Indian Pipe – Retrofit/Renovation

Location : Concord, MA

Project Type : Hisel Passive House Renovation

Square Footage : ~3,000 sq ft

Architect : Hisel Flynn Architects + Offshoots Inc.

Completion : 2023

Awards : Best Sustainable Build (Build Magazine), Best Renovation (BRAGB)

Client Goals

The client envisioned a modern, high-performance home rooted in the surrounding woodlands—one that would drastically reduce energy use, embrace natural light, and provide long-term durability with minimal maintenance.

Outcome:

Indian Pipe now stands as a modern marvel in New England renovation—combining aesthetics, performance, and intelligent building science. The homeowners enjoy whisper-quiet interiors, exceptional comfort, and finishes that stop you in your tracks.

For more information and photos on Indian Pipe

What Our Client Say

We did a whole house renovation with Top Notch and the level of service is above and beyond you could imagine. Not only did we want a beautiful home, we wanted a high performance home that’ll take on the harsh New England weather and these guys delivered. From planning to execution to maintenance, they were extremely organized, professional, transparent, and detailed as you can get from a high quality developer. They understand building science and embrace the latest technology but still build with fundamentals. The thing that stood out to me most is how Top Notch handled unexpected events with existing conditions of the house and provided clever solutions that could have derailed the whole project. They’re problem solvers and extremely efficient. No project comes without issues and ours was no exception but their ability to take accountability and the “make it right” mentality was exceptional. If things don’t meet their expectations and quality checks, then they’ll rip it out and redo the work. That’s unheard of. They’re also not complacent. They make it a priority to educate themselves and their staff on becoming better builders. I have not seen anything like this anywhere else. We’re so happy we chose Top Notch who in fact was referred from our architect as part of the bid process.

We had to pleasure to work with Josh who managed the project from beginning to end. His attention to detail and clear communication to us and his tradesmen made this project a success. He’s been responsive to all our questions and requests and really treated like our house like it was his own. In fact, he actually knew more about the house than we did! This wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Ohannes, the big dawg at Top Notch who we first met during the bid process. He’s supported Josh and the project all the way to the end and ensured project success and we were happy. He’s the real deal and built an incredible team and company.

Truly a great job everyone! We love our “new” home and everyone we invited can’t believe how amazing it looks and feels.

Steve Y