Custom New Homes, Energy Star Homes, Zero Energy Ready Homes

Roxbury Contemporary

This (soon-to-be) Net Zero Energy Home set in southern Litchfield County was designed and built for an empty-nester couple seeking to live in an upscale resilient home built for efficiency, comfort, and health, while incorporating state-of-the-art control systems. The home boasts 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, open-plan living areas, a music room and a screened porch that includes an outdoor fireplace.

Type: Contemporary

Project Architect: Trillium Architects

Special Features

Floor-to-ceiling glass and cathedral ceilings
Standing seam metal roof for durability and recyclability
Modern flush trim details with shadow-line reglet trims
Wood stove in outdoor screened porch
Whole-house A/V integration controlled via mobile phone

Green Building Approaches

Excellent blower door test result of 0.41 ACH50.
European triple-glazed doors and windows with 0.14 U-values (equivalent to R-7)
Solar PV system to be installed on the roof which is expected to generate sufficient electricity to fully offset the energy required to operate the house and a car over the course of a full year.
All LED lighting with dimmable capabilities.
Energy monitoring and management electrical panels that can give real time data on the home’s energy usage and make load adjustments.
Split system air-to-air ducted heat pumps for space heating.
Indoor air-to-air heat pump for domestic hot water.
Independently ducted European energy recovery ventilator for high-efficiency, continuous mechanical ventilation.
Shou Sugi Ban charred wood siding has low embodied carbon, requires little maintenance, and is very durable.
Insulation products selected to minimize home’s carbon footprint and to significantly exceed building code requirements.
Dense-pack cellulose insulation installed in 12” double walls that virtually eliminate thermal bridging.
Dense-pack cellulose insulation installed in 20” rafter trusses that virtually eliminate thermal bridging.
OSB wall and roof sheathing with integrated WRB and taped joints for exceptional air sealing.
Both exterior walls and roof are fully vented outboard of the air-tight sheathing to prevent moisture accumulation and damage and reduce maintenance.
Closed-cell spray foam (2”) with low-GWP blowing agent, plus 3.5” dense-pack cellulose insulation used at basement walls.
Expanded polystyrene (7”) installed under basement and crawl space slabs.