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My Acton: A dream home arises on the Sudbury River

Our newest photo essay feature, My Acton, tells a fuller story of what it means to you to call Acton home.

Kayaking is a favorite family pastime. We have two home-built kayaks that have covered many miles on the Sudbury and Acton Rivers. When we had an opportunity to buy a house on the banks of the former, we jumped at it.
Kayaking is a favorite family pastime. We have two home-built kayaks that have covered many miles on the Sudbury and Acton Rivers. When we had an opportunity to buy a house on the banks of the former, we jumped at it.
My Acton logo

Everyone uniquely experiences Acton, and The Acton Bridge wants to know — and to see, and to share — what it’s like for you to live in our fair town. 

While your Acton Camera submissions capture a memorable moment in the times of our town, our newest photo essay feature, My Acton, tells a fuller story of what it means to you to call Acton home. 

We invite you to share your view of Acton by sending a set of seven to 10 well-composed, high-resolution photos that tell a visual story to [email protected] along with a short introductory paragraph that tells us about you and your pictures.

Our young family moved to Massachusetts in 2003 from the Midwest. We chose to live in Acton for its natural beauty, rich history, excellent school system, and proximity to work. When our three children left the nest, we downsized and moved to a smaller home in the Conantum neighborhood. Initially, we planned to renovate the poorly insulated 1950s mid-century modern house. When it became clear we would never achieve our energy conservation goals, we opted to build a new home on the same footprint. Designing and building a house has been a lifelong dream of ours. With help from every family member, we did significant portions of the work ourselves and hope to spend the rest of our lives here in Acton. 

— The Calabrias

Our young family moved to Massachusetts in 2003 from the Midwest. We chose to live in Acton for its natural beauty, rich history, excellent school system, and proximity to work. When our three children left the nest, we downsized and moved to a smaller home in the Conantum neighborhood. Initially, we planned to renovate the poorly insulated 1950s mid-century modern house. When it became clear we would never achieve our energy conservation goals, we opted to build a new home on the same footprint. Designing and building a house has been a lifelong dream of ours. With help from every family member, we did significant portions of the work ourselves and hope to spend the rest of our lives here in Acton.­­ — The Calabrias
After breaking ground, the project moved along quickly. We spent a great deal of time on site to monitor progress, make real time decisions, and assist our contractors.
Frequent visitors to the build site were our adult children, who all lent a hand with the work — although perhaps not so much in this photo.
Frequent visitors to the build site were our adult children, who all lent a hand with the work — although perhaps not so much in this photo.
Moving construction materials and machines, installing the ventilation system, building, sanding, finishing and installing hardware on all of the cabinetry and stairs, running the low-voltage wiring, 3D printing needed parts, are just some of the tasks performed by the family “crew.”
Moving construction materials and machines, installing the ventilation system, building, sanding, finishing and installing hardware on all of the cabinetry and stairs, running the low-voltage wiring, 3D printing needed parts, are just some of the tasks performed by the family “crew.”
Design and construction of the stairs and railings proved to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks. The treads and railings are made from bamboo, and the risers are laser-cut steel.
Design and construction of the stairs and railings proved to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks. The treads and railings are made from bamboo, and the risers are laser-cut steel.
Our design goal was to create an environmentally friendly, calm and cozy space with a strong visual connection to our natural surroundings.
Our design goal was to create an environmentally friendly, calm and cozy space with a strong visual connection to our natural surroundings.
Our design goal was to create an environmentally friendly, calm and cozy space with a strong visual connection to our natural surroundings. Sustainable building materials (fly ash vertical siding, rice hull horizontal siding, aluminum roof, bamboo cabinetry), geothermal heating and cooling, hyperinsulation and sealing make this a home that is good for our planet. We are thrilled to be living here and being part of the Acton community.
Sustainable building materials (fly ash vertical siding, rice hull horizontal siding, aluminum roof, bamboo cabinetry), geothermal heating and cooling, hyperinsulation and sealing make this a home that is good for our planet. We are thrilled to be living here and being part of the Acton community.

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