Treman House
Situated on a quiet 9 acre parcel, meters from the famous Lucifer Falls located in the upper Robert Treman State Park in Ithaca, N.Y. Trade Design Build was tasked to design and build a 2100 sf home, plus a garage and workshop. The goal for the homeowner was to have a home that expresses a close connection to nature and uses as little energy as possible.
The team achieved these goals via three main strategies. The home is designed for passive solar heating and cooling, with its long facade facing south, along with a large overhang that shades the sun in the summer and allows the sun to enter in the winter. Next, the team engineered low-energy systems including geothermal space heating, with in-slab radiant, and water heating, along with building integrated PV to generate power.
Finally to provide a healthy living environment, hemp fiber insulation was used in the building envelope, and locally sourced larch siding was used to clad the building, finished with an age-old nontoxic pine tar and linseed oil topcoat, which adds to its beauty and longevity. All these steps created a healthy, net zero home, connected to the surrounding environment for the client.
