A Passive House Taking Shape in Damascus, PA
A Passive House Taking Shape in Damascus, PA
Even in the midst of construction, some houses begin to reveal their intentions early. This home in Damascus, Pennsylvania is one of them, a project shaped as much by long-term vision as by the immediate realities of site, climate, and craft.
Designed to be a weekend retreat that will transition into a full-time retirement home in the future, the house is meant to evolve alongside its owners. While it will primarily serve as a quiet escape for a couple, it is also envisioned as a gathering place for children, future families, and extended stays. As always, we designed with flexibility, comfort, and longevity in mind.
Energy performance, durability, and year-round comfort are not layered on after the fact; they form the backbone of the design. The result is a home that is deeply efficient, but also calm, generous, and responsive to how it will be lived in over decades.
The site itself plays an equally important role. Set within a wooded landscape with long southwest views toward a nearby lake, the home is carefully positioned to balance earthwork, access, and orientation. While trees at grade currently soften those views, the design strategically lifts key living spaces upward—allowing upper levels to capture light and landscape while maintaining a grounded connection to the land below.
At the heart of the house is a central stair volume, already emerging as the project’s spatial anchor. More than a circulation element, the stair draws daylight deep into the home and creates a vertical thread connecting all levels. It ultimately leads to an observation deck above the treetops, a quiet perch designed for pause, reflection, and perspective. Part light shaft, part destination, this vertical journey shapes how the house is experienced day to day.
The program is intentionally layered to support lifestyle now and later. A secondary primary suite on the main level allows for aging in place, while upper-level bedrooms take advantage of the best views. Guest rooms, shared spaces, and flexible work areas ensure the house can expand and contract with family needs. A walk-out lower level offers space for recreation, wellness, and retreat, including an indoor exercise pool.
This project is also a testament to collaboration. Working closely with New Energy Works and a skilled network of craftspeople, the design team is pushing both performance and precision, ensuring that the home’s Passive building goals are met without limiting architectural expression.
Though still under construction, the relationship between form, landscape, and intention is already clear. This is a house designed not just to be occupied, but to be lived in over time, adapting, sheltering, and offering moments of quiet elevation above the everyday.
More to come as this home continues to take shape.
