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Emerald Design Build Creating spaces to fit, fill and fuel your life. 📝💻🛠️

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 5 of 5 🌿What’s Next? The Contemporary Cut at Justice Hill.As we wrap up our two-year anniver...
10/12/2026

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 5 of 5 🌿

What’s Next? The Contemporary Cut at Justice Hill.

As we wrap up our two-year anniversary series, we’re shifting our focus from where we’ve been to where we’re headed.

And there’s no better project to represent that next chapter than our very own development at Justice Hill in Sterling, Massachusetts.

Justice Hill is more than another custom home project for Emerald. It’s an opportunity to showcase what we’re capable of when architecture, interior design, construction, and development all come together under one roof.

From the beginning, our vision was to create something that reflects our approach to building: thoughtful architecture, intentional material selections, quality craftsmanship, and a strong emphasis on long-term performance.

We’re approaching this project as both a home and a showcase of what’s possible.
The Contemporary Cut incorporates passive house-inspired design strategies, with careful consideration given to the building envelope, insulation, airtightness, thermal performance, and energy efficiency.

These aren’t necessarily the most glamorous parts of building a home, but they’re some of the most important. And they’re exactly the details we want to start sharing more of.

As construction progresses, we’re looking forward to documenting the process, explaining the decisions behind our assemblies and materials, and giving you a closer look at what goes into building a high-performance home.

And yes, The Contemporary Cut is currently available for purchase as a to-be-built custom home!

For us, this project represents more than a finished product. It’s an opportunity to put our ideas into practice, continue learning, and demonstrate the value of an integrated design-build approach.

Two years ago, we brought our businesses together with a vision of building something bigger. Today, we’re beginning to see just how many directions that vision can take us.

Thank you for following along with our anniversary series and for supporting Emerald Design Build along the way.
We’re just getting started, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next. 💚

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 4 of 5 🌿Architecture. Interiors. Construction. And everything in between.When we brought our...
10/11/2026

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 4 of 5 🌿

Architecture. Interiors. Construction. And everything in between.

When we brought our businesses together two years ago, our vision was to create a company where design and construction could work hand in hand, offering clients a more thoughtful, collaborative, and streamlined experience.

Those three disciplines remain the foundation of Emerald Design Build, but as we’ve grown and diversified, so have our interests, capabilities, and the types of projects we’re excited to pursue.

While custom homes, renovations, and additions continue to be an important part of our work, we’re increasingly focusing on some specialized areas of the building industry.

ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS (ADUs)
With changing housing needs and evolving regulations, we’re helping homeowners explore creative ways to add flexible living space to their properties. From multigenerational living to independent rental opportunities, we see tremendous potential in thoughtfully designed ADUs.

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION
We’re especially excited about the possibilities of modular building. By combining architectural design with off-site fabrication and on-site construction, we’re exploring more efficient, predictable, and innovative ways to deliver quality buildings.

SITEWORK & FOUNDATIONS Something that often surprises people is just how much of our construction work we perform ourselves. Excavation, utilities, site preparation, and foundations are important parts of our capabilities, allowing us to maintain greater control over quality, coordination, and scheduling.

DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT We’re also continuing to explore opportunities beyond traditional residential projects, including multifamily housing, adaptive reuse, commercial spaces, and real estate development.

As an architect-led design-build company, we have the flexibility to approach these opportunities from both a design and construction perspective, considering feasibility, budgets, permitting, and ex*****on together.
And while our specialties continue to evolve, we’re not moving away from the services that built Emerald. We’re building upon them.

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 3 of 5 🌿Welcome to Emerald HQ!Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you weren’t even...
10/10/2026

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 3 of 5 🌿

Welcome to Emerald HQ!

Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you weren’t even looking for.
When we first stumbled upon this space, we weren’t exactly in the market for an office. Our businesses were still relatively small, and we certainly didn’t need all the room it had to offer.

But we saw the potential, fell in love with the space, and decided to take a chance on something we hoped we’d eventually grow into.

In the beginning, we weren’t quite ready to fill it with desks, employees, and meetings. So, for a while, part of the space became home to Emerald Composure, a creative venture that gave the space a purpose while we continued building our businesses.

Fast forward two years, and it’s hard to imagine not having this place. What once felt like more space than we could possibly need has become the home base for Emerald Design Build. It’s where we meet with clients, collaborate on designs, review construction plans, make big decisions, and occasionally have some pretty difficult conversations.

These walls have witnessed a lot of growth in a relatively short amount of time. New faces, new opportunities, growing pains, lessons learned, and milestones we once only hoped we’d reach.

And while it’s just an office to most people, to us it’s a reminder of what can happen when you take a chance on something before you’re entirely ready for it.

Sometimes you have to make room for the future before you know exactly what it’s going to look like. We’re grateful to have a space that has grown alongside us, and we’re excited to see what the next few years bring.

Welcome to Emerald HQ. 💚

Follow along for Part 4 of our anniversary series, where we’ll share more about the services that make Emerald Design Build what it is today!

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 2 of 5 🌿The Evolution of EmeraldBefore Emerald Design Build, there were two separate busines...
10/09/2026

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 2 of 5 🌿

The Evolution of Emerald

Before Emerald Design Build, there were two separate businesses, each with its own beginnings, challenges, and ambitions.

In 2017, Zach founded Downing Construction, starting as a one-man operation taking on smaller residential construction projects. Over the years, the company grew through hard work, word of mouth, and a commitment to quality craftsmanship, eventually expanding into larger renovations, additions, and custom homes.

In 2021, Megan founded Emerald House Studio, bringing her background in architecture and passion for thoughtful, functional design into a business of her own. What began as a small design studio continued to evolve, becoming a licensed architecture practice in 2023 and expanding its services to include interior design.

For several years, we operated independently while frequently collaborating on projects. We each had our own clients, responsibilities, and visions for the future, but our work naturally overlapped.

And the more we worked together, the more we recognized an opportunity.

Why keep design and construction separate when we could bring them together to create a more collaborative, efficient, and cohesive experience for our clients?

In October 2024, we officially merged Emerald House Studio and Downing Construction to form Emerald Design Build.

It wasn’t simply a rebrand or a new name. It was a deliberate decision to combine our experience, resources, and strengths into one company with a shared direction.

Today, Emerald offers architecture, interior design, and construction services, both independently and through our integrated design-build approach.

Our name may have changed, but the values that shaped our original businesses remain at the heart of what we do.

Two different beginnings. One shared vision. And a whole lot of history behind the name Emerald Design Build. 💚

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 1 of 5 🌿Two businesses. One vision.This October marks two years since we brought Emerald Hou...
10/08/2026

TWO YEARS AS EMERALD | Part 1 of 5 🌿

Two businesses. One vision.

This October marks two years since we brought Emerald House Studio and Downing Construction together to create Emerald Design Build!

To celebrate, we’re sharing a five-part series about where we started, how we’ve grown, and what’s next.

Before Emerald Design Build, before we had a team behind us, employees, meetings, schedules, and a whole lot of moving parts… there was just the two of us.

Two kids with big dreams, a lot of ambition, and probably very little understanding of what we were getting ourselves into.

We’re Megan and Zach. An architect and a builder. A husband and wife. Two very different personalities with a shared desire to create something of our own.

In the early days, we wore every hat imaginable. Designers, builders, estimators, project managers, bookkeepers, marketers, and everything in between. We answered phones, met with clients, worked late nights, made mistakes, learned lessons, and figured things out as we went.

We each had our own talents, goals, and ideas of success. But somewhere along the way, we realized that what we were building separately could become something much bigger together.

In October 2024, we made it official. And while the name was new, the foundation had been years in the making. Today, we’re fortunate to have a team bringing their own talents, experience, and dedication to Emerald. Learning to build and support that team has been one of the most rewarding (and humbling!) parts of this journey.

But it’s worth remembering where it all started. Just two kids with an idea, a willingness to work hard, and a belief that we could build something meaningful together.

We’ve spent more time building our business than sharing the journey, but that’s about to change! We’re approaching our first 500 followers, and with exciting things ahead, we’d love your help growing our community. If you’ve supported us, worked alongside us, or simply enjoy following a growing small business, please follow and share our page!

We’re proud of where we started, grateful for everyone who’s helped us get here, and excited for what’s next. 💚

For us, design-build really does start at the ground.Sitework and foundations are a scope we typically self perform at E...
10/05/2026

For us, design-build really does start at the ground.

Sitework and foundations are a scope we typically self perform at Emerald. From excavation and grading to drainage, foundation prep, and concrete work, our team is involved from the first bucket in the ground.

Keeping this work in-house gives us greater control over sequencing, quality, and coordination between the plans and what’s actually happening in the field — especially when site conditions require decisions in real time.

10/04/2026

Framing starts very soon! Making progress on our custom home, The Contemporary Cut.

Something we don’t show off nearly enough: modular construction.While a lot of what we share here focuses on our archite...
09/04/2026

Something we don’t show off nearly enough: modular construction.

While a lot of what we share here focuses on our architecture, interiors, and custom residential work, modular construction has actually been a big part of what our construction crew does for years.

It’s also one of Zach’s specialties. From site preparation and foundations to setting modules with a crane and completing the work in the field, our crew has a lot of experience bringing modular projects together once they hit the site.

This week was another set day — and a good reminder that we need to get better about sharing this side of what we do.

There’s something pretty incredible about watching months of planning and coordination turn into a building in a matter of hours.

More modular content coming. We’ve been doing it for years — we’re just finally coming around to showing it off.

Better 1 or better 2? Today we’re testing a VE massing alternative and making our Chat responses even stronger!
08/18/2026

Better 1 or better 2? Today we’re testing a VE massing alternative and making our Chat responses even stronger!

We’re hiring a Project Support Coordinator to support our construction division.🛠️🦺If you’re organized, proactive, and e...
08/05/2026

We’re hiring a Project Support Coordinator to support our construction division.🛠️🦺

If you’re organized, proactive, and excited to be part of a collaborative design-build team, we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more and apply at:
emeralddesignbuild.com/careers

Or visit the Emerald Design Build LinkedIn page!

Address

435 Lancaster Street Suite 360
Leominster, MA
01453

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19788010087

Website

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