Where Design Meets Building Science
The 65%+ Difference
For new buildings and additions, we look beyond the surface. By pairing interior design with advanced building envelope specifications and energy-efficient systems, we design spaces that have achieved 65%+ energy savings—without sacrificing a single detail of your functional or your aesthetic vision.
Energy Efficiency Experience Podcast
High-Performance in Practice: Case Studies
Commercial Spotlight: The Kaptur-Rogowski House
Where high-performance meets thermal comfort, lower HVAC demands, financial savings while maintaining design integrity.
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The Project: A modern, 14-sleeping-room stabilization facility with counseling and administrative spaces designed to serve the community.
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The Challenge: After going through the previous winter with extreme temperatures for consecutive days, heating system challenges, power outages and generator interruptions at another campus building, the owner’s representative was exhausted from managing these challenges. Learning about this in our Kaptur House project kick-off meeting, we mentioned another approach to mitigate this future potential.
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Select a high-performance building envelope that can hold the temperature much longer to sail through these critical temperature and energy source situations.
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Additional Benefits: The high-performance envelope lowers the energy demand, increasing energy efficiency.
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Financial Impact: Utilizing a high-performance thermal envelope ensures the need for a smaller HVAC system netting lower utility costs.
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The Results:
The exterior envelope system that was selected achieved:
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The lowest bid (publicly bid),
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Installed in under 2 days,
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Allowed for a smaller mechanical system
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The Savings:
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Labor savings on factory built custom panels and quick field installation,
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HVAC Equipment Savings due to smaller equipment needs with the high-performance thermal envelope,
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Utility Bill Savings: Significantly lower gas and electric bills. See the utility bills paid shown here for 2025.
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Residential Spotlight: Richfield Village Residence
Where custom luxury design seamlessly integrates with advanced building science.
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The Project: A bespoke residential estate designed for modern living. Working with this client on their commercial projects, we had a great history working together. Since this was a new-build we suggested making it energy efficient. The owners were open to it. We investigated (4) higher-performance options and had the energy calculations run to see the differences. The top (2) gave similar results. The general contractor preferred the second system with a stick-built staggered stud exterior wall with closed-cell 2# spray foam R-30 walls and blown in R-65 stick-built ceilings. Additionally, there was R-10 under slab insulation and insulated below grade walls.
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The Challenge: Designing an expansive, light-filled aesthetic with grand windows and open volumes, without the typical residential drawbacks of drafty rooms, uneven temperatures, and high energy bills.
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The Design & Science Approach:
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Thermal Comfort: We worked hand-in-hand with EnergyWise Engineers to run precision energy calculations. This guided the exact product specification of high-performance glazing, insulation, and vapor management systems.
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Seamless Integration: Designed custom interior details had no effect on the high-performance system. The recessed lighting was managed with custom boxes to separate the fixtures from the insulation and allow for proper airflow.
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HVAC System: We used a geothermal system for the high-efficiency heating and cooling delivery systems.
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The Strategic Coordination: Provided the homeowner’s general contractor and engineering team with clear, performance-backed product specifications, enabling them to verify the home's projected energy performance early in the construction phase.
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The Result: An incredibly comfortable, quiet, and draft-free sanctuary that operates with whisper-quiet efficiency through Northeast Ohio's harshest winters and hot summers—achieving remarkable energy savings without compromising on architectural beauty.
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Energy Bills: The Owner noted that their energy bills were $120 / month at the highest. EnergyWise Engineers had calculated this system at $290 / month as compared to building to code would have been $1,395 / month. That translated to minimally a $15,300 savings per year.
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Owner’s Note: Although they are very happy with their home and the systems that they have, they now understand that the top performing system would have been less money and shortened their construction time. The key element was the general contractor’s comfort level was with products that they work with every day.