Mom, Dad, and their six children share a love of water, nature, and a slower-paced lifestyle in this home located at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Rappahannock River. The design emphasizes low maintenance, passive solar heating, and minimal disruption to the ecosystem during construction. A turbine ventilator helps facilitate cooling. The interior mezzanine rail consists of water-filled containers that are heated when sunlight enters through the skylights. The chimney column holds smooth river rocks where warm, stratified air circulates for heating.

Natural cedar shingles cover the roof, and vertical tongue-and-groove wood siding adorns the walls.