- Home
A single-family housing structure (with a patent pending), Box Factory "was created as a spec project to see if an off-grid, zero energy, zero carbon, prefab structure could work given the timeline and goals we hoped to achieve," she says. "We also wanted to create a fully integrated structure that would maximize efficiencies in energy and construction and manifest a different way of thinking about how people live in and use space."
Energy Independence: Siting and Solar
The Box Factory, a 1,750-square-foot single-family home, is located on nine acres near Jackson, California. In siting the structure, Burt studied the topography to maximize drainage, views, and orientation.
How Did Box Factory Achieve Net Positive Energy?
The house sits on an east-west axis to incorporate timeless concepts of passive-solar design: "to utilize daylight, solar heat gain in the cooler months and shading during the summer, and natural wind patterns for ventilation," she says.
The home's north elevation has a wall of Arcadia storefronts, windows with thermal breaks, dual-pane low-E glass, and increased weather-stripping around all the openings to further lower energy usage. The windows overlook the valley below. Light wells bring daylight into the home's interior. Large ceiling fans and operable windows circulate air, while heat-pump mini-splits provide heating and cooling.
An onsite solar array supports the all-electric house and includes a recycled battery bank for solar energy storage. The zero-energy structure produces more energy than it consumes - it's net positive!
Burt also designed the home for water independence. The project has a well with 2,500-gallon storage and runs independently on a gravity-fed DC Grundfos solar pump. "The well water isn't purified," she says. "It's clean and isn't toxic. But there's a tabletop filter for water in the kitchen, in case." Rainwater is collected in ten 55-gallon plastic barrels and fed via gravity for flushing toilets. The total capacity of the rainwater system is 550 gallons.
A Demonstration Project
Burt and her firm completed the Box Factory in 2019. Burt is currently using the home as a demonstration project and retreat for architects, designers, artists, and developers wanting to experience an energy-independent home. "Everybody loves it," she says. "The minute they open the door, they enjoy views from every angle. There's so much light, and the home celebrates its relationship with the natural setting, which can be quite therapeutic."
The main purpose of the Box Factory was to create a functioning model for our concept: energy and water independence, with a minimalist design aesthetic. We successfully achieved those technical and functional goals.
Camille LeFevre
Camille LeFevre is an architecture and design writer based in the Twin Cities.
