Leanna Rathkelly Photo: Concrete walls and floors have a rustic finish to them in this off-the-grid solar home. An open concept allows the compact space to be multi-functional. Douglas fir posts were harvested on the land and milled to fit. Concrete floors are heated with electricity generated by the roof-top solar panels.

Photo credit Michael Partenio This new home takes advantage of a beautiful hilltop site. The outdoor spaces function as an extension of the house and support the family’s casual, sports-oriented lifestyle. The design, for a family of seven, provides spaces for individual privacy and family gatherings. The design challenge was to incorporate a number of sustainable features into the design. The south-facing roof is integrated with a 5-kilowatt photovoltaic system, generating electricity for the home and furnishing emergency backup power. The heating is exclusively radiant with high efficiency boilers partially burning biofuel. Measures taken to produce an efficient building envelope include a drainage plane behind the siding, spray foam insulation, and high performance, insulated window glass.

Minimalist kitchen photo in Toronto

Inspiration for a modern dining room remodel in Toronto

Inspiration for a modern kitchen remodel in Toronto

Inspiration for a modern kitchen remodel in Toronto

Inspiration for a modern kitchen remodel in Toronto

The passive solar main living space is lit by two story windows that capture the views and warmth of the sun. The cabin is enveloped in a SIP building system (for maximum insulation and a short building schedule) that was coupled with a photovoltaic array for power allowing this family to conserve the energy they generated while alleviating the need to be tied to the grid.

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

Minimalist kitchen photo in Toronto

Everyday homeowners are #GoingGreen and saving money on their energy bill! ??? We’ve installed a 10.1 nominal kw/Dc pv power system consisting of 28 Solaria PowerXT 360RPD Panels, SolarEdge Technologies Inc. inverter, optimizer and monitoring. The system is generating approximately 1,308 kWh/Dc a month and saving this homeowner thousands of dollars. We can help you too!

Inspiration for a modern bathroom remodel in Toronto

Wrought iron has the power to transform the entire character of a home. Timeless, elegant, and built to last for generations.
Staircase - modern metal railing staircase idea in Seattle with metal risers

Example of a minimalist kitchen design in Toronto

8.2 acres on Maui, breathtaking views of the Pacific, set high on the slope, this is a perfect site for a destination home. We expanded the original workers cottage. The kitchen is centralized within the great room. Soaring wood trusses form the ceiling. A dining room is built outside, beneath a lanai. A laundry and bath addition to the South is kept low, constructed of lava rock. The roof carries photovoltaic panels, providing on-site power generation for this 1,200 square foot dream home.

This vertically-oriented home makes the most of a tight urban site. The north wall is folded over top of the home to become a protective wrap around a secret south-facing rooftop terrace. One half of the terrace has been enclosed with a folding glass wall to create a true indoor/outdoor space that's comfortable well into the shoulder seasons.⁠ This energy-efficient home includes high efficiency triple-glazed windows and integrated solar power generation.

White cabinets and stainless steel appliances contribute to the powerful duo of white and gray, while wood door frames and wood seating generate a warm, welcoming note, inspiring a family and guest-friendly space, always ready to host any gathering, from a simple family dinner to a birthday party.