Three Pavilions was conceived to address the needs of an 'empty nest' couple for a single family home. The design was born out of the necessity to provide accessible spaces in the event the couple should become disabled over the course of their retirement. Specifically, the design was given a module of 5' from which to build; the required turning radius for a wheelchair. Additionally, provisions for a live in caretaker were made so that the couple could maintain their privacy and accommodate visitors simultaneously. The design was created to be sustainable in all regards: from the various 'green systems' such as rainwater harvesting, solar energy collection and vegetable garden to the reclaimed and local materials used to construct the home itself. The driving sustainable principle behind the design was reduction of heating and cooling loads. Specifically, since the average American home devotes over half of
its energy to heating and cooling, Three Pavilions was separated into distinct zones that could be heated and cooled independently from one
another based on usage. This lead to the creation of three pavilions: a living pavilion, a sleeping pavilion and a
working pavilion.