Award Winning NH Lakefront Cottage Renovation

We were pleasantly surprised Saturday night at the AIANH Excellence in Architecture Design Award ceremony when our Lakefront Cottage Renovation project won TWO Awards:  The Merit Award and the People’s Choice Award in Residential Architecture!

Entries were judged on overall design excellence including aesthetics, clarity, creativity, appropriate functionality, sustainability, building performance, and appropriateness with regard to fulfilling the client's program. The entries were also previewed in the January/February 2011 issue of NH Home Magazine.  Winning entries will be featured in a future issue.

Residential Architecture: Lakefront Cottage Renovation

Architect: Jeremy Bonin, Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Merit Award and People’s Choice Award, Residential Architecture

Project Description:

Originally one of eleven cabins on “The Point”, the recently subdivided property left this and one other cabin in close proximity to the beautiful beach and lake. Removal of the ‘point’ cabin allowed for a meandering path from renovated cottage to the dock as well as substantially opening the view to the lake from the remaining cabin.

A newly exposed cathedral ceiling is warm and inviting as are the reused and repositioned windows and doors for capturing lakeside views and breezes. Salvaged and refinished from the cottage are framing lumber, T&G boards and floors. Finishes and materials are low or no VOC products and even the woodstove is a found item making a new home in this beautiful location.

With material reuse and minimal site impact as two principal goals throughout the design and renovation process, the resultant cabin provides for three seasons of comfortable lakefront access and family gatherings.

The 2011 jury was comprised of representatives from the State of Maine’s architecture community: James A. Sterling, AIA, Portland; Ellen Belknap, AIA, SMRT Architects, Portland; and Walter Arsenault, AIA, Fraser Matson Architecture & Planning, Falmouth.

Juror Comments: “Understated, simple, cost effective renovation. Excellent use of limited space. Restrained and authentic in use of materials and details. In some ways, this is the most appealing project …. maybe it speaks to the desire for simplicity in all of us.”

See more photos of this award-winning cottage at http://www.boninarchitects.com/en/selected-projects/selected-projects/83-portfolio/selected-projects/119-le-petite-pointe-cottage.html

 

About The American Institute of Architects

For 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge, and tools to create better design, and through such resources and access, they help clients and communities make their visions real. www.aia.org

 

About Jeremy Bonin and Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Jeremy Bonin, a principal partner of Bonin Architects & Associates, is an award-winning architect and the author of TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home.  Jeremy has a special interest in sustainable design and green homes with a specialty in green building and renewable energy systems. 

Bonin Architects & Associates, led by Kimberly Bonin and Jeremy Bonin AIA NCARB LEED AP, located in New London, NH, is a national   architectural firm licensed in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.  www.boninarchitects.com

Healthy Home, Healthy Family

There are many things you can do to make your home healthy.  A healthy home translates into better health for your family - as well as the environment.  Here's 10 ways you can make your house healthy, courtesy of the US Environmental Protection Agency:

   1. Clear the air.  Take the smoke-free pledge. Choose not to smoke in your home and do not permit others to do so. Small children are especially vulnerable to the health effects of secondhand smoke. Choose to smoke outside, if you must smoke. Moving to another room or opening a window is not enough to protect your children.

   2. Air quality.  Listen to local forecasts for ozone, smog and particulate matter. When levels are high, limit your outdoor activities.

   3. Rid your house of radon. January is National Radon Action Month!  Test the level of radon gas in your home with a radon test kit. If the test result is 4pCi/L or higher, takes steps to reduce radon.

   4. Some household products are toxic. Use with caution! Look for alternatives to pesticides and household chemicals. If you must use them, always read the label and follow directions exactly. Always store them in high locked cabinets and in their original containers.

   5. Check for carbon monoxide.  Check that all potential sources of carbon monoxide, such as space heaters and wood stoves, are well-vented and in proper working order. Never idle the car or lawnmower in the garage, or use propane heaters in tents!

   6. Water, water everywhere.   Know the quality of your drinking water. If you have a private drinking water well, test it periodically.

   7. Get the lead out.  Avoid potential sources of lead. If your home was built before 1978, have your home tested for lead paint. When remodeling or doing home repairs, be careful that you do not create lead dust. Keep children visiting your home away from lead hazards.

   8. Keep mercury from rising.  Limit your intake of specific types of fish with high levels of mercury. Have a mercury-free home-find alternatives to mercury thermometers or mercury used for cultural or spiritual practices.

   9. Too much sun is not much fun. Cover up, use SPF 15 or higher sun screen, and stay out of the midday sun to avoid damaging UV rays. Talk about the weather. Make a plan for temperature extremes-keep food, fluids and clothing stocked for extreme cold or heat, think of public places to go to escape the extreme temperatures, and identify who you can call for help if you need it.

  10. Wash your hands of it.  Keep the dirt outside. Remove shoes at the door. Wash your hands to keep dirt that might be contaminated with lead, and pesticides off you and your kids.

Lake Home Construction Photos: Near Mt. Sunapee NH

Construction is ongoing on our lakefront vacation home being built in Blodgett’s Landing, Newbury, NH, right near Mt. Sunapee, a tear down project replacing a small, worn-out cottage.

It sure is cold after our nor’easter (Newbury received 14” of new snow), but the crew has a weather-tight shell and temporary heat to help. The site is very tight, with neighboring houses on either side, which can hamper snow removal efforts, but so far has not been an issue.

Interior framing, plumbing, and electrical is ongoing.  Check back for progress photos!

Ten Reasons for Shopping Locally - New London, NH

Here is a re-print an article by Jessie Levine, New London NH’s town administrator on the benefits of shopping locally. To read Levine’s entire article (12/7/2010) titled “Budget Update & Shopping Locally,” visit the New London town website.

By Jessie Levine

You may have noticed that we have some new residents in New London, as the nutcracker soldiers began showing up around town early last week. The nutcrackers are the brainchildren of Destination New London, a group of local businesses working together to encourage people to shop locally this holiday season (and always). I thought I’d take this opportunity to remind everyone why I think shopping locally is important to New London.

Protect Local Character and Prosperity: By supporting locally-owned businesses, you maintain our unique and wonderful community. Our local businesses are here for us – let’s shop here for them!

1. Enhance Community Well-Being: Locally-owned businesses are good neighbors and contribute to local causes. If we don’t support our local businesses, they will not be here to support our special events, golf tournaments, raffle fundraisers, etc.
2. Encourage Local Decision Making: Local ownership means that decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions. Local businesses are caring and responsive to our needs.
3. Keep Dollars in the Local Economy: Dollars spent in locally-owned businesses have three times the impact on the community as dollars spent at national chains. Money spent in catalogs, on-line or in destination shopping centers does not come back to support our local economy.
4. Create Jobs and Improve Wages: Shopping locally creates jobs and promotes community development. Locally-owned businesses create local jobs with better wages and benefits.
5. Support Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship fuels our economy and elevates our families. Empty store fronts do not.
6. Reduce Public Costs: Local stores in town centers require less infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services than big box stores and shopping malls do.
7. Advance Environmental Sustainability: Local stores help sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers, which reduce sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution. Save gas – shop here!
8. Increase Competition: A competitive marketplace of small businesses ensures innovation and low prices. A rising tide raises all ships.
9. Encourage Product Diversity: A multitude of small businesses selecting products based on the needs of local customers guarantees a broader range of product choices.

Why would you want to deal with Route 12A traffic, anyway? West Lebanon could really use a few roundabouts…

Remodeling a House with Fire Damage

One of our projects is for a new two-story addition and remodel to a home damaged by fire last year in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Thankfully the fire was contained and only one wing was lost.  

Our architects are working directly with our clients to design the addition to closely match the existing house while taking advantage of the opportunity to make updates to the floor plan.

The ground floor in the new wing has an open kitchen and generous pantry, as well as a breakfast nook overlooking a three season porch.  A new two-story tower will conveniently house a stairway to the second floor Master Bedroom and a sitting area above the porch below.

To see other work by our residential architects, visit our online portfolio.

Vermont Custom Cabinetry

Are you building a new home?  If so, you know the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house.  Picking cabinetry is one of the bigger decisions you'll make.  We’ve been introduced to Vermont Custom Cabinetry – and if you haven’t seen their beautiful cabinetry, you should plan to visit one of their showrooms.

As you would expect, Vermont Custom Cabinetry hand-selects their woods for color and quality, then cuts and assembles each component to meet the specific requirements of your project. Each piece is hand-finished to your taste and carefully blanket-wrapped for delivery and installation in your home.

Let’s face it:  you want your cabinetry to be as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.  Vermont Custom Cabinetry creates exciting designs with specialty features and accessories to make your life easier and to complement any room, style or décor. They have a wide array of racks, dividers, pull-outs, shelves, lazy susans and more to accommodate all your work and storage needs.

Beaded Inset

Flush Inset

Frameless

Of course you want quality. One of Vermont Custom Cabinetry’s most important assets is their reputation.  They continually upgrade their materials and construction to ensure quality both in aesthetics and construction.

Talk to Bonin Architects about your new home design.  Our staff can guide you through the process of designing a custom home and design each interior space – kitchen, living areas, and private areas such as bedrooms and baths – around your site and your lifestyle.

Marvin Windows Lunch & Learn

Here’s some great information we heard today from AW Hastings representative, Joe Orsino, about Marvin:

Design flexibility and custom options:  Choose from seven interior wood species, nineteen clad colors, multiple glass and hardware options.  They also have limitless divided lite patterns.

Performance:  Marvin windows and doors resist the most extreme elements.  Each window is crafted with real wood throughout, and the exteriors feature extruded aluminum cladding, which is stronger than roll-form aluminum. 

Energy Efficiency:  All Marvin products meet or exceed federal ENERGY STAR® guidelines and a variety of energy-efficient glass options to meet any need.

Delivery details:  They pay attention to builders’ suggestions in packing and delivering their windows and doors.  For instance, doors are delivered with handles on the side, making it easy for builders to unload.  Another detail you will appreciate:  window hardware mechanisms come attached to the windows so they don’t get lost on site!

Green homes start with green home design.  Call Bonin Architects to see how we can help you design an energy efficient home that will reduce your heating and cooling costs!