Inside a Carbon-Negative Cottage Hidden in the Woods on Washington’s Whidbey Island
Off the coast of Washington, the architecture and design firm Wittman Estes has created a prefab home on picturesque Whidbey Island that puts sustainability at the forefront.
Dubbed the Whidbey Puzzle Prefab, the 600-square-foot cottage is just one-quarter the size of the typical American home, but it packs a whollop within those limited confines. Four separate modules—one each for living, sleep/study, energy generation, and outdoor dining—can be reconfigured in numerous ways to suit the owner’s needs or whims. Cedar decks and an open-air pavilion extend the living space by another 560 square feet.
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The Puzzle Prefab was built off-site using local materials, with the modules built on pin foundations. The pin piles are hand-set, allowing the surrounding tree roots to be protected and eliminating the need for concrete, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 24 tons. Outside, a 4.1-kilowatt solar array generates enough power to run the home, and rainwater is collected and purified for use in the kitchen, the bathroom, and the greenhouse, where it irrigates a vegetable garden. Smart-home controls throughout the space keep track of energy usage and can adjust accordingly while making sure the residents remain comfortable.
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This focus on eco-friendly construction and design hasn’t taken away from the home’s aesthetic qualities, either. The cedar exterior is complemented by white oak floors and cedar ceilings inside. The wooden kitchen is paired with blackened stainless-steel counters, which have ample space for prep, while the living room has a custom pull-out sofa bed for overnight guests, plus an Aeris Cocoon bioethanol fireplace.
Instead of a traditional bedroom, there’s a cozy sleeping nook with felted wool wall panels. And down a short dressing corridor with built-ins you’ll find the tiled bathroom, with a wall-mounted sink and a compact shower. Outside, the red cedar deck has space for gathering around the table with friends, where you’ll be surrounded by native plants including vine maples, deer ferns, and salal.
“Climate change is both the biggest and most accessible issue architects can influence,” Matt Wittman, the head of the design team, said in a statement. That’s what he and his firm are hoping to address with the Puzzle Prefab, but not at the expense of a welcoming and chicly modern home.
Click here to see all the photos of the Whidbey Island hideaway.
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