Cocoon is a sixteen-foot high, L-shaped, three-bedroom LEED-certified weekend home with an open area for living, dining and cooking. Solar powered by electricity, there is no use of oil or gas. Its footprint is shaped by the legal restriction to build at a 150-foot radius from the wetlands and to keep a 35-foot distance from the adjacent properties. Luckily, the view of the greenery towards the ocean faces south, so that the southern glass façade provides both views and passive heating gain. The thermal masses of the thick northern/western walls, supported entirely by timber structure, keep away humidity and retain heat while providing privacy.

The cedar shingle cladding blends in with the architectural material palette of the historic neighborhood and the garden is populated with native plants. The boundary between indoors and outdoors is softened by the pool/cistern, whose horizontal reflective surface bounces off the vertical reflective glass surfaces. The large unbroken sliding doors connect inhabitants with the smells, feel and sounds of the garden and ocean in the distance. By tuning in to given site conditions, adhering to basic Passive House principles, and with the help of environmental technologies such as photovoltaic panels, the architectural design serves both the environment and wellbeing.