An Innovative Design in Cottage Living
The need to design homes that are ecologically conscious is becoming an increasingly prominent issue among architects, designers, and homeowners. Many individuals today are extremely concerned with the environmental impact of renovating an existing home or even building an entire new structure. The Henley House, which is located on Lac Malaga in Austin, Quebec is a perfect example of a new home created to honor its surroundings and minimize any negative impacts its existence poses to its environment.
In 2005, the Weeks family in collaboration with architects Francois Lafontaine and Luc Allard began their project to replace their existing cottage with a new ecological house.
Walking through the Henley House, it is obvious the amount of thought the homeowners and architects have invested in order to create a beautiful living space that maximizes the use of both recycled and repurposed materials while conserving energy.
Almost every component of the Henley House has been sustainably designed to respect the land it is built on and create the most minimal impact possible on the home's surrounding property. The Henley House features an L-shape floor plan that was built with large windows facing south and west to receive the most sunlight possible and maximize the use of passive solar energy. The exterior windows and doors were all intelligently placed in order to absorb and retain the most sunlight possible. The entire house is insulated with rock wool to a factor of R35 or greater. The first level of the home is half buried in the slope of the land up from lake level, which helps the building to stay cool during summer months and warm during the winter.
The heart of the home is well defined by a mass masonry fireplace, which the Weeks use to burn quality hardwood at 1200 degrees Fahrenheit to produce minimal amounts of CO2 while effectively heating the entirety of the home. The fireplace is integrated into a series of plastic pipes, which are laid directly into the concrete floors and backed up by a small electric water heater. The multiple zones of piping are controlled by two pumps, which drive a mixture of water and ecological glycol throughout the heated floors. The home also features a smart thermostat, which allows the Weeks to control the homes temperature directly from their smart phone.
In 2011, the Weeks family installed a vegetation roof onto the Henley House, which has become one of the homes most attractive and alluring features. The Henley House was originally built to feature a flat roof that would be perfectly suited for the future addition of a green roof. The Weeks planted 400 strawberry plants to cover the entirety of the roof, creating a green space, which produces usable and sustainable vegetation. The vegetation roof was intended to help keep the home cool in summer months and replace some of the green space eliminated when clearing the land to build the home. All of the wood used to line the exterior of the home was engineered out of hemlocks excavated when clearing the area for the foundation of the home. The roof also houses two skylights, which shine directly into the main washroom and master ensuite.
The environmentally conscious efforts are not only seen in the actual structure of the Henley House, but are also integrated into the interior finishes of the home. Recycled ceramic floor, recycled wood floors, and repurposed glass railings are just some of the eco-friendly solution utilized in this house.
The Weeks family still has many revolutionary plans and ideas to continue the evolution of the Henley House. The Weeks family is currently investigating post-construction LEED (Leading in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and has made plans to switch entirely to LED lighting and install solar panels on the edge of the roof.
The Henley House harth whick is used to manage the infloor heating system and acts as a working bread oven in the upper portion.
Beautiful natural wood siding lines the exterior of the home made from the hemlocks that were cleared to pour the foudation of the home.
A narrow skylight lined with extremely reflective materials magnifies sun rays to illuminate the main floor washroom.
Kitchen cabinets made entirely from repurposed wood and glass recovered from an old renovation site.
The green roof, housing 4 varieties of strawberry plants, harvested and maintained by the Weeks family.
References
Weeks, A. (2015, October 10). What makes the Henley House Green? [Personal interview]