2011 EcoHome Design Award Winner Key to the successful design were the homeowner priorities of family health, energy performance, and optimizing the walk-to-town construction site. To maintain health and air quality, the home features a fresh air ventilation system with energy recovery, a whole house HEPA filtration system, radiant & radiator heating distribution, and low/no VOC materials. The home’s energy performance focuses on passive heating/cooling techniques, natural daylighting, an improved building envelope, and efficient mechanical systems, collectively achieving overall energy performance of 50% better than code. To address the site opportunities, the home utilizes a footprint that maximizes southern exposure in the rear while still capturing the park view in the front. ZeroEnergy Design | Green Architecture & Mechanical Design www.ZeroEnergy.com Kauffman Tharp Design | Interior Design www.ktharpdesign.com Photos by Eric Roth

Inspiration for a timeless medium tone wood floor and brown floor dining room remodel in Charleston

Playroom - transitional playroom idea in New York

Photo by Julie Smith © 2012 Houzz
Family room library - traditional carpeted family room library idea in Portland with blue walls

Rebecca Zajac
Nursery - large transitional gender-neutral dark wood floor and brown floor nursery idea in Las Vegas with multicolored walls

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. Photography: Eric Roth Photo

this kitchen was originally a dark, cramped original 1960s kitchen. we opened all sides of the room to the front and back yard and to the breakfast room. natural and "green" materials and color palette: paperstone counters, sandhill recycled glass backsplash, recycled rubber + cork floors, green certified Crystal cabinets, zero-VOC paints.

2011 EcoHome Design Award Winner Key to the successful design were the homeowner priorities of family health, energy performance, and optimizing the walk-to-town construction site. To maintain health and air quality, the home features a fresh air ventilation system with energy recovery, a whole house HEPA filtration system, radiant & radiator heating distribution, and low/no VOC materials. The home’s energy performance focuses on passive heating/cooling techniques, natural daylighting, an improved building envelope, and efficient mechanical systems, collectively achieving overall energy performance of 50% better than code. To address the site opportunities, the home utilizes a footprint that maximizes southern exposure in the rear while still capturing the park view in the front. ZeroEnergy Design | Green Architecture & Mechanical Design www.ZeroEnergy.com Kauffman Tharp Design | Interior Design www.ktharpdesign.com Photos by Eric Roth

2011 EcoHome Design Award Winner Key to the successful design were the homeowner priorities of family health, energy performance, and optimizing the walk-to-town construction site. To maintain health and air quality, the home features a fresh air ventilation system with energy recovery, a whole house HEPA filtration system, radiant & radiator heating distribution, and low/no VOC materials. The home’s energy performance focuses on passive heating/cooling techniques, natural daylighting, an improved building envelope, and efficient mechanical systems, collectively achieving overall energy performance of 50% better than code. To address the site opportunities, the home utilizes a footprint that maximizes southern exposure in the rear while still capturing the park view in the front. ZeroEnergy Design | Green Architecture & Mechanical Design www.ZeroEnergy.com Kauffman Tharp Design | Interior Design www.ktharpdesign.com Photos by Eric Roth

Kurt Hettle
Kitchen - contemporary l-shaped kitchen idea in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink and concrete countertops

Example of a small trendy gender-neutral medium tone wood floor nursery design in San Francisco with yellow walls

Photo by Eric Roth
Trendy galley kitchen photo in Boston with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This CKD professionally-designed kitchen is meant for the serious cook or chef with Wolf range, Sub Zero refrigeration and modern Italian stainless steel farmhouse sink. Built in butcher block prep center, pull out spice and condiment racks flanking the range and full-extension drawer bases with storage accessories make this kitchen a joy to work in. Natural cherry cabinets with natural marsh grass door glazing give this space a warm feel. High Performance Living in Silicon Valley. One Sky Homes Designs and Builds the healthiest, most comfortable and energy balanced homes on the planet. Passive House and Zero Net Energy standards for both new and existing homes.

2011 EcoHome Design Award Winner Key to the successful design were the homeowner priorities of family health, energy performance, and optimizing the walk-to-town construction site. To maintain health and air quality, the home features a fresh air ventilation system with energy recovery, a whole house HEPA filtration system, radiant & radiator heating distribution, and low/no VOC materials. The home’s energy performance focuses on passive heating/cooling techniques, natural daylighting, an improved building envelope, and efficient mechanical systems, collectively achieving overall energy performance of 50% better than code. To address the site opportunities, the home utilizes a footprint that maximizes southern exposure in the rear while still capturing the park view in the front. ZeroEnergy Design | Green Architecture & Mechanical Design www.ZeroEnergy.com Photos by Eric Roth

© Paul Bardagjy Photography
Example of a mid-sized minimalist master beige tile and limestone tile limestone floor and beige floor bathroom design in Austin with beige walls and a trough sink

AWARD WINNING | International Green Good Design Award OVERVIEW | This home was designed as a primary residence for a family of five in a coastal a New Jersey town. On a tight infill lot within a traditional neighborhood, the home maximizes opportunities for light and space, consumes very little energy, incorporates multiple resiliency strategies, and offers a clean, green, modern interior. ARCHITECTURE & MECHANICAL DESIGN | ZeroEnergy Design CONSTRUCTION | C. Alexander Building PHOTOS | Eric Roth Photography

This lovely home sits in one of the most pristine and preserved places in the country - Palmetto Bluff, in Bluffton, SC. The natural beauty and richness of this area create an exceptional place to call home or to visit. The house lies along the river and fits in perfectly with its surroundings. 4,000 square feet - four bedrooms, four and one-half baths All photos taken by Rachael Boling Photography

Master bedroom with custom-built reclaimed heart pine bed and custom-stained, 100% recycled content, Zero VOC MDF closets
Bedroom - contemporary master medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Atlanta with green walls

2011 EcoHome Design Award Winner Key to the successful design were the homeowner priorities of family health, energy performance, and optimizing the walk-to-town construction site. To maintain health and air quality, the home features a fresh air ventilation system with energy recovery, a whole house HEPA filtration system, radiant & radiator heating distribution, and low/no VOC materials. The home’s energy performance focuses on passive heating/cooling techniques, natural daylighting, an improved building envelope, and efficient mechanical systems, collectively achieving overall energy performance of 50% better than code. To address the site opportunities, the home utilizes a footprint that maximizes southern exposure in the rear while still capturing the park view in the front. ZeroEnergy Design | Green Architecture & Mechanical Design www.ZeroEnergy.com Kauffman Tharp Design Interior Design www.ktharpdesign.com Photos by Eric Roth