A green and traditional house

While the other three architects’ house proposals were all “contemporary” in design — in one case weirdly so — Mouzon’s energy-efficient house had a traditional appearance except for a few unfamiliar elements.Stephen Mouzon of Miami Beach was one of four architects around the US that The Wall Street Journal asked to design “the green house of the future” for publication in the Journal’s April 27 issue. While the other three architects’ house proposals were all “contemporary” in design — in one case weirdly so — Mouzon’s energy-efficient house had a traditional appearance except for a few unfamiliar elements.

One of those elements was a sculptural-looking “Tower of Wind & Water” with an electricity-generating wind turbine at its top. The enclosure beneath the turbine was designed to contain a cistern for collecting rainwater from the roof, and with a room to hold energy equipment.

The main house and its garage/guest room/office suite were both outfitted with “breeze chimneys” — chimneys with large objects (resembling pleated megaphones) attached to their tops. They would use the venturi effect to pull hot air out of the interior when certain windows were opened. Cooler air would enter the house through windows in shaded locations on the first level.

Solar paneling built directly into the roof and façade would provide electricity and heat the domestic hot water.

Mouzon proposed “melon cradles” that would allow heavy melons and other vegetables to grow up the house’s sides. The kitchen garden would feature tilapia pools — energy-efficient sources of animal protein, according to Mouzon.

A key factor is that the house would be compact: 1,200 square feet, not including the suite above the garage. “The smaller thing you can create, the more sustainable it is,” Mouzon told the Journal. Another factor is that Mouzon’s house is deliberately designed to enhance a walkable streetscape, with car storage on an alley. The other designs in the Journal either ignore this issue or present a flat, uninteresting facade.

“Ninety-eight percent of it can be built today,” Mouzon told New Urban News. Working drawings for what is being called the SmartDwelling are in production. “Several clients are actively considering building it this year,” he said. To learn more, click on www.newurbanguild.com.