Blog & News

News items about Macdonald Architecture & Technology and about Angus W. Macdonald.

Solar Chalet

earth bermed off grid house 2016

Dec. 30, 2018

    Macdonald Architects designed a passive solar mountainside off grid home in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains.  The home is constructed of prefabricated Ferrocement.  It is 2 1/2 stories high, with a solar clerestory, and ground floor greenhouse front, the length of the home. 

    Sus­tain­ab­il­ity fea­tures in­clude: sol­ar power gen­er­a­tion, sol­ar hot wa­ter ra­di­ant slab heat­ing, a safe room, and a whole house gen­er­at­or.  A fam­ily room and 4 bed­rooms are on the lower level.  The bed­rooms face south and open onto a green­house along the front of the home.  Main rooms and own­ers' suite are up­stairs with a sol­ar clerestory along the length of the house.  There is a front bal­cony on the up­per level ex­tend­ing over the green­house be­low.