NET-ZERO HOUSE RENOVATION: SOMERVILLE, MA

“HISTORIC HOME FOR THE FUTURE”

This project reimagined a historic, semi-detached two-family home in Somerville, MA, transforming it to achieve Net Zero Certification while preserving its historic character and ensuring that the longtime tenants on the lower level could remain in place.

Generations of neglect, ad hoc repairs, and deferred maintenance had lost many of the building’s historic detail. This presented an opportunity to reenvision the façade with a new entablature, improved proportions, and refined fenestration.

A modest addition over an existing flat roof created space for a new primary bedroom suite. Carefully scaled and approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals, the addition respects both the original building massing and neighborhood context, while providing a growing family more space.

The interior renovation raised ceiling heights, reconfigured rooms, and introduced large cased openings to enhance daylight and flow between rooms - made possible by removing two defunct chimneys. A redesigned front bay with enlarged windows strengthened the connection to natural light and the outdoors. The kitchen was redesigned to prioritize family cooking and incorporated handmade tiles the owners brought back from their honeymoon. In the new primary bedroom, tall wraparound windows frame the tree canopy, evoking the feeling of a treehouse in the city.

Achieving Net Zero Certification was especially challenging for a nearly 150-year-old, balloon-framed structure. The building now features a super-insulated envelope, high-performance windows, all-electric heat pumps, ERV systems, and rooftop solar – achieving a HERS Rating of -7 with 105% energy offset.

This historic home now operates entirely fossil-fuel-free, outperforming most new construction while balancing its historic character with modern performance.

Builder: Top Notch Contracting

Photography: Ben Gebo