This home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland began as a modest 1927 home with a central hall plan. Renovations included reversing the kitchen and dining room layout , adding a large central island and hood to anchor the center of the kitchen. The island has a walnut counter encircling the working island and accommodates additional seating. The main sink looks out to the north with beautiful water views. The southwest bay window affords a seating area with built-in bookshelves adjoining the breakfast room while the one in the kitchen provides for the secondary sink and clean-up area. By capturing the additional depth in the bay window, a large TV is concealed below the countertop and can emerge with a press of a button or retract out of sight to enjoy views of the water. A separate butler's pantry and wine bar were designed adjoining the breakfast room. The original fireplace was retained and became the center of the large Breakfast Room. Wood paneling lines the Breakfast Room which helps to integrate the new kitchen and the adjoining spaces into a coherent whole, all accessible from the informal entry. This was a highly collaborative project with Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen and Bath LTD of Chevy Chase, MD. Bob Narod, Photographer, LLC

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Sassafras tree in full fiery-red fall color with ferns. Susan Irving
This is an example of a large rustic drought-tolerant and partial sun side yard landscaping in New York for fall.

Example of a cottage entryway design in Burlington

French doors and stone slab steps lead to the rustic south patio. Plantings softening the stone installation include woolly thyme, the drought tolerant Sedum kamtschaticum, Lychnis coronaria, and deer-proof Globe Arborvitae. Design, install, photo - Susan Irving

Drought tolerant and deer resistant plant combination. Susan Irving - design, install and photograph.
Inspiration for a rustic full sun side yard stone landscaping in New York for summer.

Western view sink with pop-up TV. This sink and counter area takes advantage of the additional space from the existing bay window to house a pop-up TV. When not in use, TV is lowered to enjoy the water views. Bob Narod, Photographer, LLC This home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland began as a modest 1927 home with a central hall plan. Renovations included reversing the kitchen and dining room layout , adding a large central island and hood to anchor the center of the kitchen. The island has a walnut counter encircling the working island and accommodates additional seating. The main sink looks out to the north with beautiful water views. The southwest bay window affords a seating area with built-in bookshelves adjoining the breakfast room while the one in the kitchen provides for the secondary sink and clean-up area. By capturing the additional depth in the bay window, a large TV is concealed below the countertop and can emerge with a press of a button or retract out of sight to enjoy views of the water. A separate butler's pantry and wine bar were designed adjoining the breakfast room. The original fireplace was retained and became the center of the large Breakfast Room. Wood paneling lines the Breakfast Room which helps to integrate the new kitchen and the adjoining spaces into a coherent whole, all accessible from the informal entry. This was a highly collaborative project with Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen and Bath LTD of Chevy Chase, MD. Bob Narod, Photographer, LLC

Perscaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail' and Verbena bonariensis combine to add browse-proof color in this forest garden. Design, install, photo - Susan Irving

Ceiling of existing entry was raised to 10'. New flat roof installed. 4" Artisan hardie siding added with mitered edges that nicely contrasts with 6" hardie siding covering the majority of the exterior walls. Tongue and groove cedar smooth siding on ceiling of porch. Painted steel column. Board formed concrete retaining wall added for planter box. Wide concrete steps leading to open front porch. Added integrated door and window system. Carport added with 4" artisan siding to match design and finish of front porch. Photo: Charles Quinn

Anemones assure fall color in the perennial border. Design, install, photo - Susan Irving
Photo of a large rustic drought-tolerant and full sun side yard stone landscaping in New York for summer.

Western view sink with pop-up TV. This sink and counter area takes advantage of the additional space from the existing bay window to house a pop-up TV. When not in use, TV is lowered to enjoy the water views. Bob Narod, Photographer, LLC This home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland began as a modest 1927 home with a central hall plan. Renovations included reversing the kitchen and dining room layout , adding a large central island and hood to anchor the center of the kitchen. The island has a walnut counter encircling the working island and accommodates additional seating. The main sink looks out to the north with beautiful water views. The southwest bay window affords a seating area with built-in bookshelves adjoining the breakfast room while the one in the kitchen provides for the secondary sink and clean-up area. By capturing the additional depth in the bay window, a large TV is concealed below the countertop and can emerge with a press of a button or retract out of sight to enjoy views of the water. A separate butler's pantry and wine bar were designed adjoining the breakfast room. The original fireplace was retained and became the center of the large Breakfast Room. Wood paneling lines the Breakfast Room which helps to integrate the new kitchen and the adjoining spaces into a coherent whole, all accessible from the informal entry. This was a highly collaborative project with Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen and Bath LTD of Chevy Chase, MD. Bob Narod, Photographer, LLC

Leaving volunteer wild flowers to integrate with the designed parts of this garden add context and soul to woodland property. Here Ragged Robin mixes with Nepeta and Sedum. Design, install, photo - Susan Irving

Located in the Houston Heights, the Waverly Residence is a modern home on an established street of two story homes boasting front porch typologies. The family’s desire for privacy resulted in a porch that rotates to internalize most of its function while still addressing the street. For this active family, yard activity and it’s visibility from within the home emerged as a priority for approaching the building’s relationship to the lot. Justifying the building mass to the Northern half of the site reinforces the scale of the design to the surrounding buildings and creates a large southern yard dedicated to play and brisket (is a Texas house a house without a barbeque?). The ground floor is clad in metal panel and a wood rainscreen that peels away from the structure to become both a fence and an entry threshold, blending the registration between the yard's privacy enclosure and the building skin. Variable width fiber-cement siding clads the second floor as a nod to the neighborhood vernacular. The pool and outdoor kitchen sit at the center of the yard, forming an island that divides the open play from private vehicular access at the alley. Shifted volumes delineate private space from the open public areas. The second floor extends over the public entryway to create a covered procession with cascading steps into the southern yard that traverses the length of the living spaces. The public program expands beyond the building enclosure to encompass the yard and living spaces. A horizontal shift in the ground floor volume produces both a private courtyard away from the lively public spaces and exterior delineation between private vehicular access and public entry. Within the open, ground floor plan, a change in elevation indicates the boundary between private and public space. Custom millwork provides ample storage for the young family. Playful patterns of enclosed storage with contrasting display boxes creates a cohesive millwork language throughout the home.

Rustic patio with varieties of leaf colors and textures: Weigela, Dianthus grantianopolitanus, Lychnis, and the stepable - Mazus radicans. Design, install, photo - Susan Irving

The mediating soft grey/green of Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) sparkle with rain droplets in three seasons. A burst of fluffy chartreuse flowers in summer. are invaluable additions to any bouquet and always brightens a shady garden bed. Design, install, photo - Susan Irving

Sun and shade-loving Lamium protects Sedum 'Autumn Joy' from deer browsing in west foundation bed. Design, install, photograph - Susan Irving
This is an example of a large rustic drought-tolerant and full sun backyard stone retaining wall landscape in New York for fall.

Located in the Houston Heights, the Waverly Residence is a modern home on an established street of two story homes boasting front porch typologies. The family’s desire for privacy resulted in a porch that rotates to internalize most of its function while still addressing the street. For this active family, yard activity and it’s visibility from within the home emerged as a priority for approaching the building’s relationship to the lot. Justifying the building mass to the Northern half of the site reinforces the scale of the design to the surrounding buildings and creates a large southern yard dedicated to play and brisket (is a Texas house a house without a barbeque?). The ground floor is clad in metal panel and a wood rainscreen that peels away from the structure to become both a fence and an entry threshold, blending the registration between the yard's privacy enclosure and the building skin. Variable width fiber-cement siding clads the second floor as a nod to the neighborhood vernacular. The pool and outdoor kitchen sit at the center of the yard, forming an island that divides the open play from private vehicular access at the alley. Photo by Benjamin Hill Photography

When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo