This house forms a dramatic presence on the Black River, and estuary of the Chesapeake Bay.  A gut renovation of much more conventional existing house, this residence  preserves the existing footprint in a protected zone adjacent to the water.  

The living room occupies a soaring two-story space with expansive views of the water.  Motorized shades help prevent overheating while radiant floor heating keeps occupants comfortable in winter.  The butterfly roof captures plenty of rainwater, stored in cisterns and used for landscape irrigation.  The roof is ideally oriented for solar power (to be added later).

The efficient mechanical systems in the house include ground-source heat pumps and an energy recovery ventilator.

This project earned a LEED Homes Gold certification.