For much of the day, the interior of the house is bathed in a diffused, indirect light. The south-east side of the house is shaded by the upper storey which overhangs the lower storey. The lake side of the house, which faces north-west, has a large amount of window space that allows shaded north light to enter the living spaces. The only area of the house to receive direct sunlight during the day is the upper gallery leading to the bedrooms. It receives solar gain during the hottest part of the day to create a natural cooling draught caused by convection of air.

As the summer solstice sun sets in the west, the sunlight that enters the house changes dramatically. The sunlight penetrates the house, setting diagonal shadows across the floor. The diagonal shafts of sunlight pierce through the living room doors, spilling out to the exterior shaded terrace on the opposite side of the house. Diagonal lines in the joints of the flagstone terrace floor are set at the same angle as the setting sun. The driveway, whichs runs diagonally through the property, also follows the path of the setting sun. Lombardy poplar trees grew parallel to the driveway, framing the view of the sunset and adding a vertical accent to the very horizontal landscape.

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vericarl@earthlink.net