Rice Branch Residence
Location: Asheville, NC
Type: New Construction
Rice Branch Residence
Our clients purchased 100+ acres of forest land with a vision for a family retreat and a commitment to energy efficiency and climate change resilience. A large program of spaces and 3 generations of living required multiple spaces for gathering and for privacy. Our challenge was to provide all the necessary functions and create a modest scale to the architecture that didn’t dominate the experience of being in the forest.
Site Plan by Osgood Landscape Architecture
The design solution pulls apart different functions into 4 structures to diminish the visual presence of the buildings. An auto court and play lawn open to the forest beyond and serve as an organizational axis for several buildings. The main house is placed to overlook a stream, while the in-law cabin and garage are partially buried into the slope. Green roofs further reduce the buildings’ presence while site walls extend from the buildings to create edges to the existing woodland forest.
The main house is a long two-story structure providing a variety of daylight and views. Large timber framed porches wrap 2 sides of the house and connect the main level to a play lawn and to views to the stream. A large two-sided stone fireplace anchors the overall form and is a central feature of the inside and outside living rooms.
To meet our clients’ energy and climate goals, we combined passive design principles with a robust thermal envelope of continuous exterior insulation and air sealing. These techniques reduce the energy demand while geothermal heating and cooling and rooftop solar panels take the main house to net-zero energy. A battery system provides energy resilience. Rainwater is harvested from the roofs and used to support the permaculture gardens and manage stormwater to protect the forest soil and stream.
