HardiePlank Cedarmill 7" Exposure (Light Mist) Hardie NT3 Trim (Arctic White) AZEK Full Cellulose PVC Trim ProVia Signet Fiberglass Front Entry Door 6" Gutters & Downspouts (White) LeafTech Gutter Guards Installed by American Home Contractors, Florham Park, NJ Property located in Florham Park, NJ www.njahc.com

This new home, built for a family of 5 on a hillside in Marlboro, VT features a slab-on-grade with frost walls, a thick double stud wall with integrated service cavity, and truss roof with lots of cellulose. It incorporates an innovative compact heating, cooling, and ventilation unit and had the lowest blower door number this team had ever done. Locally sawn hemlock siding, some handmade tiles (the owners are both ceramicists), and a Vermont-made door give the home local shine.

This 2020-2021 custom single family home project features Aiki Homes standards for advanced framing, air and water purification, and the use of non-toxic materials wherever possible. Additional specs include: Radiant floor heating. Blown-in batt wall and R-49 cellulose insulation. Zehnder system for heating and cooling. Pre-wired for solar panels. Custom local cabinets and woodwork.

Earthshade Safeshade Roller; Happy Screen Privacy: Savannah Snow: Grass, Cellulosic Fiber, Min Poly No Chlorine, Unfinished, Compostable. Euro Cassette: Fabric wraps front face for a designer upholstered aesthetic. The only glue-free top treatment in the industry featuring a fabric spline attachment system. SofTouch Spring Transmission: Counter Balanced spring assist hidden within a recycled tube for durability.

Photography by Natalie Marotta Bungalows are lovable homes, but how can they be better? Along with many of our clients, we find that older (early 20th c.) homes have a lot of character and a comfortable scale, but are leaky, damp (especially in the basement), have fair to poor air quality, and use unconscionable amounts of fossil fuels to heat. The owners of this bungalow were ready to change that, and wanted to do so with minimal upfront carbon emissions as well. The gut renovation included replacing the basement slab and providing capillary breaks and insulation continuously below grade. The brick structure was treated with a fluid-applied air and water barrier from the interior and insulated entirely with cellulose, a carbon-storing insulation. The roof used HFO-blown spray foam to provide sufficient insulation while allowing headroom for bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry. One great benefit of a full renovation is the possibility of reconfiguring spaces to suit the family’s lifestyle, and to make the best of indoor-outdoor connections. We opened up the main rooms on the first floor, creating a family gathering spot with a view to the back yard, and a spacious kitchen that supports the family’s commitment to cooking for healthy eating. The stair uses a north-facing skylight to bring light from above into the middle of the home, where it was previously dark. As a decarbonization retrofit, the inefficient furnace was replaced with two small ducted heat pump systems, water heating and clothes drying are powered by air-source heat pumps, and cooking uses an induction cooktop plus electric ovens. Energy recovery ventilation provides filtered fresh air continuous exhaust from the kitchen, baths, and laundry, and supplies fresh, highly filtered air to bedrooms and living spaces. The Better Bungalow now makes sense for the 21st century–it now fits the owners’ life-patterns, is super comfortable, has great air quality, and uses a fraction of the energy it did before, greatly lowering the demand on the utility grid. In the near future, when solar PV is installed, it can achieve net zero or near net zero emissions, and with battery backup, can provide great resilience in the event of power outages.

A practical luxury, Contoured Suede pairs a soft fibrous surface with an allover embossed pattern that complements the directional nap of the suede. Organic, swirling lines add dimension to the textile wallcovering while controlling how light plays across its elegant surface. Borrowing a technique typically used for automobile upholstery, Contoured Suede’s polyester and cellulose construction makes it a very usable and touchable suede for light-traffic hospitality and residential interiors.

The Yin-Yang House is a net-zero energy single-family home in a quiet Venice, CA neighborhood. The design objective was to create a space for a large and growing family with several children, which would create a calm, relaxed and organized environment that emphasizes public family space. The home also serves as a place to entertain, and a welcoming space for teenagers as they seek social space with friends. The home is organized around a series of courtyards and other outdoor spaces that integrate with the interior of the house. Facing the street the house appears to be solid. However, behind the steel entry door is a courtyard, which reveals the indoor-outdoor nature of the house behind the solid exterior. From the entry courtyard, the entire space to the rear garden wall can be seen; the first clue of the home’s spatial connection between inside and out. These spaces are designed for entertainment, and the 40 foot sliding glass door to the living room enhances the harmonic relationship of the main room, allowing the owners to host many guests without the feeling of being overburdened. The tensions of the house’s exterior are subtly underscored by a 12-inch steel band that hews close to, but sometimes rises above or falls below the floor line of the second floor – a continuous loop moving inside and out like a pen that is never lifted from the page, but reinforces the intent to spatially weave together the indoors with the outside as a single space. Scale manipulation also plays a formal role in the design of the structure. From the rear, the house appears to be a single-story volume. The large master bedroom window and the outdoor steps are scaled to support this illusion. It is only when the steps are animated with people that one realizes the true scale of the house is two stories. The kitchen is the heart of the house, with an open working area that allows the owner, an accomplished chef, to converse with friends while cooking. Bedrooms are intentionally designed to be very small and simple; allowing for larger public spaces, emphasizing the family over individual domains. The breakfast room looks across an outdoor courtyard to the guest room/kids playroom, establishing a visual connection while defining the separation of uses. The children can play outdoors while under adult supervision from the dining area or the office, or do homework in the office while adults occupy the adjacent outdoor or indoor space. Many of the materials used, including the bamboo interior, composite stone and tile countertops and bathroom finishes are recycled, and reinforce the environmental DNA of the house, which also has a green roof. Blown-in cellulose insulation, radiant heating and a host of other sustainable features aids in the performance of the building’s heating and cooling. The active systems in the home include a 12 KW solar photovoltaic panel system, the largest such residential system available on the market. The solar panels also provide shade from the sun, preventing the house from becoming overheated. The owners have been in the home for over nine months and have yet to receive a power bill.

Read What's the Best Heating Appliance for You? - http://mainlinehes.com/whats-the-best-heating-appliance-for-you/

How do you modernize modernism on a budget? This house had charming midcentury character and lots of potential but had been neglected for many years and was sorely in need of a refresh to bring it up to modern standards of comfort, finish, and sustainability. The tight budget dictated that it would not be a down-to-the-studs, gut remodel, but more of a surgical intervention. Built in 1955, the house had settled on the downhill side, making the floors slope almost 4” from the front to the back of the house. Using an innovative and inexpensive push-pile method, the foundation was reinforced and the house was jacked back up. It now sits solidly on bedrock and the floor is level to within a half-inch throughout. Inside, the original kitchen was worn and needed replacement. This presented an opportunity to remove the walls separating it from the living and dining area and create a wide-open great room with a peninsula counter for guests to gather and an almost continuous wall of windows to take in views of the hills, trees, and bay. Throughout the rest of the house, most finishes were restored, or replaced when necessary. Wood floors were refinished, and new cork flooring, a slightly less durable but much less expensive alternative to tile and similar materials, was used in all wet areas, with the added benefit of warmth and resiliency. The existing textured walls and ceilings were skim-coated smooth with plaster, dark beams painted white, and existing wood wall paneling in the living room was cleaned and color-matched where new pieces were required. All of the existing frameless, direct-glazed windows were replaced with double pane units, and a new floor-to-ceiling window on the south side of the living room provides a key source of natural light. In the bathrooms, existing tile and vanities were saved, and a strangely colored tub and sinks were re-glazed. Flooring, toilets, lighting, double medicine cabinets, and paint in each space make these mostly unaltered rooms feel new again. Sustainability and comfort upgrades include an induction range (step one of an eventual transition to full electrification), spray foam insulation under the floor, spray-in cellulose in the walls, and warm-dim LED lighting throughout on a simple whole-house control system. Combined with a modern thermostat, the house’s systems are all accessible via app from anywhere. And the most sustainable feature of all? What we didn’t do: tear it down and start over. In a country that demolishes a million homes a year- 1% of our residential housing stock- reusing an existing home is the greenest solution of all.

Before
Inspiration for a country family room remodel in Boston

This 3,700 SF high performance, net-zero home built by Dwell Development achieved 5-Star Built Green certification. The home includes solar panels and an electric vehicle charging station. It also includes efficient heating and cooling through use of a Heat Recovery Ventilation System, which also provides the highest level of indoor air quality. The exterior walls of the house have a total thickness of 12”, which is then packed with blown-in cellulose insulation for a very efficient envelope, making it consistent and comfortable no matter the season. The floors are solid hardwood and polished concrete, while the tile and countertops throughout the house are made of recycled contents. The paint and grout were specifically chosen for the house to have no VOC’s.

HardiePlank Cedarmill 7" Exposure (Light Mist) Hardie NT3 Trim (Arctic White) AZEK Full Cellulose PVC Trim ProVia Signet Fiberglass Front Entry Door 6" Gutters & Downspouts (White) LeafTech Gutter Guards Installed by American Home Contractors, Florham Park, NJ Property located in Florham Park, NJ www.njahc.com

Example of a 1960s kitchen design in DC Metro

Photography by Natalie Marotta Bungalows are lovable homes, but how can they be better? Along with many of our clients, we find that older (early 20th c.) homes have a lot of character and a comfortable scale, but are leaky, damp (especially in the basement), have fair to poor air quality, and use unconscionable amounts of fossil fuels to heat. The owners of this bungalow were ready to change that, and wanted to do so with minimal upfront carbon emissions as well. The gut renovation included replacing the basement slab and providing capillary breaks and insulation continuously below grade. The brick structure was treated with a fluid-applied air and water barrier from the interior and insulated entirely with cellulose, a carbon-storing insulation. The roof used HFO-blown spray foam to provide sufficient insulation while allowing headroom for bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry. One great benefit of a full renovation is the possibility of reconfiguring spaces to suit the family’s lifestyle, and to make the best of indoor-outdoor connections. We opened up the main rooms on the first floor, creating a family gathering spot with a view to the back yard, and a spacious kitchen that supports the family’s commitment to cooking for healthy eating. The stair uses a north-facing skylight to bring light from above into the middle of the home, where it was previously dark. As a decarbonization retrofit, the inefficient furnace was replaced with two small ducted heat pump systems, water heating and clothes drying are powered by air-source heat pumps, and cooking uses an induction cooktop plus electric ovens. Energy recovery ventilation provides filtered fresh air continuous exhaust from the kitchen, baths, and laundry, and supplies fresh, highly filtered air to bedrooms and living spaces. The Better Bungalow now makes sense for the 21st century–it now fits the owners’ life-patterns, is super comfortable, has great air quality, and uses a fraction of the energy it did before, greatly lowering the demand on the utility grid. In the near future, when solar PV is installed, it can achieve net zero or near net zero emissions, and with battery backup, can provide great resilience in the event of power outages.

The Campbell family bought this New Hampshire lake side property to build a family summer residence. The home was integrated into the landscape and takes advantage of views as well as solar gain. The configuration of the rooms allows each family member to enjoy their own private spaces in both winter and summer months. The Residence is a timber frame using Douglas fir from Washington State, where the Campbell's live. The home is wrapped with a wide porch with screened in areas. One corner overlooking the lake has an outdoor fire place integrated into the porch timber framing. This provides a wonderful outdoor fire experience under the roof. The large open concept living and dining room is lit by dormers from above. This two story space is bordered by the stairs to the second floor with a half round look out, all timber framed. The home is well insulated throughout using blown-in cellulose and the foundation insulation was carefully configured to prevent thermal breaks. In addition to the custom timber frame, a variety of custom built-in furniture elements were constructed using a variety of wood types depending on lighting and location.

Example of a mid-century modern pool design in DC Metro

Before: An uninsulated, roughly built, lean to addition on a gorgeous stone century home, with roof rafters made of cedar logs and some gorgeous timber frame post and beam holding it all together. After: We preserved a few of the post and beams as an aesthetic nod to this spaces's past. Added a huge amount of natrual light with tripe pane windows, a significant amount of R value with dense pack cellulose (our preferred insulation!). This space is now useable part of this family's home with plenty of hidden storage, airy space, and gorgeous details. We loved taking on this project, and can't wait to see become a part of the family home.

This 3,700 SF high performance, net-zero home built by Dwell Development achieved 5-Star Built Green certification. The home includes solar panels and an electric vehicle charging station. It also includes efficient heating and cooling through use of a Heat Recovery Ventilation System, which also provides the highest level of indoor air quality. The exterior walls of the house have a total thickness of 12”, which is then packed with blown-in cellulose insulation for a very efficient envelope, making it consistent and comfortable no matter the season. The floors are solid hardwood and polished concrete, while the tile and countertops throughout the house are made of recycled contents. The paint and grout were specifically chosen for the house to have no VOC’s.

Pool - mid-century modern pool idea in DC Metro