Aesthetic issues aside, building a home on a steep bluff overlooking the Potomac River in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, would be a formidable task for any architect. Throw in the homeowners' desire to be as environmentally conscious as possible and you've got quite a build challenge. The Pod House, a relatively small cedar home got beyond these technical hurdles with an unusual style.
The design consists of a main structure and two "pods" that link the to core of the home via screened or glassed bridges. Each pod serves as a guest bedroom and a media room respectively. The bridges were utilized to accommodate the cliff site, and the pods and main building are all on different thermostats for energy efficiency. Cedar shingles and dry stonewalls built from stone taken from the site help the home blend in with its natural surroundings.
Finally, the architect built the house in a way that would remove as few trees as possible. For instance, even though it added to the cost, all utility wires were buried rather than strung on poles, avoiding a 40-foot-wide clear-cut swath.
