Sustainable RainShine House in Georgia by Robert M. Cain
April 10th, 2010 - Posted in Sustainable House Design
Located in Decatur Georgia, Robert M. Cain architects have designed an sustainable two-story house in 2800-square foot built area called RainShine House. This house features three bedrooms, three and a half baths and some impressive sustainable building materials and methods. RainShine was constructed under the LEED for Homes Program Pilot Rating System. Upon completion it was awarded the highest possible rating—Platinum—having exceeded the requirements by a significant 11 points. The home is also certified by the Energy Star and EarthCraft home programs.
The living room, dining, kitchen and guest bedrooms are sheltered by a unique butterfly roof structured with steel beams spanned by exposed 1- 1/2” tongue-and-groove wood decking. The roof floats above continuous clerestories allowing light to flood into the interior. Light shelves around the clerestory sills bounce and diffuse natural light throughout the interior. The butterfly [roof] design, with it’s inverted gable, simplifies rainwater collection, eliminates extensive gutter and downspout systems and the associated maintenance headaches common in conventional gabled or hip roofed homes. The home features large expanses of thermally broken glazing with solar shades and operable windows. Spaces are defined by “thick walls” containing storage, book shelves, niches, pass-throughs, closets, audio visual equipment, systems, etc. Except at certain utility areas, interior walls stop short of the ceilings and are topped by glazing, thus enhancing the floating roof effect. – Robert M. Cain Architects
May 9th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
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