JURASSIC PARK - CUSTOM HOME in ALABAMA - LIVING AMONG THE FOSSILS WITHOUT BURNING ANY
Photo Tour
Jurassic Park is a 6000 sq.ft. home in the hills outside Huntsville, Alabama. This home is entirely off-the-grid, using solar energy, hydro power, and cool air from caves for summer cooling.
The fossils tell us that this area of Northern Alabama was under water millions of years ago. Although the homeowners love fossils, or maybe because they do, they did not want to burn fossil fuels to produce heat. They prefer to cherish the land and the fossils and use the Sun and earth to warm, cool, and power their home.
Bobby Andy, Tim, Shane, Tim, Wormy, Tim, Trouble - While working on the house, the crew found so many fossils that they called the site Jurassic Park.
Crinoid, Rugosa, Cone Coral, Lepidodendron, Crinoid
This home has a center great room with prow front and wings on each side that have the special Enertia envelope design. The timberframed prow begins to take shape.
Enertia homes have solid timber gables. in this view from the southeast, the gables are taking shape.
At this point the rafters are in place and the structural package which is the Enertia kit is essentially complete. The owner/builder takes over.
The prow front is a classic post-and-beam timberframe construction. Next, the first layers (sheeting, tarpaper) of the built-up roof system are added.
Northern Alabama has more caves per square mile than anywhere in the country. The alternative energy systems will be solar hot water, photovoltaic electricity, a hydro-electric turbine, and a pre-cooling system using underground cave air.
The East Porch entrance will be an often used entrance. There is also a covered East sunspace entrance. The lower level South glass and the Sunspace door have not yet been set.
The cave airpipe and waterline enter through the Northwest corner of the garage. These lines will be buried. The second waterline is for the hydroelectric turbine. The waterlines go deep into the cave and upward to a high cave pool. This creates the necessary pressure (energy). This stalactite took a thousand years to form, and there could be a thousand years worth of pollution-free energy left in this cave.
This beautiful prow house is now complete, and the owners are in residence enjoying a life with all modern conveniences but no monthly electric bill. Photovoltaic panels convert the Sun's free energy to electricity, backed up by a water turbine generator for those extended cloudy periods.
The living room is in the Great Room with the kitchen to the North of it. The house was designed with an open plan. A loft/hallway connects the upper level bedrooms.
On the East side of the house is an entry Sunspace and a Bedroom, plus some utility areas.
The Master Suite has its own sunspace, the main floor bedroom and bath, and a circular staircase leading up to a Loft/Den.
Upstairs are three bedrooms and the Loft/Den of the master suite. A loft/hallway connects the bedrooms and looks down over the Great Room, sharing the beautiful view through the Prow windows.
Jurassic Park is a beautiful home on a beautiful property. The home was designed to meet the needs and desires of the homeowners, and they have been enjoying their custom Enertia home for several years. We thank them for sharing these photos with us.
