South Hill Passive House
While the homeowners' choice to build their new ultra-insulated passive house on an urban infill lot made sense on many levels, it also led to some major challenges. A massive basalt outcrop dominated the site, resulting in the lot remaining vacant for decades as the neighborhood grew around it. The architect sited the home on top of the outcrop with retaining walls around the home to create a flat plane to build on. Even pushing the limits this way resulted in limited outdoor space, but the intimate courtyard areas provide make the most of what's available.
On one side of the house, the rock walls transition into tiered planting pockets before giving way to the natural slope. Selected native plants were added to the existing plant material that was preserved during construction.