2015-07-22

The Underhill House and Whole Trees Architecture

 
Last April I had the opportunity to visit Denise Duroux Thornton and Doug Hansmann of the Underhill House in Southwestern Wisconsin. Denise is a freelance writer and maintains an excellent blog about all things sustainable called Digging in the Driftless. Their home, the Underhill House, was built by Whole Trees Architecture. The Underhill House features a round stock timber frame, straw bale walls, an earthen plaster interior and lime plaster exterior, a living roof, and a solar hot water heater used to provide hot water and space heating.

 Southern aspect for passive solar gain
 Contrasting dark walnut earthen plaster and painted white round stock timbers
 Potential use of natural tree limbs for diagonal bracing.
 Interior stain glass window
Close up of stain glass window
 Design around bathroom mirror compliments stain glass
 Skip trowel earthen plaster finish
 Round stock brings the room to life
 Inexpensive light shades from Vietnam.
 Denise, Doug, Kazuko and Kyle
Barn features an attached greenhouse.

Whole Trees Architecture
We also had the opportunity to visit Roald Gundersen, founder of Whole Trees Architecture, and were fortunate to be able to visiting the preparation of round stock timbers.

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