• Camalie vineyard
    • Camalie entry
    • Camalie water feature
    • Camalie vineyard
    • Camalie dining
    • Camalie hearth
    • Camalie
    • Camalie bowling alley
    • Camalie
    • Camalie
    • Camalie

Mt. Veeder Residence at Camalie Vineyards

Napa, CA

This modern farmhouse is sited against the hillside to the west, protecting it from summer afternoon sun while still opening to the vineyard surrounding it. Balancing intimacy and openness, the house is designed to function for a family of 4 plus frequent weekend guests, and for larger gatherings, using as little energy as possible with no petroleum resources.

Simple passive solar strategies such as careful orientation, porches and overhangs, thermal mass, and stack ventilation are combined with a sophisticated heating system that integrates hot water provided by solar collectors along with a heat transfer coil within the masonry heater. The primary heat sink is a solar-heated deep sand bed system that keeps the main floor at a constant temperature, supplemented with hydronic radiant heating in the bedroom wing.

A need to import stable soils led to the digging of the wine cave first, as a source of material that saved the cost and impact of shipping material from off site, as well as providing a naturally climate controlled environment for winemaking, the primary activity at the site.

Talented computer engineers, the owners are now carefully monitoring the performance of the house through a network of wireless sensors, with data accessible via their website.

Building type
Awards and Publications

Diablo Magazine, "Camalie Residence at Mount Veeder", December 2013
Cleary, Mark, ed., 21st Century Sustainable Homes, Images Publishing Group 2011
Finalist, Environmental Design + Construction Excellence in Design Award, 2009
Participant, ASHRAE Net-Zero Conference, 2009  

 

Design Team

Project Managers: Joe Lambert, Chandra Baerg
Contractor:Catanzaro Builders
Photographer: Edward Caldwell