Search results for "Outages" in Home Design Ideas
ZeroEnergy DesignThis 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
ZeroEnergy DesignLincoln Farmhouse
LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy
OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home.
CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home.
FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath.
NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars.
ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.)
o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI)
o 16,200 kwh total production
o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive.
WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates.
FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage.
RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning.
ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse
CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/
PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/
Interactive Gate & SecurityInteractive Gates & Security designed, fabricated, and installed this custom double swing automatic gate for a private residence on Vashon Island in early 2026. The homeowners wanted a grand, welcoming entrance that matched the character of their property without feeling heavy or industrial — so we built an ornamental gate with clean vertical pickets, a gently arched top rail, and decorative accents that read as elegant from the road and timeless up close.
The gate is powered by a heavy-duty dual swing operator system with soft start/stop for smooth, quiet motion and long-term durability in the Pacific Northwest's wet, salt-air climate. Every panel was hot-dip galvanized and powder coated for corrosion resistance. Access is handled through a keypad, wireless remotes, and a smartphone-controlled app, with a video intercom at the driveway entry so the owners can see and speak with visitors before opening. Safety photo eyes, a vehicle exit sensor, and a battery backup for power outages round out the system — essential on an island where storm-related outages are a fact of life.
Because the site sits on a sloped, gravel-transition driveway, our crew set new steel posts on deep concrete footings, trenched and ran conduit for power and low-voltage control wiring, and fine-tuned the swing arc so both leaves clear the grade cleanly through the full range of motion.
The result is a secure, fully automated entrance that adds real curb appeal and property value — built to last decades, not seasons.
Services: Custom gate design and fabrication · Automatic gate operator installation · Access control and video intercom · Gate safety systems · Electrical and low-voltage trenching
Location: Vashon Island, King County, WA
Completed: Early 2026
Built by: Interactive Gates & Security
Find the right local pro for your project
SALA ArchitectsThe homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid.
Photos by Corey Gaffer
SALA ArchitectsThe homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid.
Photos by Corey Gaffer
James McNeal Architecture and DesignShooting Star Photography
In Collaboration with Charles Cudd Co.
Example of a mid-sized beach style backyard tile patio design in Minneapolis with a roof extension
Example of a mid-sized beach style backyard tile patio design in Minneapolis with a roof extension
Kojabu Interior DesignThe battery back-up system supplies power to all the household appliances and lights in the house and will keep them working for four hours during load shedding power outages. This system fits neatly under the staircase.
The Italian Piazetta wood oven supplies heat through tubes to the main bedroom, patio, study and needlework rooms while the rest of the home is heated with a heat pump that takes approximately 30% less electricity than the average electrical geyser.
A gas geyser was installed to supply the kitchen with warm water and to avoid wastage of using long pipes throughout the house.
All outdoor windows and sliding doors where fitted with double glazing. This retains heat that saves energy and lowers the noise levels in the home.
LED lights were fitted throughout the house to reduce the electricity usage to less than 10% than conventional light bulbs.
Kojabu Interior DesignThe battery back-up system supplies power to all the household appliances and lights in the house and will keep them working for four hours during load shedding power outages. This system fits neatly under the staircase.
The Italian Piazetta wood oven supplies heat through tubes to the main bedroom, patio, study and needlework rooms while the rest of the home is heated with a heat pump that takes approximately 30% less electricity than the average electrical geyser.
A gas geyser was installed to supply the kitchen with warm water and to avoid wastage of using long pipes throughout the house.
All outdoor windows and sliding doors where fitted with double glazing. This retains heat that saves energy and lowers the noise levels in the home.
LED lights were fitted throughout the house to reduce the electricity usage to less than 10% than conventional light bulbs.
Kojabu Interior DesignThe battery back-up system supplies power to all the household appliances and lights in the house and will keep them working for four hours during load shedding power outages. This system fits neatly under the staircase.
The Italian Piazetta wood oven supplies heat through tubes to the main bedroom, patio, study and needlework rooms while the rest of the home is heated with a heat pump that takes approximately 30% less electricity than the average electrical geyser.
A gas geyser was installed to supply the kitchen with warm water and to avoid wastage of using long pipes throughout the house.
All outdoor windows and sliding doors where fitted with double glazing. This retains heat that saves energy and lowers the noise levels in the home.
LED lights were fitted throughout the house to reduce the electricity usage to less than 10% than conventional light bulbs.
Electric Green LLCAdd residential emergency lighting in your home. Cheaper than a standby system, instant, no need to modify your electrical service. Cost effective way to add safety and security in the event of a temporary power outage. We spend eight hours of our time at work, and at most workplaces emergency lighting is required. We spend most of our time at home, or in someone else's home. Why not protect the people we love at home? For the elderly and those who have other difficulties, walking through a house in the dark can have terrible circumstances. We install emergency lighting in the most economical, practical areas to help make all homes safer.
Kojabu Interior DesignThe battery back-up system supplies power to all the household appliances and lights in the house and will keep them working for four hours during load shedding power outages. This system fits neatly under the staircase.
The Italian Piazetta wood oven supplies heat through tubes to the main bedroom, patio, study and needlework rooms while the rest of the home is heated with a heat pump that takes approximately 30% less electricity than the average electrical geyser.
A gas geyser was installed to supply the kitchen with warm water and to avoid wastage of using long pipes throughout the house.
All outdoor windows and sliding doors where fitted with double glazing. This retains heat that saves energy and lowers the noise levels in the home.
LED lights were fitted throughout the house to reduce the electricity usage to less than 10% than conventional light bulbs.
Kojabu Interior DesignThe battery back-up system supplies power to all the household appliances and lights in the house and will keep them working for four hours during load shedding power outages. This system fits neatly under the staircase.
The Italian Piazetta wood oven supplies heat through tubes to the main bedroom, patio, study and needlework rooms while the rest of the home is heated with a heat pump that takes approximately 30% less electricity than the average electrical geyser.
A gas geyser was installed to supply the kitchen with warm water and to avoid wastage of using long pipes throughout the house.
All outdoor windows and sliding doors where fitted with double glazing. This retains heat that saves energy and lowers the noise levels in the home.
LED lights were fitted throughout the house to reduce the electricity usage to less than 10% than conventional light bulbs.
SALA ArchitectsThe homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid.
Photos by Corey Gaffer
SALA ArchitectsThe homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid.
Photos by Corey Gaffer
Kojabu Interior DesignThe battery back-up system supplies power to all the household appliances and lights in the house and will keep them working for four hours during load shedding power outages. This system fits neatly under the staircase.
The Italian Piazetta wood oven supplies heat through tubes to the main bedroom, patio, study and needlework rooms while the rest of the home is heated with a heat pump that takes approximately 30% less electricity than the average electrical geyser.
A gas geyser was installed to supply the kitchen with warm water and to avoid wastage of using long pipes throughout the house.
All outdoor windows and sliding doors where fitted with double glazing. This retains heat that saves energy and lowers the noise levels in the home.
LED lights were fitted throughout the house to reduce the electricity usage to less than 10% than conventional light bulbs.
Kojabu Interior DesignThe battery back-up system supplies power to all the household appliances and lights in the house and will keep them working for four hours during load shedding power outages. This system fits neatly under the staircase.
The Italian Piazetta wood oven supplies heat through tubes to the main bedroom, patio, study and needlework rooms while the rest of the home is heated with a heat pump that takes approximately 30% less electricity than the average electrical geyser.
A gas geyser was installed to supply the kitchen with warm water and to avoid wastage of using long pipes throughout the house.
All outdoor windows and sliding doors where fitted with double glazing. This retains heat that saves energy and lowers the noise levels in the home.
LED lights were fitted throughout the house to reduce the electricity usage to less than 10% than conventional light bulbs.
Noble Shower DoorsSimple Glass Shower Door & Panel Enclosure in Chrome. A very important part of the shower door process is measuring. The top corner of the glass panel is perfectly positioned at the edge where the wall meets the archway. Glass is usually measured in 1/16" increments. Adjusting for the outages of walls, floors, and ceiling that are not plumb or level must be precise. Our professionals have mastered their craftsmanship in all areas of the process, therefore we consistently provide our clients with the finest finished product of any glass company.
SALA ArchitectsThe homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid.
Photos by Corey Gaffer
SALA ArchitectsThe homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid.
Photos by Corey Gaffer
SALA ArchitectsThe homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid.
Photos by Corey Gaffer
5