YEAR: 2018 to 2022

LOCATION: Amherst, MA

PROJECT TYPE: Retrofit - Single Family

BEDROOMS: 3BDRM

BUILDER: Holden Builders

PARTNERS: Riverbend Design

SYSTEMS & FEATURES: Triple Glazed Windows, ERV, Heat Pump Heating and Cooling. Solar Electricity

ENERGY RATING: Deep Energy Retrofit

PROJECT STORY

These clients wanted to live in the middle of it all, and appreciated the charm of older homes, but didn't want the discomfort and inefficiency. This home was the perfect deep energy retrofit candidate: a great location (one of Amherst's last dirt roads), a lovely lot, and a modest footprint, plus enough deferred maintenance that it was time for some real fixes.

We put a new skin around this 1900's kit house, including: super-insulated airtight assemblies, new windows, high-efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation, plus a main bedroom with en suite bathroom, and home office addition. We've insulated and dried out the basement (a must with Amherst's high water table) and added a comfortable front porch. A couple of triple-glazed skylights bring light to the stair and an upstairs bathroom, and the rebuilt garage hosts a new workspace above. The project wrapped up with installation of permaculture-inspired, pollinator-friendly, Conservation Commission-approved landscaping.

Photo Credit: Danielle Tait (exteriors) and Lynne Graves (interiors)​