Shell Progress /  by Lincoln Brown

After many months of design/financing/permitting preparation, site work, and waiting for a dry day to pour concrete, the best part of the construction process finally began November 4. 2 weeks later, the roof is nearly complete. Steve Parker, along with his business partners Emil and Jim, has worked hard and got the job done super fast. I’m excited because now I can get to work too! The plan was for them to get the outer shell frames and sealed up, then I can begin framing the interiors.

Let’s talk about the house construction. It may look fairly standard at this point but it is not! Some of the major goals for the house:

  • Economical to build.
  • Limit waste as much as possible.
  • Super tight, highly insulated envelope.
  • Modern aesthetic.

First off, in terms of economy, I decided to keep it as simple as possible. The house is a rectangle. No dormers. No bumpouts, no angles. Just a plain old rectangle. Boring? Well, there are a lot more factors like the gorgeous site that will make this quite exciting. Sticking to the subject though, all those fancy details you see on faux traditional homes cost money. They are complicated, and not only that, are prone to leakage and extremely difficult to insulate and make air tight. So sticking to the simple unadorned rectangle actually fulfills all 4 goals in
one shot!

Reducing waste is one of Modern Vermont’s prime directives. In furniture and cabinetry construction, I always carefully plan projects to minimize wood extras, and wherever it is unavoidable, the pieces are saved, and incorporated into one of my many scrap projects. The house design was meticulously planned out to minimize cutting and waste of material. The dimensions are 48′ x 20′, making perfect use of a 4′ module, as this is how all contruction materials are sized. Plywood needs to be cut less. Sheetrock needs to be cut less. Insulation boards need to be cut less. Etc Etc.

The framing adheres to efficient framing practices as well. Most framing done today is ridiculously overbuilt. Studs are cheap, so builders would rather put more in to be safe and in many instances it is not needed. The outer shell studs are 24″ on center (vs 16″ typical). Every floor & roof joist is lined up directly over a stud on the same spacing, so no double top plate is required. Keeping the framing to a minimium has another enormous benefit: more insulation and less thermal bridging. Window openings were planned to align on the 24″ module in
almost every instance, also requiring less framing. 

The exterior wall and roof sheathing is Zip System. This is a plywood with an integrated coating that acts as both a vapor and air barrier. Typically on homes you see them wrapped with plastic on top of the plywood or osb sheathing. No need here. The seams are taped with a
specially formulated tape that adheres well to the boards. This makes a totally weather tight envelope even before siding and roofing are installed

After the Zip system is zipped up, Marvin Integrity windows will be installed. Then a layer of 1-1/2" Roxul Comfortboard IS panels will be applied to the outside of the wall, providing the first layer of insulation with a product that acts like your wool sweater. If it gets wet, it keeps on keeping you warm, and dries out quickly. 3/4″ furring strips will be applied to this with venting at the top and bottom, then the cedar siding. This space allows the siding to get air on all sides, allowing it to dry out more easily.

On the inside, a second 2×4 wall will be framed, making the framing cavity 10-1/2" wide. This cavity will be filled with dense packed cellulose insulation. With all this insulation the R value of the walls will be about R50, more than double a typical wall. The roof, also filled with dense packed cellulose and ranging from 16" to 20" deep will be R60-74. So the house is going to be Very easy to heat in the brutal northern Vermont winters.

Since I skipped over the foundation, I’ll quickly mention the specs there. The frost walls were constructed using Insulated Concrete Forms, which are like lego blocks of styrofoam that are hollow so concrete can be poured inside. These make R24 walls below grade. Underneath the ground floor concrete slab is 6″ of rigid insulation for R30. Far more than a typical home.

These insulation details of course cost more money than typical, but it is some of the best money spent. We will save plenty of $ in heating over the years and keep our carbon footprint very low!

In terms of aesthetics, I am a devout, if not a bit obsessive minimalist. I strive to get the most impact out of the least number of elements. So this simple volume will express itself mostly through the carefully designed fenestration layout (architect speak for windows/doors) and by the use of material. More on all that when the time comes!

The Design /  by Lincoln Brown

Rendering from North

Rendering of Southeast

The primary goals for the first Modern Vermont house design were to keep it very simple, for low cost and high energy efficiency and to be as open as possible to the beautiful surroundings with out compromising that efficiency.

Views to the east on the site are stunning, with VT's highest peak Mt Mansfield visible on clear days. Rolling fields lining the valley around the Brown's River make up the foreground. Nearly all spaces are oriented to this view. Southern exposure to the sun isn't great do to large trees on the south side, so the house attempts to soak in as much as possible from the east. Sliding glass doors in the living room are 8' tall to maximize the openness to the primary view and outdoor deck that will cantilever slightly over the edge of the steep bank the house sit atop.

The north side presents a very opaque face,, with only the 8' tall glass entry door visible from the approach. A slightly pitched floating roof overhang emphasizes the entry point and provides shelter for 2 cords of wood (more than enough for a winter's heating needs).

The first floor plan is completely open except for the entry which includes built in cabinets and bench on the left side and a mechanical closet on the right. The mechanical closet is set up to be opened for showing off the high tech systems that will keep the house super efficient.  The kitchen/dining area is arranged around a central island with cooktop to make cooking the center of activities. The kitchen cabinets fill in under the stair to maximize efficiency. The dining area is arranged much like a cafe, with a long seating banquette on the east wall and several small tables for flexible arrangements.

The living room has plenty of openness to the outside with double 6'x8' sliding glass doors oriented towards the easterly view and large window facing the back yard that will also allow good cross ventilation in summer. The southern wall will be covered with floor to ceiling cabinets, with hidden TV and integrated fireplace (The primary heat source for the home).

The second floor rooms are all stacked to the east for views. The northern half consists of two bedrooms (or offices) and a guest bath. The southern portion is a master suite with large windows in the bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom features a soaking tub centered on the window for enjoying the views while relaxing in the tub. The western wall is stacked with floor to ceiling closets and integrated laundry. There is a sliding pocket door for the master bedroom entry,  allowing the bedroom to remain open during typical use and have privacy when guests are present.

On the outside, the siding will be black, charred cedar, punctuated by white windows with white filler panels joining them in various locations. The roof is  EPDM low slope (1/4" per foot) , maintaining simplicity and economy. Black gutters will be located on the west side to collect all rain water into a cistern for gardening use. 

The building site is extremely tight. While the whole property is 13 acres, the approved building site is barely 7000 SF. The house is oriented to allow just enough room on the north side for parking 4 cars and turnaround, with potential for a future 2 car garage. The south side has a small clearing for outdoor activity and a path leads from here to the 5 acres of field where gardens and future farming will take place.