falls church craftsman architecture 
meets green high tech 

Craftsman Architecture

Inspired by Greene & Greene, Julia Morgan, Frank Lloyd Wright and other great architects of the Twentieth Century, Powhatan House combines traditional Craftsman features with generous use of wood and stone – a broad front porch with elephantine columns… a gracious foyer with stone flooring and live-edge built-ins... a “Hobbit door” under the stairs… a bump-out dormer at the top of the stairs… true divided lite Marvin windows with tapered exterior moldings and proud natural pine interior casings….

Traditional Craftsman colors - rich warm cinnamon tones, dusty greens and soft grays - are found throughout the house, from the bluestone steps and Santa Monica ashlar stone veneer, to the Heathered Moss Hardie Plank siding, to the honey-colored solid maple flooring, to the tumbled river rock and reclaimed wood mantle of the welcoming, cozy hearth.... 

The kitchen features solid black soapstone countertops, a heated stone floor, custom maple and glass cabinetry with Craftsman hardware and soft-close doors and drawers, Bosch double ovens, a Bosch 5-burner gas cooktop, Energy Star appliances and an enormous kitchen island with seating overlooking the back yard bird sanctuary.  

Creature Comforts

Settle into an Adirondack chair on the broad front porch for coffee and conversation.  Ensconce yourself in the Owner’s Suite with its two walk-in closets, ensuite bath with luxurious whirlpool tub, heated marble floor, double shower with marble bench, and double vanities.  Open the blinds and look out over the trees.  Fetch your favorite beverage from the Owner's wet bar and hide out with a book on the private balcony.

Turn the lights down low around the Great Room hearth.  Let the cleverly-hidden accent lights set the mood as you curl up by the fire for a game of chess on a cold winter night. The smooth river rock surrounding the fireplace will gather warmth from the flickering flames and radiate it back to you at a slow, even temperature.  

Try your hand at a hobby at the downstairs workbench with its own custom cabinets, counters and sink.  Go ahead and make a mess – it’s in the garage!   

Hole up and study for exams in the Junior Suite with its own wet bar, ensuite bath with heated marble floor, and two closets – one a large walk-in, the other a reach-in with elegant Craftsman-style divided lite doors.  Or choose the third upstairs bedroom with its own ensuite bath with heated floor and cedar-lined walk-in closet with Craftsman doors.  

A fourth and fifth bedroom are located on the main level - one with a large Craftsman-style closet and ensuite bath with a heated floor and a clever pull-out seat hidden in the beautiful maple cabinetry; a second, off the Great Room, doubles as a study and media room and has its own double French doors to step out onto the front porch.  

Interior bedroom walls and floors have been insulated with Rockwool® and Green Glue® soundproofing technology so that night owls and early risers alike can get a good night’s sleep. 

Healthy Living - for You and the Planet

Powhatan House was built with good health, durability and energy efficiency top of mind.  It earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and a HERS score of 46 through independent testing.  Its geothermal heating and cooling system, R-41 SIP walls, ERV fresh air system, low VOC finishes, copper drinking water pipes, European-style instant hot water, double-paned windows, metal roof, rainwater catchment system, LED lighting, and many other features are described in the Green Features section.

Living space

• 5 bedrooms - 4.5 baths
• full kitchen + 2 wet bars
• first and second floors  - 3274 square feet
• basement and garage - 1313 square feet
• covered porches and balcony - 670 square feet
• Total - 5257 square feet
• Lot size - 10,800 square feet

Powhatan House is certified as "LEED Gold" by the U.S. Green Building Council, with 87.5 points.  It also received a HERS score of 46 - making it more than twice as energy efficient as the average home.
  
Energy Efficiency

Two geothermal wells bring warmth and coolness from deep under the earth to the Energy Star® Carrier® multistage heat pump HVAC system. Three-foot-wide roof eaves minimize hot summer sun while welcoming the low winter rays to warm the stone floors and countertops. R-41 structural insulated panel (SIP) walls, double-pane Marvin windows, thick attic insulation and careful air sealing hold in a comfortable temperature year round.  Bedroom windows feature double-layer "honeycomb" shades to block even more winter cold and summer heat.  European-style instant hot water heaters and well-insulated pipes bring the hot water to where you need it, when you need it.  
The refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, dryer and ventilation fans are all Energy Star® rated, too.

Clean Drinking Water

Copper piping – from the water meter to the icemaker - and California "lead-free" compliant faucets and fixtures bring high quality water to every kitchen, bath, bar sink and showerhead.  

Fresh Indoor Air

A RenewAire® energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system exchanges stale inside air for fresh, clean outside air with minimal energy loss.  An active radon mitigation system continuously pulls air from under the basement slab and vents it through the roof.  Low VOC paints, varnishes and duct sealer, together with solid wood cabinetry, window trim and hardwood flooring, minimize air quality issues.  The garage has a continuously active venting fan to remove vehicle exhaust.  

“Solar Ready” Metal Roof and Electrical Rough-Ins  

Powhatan House features a 24-gauge standing seam metal roof that will last far longer than an asphalt shingle roof, and will be fully recyclable at the end of its life. 

The standing seams make it a cinch to attach solar panels in the future.  A dedicated one-inch electrical chase between the attic, the mechanical room and the electrical panel is ready to support wiring from photovoltaic panels to an inverter and an electrical storage battery. Anticipating future "all-electric" needs and choices, the chase also creates a path for conversion of the dryer and upstairs water heater to electric; the 2-car garage has the wiring roughed in to support a Level 2 electric car charger; and the kitchen has 50-amp wiring is roughed in under the stovetop to support a future induction cooktop.   

Rainwater Catchment System, Permeable Patio and Driveway

Three of the metal roof's four downspouts are connected to 500-gallon water tanks to allow collection of asphalt-free water from the roof for temporary storage and redistribution through a drip irrigation system in the garden.   

The patio and driveway are made of specially-spaced Cambridge® pavers that allow heavy downpours to "disappear" into the pavement and replenish the ground water rather than creating a torrent of runoff.   

Under-Slab Insulation and Vapor Barrier

Before the basement floor was poured, a 2-inch thick foam board was laid over the gravel to keep the HVAC system from working overtime “heating up the ground.”  A sheet of 15 mil plastic vapor barrier - more than twice the standard thickness - was added over the foam board to reduce the possibility of either moisture or radon infiltrating the basement.

An Oasis for the Birds, Bees and Butterflies

Powhatan House’s cool and leafy garden features heirloom Royal Isabella concord grapes, Fuyu persimmons, Stanley plums, Blenheim apricots, white peaches, berry bushes and a built-in barbecue.  Butterflies float to the milkweed and butterfly bush, bees balance on the lavender flowers, and birds sing, court and forage for worms in this chemical-free paradise, sheltered under the crest of Minor's Hill.  

The yard is terraced with stacked stone.  The sandy loam soil - once an ancient riverbed - has been amended with many truckloads of mulch.  Mosses, ferns and other native, edible and ornamental plants happily reach their roots deep into this soft earth. During pounding summer thunderstorms, the terraced beds and thick root systems act as a giant sponge, gently holding the rainwater as a reservoir against drought, allowing the plants to thrive with little attention.  

The garden brings year-round surprises – crocuses and daffodils appear in early spring, followed by redbud, roses, azaleas, pachysandra and a lush growth of the sedum on the back hillside.  As the trees leaf out, the porches and balcony become secluded refuges, hidden in the leaves of the young maple, pine, fir, oak, magnolia and tulip tree forest.  Crepe Myrtle and hibiscus bring magenta and heliotrope blooms in summer.  In fall, the maple and Fuyu persimmon trees turn red and golden; the gingko leaves turn bright gold.  When the persimmon leaves tumble to the ground, the bright orange fruit hangs like ornaments on the bare branches, ready for eating fresh or baking into holiday puddings.