E.D.G.E Home Beautifully Balances Form with Function

When we saw the <a href="http://www.revarch.com/EDGE.html">E.D.G.E.</a> home profiled on <a href="http://www.jetsongreen.com/2010/07/edge-modern-green-home.html">Jetson Green</a> we did a double take -- the house features an elegant sliding facade that resembles this year’s Solar Decathlon winner, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/06/25/lumenhaus-pulls-ahead-at-the-solar-decathlon-with-smart-adaptable-design/">Lumenhaus</a>. Given the incredible performance of Virgina Tech’s design, this home shows great promise. A simple but elegant box is protected by an offset butterfly roof and huge sliding screens that protect the home’s gracious windows from the elements. Designed and built by <a href="http://www.revarch.com/index.html">Revelations Architecture</a>, the "Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment" takes a straightforward approach to efficient, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/sustainable-building/">sustainable building</a>.

Overlooking Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior, the Minnesota home has a modest impact on it's forested location. At 480 square feet its lack of size is made up by its very conscientious embrace of outdoor space -- even in the dead of winter with floor-to-ceiling windows.

The E.D.G.E. home is a prefab hybrid design that traveled to the 20th MREA Fair last June. Sometimes it is best to take a great home to the people -- in this case 7000 visitors, according to the architects.

The components of the home are relatively simple -- two panelized ends are connected by beams, and a simple flat roof with an outer butterfly assembly is attached.

Just like the Lumenhaus, the home features sliding panels that cover and secure the home. Heat gain is dramatically reduced in summer, but the panels still let in a breeze that keeps the home cool. The adaptive wall system is a technique we anticipate to see more frequently in the future.

Adjustable screens allow the residents to adjust the home as they see fit, and get a little exercise.

The interior is a sharp and precisely-developed space clad in birch plywood and graced with a tall ceiling and windows. Built-in furnishings, two lofts, and a very cool center piece make small space living a joy.

The kitchen speaks to the clean no-nonsense design.

One of the more unusual aspects of the home is the transformable furniture. A couple flips and some shuffling and you have either a table, casual seating, or a bed for two. The comb joinery in the pieces echoes the exterior cladding detail.

The construction is a hybrid of shop-built components and a beam-supporting wall and ceiling. The simple form expedites construction.

Supplementing the passive solar design is a hydronic heating system fed by a heat pump. An amply insulated shell keeps the home cozy, while a heat recovery ventilation system is integrated into the home's plan.

Another trait shared with the Lumenhaus is an offset roof system that reduces heat gain. In this case a distinctive butterfly roof channels water for rain catchment.

The shop built panelized wooden covers that act as rain screens, further reducing heat gain and providing a modern, crafted aesthetic.

The floor plan accommodates six as a cabin, or two as residence. The central public room is a transformable and open space, that eliminates the need to build separate rooms for specific activities. While this requires more work for the occupants, it dramatically reduces the energy and resources it takes to build and maintain the home.