Residential Addition & Renovation, Westwood, MA. The existing 860 square foot cottage was built in 1925 on a small lot with tight conservation and zoning constraints. The owner had lived there since the early 90’s and was at home in the neighborhood, but wanted to enlarge the house to provide space for family gatherings, for elderly parents, and for a home office. She wanted to update the house and make it more energy-efficient, while preserving its essential cottage character and the best features of the site, all on a tight budget. Our design provided a flexible floor plan shaped by the site constraints, doubling the square footage, widening the first floor, and adding a second story and a basement. The new plan provides 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, and features views toward the forested land to the north and east. Energy efficiency was addressed with the installation of “dense-pack” cellulose insulation and careful air-sealing of the building envelope, a new energy-efficient boiler and indirect water heater, and a central ventilation system with heat recovery. In addition to the efficient floor plans, economy was achieved by customizing IKEA cabinetry for the kitchen and living room built-ins.