This condo was full of 70's and 80's bad design heritage that needed to brought into a more modern scene. The old acoustic ceiling tiles and soffits were removed and replaced with one level ceiling throughout to help unify the small spaces. Budget friendly ideas were implemented to help reduce overall costs but improve aesthetics to the space. The original carpet was pulled up exposing the aged concrete floor below which was refinished into a durable and modern floor.

This early 20th century Indianapolis, IN basement remodel was in desperate need of help. The original and still operating hydronic radiant heating system had its plumbing configured without regard to any other use of the space. Fearful of harming the aged system and the high cost of doing so, these Clients were adamant that the existing system remain intact. Architect Lee Constantine developed a design that maintained the existing heating system while creating "niches" around the perimeter that would conceal the unsightly plumbing. Additionally, by removing free-standing structural supporting posts, amore flexible and inviting space was achieved. Because of an already low ceiling condition, the floor-ceiling structure above was kept exposed, painted and highlighted with indirect lighting to avoid further reducing the ceiling height. Constantine incorporated "clouds" on this ceiling to conceal certain existing components that either were cost prohibitive to relocate or couldn't be relocated. These "clouds"become a "visual element" through their geometry and hidden "indirect" light source rather than an undesirable complication. Now this family entertains frequently in the basement and reports "it doesn't feel like we're in a basement anymore"

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

This condo was full of 70's and 80's bad design heritage that needed to brought into a more modern scene. The old acoustic ceiling tiles and soffits were removed and replaced with one level ceiling throughout to help unify the small spaces. Budget friendly ideas were implemented to help reduce overall costs but improve aesthetics to the space. The original carpet was pulled up exposing the aged concrete floor below which was refinished into a durable and modern floor.

This condo was full of 70's and 80's bad design heritage that needed to brought into a more modern scene. The old acoustic ceiling tiles and soffits were removed and replaced with one level ceiling throughout to help unify the small spaces. Budget friendly ideas were implemented to help reduce overall costs but improve aesthetics to the space. The original carpet was pulled up exposing the aged concrete floor below which was refinished into a durable and modern floor.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

Before the Remodel – Kitchen The kitchen was dark and outdated. The cabinets were old and heavy in color, while the countertops were made of low-quality materials instead of granite or stone. The appliances, including the stove, were aged and no longer functional in design. Dark and unattractive tile choices made the space feel even more closed-in. Poor lighting only added to the problem, leaving the kitchen dim and unwelcoming. The space was divided into two separate sections with closed walls, eliminating the possibility of an open concept and making the area feel much smaller than it really was. The lowered ceiling further reduced the sense of space, wasting the kitchen’s true potential. Overall, it was a poorly lit, outdated kitchen lacking both style and functionality.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

The Ascenda Through-the-Floor Elevator makes adding accessibility between floors easier. Its compact, space-saving design travels through a floor opening without requiring a traditional elevator shaft, helping reduce construction requirements and overall project complexity. Ideal for homes, offices, churches, and other spaces where a conventional elevator isn't practical, Ascenda delivers convenient vertical access in a streamlined, customizable package.

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