Adaptability Creates Opportunity
Greening the Outdoor Structure
Modular site furnishings allow for simple integration of planters, seating, and storage features. Modular planters made from high strength aluminum or select hardwood come in an array of colors and finishes. These planter cubes are designed to integrate perfectly with modular pavers in a pedestal deck system, making it easy to design a beautiful outdoor environment. Cubes can host plant life in the summer and be repurposed for seating and storage in the winter. Aluminum planter cubes feature an irrigation sleeve and drainage holes. Wood planters feature a polyurethane lining and drainage holes, making plant care and maintenance easy. The adjustable pedestal system creates an ideal solution for water feature applications. The system conceals the water supply beneath the surface materials and allows water to drain to the surface below for recycling. Additionally, the supports are impervious to water, mold, and most chemicals. Pedestal systems can be designed with wind uplift requirements. Wind uplift systems are calculated to resist high-velocity wind zones when installed to the manufacturer’s specifications. Certain manufacturers can provide fire retardant pedestals. Pedestal deck systems also assist in passive solar heating and cooling as their air permeance helps to reduce cooling loads.
Photo courtesy of Plastpro
A seamless integration of indoors and out, to capture outdoor spaces for personal use, is a leading residential design trend. The Frasier House in Boulder, Colorado.
Frasier House – Boulder, Colorado
Photo courtesy of Bison Innovative Products
The wood tiles used in this net-zero energy home’s expansive deck are made of ipê, a super dense species of Brazilian hardwood which will weather to a silvery-gray patina when left untreated.
The Frasier House in Boulder, Colorado is a net-zero energy home constructed for aesthetics, luxury, durability, and energy efficiency. The home features a gym, pool, guest home, heated garage, and outdoor deck complete with a modern chiminea and sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. The home produces as much energy as it consumes, resulting in net-zero emissions.
Designed with minimal maintenance in mind, the house was built with high performance windows, coatings, and low maintenance ipê ribbed wood tiles. The wood tiles used in the home’s expansive deck are made of ipê, a super dense species of Brazilian hardwood which will weather to a silvery-gray patina when left untreated. Wood tiles are ideal for blending the warm beauty and upscale appearance of real wood with durability and low maintenance. The pedestal deck support system is impervious to water, mold, and freeze-thaw cycles.
Coastal Co-Housing Community – Portland, Maine
Photo: Peter Vanderwarker; courtesy of Bison Innovative Products
The modular deck system selected for the Coastal Co-Housing Community requires minimal maintenance and provides an inviting space to enjoy social gatherings.
Architect: Richard Renner | Architects
General Contractor: Wright-Ryan Homes
While traditional co-housing projects focus on families, the Portland, Maine-based Coastal Co-Housing units were designed specifically as a retirement community. Considering owners’ desires to be with aging friends and family, architects designed multigenerational senior living spaces. Co-housing differs from standard condominium development and master-planned subdivisions because the development is designed by, or with, considerable input from its future residents. The design process customarily emphasizes fostering social relationships among its residents. Common facilities are based on the actual needs of the residents, rather than on what a developer thinks will help sell units.
The aim of the 15-acre site is achieving net-zero energy consumption. Solar panels, a green roof, and wood pellet boiler all contribute to the complex’s eco-goals. The tight-knit housing arrangement allows everyone to live in a flexible, shared community in comfort and style.
The complex, built for six couples, consists of a main structure and a guesthouse for friends and family. The common space includes a living room, kitchen, laundry, library, art studio, and exercise room. The 4,000-square-foot rooftop deck includes a shared garden and hot tub surrounded by smooth plank ipê wood tiles, supported by an adjustable pedestal system. The deck is located above the common parking garage. The modular deck system easily converts the area into a contemporary, multiuse space for residents that can easily be maintained.
CONCLUSION
As homes leap to adapt to the sweeping shift in how they are lived in, new opportunities for the design professional are also emerging. Design and product innovations are making the future of multipurpose homes not only possible, but also beautiful and energy efficient. These innovations foster the opportunity to establish a better connection with nature, to provide co-generational living in a style that benefits all of the occupants, and to adapt to multiple and shifting demands on how square footage is used. While the definition of home has become more malleable, it has also become much more valuable.
END NOTES
1Nerdwallet, “2022 Home Improvement Report”.
2Experts Reveal Most Important Features for Homeowners in 2022.
3Experts Reveal Most Important Features for Homeowners in 2022.
4https://www.kitchenbathdesign.com/wellness-features-termed-a-necessity/.
6Meritage Homes, Survey methodology: Data is based on a survey conducted in partnership with SWNS and fielded between March 16-21, 2022, among 2,000 men and women between the ages 18-55+.
7https://www.ecowatch.com/energy-efficiency-stats.html.
8https://www.dwell.com/article/interior-design-home-trends-2022-36e4c66b.
998% and 92% “very important” and “important” respectively. "Homebuilder/Architect Survey". August 2022
Amanda Voss, MPP, is an author, editor, and policy analyst. Writing for multiple publications, she has also served as the managing editor for Energy Design Update.