A century old Wissahickon schist estate on a wooded lot outside Philadelphia, renovated to the highest sustainability standard its owners could specify, with every material chosen on that basis.
The roof came first. American Home Contractors, with Sales Ops Manager Daniel Diaz leading the project, installed a solar roof system across the home's complex hipped and dormered rooflines. Generation built into the roof itself rather than bolted on top of it. With the roof handled, the homeowners turned to the covered porch off the rear elevation. They'd found black locust while researching decking, and the logic held. It's the most durable domestic hardwood in North America, naturally resistant to rot, zero chemical treatment, sourced from Appalachian forests instead of shipped from the tropics. A material that matches ipe on performance without the ocean crossing. The deck is 5/4 x 4 random length black locust, blind fastened with a hidden fastener system, so no screw heads are visible anywhere in the field. A picture frame border in wider 5/4 x 6 stock finishes the edge and frames the boards cleanly against the stone and the wrought iron rail. The custom table and chairs are black locust as well, built for the space. Left alone, the deck will move from this honey amber tone toward a silver gray patina. Left finished, it stays warm. Either way, it outlives the people who chose it.
Read moreGet in touch
Featured projects
Award-Winning, Building Of The Year 2020 by ArchDaily, Ravine House, with sustainable wood material choice: Black Locust Lumber
Award-Winning, Building Of The Year 2020 by ArchDaily, Ravine House, with sustainable wood material choice: Black Locust Lumber
