Edgeland House

The Edgeland House is about healing the land and ameliorating the scars of the site’s industrial past. The project raises awareness about a diminishing natural landscape and its finite resources by creating a balance between the surrounding industrial zone and the natural river residing on the opposite side of the site.

Located on a rehabilitated brownfield, this project is a modern re-interpretation of one of the oldest housing typologies in North America, the Native American Pit House. Typically sunken, The Pit House takes advantage of the earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year. Like this timeless dwelling, the project’s relationship to the landscape both in terms of approach as well as building performance involves an 7-foot excavation- gaining benefits from the earth’s mass to help it stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Such an architectural setting presents an opportunity for maximum energy efficiency when combined with high performance systems such as the project’s integrated hydronic HVAC. The mechanical system will combine: hydronic heating & cooling, geothermal heat exchange, phase-change thermal heat storage and a green roof for substantial energy savings.