Structural Insulated Panels

If you are interested in building an energy efficient home, insulation is your top consideration and probably the most important component of the home. The design of the home, and in particular the kind and amount of insulation specified, can have a dramatic effect on the energy efficiency of a home by reducing or eliminating the need for heating and cooling.

For this reason, our architectural firm prefers to design homes with Structural Insulated Panels (SIP panels). SIPs, sometimes known as stress skin panels, are made of an insulating foam core with OSB (oriented strand board) bonded to either side. There are two popular types of foam cores – EPS (expanded polystyrene - photo, right), XPS (extruded polystyrene) -- ranging in R-Values from 13 to 40 (R-value refers to a materials ability to resist transferring heat), far above what conventional wall construction with fiberglass or cellulose insulation can deliver.

SIP panels address the efficiency of the home and can be used in any climate. The structural insulated panel enclosure system creates an energy efficient building envelope, keeping your home warm in the dead of winter and cool in the hot summer months. (SIPs were even supplied for the International Science Station at the South Pole, where summer temperatures average minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit!)

A SIP building envelope provides high levels of insulation and is extremely airtight, meaning the amount of energy used to heat and cool a home can be cut by up to 50 percent (visit the Structural Insulated Panel Association website at http://www.sips.org/).
Do you have questions about using SIP panels in your project? Let us know!
For information on the importance of ventilation in a SIP panel home, check out these blogs:
Structural Insulated Panel blogs found on the Post and Beam & Timber Frame Blog.

Stylish & Practical Shower Drain Designs

FOUND: Shower drains that are not only beautiful, but smart, as well.

If you haven’t seen the new StyleDrain collection by California Faucets, take a look at these innovative, stylish designs!

As residential architects, we love the square shape design which makes installation much easier than traditional round-shaped drains. Plus, its flush grill features smooth edges and no visible screws, ensuring foot comfort.

A functionality benefit is that the drains have a fast-draining capacity that handles water flow at the highest level of efficiency, even when using simultaneous body sprays, rain bars, and multiple showerheads!

Check out more on these patent-pending designs at California Faucets.

Earth Hour for Climate Change

On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. In the U.S. where we are already feeling the impacts of climate change, Earth Hour sends a clear message that Americans care about this issue and want to turn the lights out on dirty air, dangerous dependency on foreign oil and costly climate change impacts, and make the switch to cleaner air, a strong economic future and a more secure nation.

Participation is easy. By flipping off your lights on March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time you will be making the switch to a cleaner, more secure nation and prosperous America. View the Earth Hour toolkits, to find out what else you can do to get involved including leading the Earth Hour movement in your community.

Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour’s non-partisan approach has captured the world’s imagination and became a global phenomenon. Nearly one billion people turned out for Earth Hour 2009 – involving 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents.

Last year, 80 million Americans and 318 U.S. cities officially voted for action with their light switch, joining iconic landmarks from around the world that went dark for Earth Hour, including:

Empire State Building

Brooklyn Bridge

Broadway Theater Marquees

Las Vegas Strip

United Nations Headquarters

Golden Gate Bridge

Seattle’s Space Needle

Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple

Gateway Arch in St. Louis

Great Pyramids of Giza

Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens

Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro

St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London

Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower in Paris

Beijing’s Birds Nest and Water Cube

Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong

Sydney’s Opera House
Source: https://www.myearthhour.org/home
See what it's all about and why you should get involved:

NH Ski Up Mount Sunapee March 13, 2010

Join us Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Mount Sunapee for an awesome day of skiing, snowboarding, tailgating, networking, giveaways, and a barbecue!

Registration: Online
Pick up your pass: Starting at 8:00 AM Saturday, March 13th at Mt. Sunapee
BBQ lunch (FREE): 12:30 at the NH Ski Up Tent
Raffles / Apres Ski: Starting at 3:00 PM

Register online for discounted tickets ($39 each!), then just show up at the mountain, find the Ski-Up Tailgate Tent by the chairlifts to pick up your pass and fun bag of swag!

The first 30 registrants online receive a free T-Shirt! Register early at http://nhskiup1.eventbrite.com/. Already have a season pass at Sunapee? Your registration for the event is FREE!

The “beach” at Mt. Sunapee is your place for fun! Check it out!!


Don’t have ski or snowboard equipment? No problem, just bring a printout of your registration or mention “Ski-Up” to Outspokin’ located at the intersection of Rte 103A and Rte 103 and get discounted rentals ($20 for boots, poles, skis or snowboard)!

Need a place to stay? Lodging discounts provided by the Rosewood Inn and 1806 Inn. See registration page for details.

Sponsors: Colby Real Estate, Outspokin’ Bicycle & Sport, Sugar River Bank, Northcape Design Build, E-Forecasting, Bonin Architects, D'Orazio Electrical, Pizza Chef, Ellie’s Café & Deli, Lumber Barn, Anne Marie Appel / Massage Therapist, and Stimulus:Grafikus.
SEE YOU THERE!

2009 Trends Report: Residential Design & Build

Residential Design & Build magazine’s 2009 Trends Report has the latest data on home design and building trends (reporting on 2008).

One of the charts in the article lists items, features, and materials where clients cut back when their budget is tight. Not surprisingly, our history in dealing with architectural design clients indicates these are the same areas where our clients make adjustments when going through budgeting and cost comparisons.

The biggest adjustment we see clients make to meet budget requirements is reducing the overall square footage of the home and only designing as much house as they need. 

Homeowners are willing to cut down on the actual living space to cut costs. Small homes generally cost less, which means less money financed; require less energy for heating and cooling, which means lower energy costs; have smaller, more efficient systems (furnace, AC, plumbing, etc.), can earn points toward energy program certification for small size, and will require less maintenance.

We have several small home designs that meet our clients lifestyle needs as well as goals toward energy efficiency.

Georgian House | Colonial Revival

Our newest home design is for clients building a Colonial Revival in the Lake Sunapee area. This home style is also called a Georgian House, and is one of America’s favorite architectural styles.

This 4200 square foot, two story home has traditional form and simple, elegant lines indicative of colonial architecture. The home design is symmetrical and has a centrally located entry door and curved stairway. Windows are proportioned and balanced, and two fireplaces are located on each gable end of the home, also true to colonial home design.

The floor plan features an abundance of open and defined living space for hosting dinner parties and accommodating private conversations or visiting grandchildren watching television. The large, top-of-the-line kitchen is open to the dining and living areas, while a sunroom captures property views and adds to entertaining space.

The home also features an elevator to accommodate any future accessibility issues to the second floor master suite and guest bedrooms.

A guest house and barn were built last year on the property, allowing our clients to living in the carriage house while the main home is being built this spring.

Home Remodel and Addition

Work is under way for the remodeling phase for our clients' homes in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

The home remodelling plans include building an addition to add living space (brown sections on drawings indicate remodelled areas / changes). The existing dining area will move to the current living room, and the kitchen will gain the space created by moving the dining.

Kitchen / dining before remodel

Kitchen during remodeling

In addition to the kitchen renovation, the original one-story bump-out on the first floor west elevation will be replaced with a structural insulated panel, two-story addition in order to remodel the first floor bath and double the size of the second floor bathroom located above. Check back for ongoing construction photos!