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"Beauty is not a trade-off
for green design—beauty is
essential to a building's long-
term survival and therefore
its environmental impact."
—Allison Ewing
FACING PAGE TOP: THE house is sited on a hilltop to take advantage of the surrounding views, particularly to the west toward the
Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as the prevailing breezes that sweep across the hillside. A modern interpretation of the traditional
"widow's walk," the third-floor observatory has windows on all sides. The observatory acts as a solar chimney, helping to regulate the
temperature of the home through ventilation.
FACING PAGE BOTTOM: The roof shape creates a continuous flow for the interior spaces, from the ground level up to the observatory,
and facilitates a natural air flow. The living, dining, and kitchen area is suffused with daylight from the east, south, and west.
Photographs by Prakash Patel