DG House

Single family Unit

West Houston, TX

USA

2011

270m2/2900sf

The DG house is a single family residence located in Houston. The design was based on the express requirement by the owners to have 2 distinct modes in their dwelling: 1) the “daily life” mode in which the house is to be compartmentalized in areas of use, and 2) the party mode in which the house will connect to the rear party room and to the exterior green areas.

The design intent of the DG house is to have a form responsive to the  environmental parameters of its location. The roof’s pitch is angle according to this latitude’s Vertical Solar Angle (VSA) in order to optimize it for the use of PV panels. The insulation levels were optimized in order to avoid heat gains/losses through leaks in the envelope. The overhangs above windows were designed in order to avoid solar radiation during the warmer months of the year while allowing in it during the colder periods, in order to utilize the floor’s thermal mass. The rear party room also acts as a thermal buffer zone.