A Home for Future Generations
Natick Morse Institute Library lawn, 14 E Central St, Natick, MA 01760
Framingham, 3 Oak Street, Framingham, MA 01701
Thank you to our sponsors!
The meaning behind the colors
This shingle wall interprets an "Energy Conservation Journey," using an artistic translation of data from the MIT Sustainable Design Lab’s Massachusetts Building Inventory tool (MABI) to show how a MetroWest home can reach zero emissions through actions supported by Mass Save and the state’s solar program.
Siding shingles progress through a color-coded spectrum—from red and orange to teal, blue, and purple—illustrating how household emissions decline after installing insulation, upgrading to efficient appliances, switching to heat pumps, and adding solar panels. Purple shingles represent avoided emissions, growing with each action until a home reaches net zero.
Each shingle features a hand-painted response from a community member, blending personal visions for the future with concerns about the present:
Red & Orange: Highlight the consequences of inaction and the present and future impacts of climate change.
Teal & Blue: Illustrate attainable, actionable ways to cut carbon emissions.
Purple: Imagine what becomes possible when we achieve net zero.
An integrated augmented reality (AR) component connects viewers directly to incentives and expert guidance to spark community-led environmental stewardship.
This program is partly supported by a grant from the Natick LCC, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Interior Murals
Inside the structure, viewers discover two immersive murals that offer a more intimate, reflective experience:
Illustrated Mural by Fornasaro: Created by collaborating artist Raquel Fornasaro, adapting drawings collected from local students illustrating their visions of a sustainable future.
Text Mural by Csekö: Features inspiring excerpts from Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s book, What If We Get It Right?, anchoring the space in radical optimism and climate possibilities.
Keep scrolling for more information!
Resource List
Making Our Communities a Home for Future Generations
The City of Framingham and the Town of Natick are proud to work with residents and businesses to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions.
Together they share the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, and each have sustainability staff and appointed committees working to make this happen.
Framingham and Natick are designated as Green Communities by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and have already reduced energy use from municipal buildings by more than 20% from their baselines. In doing so, the municipalities regularly leverage Mass Save programs to assess the performance of municipal buildings and to pay for energy upgrades.
To learn more about municipal efforts, visit:
Resources for your Home’s Energy Conservation Journey:
Start by visiting MassSave.comto schedule a no-cost energy audit and learn about incentives/ rebates
Use the MABI tool to learn how specific upgrades to your home can reduce emissions and improve efficiency
Get free coaching on heat pumps from neighbors volunteering with the HeatSmartAlliance.org
Use EnergySage to quickly estimate your home’s solar potential and savings
Find clean energy contractors that can help at GoClean.MassCEC.com/installers
We are loving What if we get it Right? by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a refreshing take on the climate crisis
artist team
Photo by Dana J. Quigley
Byggmeister is a 43-year-old worker-owned residential remodeling company committed to serving as an exemplary steward of existing homes. We treat every renovation project as an opportunity to make homes more comfortable, durable, and energy-efficient because better-performing homes are better for the people living in them and for the planet.
Shachmut Photography
Julia Csekö and Raquel Fornasaro are Brazilian-American visual artists and educators committed to socially engaged, community-centered public art that bridges aesthetics, education, and participation. Both are award-winning professionals with extensive exhibition histories in galleries, museums, and public spaces. Csekö brings deep public art experience, including her 2024 Salem Public Artist in Residence role, and several completed commissions, with large-scale murals currently on view in Boston and Jamaica Plain. Her work often highlights language, democratic participation, and co-creation. Fornasaro’s multidisciplinary practice integrates storytelling, ecological consciousness, and community engagement, including a painted piano for Newton’s Artful Pianos and a heart sculpture for Framingham’s Many Cultures, One Heart, both on view. Together, they combine complementary strengths to create impactful, socially responsive public art.
Thank you to the exXpert Byggmeister building team
Event Partners
We completed over 30 public engagement sessions in Framingham and Natick, where community members painted siding shingles and made drawings incorporated into the final piece!
Thank you to the following organizations for hosting art-making opportunities:
Danforth Museum, Keefe Tech, Framingham Public Library, Walsh Middle School, Potter Road Elementary School, Callahan Center, Framingham High School, Town Employee Activity Framingham, Stapleton Elementary School, Harmony Grove Elementary School, Brophy Elementary School
Framingham
Morse Institute Library, Walnut Hill, Wilson Middle School, Natick Community Organic Farms (Craft Movie Night), Natick Community-Senior Center, Hemenway Elementary School, Memorial Elementary School (Maple Magic), Natick Teen Center, First Congregational Church, Lilja Elementary School
Natick
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