Complex Sustainable Residence in Georgia, USA: The RainShine House

The RainShine House was designed by Architect Robert M. Cain and is located in Decatur, Georgia, USA. The impressive two-storey home stretches over an area of 2800 square feet and features three bedrooms and 3-1/2 bathrooms. According to the official description, RainShine was given this name due to key design characteristics: The living room, dining, kitchen and guest bedrooms are sheltered by a unique butterfly roof structured with steel beams spanned by exposed 1- 1/2” tongue-and-groove wood decking. The roof floats above continuous clerestories allowing light to flood into the interior. Light shelves around the clerestory sills bounce and diffuse natural light throughout the interior. The butterfly roof is designed to capture rainfall for a rain harvest system located in the basement (Rain) and is oriented to maximize southern exposure for a roof mounted photovoltaic system (Shine). The butterfly design, with it’s inverted gable, simplifies rainwater collection, eliminates extensive gutter and downspout systems and the associated maintenance headaches common in conventional gabled or hip roofed homes. (photos: e Paul Hultberg Photography )