The main floor hardwood flooring was recovered from a demolished building. A refurbished claw-foot bathtub and sink are used in the lower floor washroom. Draperies were made from chemically untreated cotton. Stale air from the bathrooms and kitchen mix with the furnace flue gases and pass through the first compartment of rocks. The large surface area of the rocks ensures that almost all of the heat in the exhaust air is removed and stored in the rocks.
Outdoor air is heated by the rocks as it passes through the second compartment.
Approximately every five minutes, a reversing valve switches the air stream to the two rock compartments, and thus, the heated rocks are cooled and cooled rocks are heated. The outdoor air is distributed throughout the house via furnace ductwork. Products of combustion are prevented from reentering the house by pressurizing the fresh air stream. The house and landscaping were designed to reduce the need for mechanical cooling. Ground and rain water are collected in a cistern and used for cooling.