Green House in Georgia

One of the clients' directives was to provide bountiful, yearlong streaming sunlight. Generous glazing throughout the house — including a clerestory that follows the rake of the butterfly roof — delivers this. The motor-operated clerestory windows work in concert with the home's three-zone heating and cooling system, which draws on new geothermal wells.Oversized doors in the master bedroom and operable windows allow afternoon breezes to circulate through the house. It was remarkable to note, one day in early July 2009, that the house was still cool while the doors stood open, even in the subtropical summer.Heat gain is reduced by glazing with a low solar heat gain coefficient (0.36 SHGC) and by recyclable solar roller shades at all exposed glazing. Energy-recovery ventilation and LED lighting help further reduce the home's energy use.A covered deck and a screened porch add a substantial amount of outdoor living space. The smaller screened porch faces the street and is positioned to capture breezes from two or three directions, while the deck off the master bedroom is open, shaded by the house's broad eaves.