully sited on a wooded hill overlooking a broad meadow with wide views of the mountains in the distance. The house is designed to frame the view and integrate naturally into the site. Old stone walls and glacial eratta at the original site were integrated into the design while sloped ceilings, generous windows, decks and terraces bring the house directly into the site and provide a wide variety of exterior environments to enjoy.

The exposed heavy timber structural frame and tongue in groove ceiling deck are of cypress, a material whose natural beauty and rot-resistant qualities made it possible to design an architectural landscape where materials pass from interior to exterior without change. The interior walls, trim and exterior siding all feature cypress paneling and timbers. Gypsum wallboard, soapstone, glass tile and ceramic tile were other primary finish materials. The walls feature a "rain screen" venting system between the shingles and sheathing for moisture control and uninterrupted thermal insulation. The masonry walls of the fireplace as well as the stone floor act as thermal storage, stabilizing the interior temperatures by absorbing and storing excess daytime heat, then slowly radiating that heat at night.

The walls, and fireplace (which provides secondary heating for the main room), are constructed of "Gunk-Crete," a specially formulated quartzite aggregate white concrete that is an analogue for the local stone. The roof structure is a unique "Umbrella Roof," designed to dissipate summer heat gain and passively cool the structure. Named for its inherent shading qualities, the Umbrella Roof is an innovative layered system comprised of high-performance insulation with a radiant barrier under recycled metal roof panels.

Careful orientation and site placement insure natural breezes ventilate the house via the abundant well-placed windows. Existing or planted trees can be used to shade the structure. The heating system is a highly efficient radiant floor heating system embedded in the concrete slab and stone floor.

Floor Plans

(click to enlarge and view measurements)