Overview
The Chatham Cottage, handcrafted by Central Carolina Community College students enrolled in the college’s Building Construction Technologies and Sustainable Technologies programs, will be up for auction beginning Saturday, Oct. 1, via an online auction platform. The auction will open at 8 a.m. Oct. 1, and close at noon Oct. 8.
This year’s one-bedroom, one-bathroom, high performance home features a 672 gross sq. ft. high performance house with 560 sq. ft. enclosed space and a 112 sq. ft. front porch. The custom design was created in collaboration with architect Mike Spinello, AIA, to be attractive and offer a sense of openness for a small space.
The Cottage incorporates an energy efficient design and construction techniques and highlights the beauty of local building materials with interior accents. The Cottage’s compact size will comfortably fit the needs of a single individual or couple, and is an ideal option as a small home, in-law suite, guest house, vacation rental, or office space.
The Cottage is framed with 2x4 exterior walls sheathed with the ZIP R System for wall sheathing and for air tightness, and with ZIP R System Roof Sheathing, which provides a complete envelope thermal barrier against heating or cooling losses. High performance casement windows allow for ease of natural ventilation and ample natural light. The long lasting and heat reflective galvanized metal roof is designed to be passively cooled with large roof overhangs. The exterior of the house is clad in a Nichiha cement board utilizing a rainscreen construction detail and the porch features locally sourced and hewn Japanese cedar posts.
The interior of the Cottage is in a partially unfinished state to allow the purchaser to customize the space to their personal preference. The purchaser of the Cottage will be responsible for the completion of all remaining interior work, which may include some drywall, painting, flooring, interior doors, cabinetry, fixtures, electrical and plumbing trim out, and interior carpentry trim work.
The Cottage will require the addition of a heating and cooling system, appliances, electric water heater, footing, and foundation upon placement at the permanent site. The house is now on temporary pillars and must be removed from the premises after sale is complete.
This is the 10th in an annual series of small houses built by students studying construction and high performance building technologies. The Chatham Cottage was constructed under the direction of CCCC Building Construction Technologies Lead Instructor Jeff Gannon.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit the continuation of the Chatham Cottage project and provide scholarship funds and opportunities for students enrolled in the Building Construction and Sustainability programs.
The Cottage is located on the CCCC Chatham Main Campus 764 West St.,Pittsboro. Walk-throughs of the Cottage are available by appointment from Sept. 26-30. To schedule an appointment to view the house, contact Jeff Gannon at (919) 545-8032 or (919) 842-2304, jgannon@cccc.edu.
For more information, contact Jeff Gannon, call (919) 545-8032 or email jgannon@cccc.edu
Sponsors
Sustainable features:
- Low energy consumption
- A small footprint - The average new home size in America is around 2500 square feet. Chatham Cottage is around 448 sf, not including the porch, yet the space feels perfectly adequate, providing all the functionality of a conventional home. Many believe a side benefit of living small is not having as many unnecessary possessions.
- High insulation values - The walls, floor, windows and particularly the roof, are well insulated, in order to retain the heat and cool.
- Tight building envelope - When mechanical systems are used, a tight building envelope, in concert with high insulation values, keep the energy used for heating and cooling to a minimum.
- Efficient lighting and appliances - Energy Star, LED
- Passive solar heating
- Long, thin form - Designed to be oriented with the broad side facing south. Building overhangs designed to allow winter sunlight to warm sides of building and penetrate glazing. Also contributing to low energy consumption.
- Passive cooling
- Long, thin form - Promotes cross ventilation, particularly in primary living spaces with windows on multiple sides. Also contributing to low energy consumption.
- Overhangs - Designed to prevent summer sunlight from warming sides of building and penetrating glazing.
- Cathedral Ceiling - Allows air to stratify and promotes circulation throughout.
- Wooden rain - screen construction - Wooden cladding is a low thermal mass material, optimal for the hot and humid Southeastern climate. The rain-screen construction minimizes thermal bridging and allows the cladding to be ventilated from behind.
- Daylighting
- Long, thin form - Primary living spaces with windows on multiple sides allow for natural daylight to penetrate, thus lessening the need for electric light and increasing the psychological benefits of natural light. Also contributing to low energy consumption.
- Low embodied energy
- Local, sustainable materials
- Photovoltaic and solar hot water ready
- Broad, south facing roof - Allows for large number of photovoltaic panels and a solar hot water heater. If orientation and exposure are correct, net-zero energy consumption is possible