During our early designs, the owners expressed interest in adding solar panels. Being in a subdivision, the home was oriented at an odd angle and not one conducive for gathering the rays of the sun, Furthermore, tall trees to the south cast shade over the home for much of the day. Still, in drawing out the lines of an ideal orientation for solar electricity, the owners fell in love with the cardinal coordinates—north, south, east, and west—running through their home. So that’s what the 3 Lights Design team did, create a balance between the existing layout and the new elements reflecting cardinal coordinates. In this way, the new structure becomes like a sacred compass, orienting visitors to the 4 direction of the world. The bamboo flooring in this photo is running due north-south, while the beams above conform to the layout of the previous home. Thomas Kuoh Photography