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| 2005 NAHB Seniors Housing Council, Aging in Place Design Winner |
The Schultz-Popish residence was designed to do all we could to optimize indoor air quality and to be a setting to
complement the owners' collection of contemporary American crafts. These photos were taken before the collection
and furnishings were brought into the house, so the beauty of the furnishings wouldn't compete with the
craftsmanship of the setting. The two benches in this photo are a hint of what was to come.
This home won the first place award for "Aging in Place, New Custom Home" in the 2005 Best in Seniors
Housing Awards at the NAHB's International Builders Show in Orlando Florida. The judges were impressed by
the way the universal design features were so seamlessly integrated with the design of the house as a whole.
The house is only 1820 square feet, including the heated breezeway, with an additional 400 sf in a guest cottage. There
is no pressure treated wood, no carpet, no sheetrock, only formaldehyde-free insulation. All the floors are black
and multicolor slate and travertine marble, and are heated from below with five different radiant heat zones. We chose
stone for its great heat transfer properties and for its low embodied energy content. All the walls and ceilings are
sustainably harvested southern yellow pine or knotty spruce (in the guest house). We used low VOC finishes
throughout. An energy recovery ventilator provides fresh clean air.
| Overview from the south |
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The house actually has more south facing glass than is recommended by the North Carolina Solar Energy
Association however the tendency to overheat on the south side of the house is resisted by the
design of the radiant floor system which was laid out in accordance with Dan Holohan's book
"Hydronic
Radiant Heating. 
" The radiant tubing in the floor circulates 24 hours a day and
the temperature of the water is modulated by a hot water injection system that has 5 separate zones. When the sun
warms the floor on the south side of the house in the afternoon that heat is circulated to the
north side of the house even if the thermostat is not calling for heat. The master bath shower
walls and floor are on their own circuit and stay warm all the time to cut down on mildew. The rooftop cupolas
provide natural attic cooling.
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Entry from North |
The lower half of the siding is locally harvested natural stone. The upper half is cedar shingles applied
one at a time. This more formal "Front Door" entry on the north enters into a sculpture gallery that is
heated but finished with stone and shingle interior walls and lots of glass looking out on the pool and
courtyard. A craftsman style entry door separates this room from the living space entry giving a dramatic
but efficient airlock entry that also helps with managing the owner's dogs.
The floor plan was a joint effort between the homeowners (of course) and Sid Schultz AIA of
Gwathmey-Pratt-Schultz
Architects , brother of homeowner, who developed the preliminary drawings and space
plan. Chandler Design-Build created the working drawings and specifications. Pete Lucey at Birdsong Design did
the landscape design. We encourage our clients to seek advice from other architects, engineers, aunts, uncles and
children. After all, it's not about our ego but your comfort in your new home.
| Entry from the parking area |
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The parking area enters the house between the 1,820 sf main house and the 400 sf guest cottage. Most of the
day-to-day traffic comes in and out through the parking area and the garage so the pool courtyard really becomes
the hub of daily life. When the guest cottage is not in use, the thermostat can be adjusted accordingly to
conserve energy. The 3'6" x 8'0" door to the screen porch was built on site to match the carriage house garage
doors and the site built exterior storage closet doors.
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The Granite Countertops were triple honed to give them a non-glossy appearance by
Prescott Stone . We wanted to give this home an authentic, non-ostentatious,
quality. So we tried to play down the showy elements while keeping the quality and respect for good design at
the forefront of our thoughts at all times. The house is actually not very large at only 1820 sf, not
counting the guest cottage. So we went out of our way to maximize the usefulness of the space. The kitchen sink
has an offset trap pushed back against the back of the cabinet to optimize the usefulness of the under sink
area. We used energy star appliances throughout to conserve energy with the notable exception of the Wolf Range.
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The Rais Comba
Wood stove was a bit too close to the cabinetry on the wall beside it
so we shielded the cabinet with 2 ¼" broken edge sandstone slabs which we also used on the stove platform. The display
shelves above are 3/8" plate glass on aluminum supports. All the cherry cabinetry in the house is by Bishop's
Custom Kitchens.
The vanities in this house are designed to accommodate a person in a wheel chair. The house is what we
call "visit-able" in keeping with the concept of universal design rather than "wheel chair accessible". The
plumbing under the vanities is pulled back into the wall with "offset traps" to create a knee hole under the
sink. The Porcher sinks we use protrude from the face of the cabinet to facilitate their use by a person
with limited mobility. Additionally we have used all lever type faucets and doorknobs and the shower in
the master bedroom has an ultra low "wheel in" shower curb.
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The tub in the master bath is recessed into the concrete slab floor and wrapped in a cinderblock and
steel surround that was then wrapped in granite by
Prescott stone. The stone
windowsill above was cut on site to match the stone shower curb. The walls and floor of the shower
are heated 24 hours a day by the re-circulating domestic hot water system to reduce mildew and enhance
the bathing experience. There is never any wait for hot water in the master bathroom. A small pump
constantly circulates hot water from the master bath to the water heater and back with a small
detour through the walls and floor of the shower. During the winter all the floors have radiant heat pipes
to warm the house along with its passive solar features and the wood stove and back-up electric heat
pump. The system uses seven thermostats to allow the owners to send the heat where they
want it as they choose.
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This is still the same Master Bath. The second vanity has mahogany cabinetry by Bishop's custom
cabinetry. The window sill has a built in grab bar that is very securely screwed to the framing. Additionally there
is hidden blocking in the walls in case hospital style grab bars should ever be necessary. A special niche was
created to house a piece of art glass. It has a copper countertop that has been allowed to patina naturally and
has a hole drilled in it with a cement board light box hidden underneath. The counter top has a touch
switch dimmer concealed inside it. To turn the light on or off and to adjust the dimmer you simply tap on the copper.
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Since construction the gardens and landscaping have been a major focus for the homeowners, Below are a
few images of the landscaping from this fall, we are eagerly awaiting the spring to watch as the plants
complete the house. Additionally the homeowners have installed an organic vegetable garden with an eight foot tall
deer fence and a very long loop trail through the back half of the property which winds through the wooded hillside.
