Pondicherry House

Photos

credits: Trent Bell

Project Name

Pondicherry House

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, MAINE

PROJECT SCOPE: Design of a new 2,950 SF house with two wings, one for living and one for sleeping, on a remote, wooded site. The house had to produce more energy than it would use.

SITE DESCRIPTION: Four acres of forested land on a glacial pond on the edge of Acadia National Park. The approach to the site is along a steeply sloped drive through a forest of pine trees, ferns, moss, and ledge outcroppings.

CONSTRAINTS: The owners wanted a small house that touched the earth lightly. They are foresters and wanted the interiors to be made with all clear pine from their sustainable forests in northern Maine. Conservation easements required that the house be sited 150 feet from the edge of the pond. Minimal clearing of the forest was allowed.

DESIGN CHALLENGE: To create a new way of living on Mount Desert Island, which had been a retreat for this family for over a century. They named the house Pondicherry, a new settlement, to describe their new way of life on the island, which sought to live in harmony with the National Park surroundings vs. in domination of them as they had experienced in the large cottages of Northeast Harbor where they spent their youth.

DESIGN SOLUTION: A simple house with two wings, one for living, the other for sleeping, and a limited palette of natural materials: stone, wood, metal and glass. The building forms are simple, reaching out to embrace the natural setting. The roofs lift up to open the house to the sun and views of the mountains and pond. Overhangs shade the summer sun. Rooms are modestly sized, with generous amounts of natural light. Exterior decks cantilever over a landscape of ferns and moss. Pondicherry was made by hand with sustainable materials and produces 10% more energy than it uses on an annual basis.

SUSTAINABILITY: This house is LEED Platinum Certified and Net Zero Energy.It has R-52 roofs, R-37 walls, R-20 below slabs, R-5.75 triple-glazed windows; high performance air-to-air heat exchangers; photovoltaic panels for electricity, solar thermal panels for hot water; ultra low flow/dual flush fixtures for water conservation; LED lighting, radiant heating, rain screen siding, and ultra-thin cantilevered roof overhangs.

MATERIALS USED: Wood frame on polished concrete slabs on grade; stone walkways, walls and benches; white cedar shingles, IPE siding and trim; triple glazed windows and lift/slide doors; metal roofs; FSC clear pine wall and ceiling boards, hardwood floors, polycarbonate countertops, porcelain tile bathroom floors and walls; Duravit plumbing fixtures.

Architecture or A/E Firm Name

Scott Simons Architects, LLC

Architect

Scott Simons

Team

Harry Hepburn, Linda Braley, Nathaniel Cram

Consultants

Becker Structural, Energy Works, Peter Knuppel

Location

Mount Desert Island, ME

General Contractor

Peacock Builders