Dreams
Welcome
I love to design custom solar homes for smart, creative people. My hope and prayer is that many people will find the house and home of their dreams in one of my designs at SolarScopia. I will add more designs in the near future. Enjoy the journey.
About The Designer
My name is Mark Saintonge. I began as a carpenter on the shores of New England for 7 years. I attended Boston Architectural College and worked under talented architects and builders for 10 years. I practiced Design & Construction Planning in Maine for 20 years. I have produced plans for new and historic residences, townhouses, city buildings, bank prototypes, additions, multi unit developments and custom homes, including passive and active solar features optimally designed to fit a tight budget.
The Motivation
A Smart Investment
The Floor Plan of a house is like a puzzle made up of the pieces of your lifestyle tailored to fit your budget. Your budget will almost alway be smaller than your desires, but with a lot of thought, work and experience, one can usually find a solution that is an inspiration. An affordable house should be simple to build and easy to maintain. A good investment would be durable in all weather and versatile enough to appeal to a young couple with a child or a retired couple on a fixed budget, and designed for a world as it will be in 10 years, powered by the sun. A comfortable home should have room to dance, paint, play music, hold a dinner party, take a bath, invite an overnight guest, store supplies, do a laundry, raise a child, or retire in comfort. My favorite challenge is to make that happen in a small and affordable work of art.
Simple Life & Solar Power
In most locations in the world, if we are designing and building a new home, and you are not a gluttonous consumer, it no longer makes much sense to employ fossil fueled power for heat or electricity. The solar age is here. Electrical storage battery technology, photovoltaic panels, and house construction techniques have become affordable and competitive. Digital technology has given us access to all kinds of amazing little power saving devices and a healthy lifestyle does not require a trainload of possessions. We can design a house in which you will never pay an energy invoice for as long as you live there. By the time the system wears out, you will replace it with a better one for half the price. In the right hands, technology is wonderful.