Joseph Zimmer House
Yesterday, My wife and I were riding our bikes down the back country roads of Wisconsin around Lake Geneva and almost got into a fender bender. Luckily she was paying attention otherwise we would have missed this. I was also lucky I was watching her otherwise we would have got into a collision at 20 miles/hour.
Someone had built a modern house in the middle of two old silos on a gorgeous piece of farm land in the middle of nowhere! What was even better was that it was for sale which meant we could snoop around and look for information on it. You can see the listing on Keefe’s Real Estates website under MLS Number 1149240. What we found out is that it was designed by Joseph Zimmer who I could not find any information on via the web. It has 3 beds, 2 baths and is on 1.21 acres. It is listing for $547,000.
My goal is to get a viewing so that I can get some more information on this place. I will let you know if I am successful. If you know anything about this home or Joseph Zimmer, please let us know.
Glad an accident was avoided.
‘Simera’, the Greek word for ‘today’ is what I named this residence.
It received a Silver Medal award from the Association of Licensed architects in 2009 and was named a Top project by Wisconsin Builder magazine.
With exception of the two silos and potion of concrete foundation, all construction is new and is ment to be modern while appropriate to its location and history of the site.
The barn that once stood at this site lasted from the early 1900’s until it collapsed in a wind storm in May 2001. I discovered the site during a search my wife and I completed in summer of 2002 for place near my work for a firm in the City of Lake Geneva. We found nothing more than the silos and ruins of field stone foundation. The view to the South over crops, pasture and freight train tracks remain my favorite aspect of the site.
As this was my first entirely self financed building project, I had opportuniy to let my design be limited only by zoning and finances. This allowed not only some added aesthetic freedom, but the opportunity to use construction materials and methods that might normally only be considered in commercial projects.
First, it had to be an original, or as some admiring passerby’s call ‘cool house’.
Though design was before ‘environmentally conscious, green, and/or sustsainable’ terms were popular I incorporated elements that are more durable, more energy efficient and material rescource friendly than conventional single family home construction.
Each floor provides commercial level accessibility for the mobility challeged (and I benefit too).
Generous South facing windows let the winter sun in, while overhangs provide shade in heat of summer and provide expansive view to crops, bellowing cows, and rumbling freight train.
The roof is constructed of 10″ SIPs (Structural Insulating Panels) (high insulation and very air tight) supported by Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL) Beams (made from waste lumber that result in the strongest form of wood beams).
The corrugated galvalume (aluminum coated steel) roofing and aluminum siding help reflect summer heat while presenting an ‘appropriate’ aesthetic.
Concrete block walls (foundation, lower level interior load bearing, exterior) are filled with foam insulation where needed. These blocks were manufactured less than 1 mile from site.
Both lower level and first floor slabs are acid stained concrete with integral hydronic (water) heat over up to 5″ of rigid insulation.
Space heating and domestic hot water share the same high efficiency, sealed combustion, fast recovery water heater. This direct system is based upon a system developed by Radiantec (a VA company). When the Jotul 201 wood stove is operating, it provides all the heat the 1st floor needs.
Interior walls that are not concrete block are particle board (made from lumber waste) to produce a simple yet warm interior.
Coutertops are site cast concrete with integral color hardener.
Rolling barn door hardware and artist installed ceramic wall tile complete the interior.
Granite boulder retaining walls and planting bed boarders are from the original barn foundation plus a few that sprouted from the neighboring cropland.
If interested in more information or photographs, or would like to schedule an in person tour, I may be contacted by e-mail at address above.
Glad an accident was avoided.
‘Simera’, the Greek word for ‘today’ is what I named this residence.
It received a Silver Medal award from the Association of Licensed architects in 2009 and was named a Top project by Wisconsin Builder magazine.
With exception of the two silos and potion of concrete foundation, all construction is new and is ment to be modern while appropriate to its location and history of the site.
If interested in more information or photographs, or would like to schedule an in person tour, I may be contacted at JZimmerArchitect@comcast.net.