Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
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120 The house is a stellar example of how a home can serve an array of environmental purposes and also be beautiful and comfortable. The single-story structure, while ultra- modern, appears as if it grew on the land organically, ex- tending to woods on three sides where deer, fox, and other wildlife find refuge. The tie to the land was high on the cou- ple's list of priorities. "Both Amy and I felt the home should be constructed in harmony with the beautiful setting and the adjacent woodlands," says Bowen, the principal of Me- ridian Associates, Inc., an engineering firm in Beverly. The first priority for the new house was a net-zero energy requirement (producing as much energy as it uses)—a "non-negotiable" point, Bowen says. The Bowens and Baczek also chose, whenever possible, salvaged or repurposed materials, and new materials with recycled content. Workers, materials, and equipment were locally sourced whenever possible. Another requirement was a low-maintenance house that would be compatible with its gentle pastureland setting. Baczek embraced the challenge. He has been design- ing passive-solar and energy-efficient homes country- wide for more than 20 years. Much of his work was as a project architect at Building Science Corporation, a Boston firm that specializes in building-technology research and consulting. He is an engineer who is wholly dedicated to using tech- nology to support the environment. He is also an eyewit- ness to the damage done by the Arab Oil Embargo in the mid-1970s. "Witnessing individuals arguing and fighting in long waiting lines for gasoline left a disturbing impres- sion on me," Bowen says. Bowen's wife, Amy Bowen, shares his dedication to conservation of resources and the natural world. When they brainstormed ideas for their new home in Hamilton, the couple knew whom they wanted as their collaborator: Reading–based architect Steven Baczek. Together the trio found a way to express the Bowens' dedication to sustain- able living: This is a home built on the principles of energy efficiency, nature conservation, and smart living. Don Bowen is not just an engineer.