Custom Contemporary Home in a Northwest Modern Style utilizing warm natural materials such as cedar rainscreen siding, douglas fir beams, ceilings and cabinetry to soften the hard edges and clean lines generated with durable materials such as quartz counters, porcelain tile floors, custom steel railings and cast-in-place concrete hardscapes. Photographs by Miguel Edwards

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Photography: Eric Roth Photo

Photographer Jack Lovel-Stylist Beckie Littler

Chris Snook

Ed Gohlich

Zodiaq countertops finish off walnut cabinets in the kitchen with stainless steel accents in the appliances, sinks, faucets, and appliance garage doors - more Green technology in the form of on-demand flash hot water heaters were used, along with electrical converters to convert the solar cell generated electricity into house current. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography

Lincoln Barbour

Extension Showing New Kitchen and Dining Room Adjacent New Deck Area Accessed Via Large Double Glazed Sliding Doors Constructed of Timber Salvaged from the Demolition Works. A Row of Double Glazed Skylights Provides Natural Light to this South Facing Extension. Kitchen Pantry Doors Shown Open. Photo by Matthew Mallett.

Custom kitchen with fir and steel shelving. Island counter top of reclaimed Douglas fir slab that's 2,800 years old.

The state-of-the-art contemporary kitchen features integrated Neff appliances and a quartz work surface.

Michael Graydon

Farm Ranch Small Bones Replica Kitchen With 7'' wide plank Flooring , Cesar Stone Counter top and Oak Center Island Butcherblock

Red birch cabinets in classic Shaker wide style; glass upper cabinets and custom built-in cherry breakfast nook; white granite counters, marble and glass backsplash; Thermador appliances

Sam Noonan Photography