Entry number: UB07003
Project Name: Redhawk Residence
Location: the Ridges in Summerlin
Building Type: Residential
Completion Date: est Fall 2008
Architect:  Carpenter Sellers Associates


Sustainability Description

Design Team:
Architect: Carpenter Sellers Associates
Civil Engineer: Wright Engineers
Electrical Engineer: Comfort Engineering
General Contractor: Elegant Homes
Interior Designer: Carpenter Sellers Associates
Landscape Architect: Sage Design Studio
Structural Engineer: Mendenhall Smith

Narrative/Project Description:
Too often does architecture overcompensate for its own simplicity. This fear of being labeled as typical pushes everything in a design to be ‘exceptional’. In the end, when everything strives to be ‘exceptional’, nothing really is.

The design of this house attempts to create a more honest approach-in its relationship to the site, with the inhabitants and how they live, in the simplicity of its form, and in the expression of its materials.

By utilizing simple forms, this forces the architecture to be more honest and straightforward. The simplicity of its form is balanced with the textural complexity of the materials-the natural finishes of rammed earth, concrete, and weathered metal.

Sustainability Description:
Optimized Energy Performance
-thickened exterior walls increase the R-value, allowing for heat retention during winter and keeping heat out during summer
-low-e glazing reduces cooling/heating costs and creates a more efficient building envelope

Shading devices
-deep roof overhangs shade interior spaces, and create shelter for outdoor patio use
-automated roll down screens on the west side of the covered deck shades the living room from the setting sun
-automated roll down screens on the south side of the gallery protects the interior space from direct sunlight

Daylighting
-every space has access to direct daylight and views to the outdoors
-bedrooms windows face the north side to maximize views and daylight while minimizing heat gain
-skylights above the entry gallery illuminate the entry sequence
-thickened walls on the south side (kitchen) create a light shelf with the clerestory windows to bounce diffused light into the interior spaces while minimizing glare

Passive Solar Heating
-gallery windows have a southern exposure allowing for  direct gain creating a sun space that traps heat, minimizing energy consumption through mechanical heating

Building Orientation, Passive Cooling, Site Design
-the building is orientated to take advantage of prevailing winds during the summer to cool the building (venture effect)
-water features and native vegetation on site decreases the microclimate temperature with evaporative cooling
-shrubs and trees help shade the hardscape, lowering the heat island effect
-native plants allow for more efficient watering and lowers water use consumption