The Somerville Värm

Cynthia and Tim set out to build a home that felt comfortable, healthy, and efficient without leaving their Somerville neighborhood. On a tight, transit connected lot, the project became an opportunity for thoughtful urban infill, replacing an underperforming mid century house with a new, all electric Värm Gavle designed for how they wanted to live. After determining that a deep energy retrofit would fall short, they chose a fresh start using Bensonwood’s high-performance panelized system.

The site’s limited access, close neighbors, and active street made offsite fabrication a practical solution. Wall and roof panels arrived with framing, insulation, windows, and air barriers already integrated, allowing the home to move quickly from foundation to a weather tight structure while minimizing disruption. The completed home met Mass Save’s Tier Two energy efficiency program standards at the time and earned a $25,000 incentive.

With rooftop solar producing more energy than the home consumes, the homeowners have found a meaningful way to put those excess energy credits to use. Explore the full case study to learn more about the project and hear directly from the homeowners about living in the completed home.