Search results for "Insulation levels" in Home Design Ideas

Minimalist green split-level vinyl gable roof photo in New York with a shingle roof

Josh Beeman Photography
Bright white, airy kitchen
Eat-in kitchen - transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen idea in Cincinnati with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances
Eat-in kitchen - transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen idea in Cincinnati with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

OVERVIEW
Set into a mature Boston area neighborhood, this sophisticated 2900SF home offers efficient use of space, expression through form, and myriad of green features.
MULTI-GENERATIONAL LIVING
Designed to accommodate three family generations, paired living spaces on the first and second levels are architecturally expressed on the facade by window systems that wrap the front corners of the house. Included are two kitchens, two living areas, an office for two, and two master suites.
CURB APPEAL
The home includes both modern form and materials, using durable cedar and through-colored fiber cement siding, permeable parking with an electric charging station, and an acrylic overhang to shelter foot traffic from rain.
FEATURE STAIR
An open stair with resin treads and glass rails winds from the basement to the third floor, channeling natural light through all the home’s levels.
LEVEL ONE
The first floor kitchen opens to the living and dining space, offering a grand piano and wall of south facing glass. A master suite and private ‘home office for two’ complete the level.
LEVEL TWO
The second floor includes another open concept living, dining, and kitchen space, with kitchen sink views over the green roof. A full bath, bedroom and reading nook are perfect for the children.
LEVEL THREE
The third floor provides the second master suite, with separate sink and wardrobe area, plus a private roofdeck.
ENERGY
The super insulated home features air-tight construction, continuous exterior insulation, and triple-glazed windows. The walls and basement feature foam-free cavity & exterior insulation. On the rooftop, a solar electric system helps offset energy consumption.
WATER
Cisterns capture stormwater and connect to a drip irrigation system. Inside the home, consumption is limited with high efficiency fixtures and appliances.
TEAM
Architecture & Mechanical Design – ZeroEnergy Design
Contractor – Aedi Construction
Photos – Eric Roth Photography
Find the right local pro for your project

Jack Michaud Photography
Example of a transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor home studio design in Portland Maine with gray walls
Example of a transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor home studio design in Portland Maine with gray walls

Interior Design by Joe Ginsberg
Photo by Pixy Liao
Home theater - small contemporary enclosed carpeted home theater idea in New York with brown walls
Home theater - small contemporary enclosed carpeted home theater idea in New York with brown walls

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle.
The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley.
To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer.
The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century.
The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet.
Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years!
Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

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

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Hope Restoration & General Contracting
Columbus Design-Build, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Historic Renovations

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

Scott Amundson Photography
Mountain style kitchen photo in Minneapolis
Mountain style kitchen photo in Minneapolis

Walk-in closet - large transitional women's carpeted and white floor walk-in closet idea in Atlanta with open cabinets and white cabinets

Our designer has achieved a stylish look by combining dark cabinets and light-colored marbles.

Winner of the 2018 Tour of Homes Best Remodel, this whole house re-design of a 1963 Bennet & Johnson mid-century raised ranch home is a beautiful example of the magic we can weave through the application of more sustainable modern design principles to existing spaces.
We worked closely with our client on extensive updates to create a modernized MCM gem.
Extensive alterations include:
- a completely redesigned floor plan to promote a more intuitive flow throughout
- vaulted the ceilings over the great room to create an amazing entrance and feeling of inspired openness
- redesigned entry and driveway to be more inviting and welcoming as well as to experientially set the mid-century modern stage
- the removal of a visually disruptive load bearing central wall and chimney system that formerly partitioned the homes’ entry, dining, kitchen and living rooms from each other
- added clerestory windows above the new kitchen to accentuate the new vaulted ceiling line and create a greater visual continuation of indoor to outdoor space
- drastically increased the access to natural light by increasing window sizes and opening up the floor plan
- placed natural wood elements throughout to provide a calming palette and cohesive Pacific Northwest feel
- incorporated Universal Design principles to make the home Aging In Place ready with wide hallways and accessible spaces, including single-floor living if needed
- moved and completely redesigned the stairway to work for the home’s occupants and be a part of the cohesive design aesthetic
- mixed custom tile layouts with more traditional tiling to create fun and playful visual experiences
- custom designed and sourced MCM specific elements such as the entry screen, cabinetry and lighting
- development of the downstairs for potential future use by an assisted living caretaker
- energy efficiency upgrades seamlessly woven in with much improved insulation, ductless mini splits and solar gain

Sponsored
Delaware, OH
Buckeye Basements, Inc.
Central Ohio's Basement Finishing ExpertsBest Of Houzz '13-'21

OVERVIEW
Set into a mature Boston area neighborhood, this sophisticated 2900SF home offers efficient use of space, expression through form, and myriad of green features.
MULTI-GENERATIONAL LIVING
Designed to accommodate three family generations, paired living spaces on the first and second levels are architecturally expressed on the facade by window systems that wrap the front corners of the house. Included are two kitchens, two living areas, an office for two, and two master suites.
CURB APPEAL
The home includes both modern form and materials, using durable cedar and through-colored fiber cement siding, permeable parking with an electric charging station, and an acrylic overhang to shelter foot traffic from rain.
FEATURE STAIR
An open stair with resin treads and glass rails winds from the basement to the third floor, channeling natural light through all the home’s levels.
LEVEL ONE
The first floor kitchen opens to the living and dining space, offering a grand piano and wall of south facing glass. A master suite and private ‘home office for two’ complete the level.
LEVEL TWO
The second floor includes another open concept living, dining, and kitchen space, with kitchen sink views over the green roof. A full bath, bedroom and reading nook are perfect for the children.
LEVEL THREE
The third floor provides the second master suite, with separate sink and wardrobe area, plus a private roofdeck.
ENERGY
The super insulated home features air-tight construction, continuous exterior insulation, and triple-glazed windows. The walls and basement feature foam-free cavity & exterior insulation. On the rooftop, a solar electric system helps offset energy consumption.
WATER
Cisterns capture stormwater and connect to a drip irrigation system. Inside the home, consumption is limited with high efficiency fixtures and appliances.
TEAM
Architecture & Mechanical Design – ZeroEnergy Design
Contractor – Aedi Construction
Photos – Eric Roth Photography

The design of this home was driven by the owners’ desire for a three-bedroom waterfront home that showcased the spectacular views and park-like setting. As nature lovers, they wanted their home to be organic, minimize any environmental impact on the sensitive site and embrace nature.
This unique home is sited on a high ridge with a 45° slope to the water on the right and a deep ravine on the left. The five-acre site is completely wooded and tree preservation was a major emphasis. Very few trees were removed and special care was taken to protect the trees and environment throughout the project. To further minimize disturbance, grades were not changed and the home was designed to take full advantage of the site’s natural topography. Oak from the home site was re-purposed for the mantle, powder room counter and select furniture.
The visually powerful twin pavilions were born from the need for level ground and parking on an otherwise challenging site. Fill dirt excavated from the main home provided the foundation. All structures are anchored with a natural stone base and exterior materials include timber framing, fir ceilings, shingle siding, a partial metal roof and corten steel walls. Stone, wood, metal and glass transition the exterior to the interior and large wood windows flood the home with light and showcase the setting. Interior finishes include reclaimed heart pine floors, Douglas fir trim, dry-stacked stone, rustic cherry cabinets and soapstone counters.
Exterior spaces include a timber-framed porch, stone patio with fire pit and commanding views of the Occoquan reservoir. A second porch overlooks the ravine and a breezeway connects the garage to the home.
Numerous energy-saving features have been incorporated, including LED lighting, on-demand gas water heating and special insulation. Smart technology helps manage and control the entire house.
Greg Hadley Photography

This was a carport turned into a garage. This door is a custom 11ft wide by 7'6" high door to fit the opening and make the best use of the space.
Mid-sized trendy attached one-car garage photo in Phoenix
Mid-sized trendy attached one-car garage photo in Phoenix

Photograph by Pete Sieger
Living room - farmhouse formal and open concept living room idea in Minneapolis
Living room - farmhouse formal and open concept living room idea in Minneapolis

Karuna Passive House designed by Holst Architecture and built by Hammer & Hand. This high performance home meets the world's most demanding green building certifications. Photo by Jeremy Bittermann.

John Piazza Construction - Builder
Sam Oberter - Photography
Bedroom - mid-sized rustic master medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Boston with white walls and no fireplace
Bedroom - mid-sized rustic master medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Boston with white walls and no fireplace

Photo: www.mikikokikuyama.com
Example of a minimalist concrete floor living room design in New York
Example of a minimalist concrete floor living room design in New York
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