THE LIGHT•HOUSE PROJECT
noun light·house \ˈlīt-ˌhau̇s\
1. a precisely designed house with a small ecological footprint; 2. a structure that sits lightly on the land; 3. a residence that exists in concert with, not in opposition to, the earth and its occupants; 4. a house that allows us to live simply yet comfortably; 5. an elegantly conscientious dwelling
This is a resource site for people looking the build a smallish house (500sf – 1500sf) in a beautiful remote location.
We are offering ready-made house designs that can be purchased and built by any well-skilled, wood-frame-house builder.
Light House designs are neither high-end nor are they the solution for the extremely budget-conscious homeowner . Instead, they are a moderately priced option that packs a lot of design-bang for the buck! Light Houses also work great for locations on-the-grid !
PHASE I – MAINE ISLAND HOUSE PLANS To start, we are offering for sale a full set of Construction Drawings to build The Maine Island House designed by Alex Scott Porter, first featured in Dwell Magazine.
To design this house (a collaboration between an architect, a builder and a journalist) we studied traditional Japanese houses, modern Scandinavian houses, and the German Passiv Haus system to create the right combination of clean & minimal, warm & inviting, and precise & practical. We then researched off-grid sustainable building technologies — from the low to the high-end, including those adapted by the local fisherman who have been living off-grid for decades — and integrated the best, most cost-effective ones into the design. The result is The Maine Island House. To see more pictures click here.
Principle elements: + Solar energy – both passive and active (no electrical grid needed) + Rain-water harvesting (no well needed) + Composting toilet (no septic system needed) + Precisely designed, efficient interior (not much furniture needed) + Built on concrete piers (no big trucks and machinery needed) + Tight enclosure (only a wood stove needed) + Conventional building materials and methods (no unconventional contractors needed)
PHASE II – VARIATIONS (in development): We plan to offer variations on the Maine Island House to accommodate your needs starting in Summer 2016. These include:
* A full bedroom and bathroom (in addition to the sleeping loft)
*A fully insulated house for northern climes
*Different site orientations
DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LIGHT HOUSE PROJECT OR THE MAINE ISLAND HOUSE PLANS?
Contact us using the form below. Please tell us about your project and what you are looking for. Specifics are encouraged!