Conceived as a retreat for contemplation and healing, Pond House was inspired by old European thatch-roofed buildings in the woods.  The house plan arcs around the water so that each interior space looks into its own perceived center of the pond.
 
Materials for the house were drawn from the area:  native stone forms the floor, and local pine lines the walls, inside and out. With no connection to the electric grid, photovoltaic panels provide electricity, and daylight bathes the interior.  The house relies on its passive solar design to minimize its heating loads.  Because the client required complete freedom from environmental toxins, many standard building materials had to be changed or eliminated – among them paint, particleboard, and plywood, even as sub-floor.