Beckhard Residence

Fountain Cove, Virginia

2,059 square feet

The Beckhard residence is nestled among the trees at the edge of a large pasture with an east-facing view of an inlet to the Chesapeake Bay. The splayed design makes for a welcoming approach, with wide-open views of the beautiful grass pasture to the northeast. The back of the home is similarly splayed providing easy access and stunning views of the bay. Windows in the four wings of the home bring in natural light from multiple directions in every room. Due to the dense tree cover and the desire to orient the house toward the bay and pasture, a passive solar design was not feasible.

The Beckhards have already weathered a major storm in their Sunlight home, Hurricane Irene, and an earthquake, magnitude 5.8! Fortunately, the home and its occupants were unharmed. After these incidents, the Beckards wrote, “We really could not be happier with how this home turned out. Whenever we’re home we just revel in it. In addition to having extremely livable, comfortable spaces, the house performs unbelievably wellin extreme weather. Overall the house feels like a fortress, incredibly solid. In the brutal heat and humidity of July it’s comfortable with the thermostat at 79 degrees. In the worst of winter it heats up easily and quickly.” This 3 bedroom, 2 bath SIP home has given the Beckhards the ‘elegant simplicity’ they were seeking and a proven refuge from their challenging weather.