Altius Architecture Inc. has done a tremendous job in embellishing a hilly cliff in Northern Ontario, Canada, with an empathizing structure, dubbed as the Cliff House. Certain passive and active systems have joined forces to allow it embrace sustainability. The completely off-grid construction, facing a lake, touts complementary green roofs for mediating temperatures; a central void also does the same.
Flying roofs and floor-to-ceiling glass all seem to work in tandem to maintain the structural unity of the building. Hand-hewn stonework, wood ceilings, and structural board-formed concrete walls make the entire construction worth the esteem. The heating system bases itself on optimized glazing, solar orientation and the thermal mass of the structural elements. Two contra-flow masonry heaters in the interior fireplace cores utilize the abundantly available biomass. The building counts on photovoltaic panels and a battery bank for electricity.
Moreover, there are the evacuated tube solar collectors with 10 thermal storage tanks to put solar power to the best use and to supply the house with hydronic radiant floor heating and domestic hot water.
