The Sanctuary, Bull Creek, North Carolina
Christened "The Sanctuary" by its owners, this house is surrounded by a grove of majestic poplar trees that stand like the grand columns of an ancient cathedral. Double doors salvaged from a local Gothic-styled church now grace the entrance. The view window facing south is 25 feet tall at the center, sloping to 12 feet at the edges, and a little more than 30 feet wide. To shade this window from summer sun, the overhang is designed to respond to the shape of the window by extending farther as it approaches the ridge.
SIZE: 2440 sf conditioned space with 1 bedroom, 1½ bathrooms on main and upper levels, plus 810 sf with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom on lower level
SITE SIZE: 5 Acres
COMPLETED: 1999
CONTRACTOR: Steve Williams Builder
MAIN SUSTAINABLE FEATURES: Passive solar heating and cooling, tile on thickened mud bed and double stone fireplace for thermal mass, Icynene insulation