Thornfield
An 18th-century farmhouse compound expanded with a contemporary addition — the mechanical system bridging two centuries of construction with a single hydronic spine and a whole-house IAQ program.
The central manifold station serves both the historic farmhouse and the new addition from a single Viessmann Vitodens boiler — a configuration that required careful hydraulic balancing to maintain equal pressure and flow across zones of radically different lengths.
Radiant tubing beneath the farmhouse's 10-inch wide-plank pine floors was installed without removing a single board — a technique that required custom drill patterns and tubing guides approved by the historic preservation consultant.
The new addition is served by an ERV that pre-conditions incoming air before it enters the distribution system. The unit recovers 88% of thermal energy from exhaust air — reducing the net heating load on the main boiler by approximately 22%.
A HEPA filtration module was integrated into the main air handler serving the farmhouse. Installation required custom ductwork modifications to accommodate the higher static pressure drop of HEPA media — handled through enlarged fan speeds and adjusted balancing dampers.