• Green renovation fits the urban design of the neighborhood.
  • Home design creates a welcoming front porch.
  • Green home design creates open living spaces in the Somerville house.
  • Home design creates an exciting stairway in the Somerville home.
  • Green renovation creates a natural light filled living room in the Somerville house.
  • Home design creates dining room views in the Somerville house.
  • Home architecture creates an open dining and kitchen area in the Somerville house.
  • Green renovations are just as appealing on the exterioir.
  • Green renovation process at the Somerville house.

Somerville House

This complete renovation of a deteriorated three-unit Somerville apartment house was the result of a successful collaboration between the architects, owners, energy consultant, and builder. This green home design involved removing three previous additions to create an efficient, light-filled two-unit home. A “reverse plan” placed bedrooms on the ground level with the main living space above to take advantage of views of the Boston skyline. The project is Energy Star certified, with estimated energy usage of 51% below a comparable, conventionally built home (HERS index: 49).
Sustainable design features include: a compact layout, maximized daylighting, advanced building envelope design, super-insulated windows, and a high-efficiency heat pump for both heating and cooling.

 

Energy Consultant: Caitriona Cooke
Contractor: Beasley Custom Builders
Structural: Boston Building Consultants
Photography: Edua Wilde

 

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