A low-energy farmhouse provides a rural escape in North Carolina
This low-energy farmhouse is a net zero architectural re-set for a Californian client, an East Coast relocation for a more engaged and low-key lifestyle
![Net Zero is a low-energy Farmhouse, North Carolina, by Arielle Schechter](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Gvqg9ERtMNgpyivATunTCQ-415-80.jpg)
North Carolina, where this low-energy farmhouse is located, is a long way from California; but that was the scope of the move made by Arielle Schechter’s client when they decided on a wholesale change in outlook and lifestyle. The chosen site for Net Zero Farmhouse was ideal for agricultural use, bordering a small creek. The surrounding land is a mix of native grass meadow and woodland, with unspoilt views in every direction.
Discover this low-energy farmhouse in North Carolina
Schechter’s brief was for a two-bedroom house, with expansive public spaces, an enclosed porch and a main bedroom set away from the living rooms for privacy without compromising views of the land. The second bedroom serves as both office and guest space, with a north-facing aspect that keeps it away from the main body of the house.
A garage and second bedroom face north
‘The design idea behind this farmhouse was inspired by the feeling of farm groupings of little outbuildings, native to rural North Carolina,’ says Schechter. ‘We interpreted this in a modern way with shed roofs, a small courtyard for a future dog or cat, and large banks of energy efficient windows.’
The house is angled to make the most of the site and the views
Low energy consumption is one of the anchors of the design. As Schechter points out, it is a true net zero structure, thanks to the triple glazed windows, deep roof overhangs to shield from the North Carolina summer sun, and lots of insulation to keep energy costs down. A solar array is mounted on the roof of the garage.
Overhanging roofs shade the house in summer
The living spaces are all south-facing, shielded by the overhanging roofs, with a large screened porch at one of the site and a smaller open deck accessed from the kitchen. Future plans include a barn, and the scale of the site was maximised by pushing the access drive right up to the boundary line.
The main living space has south-facing windows
This is a modestly scaled project, with simple, unpretentious detailing and materials that have been chosen for their durability and fitness for purpose. Schechter, whose practice is in Chapel Hill, specialises in unpretentious, small-scale modernism, favouring vernacular and industrial materials, energy efficient design and close integration with the land.
The house overlooks meadow and woodland
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
IM Pei's Everson Museum of Art gets a modern makeover
The East Wing of the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY has been given a contemporary refresh by emerging Los Angeles studio MILLIØNS
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Black Modernism’s lesser-known, at-risk architecture gems gain a lifeline
Conserving Black Modernism announces vital funding to save and preserve overlooked and endangered buildings by African American architects and designers
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Step into the Blanton Museum of Art's reimagined public realm by Snøhetta in Austin
Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas is completed and reveals its reimagined public realm and plaza designed by Snøhetta
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This New York Townhouse renovation is a lesson in contemporary minimalism
TenBerke’s carefully considered New York townhouse is the reimagining of a century-old Manhattan structure that reframes vertical living
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Visit The Frost House, a lesser-known modernist architecture marvel in Michigan City
The Frost House is a lesser-known midcentury architecture gem in Michigan City, Indiana; we took the tour as the property goes on the market
By Audrey Henderson Published
-
Broadway designer Scott Pask’s Arizona retreat is a scene-stealing discovery
Scott Pask invites us inside his Arizona retreat, nestled in the foothills overlooking Tucson – a place to reboot, recharge and commune with nature
By Michael Webb Published
-
Upstate New York retreat Ridge House evokes land art
Ridge House in upstate New York, the work of Brooklyn-based studio Worrell Yeung, is at one with the surrounding countryside
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Rafael de Cárdenas’ first ground-up project is a forever home with waterfront views and hidden treasures
Rafael de Cárdenas reveals his latest completed project in the Pacific Northwest, a family home of calming spaces that bleed the outside in, and ten years in the making
By Ellie Stathaki Published