Restriking the Vitruvian Balance in Residential Architecture through the Incorporation of Sustainable and Regionally Appropriate Design Fundamentals: Designing, Building and Operating a Passive Solar Residence in the Sonoran Desert

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impacts on architectural form, function, and appearance of a case study residence in which the concepts of sustainability and sustainable architecture were incorporated as one of the primary design fundamentals. The case study residence located in the arid southwestern United States is an approximately 2,068 square foot home built for a family of five with four bedrooms and two bathrooms and a separate attached guest bedroom and bath. This paper will provide an overview and analysis of the residence in terms of: 1) the original project values and goals as represented by the design and computer energy modeling process and 2) the project results as captured by the qualities (structural and aesthetic) of the final constructed physical form and its post-occupancy quantitative performance (functional, spatial, and resource conservation) as measured by the home’s over two years of monitoring and use.