The owner of this humble and elegant home was born in the house adjacent to this site. He played in the woods as a child, as did his father, and his grandfather before that.  He remembers the serenity of this place from his boyhood, which is precisely why he chose it for the location of his forever-home. A tender and reverent approach to the design was essential. Thinking deeply about the role of the built environment as an extension of the wilderness that surrounds it, the owner felt strongly about being in right relationship with his surroundings. The house is fully self-sufficient – not connected to the power grid – utilizing a roof mounted solar array and on-site battery storage.  There is no infrastructure. The road in remains a winding dirt path.  Since completion of construction, a new member of the family was born in the home – the 9th family member born on the land in the last 100 years.

Project type: Off-Grid Private Home

Year: 2018

Role: Project Architect

Place: Katama

Area: 1100 sq ft

Contractor: South Mountain Co.

Photos: G. Milne