ZeroEnergy Design

We hired ZED to help us design an energy efficient house, and to monitor construction. This was a very positive experience. The architects on the project were very responsive to our input in the initial design and its subsequent evolution. This was important to us as we found that some other architectural firms and builders were more inclined to push their ideas on us rather than engage in a constructive dialog to help us develop our own vision. The ZED engineer was spot-on with the modeling predictions. ZED developed a short list of potential builders, which very helpful since many local builders are unfamiliar with some of the construction approaches, and ZED was often on site to monitor their performance and address issues as they arose. My wife and I decided to forego hiring an interior designer, so we appreciated the input from the architects as we worked out our plan own and searched for products. Having lived in this house since October 2021, we have been delighted with the final product, the delightful interior spaces, the 4-season interior air quality, and the reliably net positive performance of the building.

ZED did an outstanding job designing our home. It is not only beautiful to experience, but is engineered to the highest standards of environmental efficiency. That is a perfect combination !

My wife and I found our dream house, and moved in just a month before having our first baby. It's a very contemporary design surrounded by green views of nature, and we have spent *a lot* of time in it over the last year. Thank you Zero Energy Design for creating such an inspiring and comfortable space!

My father worked his entire life in construction. Foolishly I stayed far away from his occupation but not so far that my lack of knowledge and experience prevented me from realizing that I could be vulnerable to being, shall we say, easily mislead by architects and contractors. So I procrastinated building a house for 73 years.. Eventually I decided that it was now or never and having purchased a large lot that was part of a working apple orchard on top of a mountain I sought out a suitable architect with expertise appropriate for the global warming environment in which we find ourselves and the demanding intended location of the house. I could not be more satisfied or find myself feeling more secure with my choice of ZeroEnergy Design. Right from the first visit with project manager John Mucciarone, which took place at the building site, I have been impressed with the firm's professionalism, cutting edge expertise, design style, customer service and total commitment to finding a way to meet my preferences while preserving the firm's mission. There has literally been no aspect of this entire project where the architects have been less than entirely enthusiastic and knowledgeable participants in the design and execution process. They have shown endless patient with delays arising from disagreements between the orchard owner and the Town Board caused by the steepness of the terraced hillside where the small subdivision has been developed and they have worked co-operatively with the Building Inspector and the Fire Chief in ensuring the feasibility of siting the house and driveway in a difficult but spectacular location. Similarly with me they have always listened to what "bright new idea" I might present and while always been clear that they would incorporate whatever I desired into the project they have not hesitated to offer compromises that honored my vision while producing well reasoned arguments for modifying that vision in more practical ways. The final product is all the better for those interventions. Similarly they played an active part in identifying and interviewing a variety of general contractors that they identified as being appropriate for building the type and location of dwelling we had envisaged and produced a short list from which the final selection was jointly made. Still in its early construction stage because of multiple unexpected permitting , engineering and costing difficulties I remain extraordinarily pleased with the entire process and the various decisions taken. Both ZED and I are are looking forward to completing a project that has for me been as educational as it has been enjoyable in ways that have completely negated my long held concerns and reservations.

It's always a pleasure to work with an architectural firm that "gets it" and ZeroEnergy Design definitely does. TheIr associates understand how important lighting is to the overall design and functionality of the space. We're always impressed with how clean their designs and specs are—not to mention how beautiful and innovative as well! We appreciate their diligence and dedication to their clients' needs as well as their willingness to embrace and focus on energy saving LED's and simple smart home technology. We highly recommend working with ZeroEnergy Design.

During the last year, we have been working with a national architectural firm, ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) to build a Net Zero home in Newton, MA. It has been an exceptional experience for us. The knowledge and expertise of architects, Matt and Stephanie, have been invaluable in the construction process for this Net Zero home. When it comes to architects, we look forward to working with ZeroEnergy Design again in the future. They are a firm you can trust and rely on for their attention to detail and on-time delivery.

We have collaborated with ZeroEnergy Design on several projects. Each time they have provided a fine tuned balance of creativity / ingenuity and professionalism. Their design approach is cutting-edge smart and the finish product a beautiful mix of efficiency and elegance. I highly recommend ZED!

Scope: Design of a 4 bedroom 5 ½ bathroom 2 story home in Metrowest. Construction administration. Energy and LEED consulting. Okay, taking on a new construction or major remodel can shave couple years off your life. It's especially difficult to do things differently. Engaging Zero Energy Design team was the best decision we made and headed us in the right direction. We are extremely happy with all aspects of our home including aesthetics, space, function and energy efficiency thanks to Stephanie and her team. I am very cost conscious and initially wondered the value, an architect would bring to our project when we already have an experienced builder. Ha! Stephanie and her team turned out to be a true advocate for us. First, the integration of Stephanie's architectural design sense and knowledge in environmentally green building, Jordan's know-how in energy efficient mechanical system and Adam's client service and experience in LEED is seamless, thorough and complete. It really is a dream team whether you are going for the certification or just a home that makes economic and environmental sense. Second, Stephanie is brilliant, efficient and professional. Stephanie quickly understood my husband and my needs/wants which were often different and helped us organize and prioritize. She helped us understand building "green" and the economics of different features. Stephanie's designs and renderings were comprehensive with placement of a deck, outdoor pool, stone paths and yard which made for coherent utilization of the entire land. Third, Stephanie and the team's attention to detail are simply outstanding. The bid package with detailed construction documents and outline of specification helped us ensure quality of the construction as well as the budget. Throughout the entire process, Stephanie and Jordan visited or requested photos of the construction to see that particular green building technique and materials were being implemented correctly and to set the builder up for success. She also guided us with kitchen/bath cabinetry, all interior case-work, choices of flooring, tiles, counters, backsplash, plumbing, lighting and hardware, in addition to color schematics. Even when I wasn't so sure of her leads, she was always, I mean always spot-on in retrospect. Fourth, Stephanie is an excellent collaborator. As with any project, we had many parties who never worked together before with competing interests and scheduling conflicts. Stephanie and ZED were flexible when appropriate, respectfully firm when necessary, and maintained good working relationship with everyone. In all, we have a house that is well thought out and well built. It's incredibly energy efficient with HERS rating of 16 and our energy bills shows it. Our family enjoys it a lot and so do our guests. Thank you, ZED!!! You managed to exceed our expectation which is not easy.

My husband and I worked with ZeroEnergy Design on the design and building of our new home on Cape Cod. Their involvement started from the moment we saw the lot we liked through the day we moved in (and, of course, for the punch list process). They provided a design that took full advantage of their expertise in the design of energy-efficient eco-friendly homes while fully respecting our desire for a more "traditional" Cape Cod home. We also used ZeroEnergy Design to oversee/manage the construction process as we were 3000 miles away for the last seven months of the ten-month process.

Stephanie, Jordan and team were great to work with on our home design! They helped us understand how our various ideas could be organized into a home we could build (and afford) and led us to a great on-time outcome. We are very happy with the spaces, the natural light, the energy efficiency, and the overall feel of our new home. And we really enjoyed them as people because it was always evident how much they cared

ZED is clearly New England's top firm when it comes to high performance buildings. Their experience and understanding of the latest building science is evident from the detailing of their thermal assemblies and their ability to specify the best products. Their staff are responsive, engaging, creative, and fun to work with. They are also committed to and passionate about high performance buildings which makes working with ZED a true pleasure!

Amazing company to work with. Top notch! Bensonwood designed the prefabricated insulated panels and constructed the timberframe shell on a Passive House project as part of a green building team that included ZeroEnergy Design, who was the architect for the schematic design (floorplans and elevations) of the house, plus the energy consultant and mechanical designer. The Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB) gave this home a 2013 Prism Gold Award for “Best Energy-Efficient Project.” The sustainable home previously won the 2012 Efficiency Vermont “Best of the Best in Residential New Construction” Honor Award. The project also included consulting architect Paul R. Bilgen, general contractor Estes and Gallup, and custom window and door maker, Architectural Openings. The 17-inch recycled foam sheet insulation provides R-75 value and a vapor barrier below the slab. All hot water is provided by two rooftop, flat-plate solar collectors with an electric on-demand water heater for backup. One kilowatt heating mats located under floor tiles in the bathrooms supply radiant heating, and air exchange is managed by a Heat Recovery Ventilator whose operation automatically adjusts, depending on temperature, humidity, and occupancy. In the kitchen/living room a sealed combustion chamber wood stove serves both as cooktop and bake oven, as well as a source of supplemental heat. The house is expected to perform 80-90% better than a code build house.

Zero Energy Design (ZED) were a good choice, as I wanted to build a low energy house. Having an architectural background, I was pleased that they respected my ideas and focused on the areas where I most needed their help. Overall the house turned out well with low energy consumption.

DREAM TEAM!! The entire team at ZeroEnergy Design was truly a dream to work with. Our first contact, Adam Prince, was enthusiastic and open-minded to the less typical aspects of our project, and has tirelessly helped spread the word about the project's healthy and energy-efficiency features. Stephanie Horowitz brought her vast creativity and problem-solving skills to deliver a design that achieved our goals within budget. Jordan Goldman was a whiz at engineering solutions that met energy efficiency goals, all while considering the health impacts of each decision. All phases of design were planned, budgeted and executed with a level of professionalism that is a model for this industry. I would highly recommend ZeroEnergy Design for architectural and mechanical design needs.

We hired ZED to expand and update the master bathroom in our mid-century modern home, built in 1951. They knew exactly what we wanted, matched the pallette to the rest of the house and created a modern room that evokes the MCM vibe. They were always professional and fun to work with. We asked them to manage the whole process including picking a builder and checking the work as it progressed. Everything went very smoothly.

ZeroEnergy Design is a highly professional company to do business with. The English Residence Cape Associates built and ZeroEnergy designed is a prime example of their commitment to Green living. Cape Associates, Inc.

Hired for energy analysis, new high efficiency mechanical systems design. Extremely professional, willing to listen, discuss, explain. Detailed estimates in plain English. Exciting, energy saving ideas within our budget. We are excited to continue working with Adam and his amazing team.

ZED designed a sustainable house for us in Little Compton Rhode Island. We have six people on our family and ZED managed to fit our family comfortably and aesthetically AND sustainably into 1200 square feet. the house is LEED Gold certified and has won numerous awards. Also, the architects at ZED were innovative, resourceful, creative, and respectful of our budget. We were and are EXTREMELY satisfied customers of ZED.

We are delighted with our LED Gold home that was designed and executed with great care. The ZeroEnergy Design team were professional, listened well, and continue to be available for questions well after the project completion.

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) designed a new construction primary residence for our family beginning February 2012. We were interested in building a passive solar home within a very strict budget. Throughout the design phase, ZED was considerate of our ideas for the home and ultimately provided us with architectural plans that exceeded our expectations. The design was modern, minimalist, and environmentally friendly on every level. The plans included a mechanical design and a renewable energy plan. They were well thought out and extremely detailed, leaving nothing left to guessing by anyone reading them. This attention to detail has been recognized by everyone on the project, including the land use planner of our city, the building department members, our general contractor, the subcontractors, and the suppliers. We are now in the construction phase and ZED members have been an integral part in construction planning and overseeing the construction itself. They have also been a strong advocate for us. We, along with everyone on the project, have been completely impressed with ZED and in agreement that ZED members are extremely professional, knowledgeable, experienced and able to meet deadlines and budgets, and work well with others. ZED has proven to be a full service green architectural firm for us. The firm created a whole house system and has assisted us in making almost every decision in the process down to the final finishes for the house. ZED has not only been respectful of our budget, but also found a substantial energy rebate for us that will completely pay for our PV system - a system that we did not think would be in our budget at all. It is obvious to us that the members of ZED take great pride in their work. We are so glad we found them. We couldn't give them a higher recommendation.