Pier Avenue Cottage by Watershed

This Zero Energy Ready home is located in a historic neighborhood with narrow lots, just a block away from Mobile Bay. The home is uphill from the bay, well above the flood zone, but it still had to be designed to intense hurricane force winds, intense rain fall, high humidity, possible power outages, and the aggressive termites of the gulf coast. Having lived in a historic home in New Orleans, the owners appreciated craftsmanship and architectural detail, but were ready for modern levels of energy efficiency, resilience, and comfort. They hoped to spend less time in home maintenance and hurricane recovery, and more time on the water. Watershed designed the home to achieve Fortified Gold, Indoor Air Plus, and Zero Energy Ready standards. The third-party verification process gave the homeowners assurance their goals had been met, and also helped guide the contractor through the inspection and certification process.

To address resilience beyond the scope of those certifications, and as a biophilic design strategy, the home is designed for passive daylighting and natural ventilation.  Interior wood framing is borate treated to protect against decay and termites. Open cell grass pavers and a pervious gravel drive reduce stormwater runoff. Rain barrels capture rainwater to irrigate the kitchen garden. At the base of the driveway, the gravel surface is underlain with gravel filled trenches to capture and infiltrate stormwater on site. And the landscape is designed as a backyard wildlife habitat, showcasing native plants and reducing water demand for irrigation. Nature loss and climate change are interlinked, and the landscape supports pollinators, migrating birds, and biodiversity. 

The home is designed to reduce embodied carbon as well as operational carbon. The small size of the home and building materials such as southern yellow pine framing, locally manufactured brick, and lightweight drywall reduce the carbon footprint of materials manufacture and transportation.

The owners wanted to downsize and simplify in their retirement, but still easily host family and friends for gatherings or long stays. The house, porch, and outbuilding gather around and tuck under a large live oak in the backyard. A master arborist consulted during design and construction to minimize root damage during construction and support the tree’s ongoing health. The home is compact, but outdoor living spaces and a garage workshop expand the usable living area beyond the conditioned spaces. An entry porch provides a cozy perch to enjoy a glass of wine and greet neighbors and passersby. Glass doors extending across one wall of the dining room can fold open to completely dissolve the wall between the dining area and screened porch. The screened porch provides a complete second living room with a fireplace, tv, bar, and comfortable seating overlooking a grilling patio, kitchen garden, and the live oak tree. The owners are pleased that the ease of indoor outdoor living let them comfortably downsize without oversizing their home to accommodate a few special events a year. The outdoor living spaces are their favorite aspect of the house.