Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/579535
123 "I tell people, 'Don't just buy energy efficiency,'" Baczek says. "You want value, [comfortability], and durability. If I build a very durable house with health and comfort [in mind], then I get energy efficiency as a byproduct." For instance, Baczek saw that by diminishing heating and electric requirements, the photo-voltaic system wouldn't have to be as massive. (From the sky, the roof's PV system looks like geometric artwork.) The home's modest 2,034-square-foot interior seems much more spacious. Baczek accomplished the bright, airy mood by designing one rectangular space, centered on the kitchen and living area, and several gathering areas. Adjoining the home by way of a shared deck is a small guesthouse that measures 380 square feet. Throughout the house are natural elements that relate to the region, such as granite, quarried in Rockport more than 100 years ago. Reclaimed wood beautifully re- inforces the New England setting and pays homage to the area's agrarian past. The wall that separates the kitchen from the mudroom is fashioned from reclaimed wood. Reclaimed beams from a Falmouth, Maine, barn run through the kitchen and draw the eye toward the room's clerestory, with vertical skylights at an airy 13 feet high. The guesthouse features a shining wide-plank reclaimed pumpkin pine floor from a mill in Saco, Maine. Glass and granite—and the occasional décor item such as the boldly colored rug in the main sitting area— create rich pops of color. The kitchen backsplash, cover- ing almost the entire wall, is stunning orange quartz. In the master bedroom, a rich kiwi-green wall comple- ments the neutral interior. Both of the main house bathrooms are outfitted with green ice-like countertops made by Ray Yaksvachi of Ipswich from 100 percent recycled shower glass doors. The home's exterior walls are covered in EcoClad, a resin product of recycled wood fiber and bamboo that gets high points for durability and sustainability. The cladding is hung on the exterior walls, providing a rain screen that, as Baczek says, "gives water a place to go." Windows are outfitted in high-tech triple-glass by the German company Schüco. All of the home's power is gen- erated onsite, with U. S.–made solar panels, with emer- gency electricity provided by Aquion battery technology. This is a house built on principle. "We felt a com- pelling obligation to prove to ourselves that building a net-zero energy home with zero emissions was not only our goal but also our responsibility," Bowen says. The Bowens' requirements were music to Baczek's ears. "Don and Amy came to me with a concept and with honesty," Baczek says. "If you manage Mother Nature on her principles, you can do good things." The use of bright colors adds to the home's airy atmosphere. Steven Baczek Residential Architectural Services, 46 Glenmere Circle, Reading, 781-354-5839, stevenbaczekarchitect.com See page 176 for resources