Design, Developments

Cape Cod Home Goes Green

The contemporary house high up on a bluff has it all: the ocean directly below, window walls aimed at heart-stopping sunset views, a flexible floor plan that can sleep a crowd or just a couple, a stylish interior, and, best of all, a green design. But it wasn’t easy; the site’s 115-foot elevation in Truro, Massachusetts is one of the highest points on Cape Cod.

“Energy-wise, this was a real challenge,” says architect Stephanie Horowitz, AIA, of Boston’s Zero Energy Design, which specializes in environmentally sensitive construction. “The elevation makes for unbelievable wind speeds,” she explains. “The orientation towards the sunset meant west-facing glazing. We compensated with a super-insulated envelope and solar panels on the roof. The house produces more electricity than it needs and sells the surplus back to the grid.” Heating and cooling comes from heat-exchanging wells; the radiant floor provides comfort and efficiency in highceilinged rooms without affecting air quality.

The homeowners, who have a number of children and grandchildren, wanted a vacation home that would contract and expand as needed. Horowitz responded with a building composed of two modules; one, containing multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, is closed off when the house functions as a couples’ retreat. Interior designer Michael Ferzoco of Eleven Interiors created rooms that are, according to the homeowners, “modern without that cold, austere look.” Ferzoco chose renewable and environmentally sensitive materials: bamboo flooring, natural and organic upholstery fill, local stone, LED lights, and several pieces of vintage furniture, including a Saarinen Tulip table.

With a shape influenced by the dramatic topography, the 6,200-square-foot house presents a modest façade to the street. Only on the ocean side does it reveal its explosive angles and expanses of glass. zeroenergy.com.

By Regina Cole

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