Dragonfly Pond House

• Net Zero
• Off-grid
• Small House

Quality over quantity – A small sun-filled home poised on a delightful site in western Maine goes Net Zero

Briburn was approached to create a small, affordable, one-person home with the ability to go off the grid as needed or as desired. This meant that the home had to be highly durable, resilient, and energy efficient, even “Net Zero” (able to produce as much energy as it consumes). This was achieved by taking advantage of passive solar design principles, super-insulating the home with a vapor-open, truss-stud construction method, and by using highly efficient European triple pane windows. With the energy demand reduced, the HVAC system was downsized to a single affordable ductless mini-split heat pump system and a small ERV (energy recovery ventilator).

This home is located on a brand new upland pond in Parsonsfield, Maine. The pond was first conceived and permitted for micro-hydro electrical production and it now fills that role providing a small but constant amount of power for the property. The home presently has a solar shed that houses the battery array, meter, and smart inverter. Shortly after the photos shown here were taken, a small covered bridge was built nearby that supports an even larger solar array. The sun shades over the ample southern windows are themselves solar hot water panels.

As with many projects, the budget was very tight. This meant every design decision had to take into account its long and short-term economic effect as well as its contribution to the project. To the owner’s credit, almost nothing was sacrificed when it came to energy efficiency, sustainability, and construction quality. They did, however, contribute a substantial amount of work themselves including site work, masonry work, salvaging old slate for countertops, interior trim, and interior paint including cabinetry. The home is small with an interior that is extremely simple, and open. It is detailed with stained concrete floors, deep window sills and jambs. On the exterior, the home is clad with thermally modified local poplar, douglas fir trim elements, metal roof and masonry that was completed by the homeowners with stone salvaged from the property.