AIA Rhode Island Award-Winning Home Featuring Newport Solar

Inside an AIA Rhode Island Award-Winning Home

The Wood Soup Residence in Wakefield, Rhode Island received an AIA Rhode Island Citation Award for Residential Architecture and was selected to be featured on an upcoming season of America By Design, recognizing projects that bring together design, innovation, and performance.

Designed by Kyle Bamrick Architecture + Design, the home was created for a family returning to New England with a focus on health, efficiency, and longevity. High performance systems, a tight building envelope, and thoughtful material selection work together to deliver year round comfort and exceptional energy performance.

This AIA Rhode Island award-winning home reflects a collaborative approach to design, performance, and solar integration.

Designed for Performance, Built for Living

From the outset, the home was shaped by both architectural intent and environmental performance. The design balances solar orientation with privacy, positioning living spaces to capture light while maintaining a strong connection to the surrounding landscape.

Breaking the structure into smaller volumes allows natural light to move through the home throughout the day, while also creating a scale that feels both modern and grounded in New England tradition.

Solar and Storage as Part of the System

Newport Solar partnered on the project team to design and install a 12.4 kW rooftop solar system along with a battery backup system, supporting the home’s broader performance goals.

Rather than being treated as an add-on, the solar and storage system functions as part of the home’s overall energy strategy, contributing to efficiency, resilience, and long term performance.

This approach reflects a broader shift toward designing solar ready homes, where energy systems are considered alongside architecture from the beginning, ensuring projects are solar ready from day one.

The system required coordination across the project team to ensure both technical performance and clean integration with the architecture.

Craftsmanship Meets High Performance

The Wood Soup Residence brings together craftsmanship, durability, and high performance design. From the use of long lasting materials like Alaskan yellow cedar to a highly insulated and air tight building envelope, every element of the home is designed to support comfort, efficiency, and longevity.

Careful detailing and material choices reduce maintenance while improving resilience to New England’s climate, allowing the home to perform consistently across seasons without compromising on design.

The result is a home that reflects a modern interpretation of New England architecture while delivering exceptional comfort, efficiency, and long term performance.

A Collaborative Approach to Better Building

Projects like this reflect the level of work we are brought into, where architects, builders, and energy partners work together to create homes that perform as well as they look.

For Newport Solar, this means ensuring solar aligns with architectural intent, through early stage coordination, not competing with it.

If you are planning a project, explore how we approach solar design and installation to ensure it aligns with both performance goals and architectural intent.

Project Snapshot

Location: Wakefield, Rhode Island

Architecture: Kyle Bamrick Architecture + Design

Recognition: AIA Rhode Island Citation Award for Residential Architecture, Featured on America By Design

Solar System: 12.4 kW rooftop solar

Energy Storage: (3) 10 kWh batteries

Solar Design and Integration: Newport Solar

Frequently Asked Questions

When should solar be considered in the design process?

Solar should be considered early in the design phase, before construction begins. Coordinating with your solar partner during planning ensures the roof, electrical system, and structural layout are solar ready from day one, while preserving the overall design intent.

What does it mean to design a solar ready home?

A a solar ready home is designed with solar integration in mind from the start. This includes roof orientation, available array space, and electrical planning, along with coordination between the architect, builder, and solar contractor. Early planning simplifies installation, avoids rework, and supports long term performance.

How does Newport Solar work with architects and builders?

We work directly with architects, builders, and project teams to integrate solar into the design and construction process. From early stage planning through installation, we coordinate system design, electrical layout, and installation details to ensure every system complements the structure’s form, materials, and purpose.

Why do award-winning architects and builders choose Newport Solar?

Most homeowners don’t know what to look for, but a well executed solar installation should feel minimal and intentional. Panels should align cleanly with the roof, and conduit and electrical runs should be routed thoughtfully so they don’t distract from the home.

You shouldn’t see exposed piping running across the exterior. The installation should reflect the same level of care as the rest of the build.

At Newport Solar, all work is completed by our in-house team, with a focus on clean execution and consistency. That attention to detail, along with strong relationships and word of mouth across the design and building community, is why award winning architects and builders trust us on projects where design matters.