2025 Award Winner - New Build

RIVERBEND

Sedgwick, Maine • Completed September 2021

Project Team:

• OPAL Architecture - Design Partner: Riley Pratt

• OPAL Architecture - Project Manager: Alex Rosenthal

• OPAL Architecture - Designer: Marika Kobel

• Albert Putnam Associates - Structural Engineer: Nathan Merrill

• General Contractor: GO Logic

• Landscape: Nature + Nurture and Meadowsweet Tree + Landscape

Project Description:

Designed to achieve both low operational energy and minimal embodied carbon, this home on the Bagaduce River embodies a holistic approach to performance, ecology, and comfort. Built using Passive House strategies, the super-insulated and airtight envelope is paired with triple-glazed windows, heat recovery ventilation, and biogenic insulation to create a quiet, healthy, and energy-efficient interior environment. The building’s low energy demand allows a modest roof-mounted photovoltaic array to offset a significant portion of the home’s annual energy needs. The home’s modeled EUI is 17.0 kBtu/sf/yr, which drops to 4.4 kBtu/ sf/yr with solar production. Life cycle analysis and iterative energy modeling informed key decisions throughout the design process, from the selection of carbon-storing materials to the careful placement of glazing and shading. Roof forms were optimized for solar orientation, stormwater management, and protection from the elements, resulting in deeply sheltered entries and outdoor living areas. The siting strategy reflects a light-touch approach to land use. Located on previouslydisturbed ground, the home avoids additional ecological disruption. Native plantings have been reintroduced to restore habitat for birds and other wildlife, contributing to a regenerative landscape that supports biodiversity over time. The architecture unites three primary program areas—living space, garage, and workshop— within a compact and efficient footprint. Interior connections between the home and workshop were essential to support the owners’ live-work lifestyle, particularly their year-round woodworking and gardening. A central office and screened porch provide a functional and visual bridge between these zones, drawing in views of the river and surrounding landscape. Inside, a bright palette of white oak finishes contrasts with the darker exterior of weathering steel and stained cedar. The result is a modern, accessible, high-performance home that is both deeply rooted in its site and designed to endure—an example of climate-conscious living in rural Maine.

Project Metrics:

• Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 2BR / 2BA

• Sq. footage: 2,350 sq ft

• Air tightness: .6 ACH 50 (Passive House Institute requirement)

• HVAC: Stelpro electric baseboard and Suntouch in-floor electric radiant mat.

• Ventilation: Zehnder heat recovery ventilator.

• R-Value: Foundation R-24, Walls R-51, Roof R-93

Highlights from the Judges: