A personal tour of Carbon’s philosophy in practice
As longtime fans of Homeworthy, we’re excited to share that Carbon Home Zero - Founder and CEO Sam Fertik’s family home - has been featured in a recent tour. In the video, Sam invites viewers inside his Pound Ridge home, offering insight into both the thinking behind its design and the experience of living there.
Rooted in Place, Designed with Intention
As Sam explains, from the outset, the home was shaped by its setting. Inspired by the surrounding farming and horse culture, and situated on rolling hills, Sam describes the house as a modern barn - one that subtly expresses contemporary design while feeling grounded, solid, and secure. Built with steel and insulated concrete forms (ICF), it has the reassuring presence of what Sam jokingly calls “a bomb shelter,” without ever feeling heavy.
A Home Built for Living - and Entertaining
The kitchen and living spaces are informal, generous, and designed to bring people together. Oversized appliances dictated the width of the entire house - an example, Sam notes, of the balance between creativity and logistics that defines every Carbon home.
Expansive triple-glazed windows frame slivers of the landscape, allowing you to see snowfall without feeling the cold. Views shift with the seasons, while the interior remains calm, quiet, and comfortable year-round. And then there’s the art. Particularly his daughter’s ever-growing collection, proudly displayed directly on the windows, turning a highly technologically advanced facade into an incredibly overengineered (even by Carbon standards) pinboard.
Spaces That Reveal Themselves Over Time
The home unfolds thoughtfully. A hidden guest wing offers a surprise on arrival, while maintaining clear sightlines straight through to the landscape beyond. Inside, a circular flow connects two hallways anchored by a monumental dining table - coated in carbon and requiring 28 people to install. As Sam puts it, “It’s not going anywhere, that’s for sure.”
After nearly three years, the house is still evolving. Artwork rotates, family debates continue over whether a chandelier is needed, and the infrastructure quietly waits should tastes change.
Comfort, Performance, and a Sense of Calm
Environmental considerations played their part in the design, too - from the bespoke fireplace to the concrete structure itself - every element delivers a home that is not only sustainable, but deeply comfortable and quiet.
As Sam reflects at the close of the tour, returning home brings a feeling of being grounded and secure: a reminder that when a house is built with care and quality, it can truly become a forever home.
