Solar Bungalow
Rio, Wisconsin

This owner has a fine rural property surrounded by farm fields, a barn and many trees -- and a falling-down old farmhouse. Doing much of the work himself, he is replacing it with a "solar bungalow", a style appropriate for this Midwestern landscape but adapted to passive solar design. A large ground-mounted solar array in the rear yard will provide supplementary heat.

Above: Computer rendering of the 'solar bungalow'. A screened porch on the cool north side of the home has views of distant fields.

 
Above: South elevation - note the large passive solar windows into the basement level.

Above: West elevation.