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

The Atkinson is a spacious ranch plan with three or more bedrooms. The main living areas, including formal dining, share an open layout with 10'ceilings. The kitchen has a generous island with counter dining, a spacious pantry, and breakfast area with multiple windows. The family rooms is shown here with direct vent fireplace with stone hearth and surround and built-in bookcases. Enjoy premium outdoor living space with a large covered patio with optional direct vent fireplace. The primary bedroom is located off a semi-private hall and has a trey ceiling and triple window. The luxury primary bath with separate vanities is shown here with standalone tub and tiled shower. Bedrooms two and three share a hall bath, and there is a spacious utility room with folding counter. Exterior details include a covered front porch, dormers, separate garage doors, and hip roof.

Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Nashville with raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, a double-bowl sink, granite countertops and stone tile backsplash

Longview Studios
Bedroom mountain style gender-neutral kids' bedroom photo with white walls

File Cabinet: Keep your home office organized with built-in filing cabinets for paperwork. The bed, cabinets, and office storage fit together seamlessly, letting you equip the room for multiple functions while enjoying one cohesive look.

The Musgrove features clean lines and beautiful symmetry. The inviting drive welcomes homeowners and guests to a front entrance flanked by columns and stonework. The main level foyer leads to a spacious sitting area, whose hearth is shared by the open dining room and kitchen. Multiple doorways give access to a sunroom and outdoor living spaces. Also on the main floor is the master suite. Upstairs, there is room for three additional bedrooms and two full baths. Photographer: Brad Gillette

View into kitchen with wall-mounted rolling door entry into a new mudroom. An existing mid-century ranch was given a new lease on life with a whole house remodel and addition. An existing sunken living room had the floor raised and the front entry was relocated to make room for a complete master suite. The roof/ceiling over the entry and stair was raised with multiple clerestory lights introducing light into the center of the home. Finally, a compartmentalized existing layout was converted to an open plan with the kitchen/dining/living areas sharing a common area at the back of the home.

Our owners were looking for a garden they could share with their large family. We created multiple seating areas including a firepit set in a gravel circle, surrounded by olive trees. The creamy gravel compliments the stone veneer on the firepit and BBQ. Container plants provide accents.

View of master bath tub deck and fixture. An existing mid-century ranch was given a new lease on life with a whole house remodel and addition. An existing sunken living room had the floor raised and the front entry was relocated to make room for a complete master suite. The roof/ceiling over the entry and stair was raised with multiple clerestory lights introducing light into the center of the home. Finally, a compartmentalized existing layout was converted to an open plan with the kitchen/dining/living areas sharing a common area at the back of the home.

Our owners were looking for a garden they could share with their large family. We created multiple seating areas including a firepit set in a gravel circle, surrounded by olive trees. The creamy gravel compliments the stone veneer on the firepit and BBQ. Container plants provide accents.

The Musgrove features clean lines and beautiful symmetry. The inviting drive welcomes homeowners and guests to a front entrance flanked by columns and stonework. The main level foyer leads to a spacious sitting area, whose hearth is shared by the open dining room and kitchen. Multiple doorways give access to a sunroom and outdoor living spaces. Also on the main floor is the master suite. Upstairs, there is room for three additional bedrooms and two full baths. Photographer: Brad Gillette

The Musgrove features clean lines and beautiful symmetry. The inviting drive welcomes homeowners and guests to a front entrance flanked by columns and stonework. The main level foyer leads to a spacious sitting area, whose hearth is shared by the open dining room and kitchen. Multiple doorways give access to a sunroom and outdoor living spaces. Also on the main floor is the master suite. Upstairs, there is room for three additional bedrooms and two full baths. Photographer: Brad Gillette

The Atkinson is a spacious ranch plan with three or more bedrooms. The main living areas, including formal dining, share an open layout with 10'ceilings. The kitchen has a generous island with counter dining, a spacious pantry, and breakfast area with multiple windows. The family rooms is shown here with direct vent fireplace with stone hearth and surround and built-in bookcases. Enjoy premium outdoor living space with a large covered patio with optional direct vent fireplace. The primary bedroom is located off a semi-private hall and has a trey ceiling and triple window. The luxury primary bath with separate vanities is shown here with standalone tub and tiled shower. Bedrooms two and three share a hall bath, and there is a spacious utility room with folding counter. Exterior details include a covered front porch, dormers, separate garage doors, and hip roof.

The Musgrove features clean lines and beautiful symmetry. The inviting drive welcomes homeowners and guests to a front entrance flanked by columns and stonework. The main level foyer leads to a spacious sitting area, whose hearth is shared by the open dining room and kitchen. Multiple doorways give access to a sunroom and outdoor living spaces. Also on the main floor is the master suite. Upstairs, there is room for three additional bedrooms and two full baths. Photographer: Brad Gillette

The Atkinson is a spacious ranch plan with three or more bedrooms. The main living areas, including formal dining, share an open layout with 10'ceilings. The kitchen has a generous island with counter dining, a spacious pantry, and breakfast area with multiple windows. The family rooms is shown here with direct vent fireplace with stone hearth and surround and built-in bookcases. Enjoy premium outdoor living space with a large covered patio with optional direct vent fireplace. The primary bedroom is located off a semi-private hall and has a trey ceiling and triple window. The luxury primary bath with separate vanities is shown here with standalone tub and tiled shower. Bedrooms two and three share a hall bath, and there is a spacious utility room with folding counter. Exterior details include a covered front porch, dormers, separate garage doors, and hip roof.

New kitchen with corner window view into back yard. An existing mid-century ranch was given a new lease on life with a whole house remodel and addition. An existing sunken living room had the floor raised and the front entry was relocated to make room for a complete master suite. The roof/ceiling over the entry and stair was raised with multiple clerestory lights introducing light into the center of the home. Finally, a compartmentalized existing layout was converted to an open plan with the kitchen/dining/living areas sharing a common area at the back of the home.

Example of a transitional built-in desk home office design in Minneapolis with gray walls and no fireplace

The Musgrove features clean lines and beautiful symmetry. The inviting drive welcomes homeowners and guests to a front entrance flanked by columns and stonework. The main level foyer leads to a spacious sitting area, whose hearth is shared by the open dining room and kitchen. Multiple doorways give access to a sunroom and outdoor living spaces. Also on the main floor is the master suite. Upstairs, there is room for three additional bedrooms and two full baths. Photographer: Brad Gillette

The Musgrove features clean lines and beautiful symmetry. The inviting drive welcomes homeowners and guests to a front entrance flanked by columns and stonework. The main level foyer leads to a spacious sitting area, whose hearth is shared by the open dining room and kitchen. Multiple doorways give access to a sunroom and outdoor living spaces. Also on the main floor is the master suite. Upstairs, there is room for three additional bedrooms and two full baths. Photographer: Brad Gillette