Location: Brookline, MA

Completed: Fall 2021

 

The project converts an existing two-family structure constructed in 1905 into a single-family home, while also incorporating a whole-house energy-efficiency upgrade to maximize the energy performance of the house.   The design for this five bedroom single family home attempts to connect the first floor spaces into a combined living/dining/kitchen space with an open plan that takes advantage of views towards an adjacent park.  The exterior material palette for the house brings a more modern aesthetic to the existing envelope of the house.  The cladding system utilizes clear finish garapa cladding as a focal point which contrasts with the gray clapboard cladding and adds warmth to the exterior entry and porch spaces.  Millwork is also significantly utilized in the first floor interior spaces as a means to develop smaller-scale seating and display areas. The energy performance of the house is now significantly improved through the addition of continuous exterior insulation, triple-glazed casement windows, a new electric heat pump system, an induction cooktop, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and photovoltaic panels at the roof level.