A Solar-Powered Home Gently Emerges From a New York Forest

Marc Thorpe’s latest off-grid residence proves that sustainability can be quiet, warm, and deeply human

Tucked into the wooded slopes of New York’s western Catskills, architect Marc Thorpe has completed a solar-powered residence that feels less like a structure imposed on the land and more like a thoughtful extension of it.

Known as the Forest Edge House, the compact timber home operates entirely off-grid, relying solely on solar energy while maintaining a strong, almost poetic connection to its forest surroundings.

The project was realized through Edifice Upstate, the design and build collective Thorpe co-founded to explore sustainable architecture rooted in place.

Set on roughly three acres of woodland, the 1,400-square-foot home is their fifth fully solar-powered project, each one refining a philosophy that treats environmental responsibility as a core design principle rather than a feature.

Built From the Forest, For the Forest

Clad in FSC-certified natural pine, the house rises with a quiet, rectilinear simplicity. Its form is deliberate and restrained, allowing the surrounding trees to remain the visual focus.

A long cantilevered steel deck extends outward from the upper level, hovering above the forest floor and offering a place to sit among the canopy. It is both a striking architectural gesture and an invitation to slow down and observe the landscape.

Inside, the home is organized around an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area. Radiant floor heating provides warmth throughout, reinforcing the sense of comfort without visual clutter. Large windows frame the forest from nearly every angle, pulling natural light deep into the interior and blurring the boundary between indoors and out.

Powered Entirely by the Sun

At the heart of the Forest Edge House is a robust solar energy system designed for complete autonomy. Twenty-four high-efficiency solar panels feed a Sol-Ark inverter and lithium-ion battery bank, producing approximately 38 kilowatt hours of electricity per day. The system generates enough energy to power the entire home without any connection to a traditional utility grid.

This level of independence is not treated as a technical flex, but as a quiet assurance that the home can exist responsibly within its environment. The technology remains largely invisible, allowing the architecture and the landscape to take center stage.

A Calm Interior With Intention

Furnishings from Ligne Roset add softness and warmth to the pared-back interior. The palette is restrained and calming, complementing the surrounding woods rather than competing with them. Every choice feels intentional, from material selection to spatial flow, reinforcing the idea that sustainability and beauty do not need to exist at opposite ends of the design spectrum.

A Model for a Quieter Future

For Thorpe, the Forest Edge House represents more than a single residence. It is a statement about self-reliance, ecological awareness, and the possibility of living lightly on the land. Rather than striving for spectacle, the project embraces restraint, balance, and respect for natural systems.

In a world increasingly defined by excess and noise, this solar-powered home offers a compelling alternative. It suggests that the future of architecture may not be louder or larger, but calmer, smarter, and more deeply connected to the places we choose to inhabit.

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“This home is not about escaping the grid as much as it is about reconnecting with the systems that already sustain us.”

Photographer: Clay Banks | @clay.banks