19 Field St, Cambridge MA and 79 Market St, Lawrence MA

for PowerHouse Enterprises, Spring 2007 - Winter 2008

New, green, energy efficient modular houses on urban sites (Cambridge: two townhouses at 1450 sf each; Lawrence: one home,1468 sf)

Objectives:

• Replace existing run-down building or vacant lot with new, modern home
• Create buildings that suit their respective neighborhoods and markets
• Design to extremely high green and energy efficiency standards while sticking to fairly modest budgets
• Incorporate technologies and techniques in such a way as to maximize performance without sacrificing appearance or consumer appeal
• Complete both Projects in tight urban areas in as little time as possible  - despite restrictive site conditions
• Each house or townhouse to have three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, full kitchens, exterior patios, roof decks, etc.

These three houses represent a new way of bringing houses to market in the U.S.  All designed to be as energy efficient and eco-friendly as possible, they were also still positioned in the relative middle of their respective real estate markets.  The townhouses at Field Street achieved a LEED Platinum rating from the United States Green Building Council while the Market Street house is currently undergoing this evaluation process and will likely achieve gold or platinum certification.  In Cambridge, the townhouses were designed to incorporate cutting edge technologies for maximum performance and comfort.  These townhouses have standing seam metal roofs with fully integrated solar electric (PV) and solar heating systems.  Coupled to high-efficiency boilers and radiant floor heating, these houses only use about a tenth of the energy of comparably sized new houses.  The house in Lawrence does not boast such impressive technologies, but with thoughtful choices and care taken to produce well insulated walls, windows and doors; the house still only sips energy, compared to greedier neighbors.  These houses all demonstrate that with good decision-making linked to smart technologies, materials and techniques, you can really have it all:  a lovely, high-performance house at a cost that does not break the bank.  And with the modular building systems we employed for construction, you can get it quicker too!