Building Houses
Spatial changes / additions
See why you should use an architect for your remodeling project at http://timberframeblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/home-renovations-hire-architect.html.
Interior Design
If you are planning a construction or remodeling project, there are a number of things you can do before you start:1. Contact your local builder's association, your county solid waste department, or your state environmental agency. They will provide information on recyclers and waste haulers in your area.
2. Consider whether deconstruction techniques can be used to prepare your site for renovation or construction. In some communities, deconstruction auctions are being effectively used to move building materials into the reuse market.
3. Check with local salvagers before purchasing new products. You might be surprised to find that many of them offer cabinets, doors, windows, and flooring that are in good condition for greatly reduced prices.
4. Reuse, and Recycling of Demolition Waste (PDF). This document can assist users in determining the most feasible methods for reducing C&D debris being disposed of in landfills.
5. Donate the C&D materials that you are not planning to use to a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.
interior decoratinghouse construction
Interior Design
Any home three stories or less can earn the ENERGY STAR label if it has been verified to meet EPA's guidelines. Energy Star Homes are typically 20-30% more energy efficient than standard homes – why? Energy Star homes incorporate these eco friendly features:
1. Effective Insulation
2. High-Performance Windows
3. Tight Construction and Ducts
4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment
5. Efficient Products
6. Third-Party Verification
The benefits of building an energy efficient home are plenty:
LOWER OWNERSHIP COST
Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating-delivering $200 to $400 in annual savings.
Over the average 7 to 8 years you may live in your home, this adds up to thousands of dollars saved on utility bills. Additional savings on maintenance can also be substantial. Financing your home purchase using an energy efficient mortgage can also lead to savings.
BETTER PERFORMANCE
Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better protection against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pollution, and noise. An energy-efficient home helps ensure consistent temperatures between and across rooms, improved indoor air quality, and greater durability.
SMART INVESTMENT
To date, more than 8,500 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct more than 1 million ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the ENERGY STAR label, you can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Did you know that your home can be a greater source of pollution than your car? In fact, 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the energy used in houses nationwide.
Energy used in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming. Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate.
Source: energystar.govinterior decoratinghouse construction
Interior Design
You have a home design you love - now it's time to find a builder. Here is great information from the National Association of Home Builders we want to pass on. If you are building a new home or addition, or remodeling your home, use this checklist to help you select a builder to perform the work.
Does the builder or remodeler have a permanent business location and a good reputation with local banks and suppliers? - How long have they been in the building business? It usually takes three to five years to establish a financially sound business. Will they be around after the construction is complete to service any warranties?
- Have you called your local Better Business Bureau? They can alert you to any complaints.
- Does the builder/remodeler have sufficient workers compensation and general liability insurance? If not, you may be liable for any construction-related accidents on your premises.
- Will the builder/remodeler provide you with names of previous customers? Ask them if they would hire the builder/remodeler again.
- Have you seen the builder/remodelers work, both completed and in progress? Check for quality of workmanship and materials.
- Are you able to communicate with the builder/remodeler? Remember you will be in close contact with them throughout the construction process and afterward as you live in your new home.
- Will the builder/remodeler provide you with a complete and clearly written contract? The contract will benefit both of you. Review it carefully.
- Be cautious of unusually low-priced bids. If the builder/remodeler is unable to pay for the materials and labor as the project proceeds, this may indicate a potential problem.
Interior Design
Our next event will be held at a spectacular custom home near Lake Sunapee, NH. If you are looking for land in the Sunapee / New London area, or already have property and are planning to build a new home, this event is for you!
603-504-6009
Interior Design
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:
Interior Decoration
Mold and mildew can not only cause structural problems in a home, they are the cause of many illnesses and allergies – making them one of your home’s worst enemies. Cleaning and getting rid of mold can be a very difficult, expensive, and time consuming project. If you’re building a new energy efficient home, an important consideration in its construction is controlling moisture to prevent mold and mildew buildup.There are two types of moisture that can enter a home: bulk moisture and vapor moisture. Bulk moisture can get into a home around windows, doors, and leaks in the roof, as well as from condensation from pipes and ducts. Vapor moisture forms as a result of cooking, showering (yes, those long, hot showers), laundry, changes to the humidity level in the home, and just general living.
How do green homes manage moisture? A few ways are by having:
- A well-designed floor plan and careful placement and orientation of the home on the lot to take advantage of solar access and shading;
- Energy efficient insulation system to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer which heps reduce condensation and mold growth;
- Well-sealed, energy efficient windows and doors;
- Good ventilation with heat recovery ventilation (HRV) units and extraction fans in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Moisture control starts with the green home design. Talk to an architect about your plans to build a healthy, energy efficient home for your family and build a new home that manages moisture and prevents mold!
interior decorationInterior Decoration
With limited land available, especially lakefront properties, many people are purchasing old camps and cottages to tear the house down and rebuild a new, energy efficient home.Traditionally, a bulldozer or other large piece of equipment levels the house in a matter of minutes and the debris is taken to a landfill. A green alternative would be to tear the house down in stages, carefully preserving the material and selling it at a demolition auction.
What can be salvaged and reused from a tear down?
- Building components such as doors, windows, plumbing fixtures, etc.
- Glass
- Metals
- Brick
- Wood
- Asphalt
- Concrete
- Gypsum
- Plastics
- Landscaping, including trees, stumps, and rocks
On the other hand, you might want to check out a demolition auction to find recycled materials if you are building a new home or remodeling your existing home. These types of auctions are held at the house to be torn down, and bidders are allowed to tour the home prior to the auction. You can get everything from fixtures, appliances, flooring, and walls.
Tip: Be prepared to be required to remove the items yourself.
interior decorationInterior Decoration
Writer Peter Lobred asks Jeremy Bonin, a LEED accredited architect and the author of the timber frame book, TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home, pointed questions about building a timber frame home and incorporating sustainable design. After explaining some of the catch phrases in the green building industry, Jeremy answers questions such as “What are some basic considerations – or the most crucial elements – that consumers / architects can incorporate into their plans for sustainable design?” and “Does there seem to be a natural fit between timber frame homes and green considerations?”
Asked about the cost versus benefits of energy efficient home design and sustainable options, Jeremy reminds homeowners that the simplest solutions are not only the most cost effective and usually provide the largest return on investment. For example, designing the home for passive solar heating and daylighting adds no cost to the home and offers huge savings; using an energy-efficient insulation system such as Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) to keep heat in and cold air out and only designing as much house as you need means lower energy bills for years to come.
If you’re building a green home, whether it’s timber frame, post and beam, structural insulated panels, or another energy efficient building system, energy efficient home design starts with the site selection and site design. Jeremy suggests consulting with an architect in the earliest possible stage, even prior to purchasing your land, and discussing your ideas and green materials you want to incorporate.
Read the full article, Simply Green.
Jackie Lampiasi, Bonin Architects & Associatesinterior decoration
Interior Decoration
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is changing the way we think about buildings, specifically with regard to energy usage. Buildings currently account for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions, a fact we simply cannot ignore. AIA architects are leading the way by integrating sustainable design practices in all of their projects, thereby being able to reduce energy consumption to less than half.This is a strong stand, but a necessary step toward achieving a 50% reduction from the current consumption level of fossil fuels used to build and operate new and renovated buildings by the year 2010. To meet this goal, the AIA started the "Walk the Walk" movement by saying, "We strongly believe that the time for talk has passed, and now it is the time to walk the walk.
AIA architects are uniquely poised to provide the leadership and guidance needed to provide solutions to reduce our national and global carbon footprint. By using sustainable design practices and techniques, such as proper siting, building form, glass properties and location, material selection and incorporating natural heating, cooling, and ventilation and day-lighting strategies, architects design building to operate with far less energy than today’s average home with little or no additional cost.
AIA Architects "walk the walk" on sustainable design. Bonin Architects & Associates is helping you to walk the walk. Are you building a green home in the near future, or thinking about building an addition to your existing home? Call us or visit us at one of our upcoming events, including home shows, green events and seminars, and a Home Tour (May 16th )of an energy efficient home built with SIP Panels by Murus. Learn more about how you can lower your home’s energy consumption and play an active role in, well … saving the earth.
Interior Decoration
Green homes stem from an overall concert for their environment. Their design, materials, and systems set them apart from conventional homes. For example, green homes outperform conventional homes these areas:Environment / Site: Landscaping which focuses on using native plants has a positive effect on the site by reducing irrigation, pesticides, and fertilizers. Tree selection and preservation can reduce energy costs by creating buffers from winter winds and providing shade for summer.
Home Design: Using passive solar design techniques such as maximizing southern exposure and south-facing windows helps keep the home warm in winter and increases natural light. Green homes have a minimal footprint, which keep energy costs low.
Exterior Shell: Energy efficient materials such as SIPs panels (structural insulated panels) and ICF (insulated concrete form) foundations provide a thermal barrier against winter cold and summer heat. Energy efficient windows with low-E coatings reflect infrared light which helps heat the home in winter and cool the home in summer.

Building Materials: Durable, low maintenance, recycled materials for the roof, siding, decks, porches, trim, and fencing reduce replacement costs, save money on installation, protect against water and insects, and provide longer warranties. Purchasing pre-built factory components uses raw materials efficiently, reduces on-site waste, and energy costs to deliver materials to the site.
Heating, Cooling, and Water Systems: Green homes use less energy than conventional homes. Having heating and cooling equipment and water systems correctly sized for the home saves money. Water conservation techniques such as reducing overall consumption by specifying low-flow water fixtures, low-flush or composting toilets, installing aerators on all taps and nozzles and installing grey water systems reduces energy costs and water usage. Solar and geothermal systems heat and cool the space in green homes and provide hot water, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Interior: Green homes include natural interior products such as Marmoleum (made with flax, rosins, and wood fiber), wood, concrete, wool carpet, tile, local slate, and cork. Also, low odor / low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and environmentally-friendly finishes for wood and stone help create a healthy indoor environment. ENERGY STAR appliances contribute, using an average of 30% less energy over standard appliances.
Green homes are designed to combine systems, materials, and features reduce energy and impact to the surrounding environment. Naturally you have questions. Consult with a green architect to design an energy efficient home you will be able to enjoy for years to come.interior decoration
Interior Decoration
Tax credits for new green homes are better than ever! A 30% tax credit (including labor and installation), with no upper limit, is available for consumers building new homes (through 2016) for:- Photovoltaics
- Solar Water Heaters
- Geothermal Heat Pumps
- Small Wind Energy Systems
- Fuel Cells (for primary residences only)
For more information, see
There is a $2,000 tax credit for building a new energy efficient home, but it is ONLY available to "eligible contractors"; therefore, owner/builders may not receive the builder tax credit unless employed as eligible contractors.
See Energy Star and the IRS for more information.interior decoration
Interior Decoration

Bring your thoughts, ideas, and sketches (even if they're more like doodles) and we'll be happy to answer any questions before or after the seminar (and at the open house) to help you start thinking about your home design and what energy efficient materials and features you would like to put in your home.Timber frame home photo courtesy of Timberpeg®
Interior Decoration
There is a lot of talk about energy efficient homes and ENERGY STAR®. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that provides information, training, and certification of products and practices to help homeowners save money and protect the environment.
Make sure you hire a "green architect" who is knowledgeable in green home design, the Energy star program, and energy efficient products. After the home is built, you will need to have an independent ENERGY STAR qualified Home Energy Rater evaluate your home to be certified as an ENERY STAR home. After approval, the only thing left to do is to enjoy the comfort of your new energy efficient home, marvel at your low energy bills, and admire your ENERGY STAR label on your home’s breaker box!
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Interior Decoration
Green is all the rave – everywhere you look you can find information on green materials and building products. Most of the people we meet at home shows are looking to build the most energy efficient home they can afford, but, in their efforts to research energy efficient homes, have been besieged with green systems, green technologies, green materials, and green businesses and services who will install them.Our philosophy is that anything that can be done better and is financially feasible, should be done. In order to encourage and promote green building and sustainable construction practices, technologies, materials and energy conservation, we team with builders and renewable energy experts to host seminars on designing and building green homes.
Our seminars feature specific topics: Green Home Design, SIP panels (structural insulated panels), Timber Frame Homes, and Renewable Energy Systems. We emphasize the fact that a green home starts with a green home design, and so naturally the first topic discusses the aspects of green home design and what it means to be “sustainable”. This presentation includes passive and active design, guiding principles, and the phases of home design.

We recommend using SIP panels to clients, whether or not they are interested in building a timber frame home. SIP panels create a high performance, continuous thermal envelope which keeps the home warm in winter and cold in summer. Timber frames, a specialty green building system, are not only energy efficient but beautiful as well. Hybrid homes (utilizing two or more building systems, i.e. a home with a timber frame main section and SIP panel wings for bedrooms, bathroom, etc.) are very popular, as they create visual interest in specific areas of the home for generally less money.
What have our guests said about our seminars? Here are two comments we received:
“We have been attending home shows, seminars, and visiting log cabin / timber frame manufacturers for the past eight years and have not gotten half as much out of the time as we did from your seminar.”
“Thank you for preparing such a well-organized, informational day. We really enjoyed all of the speakers and learned so much.”
We also have guests tell us they were not going to use an architect for their home design, but the seminar showed them the benefits of working with a design professional:
“Jeremy's presentation was brilliant and made more sense than all the reading and on-line investigating I've been doing. I had not been considering working with an architect before, but am convinced now that I should."
For a list of our upcoming seminars on building a green home, visit our green events page. Together we can make a difference – one green home at a time.
Interior Decoration
Green homes enjoy significant savings over conventional homes – but what makes a home green? Interior Decoration
Green home design is only one part of the sustainable building equation. Equally important are the methods and practices your contractor uses during the construction process in order to minimize impact to the site environment. Two main areas that should be given attention are pollution prevention and site protection. These should be discussed during the interview process with your builder and outlined thoroughly to make sure best practices for sustainable building are in place.
Pollution prevention can be controlled on site by addressing soil erosion, airborne dust generation, and waterway sedimentation. The site should especially be protected by eliminating the runoff of sediment created by such practices as silt fencing, seeding and mulching and creating sediment traps and basins.Environmental quality on the jobsite is an important consideration and counts toward LEED points if you want your home to be LEED certified. Some of the things your contractor should be knowledgeable about are site impact, construction waste, indoor air quality, and the use of paints and adhesives.
Your builder should always keep construction equipment within minimal limits to avoid site disturbance. Construction waste recycling is a primary concern. Builders who recycle 50% of construction materials are complying with minimum standards. Additional LEED points are given incrementally to projects with over 75% and up to 95% waste recycling. Best practices in maintaining healthy indoor air quality should be adhered to, including keeping all ductwork, carpets, and other indoor materials covered to remain dust-free. Any and all paints, stains, coatings, adhesives, and indoor sealants should be specified low-VOC in your home to prevent off-gassing. Finally, prior to taking occupancy, the contractor should change all filters and perform a two-week flush of the home with clean outdoor air.
By using best practices in sustainable construction when you decide to build a home, you will be protecting your health and environment simultaneously.
interior decoration
Interior Decoration
Water is one of our most precious resources. While the surface of the earth is composed of 97% water, less than 1% suitable for human consumption. Right now, over 40% of our seas are damaged and global warming, over usage, and pollution continue to make the problem worse. Interior Decoration
Looking to cut your water heating energy costs by 50%? Think about installing a solar water heater. Solar water heaters are designed to use with an electric or gas back-up water heater and can literally cut your water heating bill in half (about $190/year combined with a gas water heater and $250/year with an electric water heater). And, the larger your family, the greater your savings.Generally, the return on investment for a solar system takes about 10 years to pay for itself, but that can be sooner if you take advantage of energy tax credits. Some areas also have other incentives. See if you can get an Energy Star rebate.
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Interior Decoration

We vary our seminar topics to include popular green building elements and areas of home design, construction, and renewable energy that appeal to the average homeowner. This seminar included Green Home Design by NH Architect Jeremy Bonin, Bonin Architects & Associates; Timber Framing & SIP Panels by Custom Builder Jay Tucker; and Geothermal Heating Systems by Bob Partridge. Guests were encouraged to ask questions during and after the seminar. Quite a few couples stayed to talk to us about their projects and are excited to get started on their home design.
After the seminar, we headed over to a local Timberpeg® timber frame home, a gorgeous 2100 square foot lakefront home with solar energy and geothermal heating systems. The home features a first-floor Master Bedroom suite, two bedrooms, full bath, and a children’s play area on the second floor, two-car garage, screened in porch, and central fireplace in the cathedral great room. The home overlooks picturesque Lake Sunapee and is the perfect four-season home. More than one guest commented they would be “willing” to move in permanently!




