Griffins Gate
Griffins Gate is a beautiful 3,200 square foot energy independent passive solar home with a separate 1,200 square foot studio built on 5 ½ acres in Montgomery County, Maryland. The home was designed to be energy independent and in complete harmony with nature; to be all natural, non-toxic, and organic for the health of the owners. The walls and roof are insulated with recycled newspaper. The home faces south to maximize the passive solar benefit, with engineered overhangs shading the windows all summer to minimize the cooling load. In tandem with an energy efficient high mass fireplace, a geothermal heat pump warms the radiant floor in the winter. In the summer, cool water is circulated from the well through the radiant floor and a fan coil unit cools the air in the home.