Energy Retrofits in Historic Homes. Stephanie Horowitz was enlisted by Boston Globe staff to tour a historic Somerville home and share her thoughts about how to improve its energy efficiency towards net-zero performance. Stephanie joined air-sealing specialist Jason Taylor of Byggmeister Associates and contractor Mark Philben of Charlie Allen Renovations on the tour. The group provided recommendations on the attic and basement insulation, use of a blower door test for checking air leaks, proper interior and exterior wall insulation, custom-built storm windows, and more. The piece provides convenient cost information for each topic, giving the reader a sense of what a retrofit to an old home might set them back. The question remains - if net-zero is your goal, is retrofitting an old home the most reasonable path?
South End Family Loft by ZED In Archinect's Spotlight On Boston
Popular online resource for architects and designers, Archinect, just selected ZED’s Boston Family Loft as one of their 10 favorite residential architectural projects in the greater Boston area. The list was published as part of their month-long Spotlight on Boston and will be followed next week by Boston’s outstanding academic and workplace projects.
The two-story Boston Family Loft was originally built in the 1990s. ZED transformed this space for a growing family in an urban setting, adding a fresh, new look and increased functionality. Read all about it here - BOSTON FAMILY LOFT CASE STUDY.
ZED’s John Mucciarone to present case study at PassivHaus Maine Lecture
John Mucciarone, Senior Project Manager, ZeroEnergy Design, will share his experience in historic retrofits at an upcoming lecture organized by Passivhaus Maine. The event will also include architects Oliver Klein of 475 and Jeremy Avellino of Bright Common.
EVENT: The Historic Retrofits: A Path to Passive House
LOCATION: Mechanics Hall, Portland, ME
TIME: 5PM February 25, 2019
The lecture will address major challenges such as exterior appearance, preservation of original features, the complexity of insulating brick exteriors, ventilation, installation of delivery systems, and sourcing of materials that affect the renovations of historic buildings in Maine and other communities.
John will present his case study of a Victorian-era row house in Boston’s South End neighborhood. The historic brownstone was redesigned by ZeroEnergy Design’s experts for modern living and energy efficiency while preserving its original architectural details.
MORE: BEFORE/AFTER PHOTOS
The event will also have a Q & A session for the audience to interact with the speakers.
John has over 19 years of experience as an architect and has worked on the design and construction of single-family residences, multi-family housing, small institutional buildings, and academic buildings. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant and a LEED Accredited Professional.
Passivhaus Maine is a non-profit organization committed to decreasing carbon emissions, dependency on fossil fuels, and the costs for winter heating in Maine. It works to support the passive house industry and community in Maine, North America and internationally.
TICKETS: EVENTBRITE
MORE: PASSIVHAUS MAINE
Don't assume new buildings are energy efficient!
WGBH investigative reporter interviews Stephanie Horowitz of ZeroEnergy Design and others about energy efficiency, energy code as tool for improvement, and recently constructed Boston buildings.
2018 PHIUS Passive House Conference
Stephanie Horowitz, President of Passive House Massachusetts, welcomes the crowd to Boston at the opening night (last night) of the 2018 PHIUS Passive House Conference. (Sold out).
Sustainability + Preservation Presentation
TITLE | Sustainability + Preservation
DATE | Tuesday April 3 at 6:30PM
SUMMARY | Can you make your home more energy efficient while still respecting its historic character? Yes! Panelists Stephanie Horowitz (ZeroEnergy Design), Paul Eldrenkamp (Byggmeister), and Nick Falkoff (Auburndale Builders) discuss how to blend comfort, carbon footprint, and preservation. Suggested donation, $5 per person.
PRESENTED BY | Historic Newton - Energy Efficiency for Old Homes
LOCATION | The Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds, 286 Waverley Avenue, Newton, MA.
ATTEND | REGISTER
Family Loft on the Contemporist
The Contemporist, a leading modern architecture blog, recently posted a feature story about ZED's Boston Family Loft!
MORE: CONTEMPORIST
Boston’s Future Buildings: How Do We Get to Net Zero?
Experts (including ZED's Stephanie Horowitz) examine the financial, political, legal, and technical challenges of how we make net-zero carbon construction happen in Boston.
• Matt O’Malley — Boston City Council Environment & Sustainability Committee (moderator)
• Stephanie Horowitz — ZED
• Henrietta Davis — former Mayor of Cambridge
• John Cleveland — Boston Green Ribbon Commission
• Joan Fitzgerald — Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, Northeastern University
• Cammy Peterson—Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Presented by the JP Forum and the Boston Clean Energy Coalition (on Facebook @BosCleanEnergy)
WHERE / WHEN
June 15, 2017 | 7:30–9:00 pm
First Church in Jamaica Plain
6 Eliot Street, Boston, MA
MORE: JP Forum Website
2016 Passive House Symposium Success!
2016 Passive House Symposium was a resounding success! Speakers, vendors, and attendees all gathered at District Hall in Boston for a full day of amazing content and knowledge sharing. Panels covered a variety of topics, including the legislative process, selling Passive homes, wall sections, and multifamily buildings.
MORE: SYMPOSIUM BROCHURE
Below from left to right: Panelists Senator William Brownsberger, Emily Norton, Masschusetts Chapter Director of the Sierra Club, and Eugenia Gibbons, Clean Energy Program Director of the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance.
Below: Panel moderator Stephanie Horowitz, member of Passive House Massachusetts Board of Directors, and Managing Director of ZeroEnergy Design.
Below: Keynote speaker Ken Levinson, President of New York Passive House.
MORE: SYMPOSIUM BROCHURE
Boston Globe Magazine asks for design opinion
Sunday's Boston Globe magazine interviews Stephanie Horowitz of ZeroEnergy Design, seeking her design opinion regarding unique lighting solutions.
READ: BOSTON GLOBE MAGAZINE