Valley View Home

This Alces Post & Beam home was built for a young couple building their first home. It was designed to be cost effective and energy efficient, and to maximize the use of space. It was built in a traditional saltbox style with the front of the building facing southeast to take advantage of passive solar heating and the back of the building facing northwest so that the long roof could protect it from the prevailing winter winds. The frame is 26' x 36' and constructed of 4 rough sawn Eastern hemlock bents. Located centrally within the house is a Turtlerock wood fired masonry heater that heats the entire house. Solar panels are mounted on the south west side of the building to help supplement electricity needs. The first floor contains a mudroom, 1/2 bathroom, open kitchen, dining and living room areas, and a built-in seating area in front of the masonry heater. The kitchen cabinets were crafted using maple cut from the site by a local cabinet maker and finished with milk paint. The wide pine flooring was also cut from trees felled on this building site. The second floor, accessed by stairs that wrap around the masonry heater, has a master bedroom with adjoining master bath, and two other bedrooms with a shared bathroom.

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