Mid-Century Modern Meets 21st Century Performance

Mid-century modern residential architecture, in abundance in Boston’s suburbs, is enjoying a prolonged “moment” in the spotlight. Homeowners, prospective home buyers, and design professionals increasingly appreciate mid-century modern’s hallmark characteristics (exposed structure, natural materials, low-slung roofs, modest scale, clean lines, open floor plans, simplicity in detailing, etc.). At the same time, they bemoan its recurrent pitfalls. Poor energy performance, envelope failures, and aging building systems challenge those of us who seek to conserve, preserve, and improve these masterpieces.
During this session, panelists will explore common themes in improving the performance of mid-century modern homes: weighing costs (both environmental and monetary) against benefits of updates, understanding the qualitative advantages of various approaches, sharing information among a team and working collaboratively. Panelists will share specific examples of increasing building performance without sacrificing design integrity in mid-century modern homes. Participants are invited to ask questions and share their own experiences.