ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

A small, but highly efficient form evokes sympathies of contemporary Scandinavian architecture, while the naturally finished timber exterior contextualizes the home in its Western Canadian setting. Designed to be as ecologically focused and forward as possible, the home employs deep recesses for summer shading, but large windows for winter passive heating. A recessed balcony off the master bedroom provides private exterior amenity, and a fully edible landscape strategy provides an ecologically minded approach to landscape.

Louisa, San Clemente Coastal Modern Architecture The brief for this modern coastal home was to create a place where the clients and their children and their families could gather to enjoy all the beauty of living in Southern California. Maximizing the lot was key to unlocking the potential of this property so the decision was made to excavate the entire property to allow natural light and ventilation to circulate through the lower level of the home. A courtyard with a green wall and olive tree act as the lung for the building as the coastal breeze brings fresh air in and circulates out the old through the courtyard. The concept for the home was to be living on a deck, so the large expanse of glass doors fold away to allow a seamless connection between the indoor and outdoors and feeling of being out on the deck is felt on the interior. A huge cantilevered beam in the roof allows for corner to completely disappear as the home looks to a beautiful ocean view and Dana Point harbor in the distance. All of the spaces throughout the home have a connection to the outdoors and this creates a light, bright and healthy environment. Passive design principles were employed to ensure the building is as energy efficient as possible. Solar panels keep the building off the grid and and deep overhangs help in reducing the solar heat gains of the building. Ultimately this home has become a place that the families can all enjoy together as the grand kids create those memories of spending time at the beach. Images and Video by Aandid Media.

Louisa, San Clemente Coastal Modern Architecture The brief for this modern coastal home was to create a place where the clients and their children and their families could gather to enjoy all the beauty of living in Southern California. Maximizing the lot was key to unlocking the potential of this property so the decision was made to excavate the entire property to allow natural light and ventilation to circulate through the lower level of the home. A courtyard with a green wall and olive tree act as the lung for the building as the coastal breeze brings fresh air in and circulates out the old through the courtyard. The concept for the home was to be living on a deck, so the large expanse of glass doors fold away to allow a seamless connection between the indoor and outdoors and feeling of being out on the deck is felt on the interior. A huge cantilevered beam in the roof allows for corner to completely disappear as the home looks to a beautiful ocean view and Dana Point harbor in the distance. All of the spaces throughout the home have a connection to the outdoors and this creates a light, bright and healthy environment. Passive design principles were employed to ensure the building is as energy efficient as possible. Solar panels keep the building off the grid and and deep overhangs help in reducing the solar heat gains of the building. Ultimately this home has become a place that the families can all enjoy together as the grand kids create those memories of spending time at the beach. Images and Video by Aandid Media.

When you need a siding contractor delivering exceptional customer service and decades of experience transforming the exterior of homes in the greater Charlotte area and beyond, Belk Builders is truly the best choice. We are committed to serve your needs through every step of your project, which means you are always kept informed during each step of your home’s transformation, knowing what to expect and when to expect it. The end result being an exterior that is more efficient, and more beautiful, increasing the value of your home in a number of ways. When you choose Belk Builders for siding replacement or siding upgrade project you get the peace of mind in knowing your job will be completed right the first time. Fully licensed and insured, we employ our own carefully selected, expertly trained team specialized in each specific field of remodeling. Our attention to detail is reminiscent of a by-gone area when true craftsmanship was considered a form of art. Photos courtesy Belk Builders.

Ground up net-zero energy home featuring an 11kW solar array and mechanized windows. The building envelope was constructed using insulating concrete forms and structural insulated panels, resulting in an airtight structure ideal for maximizing thermal efficiency. A heat recovery ventilation system was installed to refresh the airtight, indoor environment. The home also employs an air source heat pump for heating and domestic hot water, which is distributed via an in-floor hydronic radiant heat system.

Ground up net-zero energy home featuring an 11kW solar array and mechanized windows. The building envelope was constructed using insulating concrete forms and structural insulated panels, resulting in an airtight structure ideal for maximizing thermal efficiency. A heat recovery ventilation system was installed to refresh the airtight, indoor environment. The home also employs an air source heat pump for heating and domestic hot water, which is distributed via an in-floor hydronic radiant heat system.

A mid-twentieth-century family home on a busy city-wide connector with excellent public transport, and access to employment, services, and shopping. TEAL recognized an opportunity to transform the house into two contemporary dwellings by: • adding new structures: new stairs and separate entries from the street as well as a service room at the back • opening the interiors into spacious light-filled open plan living places • re-presenting the exterior of the building with new hemlock cladding integrated over the existing shingles • installing efficient new environmental control systems • reusing many of the materials, including the building envelope and chimney as part of a feature wall

Ground up net-zero energy home featuring an 11kW solar array and mechanized windows. The building envelope was constructed using insulating concrete forms and structural insulated panels, resulting in an airtight structure ideal for maximizing thermal efficiency. A heat recovery ventilation system was installed to refresh the airtight, indoor environment. The home also employs an air source heat pump for heating and domestic hot water, which is distributed via an in-floor hydronic radiant heat system.

Entry path through a mesquite grove along the decomposed granite parking court and carport. Both house and landscape employ a limited palette of materials.

Louisa, San Clemente Coastal Modern Architecture The brief for this modern coastal home was to create a place where the clients and their children and their families could gather to enjoy all the beauty of living in Southern California. Maximizing the lot was key to unlocking the potential of this property so the decision was made to excavate the entire property to allow natural light and ventilation to circulate through the lower level of the home. A courtyard with a green wall and olive tree act as the lung for the building as the coastal breeze brings fresh air in and circulates out the old through the courtyard. The concept for the home was to be living on a deck, so the large expanse of glass doors fold away to allow a seamless connection between the indoor and outdoors and feeling of being out on the deck is felt on the interior. A huge cantilevered beam in the roof allows for corner to completely disappear as the home looks to a beautiful ocean view and Dana Point harbor in the distance. All of the spaces throughout the home have a connection to the outdoors and this creates a light, bright and healthy environment. Passive design principles were employed to ensure the building is as energy efficient as possible. Solar panels keep the building off the grid and and deep overhangs help in reducing the solar heat gains of the building. Ultimately this home has become a place that the families can all enjoy together as the grand kids create those memories of spending time at the beach. Images and Video by Aandid Media.

A mid-twentieth-century family home on a busy city-wide connector with excellent public transport, and access to employment, services, and shopping. TEAL recognized an opportunity to transform the house into two contemporary dwellings by: • adding new structures: new stairs and separate entries from the street as well as a service room at the back • opening the interiors into spacious light-filled open plan living places • re-presenting the exterior of the building with new hemlock cladding integrated over the existing shingles • installing efficient new environmental control systems • reusing many of the materials, including the building envelope and chimney as part of a feature wall

Completed large-scale renovation, transforming a heritage church into a single-family home. Interior of the home featured upcycled, salvaged wood on stairs and beautiful kitchen tiling. Project included large-scale plumbing, HVAC, sewer and electrical upgrades, in addition to significant interior and exterior renovations. Project renovation provided training and employment opportunities for 65 crew members, resilient Torontonians building construction careers.

A mid-twentieth-century family home on a busy city-wide connector with excellent public transport, and access to employment, services, and shopping. TEAL recognized an opportunity to transform the house into two contemporary dwellings by: • adding new structures: new stairs and separate entries from the street as well as a service room at the back • opening the interiors into spacious light-filled open plan living places • re-presenting the exterior of the building with new hemlock cladding integrated over the existing shingles • installing efficient new environmental control systems • reusing many of the materials, including the building envelope and chimney as part of a feature wall