What is the mission of Modern NetZero?

At ModernNetZero, we seek to be leaders in the evolution of our local built environment by creating a transformative path in architectural and building sustainability. We intertwine design and technology with attention to detail to create homes that are in alignment with the Earth. We strive to demonstrate that a company can do well while doing good. We want our homes to serve as a foundation for individual and collective transformation for generations to come.

What are the key brand elements?

Clean lines
Modern architecture
Light filled
Organic modern design
Bringing the outdoors in
Living in harmony with nature
Optimized for living and entertaining
Designed well being
Green Technology

What does "NetZero living" actually mean?

It means virtually no energy bills (heating/cooling/electric/pool heating). Over the course of each year, the house produces about as much energy as it consumes. Saving the homeowner $15K-$30K per year in operating costs depending on the size of the home, which puts a smile on your face when you get your bills. It also means our homes have virtually no ongoing carbon footprint, so they won’t contribute to pollution or climate change... .which will put an even bigger smile on your face.

What inspired you to launch MNZ?

After a career as an executive in a fast-growing IT company in NYC, Marc Clejan started GreenLogic in 2005 to offer green technology solutions (solar, wind, geothermal) to homeowners and businesses. Since its founding, GreenLogic worked on thousands of homes and realized that most existing and new home designs were not able to take full advantage of today’s amazing new green technologies. Most homes today are built the same as they have been built for over 100 years. While technology and design are rapidly transforming many industries, homes have not been progressing very much. Marc recognized this gap and decided to launch MNZ to bring this idea to reality.

MNZ is a husband & wife business, how would you describe each of your roles?

We started by designing and building a new home for ourselves where we could test out our ideas and prove our concept. Anna brought her background as an artist and designer to direct MNZ’s creative efforts, to make the houses look amazing, and ensure they provide better quality of life with no compromises from all the innovative technology and engineering I (Marc) put into the house. We wanted to have our cake and eat it too: a drop dead architecturally stunning and beautiful house, that was more comfortable and fun to live in, and was far greener than anything else out there.

Why was it important to you to live in the first MNZ home you built?

We lived in that first house to make sure it worked as a proof of concept. We found that it exceeded our expectations and everyone who saw it agreed. After a full year, we confirmed that it produced as much energy as it consumed, and was in fact a true NetZero house!

What was the biggest surprise about living in the home?

We were very surprised at how warm, cozy and sunny the house was in the winter. The geothermal heat is much more comfortable than traditional heat. It’s less dry, there are no drafts, the surfaces all warm up, and the temperature is super stable. This was a huge surprise because there are so many floor to ceiling windows in the house and it was a record cold winter with many days below zero...but we were toasty and warm inside. And during the summer, the geothermal cooling performs much better than regular A/C, making the house super comfortable year-round.

We also realized how much we loved the connection to the outdoors, through all the well-placed glass windows/doors and indoor/outdoor spaces where our artwork was provided by Mother Nature.

How many MNZ homes will you design and build each year? How long does it take to build each home?

We want to stay small enough that we can make sure each house is perfect. Right now, we can achieve that goal with 2-3 houses a year. As we build out our processes and carefully grow our team we will expand that number while keeping the product perfect. We have developed a streamlined design/build process that allows us to design and build a house in about 12 months (which is about half the time it takes for a custom house in our market). Our process is not only faster and easier for our clients, it also saves them a bundle.

Who is the ideal MNZ home owner?

Everyone who appreciates beautiful architecture, design, advanced technology, and saving money.

Why was the Hamptons the ideal location to build the first MNZ homes?

Because the Hamptons is a very demanding market where customers expect the very best. If we can win over this market then we know our homes would be successful anywhere.

Are you open to design and build houses in other markets?

Outside the Hamptons, we can design homes for customers using our plans, specifications, technologies and methodologies. And, we can work closely with local GCs to execute the construction of the homes.

What differentiates MNZ?

Our homes take around 12 months to build, far below the average building time for comparable properties.
Upon moving into our homes, our clients face many advantages such as a client handbook with “how-to” information, maintenance specifications, and support contacts for optimizing their experience in their new home.
We work with our clients to ensure their home is as technologically integrated as desired, such as setting up automatic curtains, remote pool heating functions, a centralized ipad for remote control of temperature, speakers, and more.
We can add additional solar panels for electric vehicle charging that wont add to your monthly electric bill, making EV’s green by charging them with renewable energy.