One stormy evening in early summer I drove out to Scrabble, a small hamlet on the border of Jefferson and Berkeley counties, about five miles from Shepherdstown. I was eager to see the new environmentally sensitive house built by Kate and David Didden.
As I plowed up the gravel driveway, moody purplish green thunderclouds shook overhead.  The Diddens’ uber-contemporary red-sided dwelling glistened in the damp air. My kids jumped out of our battered burgundy Chevy Lumina and ran off to play with the Didden kids. Within minutes they had constructed an alternative reality involving circuses and wild animals.
I took a few moments to walk around the house and take some exterior photos of it while the light lasted. It struck me that the building stood on top of a hillock, much like a medieval keep, with lengthy views of the surrounding lands.
Much like back in those days of old, Kate and David share their little fiefdom with many of their family members. David’s parents Margaret and Greg Didden have lived on the land since 1980. David’s sister Carol Didden built her house on the land in 2006.  David’s brother Michael is currently building his home on a lot next door.
Most people I know wouldn’t dream of living next to their parents, let alone their brothers and sisters. The Diddens are not most people. David and Kate’s world is an intriguing mix of old-world values and new world technologies.
Kate called me in for a beer, and while she made dinner—tofu dogs, home-made bread, strawberries—she told me the story of the house. 
Kate and David Didden have long wanted to build a green home. Their dream was to build a home with low impact on the earth. They were moving from Charlottesville, Va., to Shepherdstown. Kate is a social worker with a recent Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University. David is a pediatrician with a family practice in Martinsburg.
“We wanted to use new materials in the home,” said Kate. “For example, we used SIP (structurally insulated panels) boards in the walls, which is recycled from waste straw. We wanted to invest in this sustainable technology. With the population growth, we are seeing an increased impact on the environment. We have to be wise about how we grow.”
The Diddens broke ground in June 2005 and moved into the home in 2006. They chose not to use vinyl siding. They recognize its low maintenance qualities but are concerned that it takes so long to decompose. “We want to have a large portion of our house that would gently return to the earth,” says Kate, laughing.
Kate and David have three young kids, Ellie, Tighe, and Annie. But they chose to eschew the conventional large house that would be available to a doctor’s family. They have merely 2,000 square feet of finished space, including three small kids’ bedrooms, a bedroom for the adults, and a dining and living room. “We didn’t want two living rooms and lots of extra space,” says Kate, “a small space costs less to heat.”
 The house is a green house in other ways. The southern side of the house has large windows to capture the heat in winter, and the house is heated by geothermal water system that uses the Earth’s core temperature to heat the water used in the HVAC system.
 “I wanted to promote green building,” says Dave Diddden. “I wanted a house that we one day could take off the grid and do something about the fossil fuels that are killing the Earth.”
 Much of the home was built by friends and family. The stonework on the chimney and exterior of the home was installed by David’s cousins. The cabinetry, hardwood floors, and trim were finished by his uncle.
 In designing the home, the Diddens asked architect Andy Singletary for maximum outside living space. As a result there are two large screened in porches that overlook rolling fields of hay and forest beyond. From every room there are impressive pastoral views through large double-paned wooden frame windows. There is a Jacuzzi also off David and Kate’s bedroom. This was important for Annie’s arthritis as well as just a wonderfully relaxing addition to the home.
 The Diddens’ commitment to ecology extends to use of recycled materials in the home. All of the doors and most of the sinks were salvaged from local Habitat Re-Store centers. Although this costs slightly more in terms of installation charges, the Diddens felt the saving of resources and the charm of having antique items throughout the home more than made up for the extra cost. In addition, the profits from Habitat Re-Store’s sale of the items go to low-income housing in the area.
 The kids’ bedrooms are purposely small. The rooms are perhaps no more than 6 feet by 8 feet. Each of the rooms has a sliding barn door across the entrance. Kate says she was inspired by the book A Pattern Language by Chris Alexander. The book talks about the need for small sleeping spaces that abut onto large open common spaces that can be used for play and recreation.
 The Diddens clearly like their home. David sums it up well. “I live in a castle surrounded by people I love.”