Green Project of the Week: Cape Cod
This contemporary summer home in Cape Cod, Mass., designed by Neubauer Ennis Architects, is not only a net-zero project, but was also designed to be two houses under one roof for three generations of the same family.
The challenge was to accommodate Hodgdon’s parents, who would be living in the house full-time, while also acting as a summer retreat for Hodgdon and her family. The home’s design promotes both privacy and gathering with its large frame-work glass doors. Accessibility was also top of mind. With an open layout and wide door frames, someone in a wheelchair can easily move through the house.
“This home has become a center of gravity for our extended family,” said homeowner Rachel Hodgdon, the president and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute. “When we designed the house, we created a first-floor bedroom for my parents. Today, that bedroom opens into the larger living room and kitchen area, but tomorrow, that bedroom could open up instead into the smaller kitchen and living area, allowing us to essentially flip the floor plan.”
Hodgdon, who envisioned the project and collaborated with Neubauer Ennis Architects to bring it to life, was passionate that the house not consume more energy than it produces.
Photo Credit: Modern Luxury and Neubauer Ennis Architects
