A2RCI ARCHITECTS
Yorktown, Va.
a2rci.com

Project name: Residence at Hayes Road
Project location: Hayes, Va.
Square footage: 2,880
Total project cost: $525,000

The owners sought not only to build an environmentally and energy-sensitive residence, but also a home responsive to the shapes of the indigenous architecture of Virginia. Located on a small peninsula with water views on four sides, the design was to have the indoor and outdoor areas be seamless, with minimal use of interior walls that would obstruct views. Although the existing septic system restricted the house size to one bedroom, the plan was designed to be modified in the future into a two- or three-bedroom house.

A2RCI Architects in Yorktown, Va., faced three types of challenges designing this house: environmental, energy and structural. The environmental challenges included: site impervious area which was required to be reduced by 10 percent from pre-development. Stormwater runoff needed to be reduced and water quality improved by 50 percent. And the Chesapeake Bay Act required moving the face of the building 10 ft. from the previous footprint. The energy challenge was to reduce the average monthly bill to within $120 to $150 per month.

The final set of challenges included structural issues such as the FEMA VE Zone requiring first floor walls to be collapsible in a storm surge; a hurricane loading requiring resisting wind loads of 24 lbs. per sq. ft. and a storm surge of 1,500 lbs. per linear foot at first-floor walls.

A2RCI Architects created exterior walkways, and 2 ft. deep by 3 ft. wide water retention trenches below the walkway. They opened the metal grating with landscaping below to reduce the impervious area, and in response to the stormwater runoff, 30 to 40 percent of it is collected in wetland depressions to improve water quality.

In response to the energy challenge, a geothermal system with passive solar heating circulates warmth through ductwork. For spring and fall conditioning, natural thermal stacking was included.

Solutions for the structural challenges included a concrete frame at the first floor to resist wave action and three steel frames at the second and third levels to resist wind loading. The second and third floors are structural beams transferring wind load to the steel frames. Architectural solutions included building forms founded in the 18th century Virginia architecture, and a building plan based on an 18th century center hall plan.