Site Visit With Jerome

Daly Project Team,

This e-mail is an attempt to share thoughts from my site visit with Jerome last Thursday:

During my site visit with Jerome, it became clear to me that we needed to make a conscious choice to prioritize our project goals and let these priorities be reflected in our massing.  All schemes to this day had attempted to include all our goals (new master suite, exterior master green roof, greenhouse, art room connection, and exterior art space) with equal importance.  However, including them all seemed to sacrifice the adequate functionality of the greenhouse.  Additionally, with the East area of the greenhouse built in to the hillside, it also became obvious that the Western extension piece from Scheme "B" was some of the most valuable greenhouse space on the site with opportunities for early middle and late day sun.  It also became clear that Western extension needed to be re-oriented to it's optimal solar South.  While discussing alternatives that would provide the ultimate greenhouse (detached dome greenhouse and single sloping shed with no upper living space), Jerome and I reasoned that we first needed to try a scheme that attempted the following:

1. Maximize the greenhouse potential and provide as much sloped Southern sloped glazing as possible

2. Block the direct Western sun

3. Relocate the upper Master Suite space as far to the East as possible while minimizing it's footprint

4. Remove the Master Suite exterior space; Any space allocated to this function would directly compromise the greenhouse

5. Explore the Master roof form for it's renewable energy potential

A scheme that successfully provided the above would allow us to evaluate our best configuration for a greenhouse while retaining the primary functional pieces of our program.  Is is with this thinking that I embarked on Scheme "F" now posted on the Daly drawing site.

Additional thoughts:

While on site with Jerome, we discussed for some time the elevation of the greenhouse and the snow pack at the foot of the South wall.  In our latest plan, the greenhouse is sunken three feet from existing grade.  The exterior space around the greenhouse would also need to be regraded down three feet.  This three foot drop is critical to the volume of the greenhouse and it's opportunity for sun exposure.  Jerome added to this discussion that in addition to the three foot drop, the mechanical system would need to be trenched down another three feet.  Another option would be to leave the greenhouse at existing grade and raise the level of the master three feet.  While this would minimize the excavation of the greenhouse site and provide more attainable Southern snow storage space, it would create an awkward three foot level change from the Master bath/closet to the Master bedroom.  Upon reflection, I left Scheme "F" with the greenhouse dropped three feet.  While open for discussion, I think that the 3 ft. level change in the Master would be a much greater inconvenience and that the extra excavation was warranted.  The snow storage to the South is something we will have to discuss.  In our experience, with a mass wall on the south side, there is a natural radiant vertical face that aids in the melting process.  However, the sloped glazing in Scheme "F" will shed and provide significant additional storage requirements.

Your comments on all of the above are greatly appreciated!

Jeff