site and 1st floor plan
Energy Star Colonial
Blue Hills
This new Energy Star Home completed in 2004 is located in the Blue Hills of Milton. A serious effort to renovate the existing structures moved to the site from Dorchester in the late 19th century was abandoned due to costs. Starting from scratch, the design maintained the street presence on the north face and angled the building from the road to achieve optimal solar access for the back roof. The house was also located close to the road on the 5 acre lot, minimizing road bed and traffic incursion into the pristine edge of this Blue Hill Forest buffer and watershed.
The Owners wanted to expand the house as their family grew. They also decided that they wanted to keep the scale of the house down in height and mass, and to nestle it into the site. To that end we provided the full envelope insulation and window package in a full day-lit basement above a fully insulated slab and foundation raised 4' above grade. This minimized first costs in finishing this space and masonry costs w/ the exterior thin stone veneer while providing expansion space for home office built out by the Owner. The project is powered by 37% renewable energy from solar thermal and sustainably harvested wood, using 43 K BTU/SF/YR +/-.