William Duff Architects Use the Fibonnaci Sequence to Create Beautiful, Efficient Wheeler Home

San Francisco-based <a href="http://www.wdarch.com/">William Duff Architects </a>is known for integrating sustainability into high design - and their <a href="http://www.wdarch.com/wheeler_residence_01.htm">Wheeler Residence </a>in Menlo Park exemplifies this practice. This 4,845-square-foot four-bedroom single family home is a modern masterpiece. The Wheeler Residence was designed using a proportioning system based on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number">Fibonacci</a> sequence - rooms and spaces within the home gradually increase in size based on this mathematical system, and cabinetry, windows, and doors follow the same sequence.

The team at William Duff Architects created an interesting design for the Wheeler Residence using a proportioning system based on the Fibonacci sequence.

The client also had a mission to integrate an environmentally conscious strategy into every architectural design decision. An existing home was on the property and William Duff Architects began their sustainable approach by reusing many of the products in the old home.

The theme of blurring the distinction of interior and exterior space governs the design method used to create the Wheeler Residence.

Spaces were designed to be naturally lit by daylight and naturally ventilated by eliminating unnecessary interior walls and also installing clerestory windows around the ceiling.

The corners of many of the rooms within the house are missing in order to blur the natural surroundings into the interior of the home.

Also, a natural palette of economical and sustainable materials was integrated throughout the home.

A rooftop electric photovoltaic power system reduced the need for fossil fuel energy, while solar hot water also helped to reduce heating needs. In the end the project exceeded the 2005 Title 24 energy standards by 38%.

The home was finished with an extremely efficient passive and active mechanical system. Passive ventilation strategies even eliminated the need for mechanical cooling.

Cor-Ten steel, stained concrete, and resin panels also have a low life-cycle cost and helped to minimize the need for maintenance.