A new front porch for an existing ranch house aims to do a number of things to improve the home’s performance. Despite replacing the original west-facing picture window on the front facade with a higher performing window, heat gain continues to be a problem. Because the sun angle is so low in the evenings, it can be hard to shade west and east-facing windows with typical roof overhangs. The new porch aims to create deep shade that will significantly reduce cooling load in the summer. At the same time, the new porch roof creates a south-facing surface to host a solar array. Lastly, the porch is configured in such a way to enable a screened-in outdoor living / dining space and create visual interest from the street.
