The Shelton residence is built into a sloping site in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood. The house’s U-shaped plan encloses terraced gardens and a sunken entry courtyard. The courtyard allows natural light into each wing of the house and provides natural ventilation to every room. On the house’s west facade, a covered porch hovers off the limestone bluff 20 feet above street level, overlooking tree tops and the steep incline of Madison Avenue. The main entrance to the house is from the alleyway, which is roughly level with the planted rooftop. The house was designed for maximum energy efficiency with solar screening, a super-insulated building envelope, in-line water heating, reclaimed lumber siding and radiant floor heating.