Roxbury E+
Architect: ISA - Interface Studio Architects
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Category: One- and Two-family Production Homes (category two)
The Roxbury E+ project consists of four three-story wood-frame homes that engage with a new market of urbanites committed to minimizing their impact on the environment.
The Roxbury E+ project consists of four three-story wood-frame homes that engage with a new market of urbanites committed to minimizing their impact on the environment. As part of the City of Boston’s Energy Plus (E+) Green Building Program—a pilot initiative aiming to develop models for energy positive market-rate housing—these infill prototypes marry affordability with radical high performance, producing a measurably net positive energy balance on an annual basis. This ambition engages with a new market of urbanites committed to minimizing their impact on the environment through lifestyle choices and investment in green construction practices. The design began with a right-sized, elemental box—simple and affordable to construct, and predictable in its ability to be tightly air-sealed and insulated. The massing was stepped in response to a sloping site, sloped for solar photovoltaic orientation, and inset with reverse bay windows to provide light and air while relating to adjacent facade geometries.
"The design is a nice contemporary translation of the historic fabric or neighborhood."—Jury comment
