Photo of WaterShed elements
WaterShed integrates architecture, engineering and living systems in a residential design-build project
Photo Credit: Jeff Gipson
WaterShed embraces an ecosystem design model on every scale, from micro to macro. The house operates as an integral part of a rich, interconnected network of natural systems that harness the energy of the sun, water, wind, and earth. The house and landscape work intimately together to capture and maximize the potential of sunlight and rainfall.
Design

WaterShed’s holistic design responds to the challenges of rethinking energy use in the built environment and concerns about water consumption around the world. Inspired by the Chesapeake Bay, WaterShed’s architectural design is driven by four guiding principles:

  1. Water is a precious resource and should be handled conscientiously
  2. A home should function as a micro‐ecosystem
  3. A sustainable house should both conserve and produce resources
  4. Merging the best of passive and active energy strategies is the most effective way to create a house in tune with its environment

The two-year design and build process yields a sustainable home that integrates aesthetic, spatial, technological, natural, and affordable design. Its shed forms, innovative technologies, and native landscape work together to educate the dweller about to how to conserve and protect our environment from within their home.

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