Davison-Ackley
Residence
The Pines, Fire Island, New York
1976
This ecologically pioneering, year
round vacation house is nestled in the
sand dunes of the barrier beach. The
profile of the house follows the natural
forms of the dunes and
accommodates an array of climatically
responsive strategies. The exterior
cedar walls blend into the beach
palette.
The sloping north wall reduces winter
heat loss; the south façade provides
glass walls for passive solar heating,
active solar collectors for water and
swimming pool heating and overhangs
for summer shading. An innovative
thermal draft-inducer ventilates and
cools the house naturally. All human
and organic waste is collected in an
anaerobic composting system and
recycled as fertilizer for the eroding
dune grasses.
Projects
