ZeroEnergy Design

Oct 2013

OVERVIEW This vacation residence located in a beautiful ocean community on the New England coast features high performance and efficient use of space in a small package. ZED designed the sleek, simple, gable-roofed structure and proposed the Passive House standard. The resulting home consumes 86% less energy compared to a similar new home built only to code requirements. DESIGN CHALLENGE The homeowners sought a modern two-bedroom, two-bath private retreat that was right-sized for their family - nothing more, nothing less - and a goal of minimizing energy usage. The site offered excellent southern exposure, paired with the challenge of a lovely north-facing agrarian view. The family, who unfortunately had lots of experience with drafty, inefficient homes, immediately latched onto ZED?s suggestion of the Passive House Standard for both energy savings and improved comfort. A combination of exceptional insulation, air sealing, high performance windows, and passive solar gain reduces the heating requirements to a fraction of those of a typical home, requiring only a very small heating system. They now enjoy a space without uncomfortable wintertime drafts and an even temperature throughout the home. AESTHETICS The home's gable form was planned as a defining aesthetic feature. Its iconic shape is repeated both inside and out. Simple finishes, bright colors, minimal trim, and concrete floors achieve a clean, fresh look for the interior. Daylighting, paired with the agrarian surroundings, enhances the home while drawing in the outdoor environment. EFFICIENT SPACE The layout carefully aligns with the family's planned use. Bedrooms are located at either end of the home and receive either morning or afternoon light. A large central space with vaulted ceilings provides living and cooking areas with both northern and southern views and ample natural light throughout the day. The open floor plan features a dining nook that bumps out of the southern side of the space. Since extended family and friends often visit, the nook is large enough to sit the family and all their guests. One family member also expressed their love of baths, which was addressed by including a dedicated sun-filled tub room in the southeast corner of the home. Additionally, the home features storage space and a loft area above. With a ladder leading up, the loft provides the children with their own private place to spend time away from the adults. Despite the modest footprint, the home addresses all of the family's needs through smart design and efficient space planning. ENERGY PERFORMANCE The generous amount of south-facing windows maximize solar heat gain in the winter. The polished concrete floor provides thermal mass, which absorbs heat and re-radiates it into the space. This helps to offset the north-facing high performance glass door that opens up to the agrarian view over abutting farm lands. High R-values in the home, including R-44 walls, R-50 slab foundation, R-60 roof, and meticulous air sealing mean a vast reduction in space conditioning requirements. The thick walls use a wood-frame, double-stud assembly spaced 24' on center. A single air source heat pump provides heating and cooling distributed via exposed ductwork, which simultaneously acts as an aesthetic element in the main living space. The house also incorporates a heat recovery ventilator to maintain excellent indoor air quality with minimal energy expense. Domestic hot water is provided from a heat pump hot water heater and the household appliances include an induction cooktop and a condensing dryer. MEASURED RESULTS The result is a house that consumes 412 kWh average per month for all energy use on site. Installing a photovoltaic system of only 4.1kW would offset the total annual energy consumption, effectively making the home net zero energy. TEAM Architecture, Passive House Consulting, and Mechanical Design by ZeroEnergy Design General Contracting by AEDI Construction CERTIFICATIONS The home is officially Energy Star certified and LEED Gold certified.

Little Compton, RI

Oct 2013

A client wanted to commission the design of an environmentally sensible beach home on Cape Cod. The trick was that they had some unusual space requirements, a narrow lot on an environmentally sensitive site, and a magnificent west-facing view. Planning for the extreme variation in occupancy, the home is split into a 'Living Bar' and a 'Sleeping Bar.' The Sleeping Bar is the expansion module with numerous bedrooms & bathrooms to accommodate the entire family. The Living Bar includes the living and dining areas, as well as a secondary master bedroom - all that the couple needs when the children are away. This programmatic zoning allows the Sleeping Bar to be shut down during the majority of the year to decrease energy use. The site has a spectacular west-facing view of the water and sunset. The area of west-facing orientation of the glazing used to capture this view certainly isn't ideal for energy performance. Double stud framing allows for a continuous layer of foam insulation (uninterrupted by studs). The geothermal system, coupled with a radiant heating system, will supply all of the heating and cooling for the year. The roof sports a large solar electric array to offset energy usage through the use of net metering. A battery back-up and energy management system stores electricity from the solar array to ensure the basic functions of the home through blackouts without the use of a gas-powered generator. Flooring was limited to slate, bamboo, and polished concrete, while omitting any carpeting that might capture dust, mites, mold, or moisture. An air exchange and energy recovery system will provide clean fresh air throughout the year. Finally, the exterior finishes will allow the home to turn a traditional Cape Cod grey and blend into the dunes. The site is vegetated with indigenous plants that prevent erosion and won't require irrigation.

Truro, MA

Jan 2010

ZED designed this LEED Gold certified residence to remain true to the family traditions developed since the land was purchased in 1958. Being conservation oriented, the homeowners planned to tread lightly on the property - imagining self sufficiency and living with the land in the simple, modern structure they would eventually commission. The original house on site was a central hub, the place to connect with international family members, and the most consistent place they all considered home. The entire family loved art; between pieces collected from their world-wide travels and those developed by the amateur painters in the family, art was always an integral part of the house. The new home offers year round living and continues the legacy of a modern artistic home, treading lightly and focusing on the outdoor environment. New features include the clean, green feeling throughout the house, healthy indoor air quality, very comfortable and stable temperatures from the radiant floors, and exceptional energy performance with renewable energy systems. And, the artist family members immediately felt that the new home's bright red, orange, and cedar colors really 'made the house'.

Orleans, MA

Jan 2014

Family Loft - Boston, Massachusetts A young couple starting a family in the city purchased this two story loft in Boston's South End. Built in the 1990's, the loft was ready for updates. ZED transformed the space, creating a fresh new look and greatly increasing its functionality to accommodate an expanding family within an urban setting. LOFT LIVING The goal for the open living space was to add texture, scale and utility. The kitchen was renovated with custom cabinetry and reconfigured for increased functionality, with more storage, larger prep surfaces, and new energy efficient appliances. White paneling wraps the abutting wall creating a neutral and textured surface. A walnut element wraps the wall and ceiling above the kitchen, adding much needed warmth, scale, and lighting to the living space with its twenty foot ceiling. The use of walnut also weaves through the space in the upper cabinets and the raised seating area at the island. The fireplace area was re-envisioned for improved aesthetics, scale, and proportions. Former clutter-prone open shelves are now clean, functional cabinets, paired with a stone element, for added warmth and texture. MASTER REINVISIONED New walnut stair treads lead up to the master suite. A wall separating the master bedroom from the double height living space was replaced with a folding glass door to open the bedroom to the living space while still allowing for both visual and acoustical privacy. Surfaces built into the new railing atop the stair create a functional work area with a fantastic view and clear shot to the play space below. The reconfiguration of the master bathroom opened up the space by pairing a platform shower with a freestanding tub. The open shower, wall-hung vanity, and wall-hung water closet create continuous flooring and an expansive feeling. The result is a welcoming space with a calming aesthetic. BORROWED LIGHT The addition of interior transom windows readily admits 'borrowed' daylight into previously dark interior spaces, including the nursery, entry, and guest bedroom. The entry area became an 'urban mudroom' with ample storage and a small clean workspace that can also serve as an additional sleeping area, while the nursery playfully incorporates framed interior windows to the living space. The dark hardwood floors on the mail level were removed and the concrete below was polished, creating a durable, low-maintenance finish that helps disperse light in the space. Collectively, the renovation of the loft creates a delightful improvement to the aesthetics, scale, and functionality for the growing family to enjoy.

Boston, MA