Egret House

Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts

This one-story home is conceived of carefully placed horizontal planes met by delicate glass walls and doors lining the east facade of the property overlooking the open landscape. 

The house is designed according to Passive House Strategies in collaboration with Marc Rosenbaum, who was our Green Engineer on this project. Triple glazed windows, a super-insulated and tight roof and skin, an all-electric heating system and solar panels on the south-facing roofs combine to create a sustainable and energy efficient structure.

The bedrooms, kitchen and living areas were created as individual, stand-alone pods, separated from each other completely. This open-air design engages the peaceful pondside landscape, creating a natural path between living areas. MTA invites the tranquility of the surrounding land to become a part of the living space, heightening the sense of trust between nature and home, and creating ambiguity between interior and exterior space.  

White floor-length curtains enable the privacy of each bedroom, yet allow for the sliders to stay open, capturing the breezes for cross-ventilation during the summer months. All rooms receive light and breeze from two sides. The interiors of the home are built around the multiple planes of light entering the rooms at different points during the day, and the light wood, curtains and furnishings warmed by the natural sun create a peaceful interior environment.