Construction Offers Natural Benefits
Door County Magazine Spring 2004
By Donna Marie Pocius
When houseguests ask Don Pardonner where the thermostat is, he points to the
sky. "See that ball of fire in the sky? That is my thermostat," he tells
them.
For those visiting Door County without friends or relatives to stay with,
you can spend your Door Peninsula vacation underground in one of two new
earth homes at the Cottage Retreat, a 15-acre lodging complex in Egg Harbor.
In a county so in tune with the environment, these are just two examples of
some unique construction aimed at using nature to its fullest.
Underground Experience
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While unconventional in appearance, Cottage Retreat's Earth home takes advantage of all that Mother Nature has to offer. Click image to see larger. |
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The cozy living rooms with floor to ceiling windows feel comfortable all year long thanks to its underground construction. Click image to see larger. |
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Take in the view of the 200-acre Jorns Sugar Bush and the wooded splendor of Door County. Click image to see larger. |
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A glance inside the Lodge, one of five additional properties available for rental. Click image to see larger. |
The two-bedroom earth homes are made from concrete, use passive solar
energy, radiant floor heating and are nestled within a hill. By partially
sheltering a home in the earth called earth berming heat loss is
prevented. But like many underground homes, the Cottage Retreat's earth
homes are actually light and bright inside. That's because they have a south
exposure, allowing sunlight to enter and provide views of the outdoors.
But dirt covers the roof and other exterior walls. And from the north,
only a common entrance is apparent the front doors with embossed crosses
in glass were salvaged from a church in Sturgeon Bay.
Step inside this covered entryway, and actually walk down about eight feet
of stairs until reaching the separate entrances to the earth homes named
Elena and Elise or the owners' daughters.
Floor-to-ceiling windows in each earth home's great room offer lots of
natural light and a distant view of maple trees and farmland at the 200-acre
Jorns Sugar Bush. Exposed maple and white ash warm the concrete chinking in
the interior walls, while all the vacation comforts are right at hand
master bedroom with oversized whirlpool tub, woodburning fireplace and a
kitchen and dining area open to great room.
"There's a conventional furnace here as well, but with all that earth berming
and southern sun exposure, it doesn't kick in until 9 p.m. on a sunny day,"
according to Dale LaViolette, owner of Cottage Retreat.
"If $100 a month is a normal heating bill, I expect I'll pay less than $50
(monthly)," he says.
Such a cozy concrete structure is a rare find on the Peninsula. Used in the
earth homes' walls, floors and roofs, concrete is an example of thermal mass
substances that absorb sunlight and heat.
The earth homes join five other unique single family properties available
for rental at the Cottage Retreat the largest is called the Lodge, which
sleeps 20 for a family reunion and boasts a striking built-in aquarium,
radiant floor heating and passive solar energy.
Why such extreme homes?
LaViolette explains the value in standing apart from the rest: "There are
not too many places where you will see an underground home like this, or a
place with a built-in fish tank. You have to be different to be different."
Dream Home
Pardonner and his wife, Judy Reninger, of Baileys Harbor live in a white
barn-style home powered by solar energy for heating and water. For them, a
life in harmony with nature began with finding the right site for their
solar dream home.
They live inland on 10 acres brimming with a wide mix of native plants and
trees including wildflowers, juniper, cedar and the couple¹s favorite
birch trees. With most of the trees on the north side of the home, the site
provides adequate sun for solar power and reflects the couple's goal to
preserve a natural environment.
"We wanted to be out in the country and not have to cut down a lot of trees.
One of the wonderful things about this property is that, to the best of our
knowledge, no plow has set blade to the soil, nor have crops been planted on
the front seven acres," Reninger says.
The 3,304-square-foot home, completed in December 2002, sits back about 200
feet from the road on this heavily vegetated lot. As one approaches the
home, it becomes immediately apparent that this is no ordinary barn. Ten
solar panels looking like large panes of glass are mounted on the roof
at just the right angle to take full advantage of the sun¹s rays throughout
the year. These solar panels absorb the sun¹s energy and transfer the heat
to a mechanical system in the home that ultimately provides hot water.
And the panels also make possible energy that heats 96 tons of sand,
actually stored under the home. This 2-foot high, 44-square-foot solar
sandbox works the same way as a child¹s backyard sandbox that becomes
unbearably hot on a summer day. Being under the home, the sandbox retains
heat that is necessary for warming the home as it is released through the
concrete floor.
The solar panels provide active solar heating, while sunlight passing
through windows facing south is an example of passive solar heating, or
natural ways to warm. In the Pardonner-Reninger home, the main living areas
great room and dining area < are on the south side with large floor-to-
ceiling windows. A two-car garage was constructed on the west side as a
buffer against cold westerly wind.
An eave, hanging from the home's front-facing southern exterior, protects
from too much sun in the summer while contributing to passive solar heating
in the winter.
"We are living in cooperation with nature instead of fighting it," Reninger
says.
The couple spends most of their time on the 1,896-square-feet lower level
that includes a kitchen open to the dining area and the master bedroom with
a perfect view of their favorite birch trees. There's also a room for
Reninger to pursue hobbies and store her books on nutrition, herbs and
essential oils.
Former residents of Wheaton, Ill., the couple designed the home with an
active retirement in mind. They call it a plan where form follows function. "What are your goals? How do you want to live? We spent time deciding how
we wanted the rest of our life to be and designed based on what we want to
do. Solar is part of it."
The solar home also functions in ways the homeowners never dreamed possible.
They are saving money on home energy costs and staying comfortable
year-round, according to records they are required to keep for Wisconsin
Focus on Energy, a renewable energy program that supported the home¹s
construction with an $8,000 grant. Project design was by Artha Renewable Energy, Amherst, Wis., with
Carlson/Erickson, Sister Bay, as general contractors.
On most days, the temperature in the home hovers around 68 degrees. During
the first winter in the home in 2003, the temperature at its lowest point
was 59 degrees on the first floor and 57 degrees on the second level. A propane fireplace and propane water heater serve as backup heating sources
to the home. In the first year, monthly propane cost was $88, but Pardonner
anticipates lower bills in 2004.
Without forced-air heating, dust is at a minimum and the home is quieter and
easier to clean than those with a furnace, according to Reninger, who dusts
once a month.
But the important results are the couple¹s health and happiness.
As Reninger explains,"I think we are healthier living in this house. It is
nice being so connected to nature. You look out and see the stars, and it
is beautiful every time of year."
Donna Marie Pocius, an Egg Harbor, Wis.-based freelance writer, is a
frequent contributor to
Door County Magazine.
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