Evan Joseph Images

Hive 50 Honors

For a real-world exemplar of ecologically minded, fossil fuel–free home resilience, able to operate by securing continuous vital access to essential resources independent of the grid.

What You Need To Know

Located off the coast of the Peconic River near Long Island, N.Y., this 4,105-square-foot house is built out of concrete, the façade articulated by design to create a pattern, but mostly used for rapidity of construction, durability, and ease of upkeep. The upper portion of the pool house is cladded with horizontal cedar siding boards of variable widths and depths—a salute to the local building vernacular used on Shelter Island, which is accessible only by ferry. The house is intended to minimize its carbon footprint by providing solar electricity for heating and cooling and other usages, in addition to employing ultra-efficient means of construction to maximize conservation. A vegetable garden surrounds the deck adjacent to solar panels. The electricity generated by the sun keeps the house warm via the radiant floor heating system during colder months and charges the family’s electric cars.

Who’s Involved

Vibeke Lichten, Atelier Vibeke Lichten.

Time Stamp

EcoHouse was completed in 2018