R. Brad Knipstein Photography
Inspiration for a bedroom contemporary boy dark wood floor and brown floor kids' bedroom remodel in San Francisco with gray walls

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

The formal living space can be very versatile. We love the sophistication and playfulness of the space including our statement ottomans for additional seating. The decorative lighting highlights the arched window and custom drapery. We love highlighting the architectural details within a space. Photo by Studio KW Photography

Wine cellar - transitional concrete floor wine cellar idea in Grand Rapids with storage racks

Country Inn apartment at La Fornella in Tuscany.
Eat-in kitchen - cottage eat-in kitchen idea in Atlanta with open cabinets, white backsplash and beige walls

Kids' bedroom - bedroom and mid-sized traditional boy dark wood floor kids' bedroom idea in New York with beige walls

Sunny Yellow Retro Kitchen remodel. We Designed and laid the floors ourselves!
Inspiration for a mid-sized mid-century modern u-shaped linoleum floor and multicolored floor kitchen remodel in Santa Barbara with white cabinets, laminate countertops, white appliances, shaker cabinets, a double-bowl sink, an island and white countertops

Traditional white two-story brick exterior home idea in Nashville

Mountain style front door photo in Salt Lake City with a medium wood front door

Jeri Koegel Photography
Example of a large trendy master light wood floor and brown floor bedroom design in Orange County with white walls, a stone fireplace and a ribbon fireplace

Michael Hunter Photography
Inspiration for a coastal living room remodel in Houston with white walls

Sam Oberter Photography
Mid-century modern white tile and mosaic tile mosaic tile floor alcove bathtub photo in Philadelphia with a console sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and a two-piece toilet

Shoot2Sel
This is an example of a large craftsman front porch design in Dallas with decking and a roof extension.

Ryann Ford
Tuscan travertine floor kitchen photo in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and stone slab backsplash

Patsy McEnroe Photography Widler Architectural Inc.
Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized transitional u-shaped dark wood floor enclosed kitchen idea in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

Mountain style formal and open concept medium tone wood floor living room photo in Kansas City with beige walls and a stone fireplace

Bathroom - transitional mosaic tile floor bathroom idea in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an undermount tub, green walls and an undermount sink

Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized contemporary l-shaped ceramic tile eat-in kitchen idea in New York with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, brown backsplash, an undermount sink and stainless steel appliances

Tom Marks Photography
Example of a classic white tile bathroom design in Seattle with a pedestal sink and a two-piece toilet