Timber Home Living Drawing Board: Bonus Points

Looking to add a guest bedroom or bonus room over a timber frame garage?  If so, you won’t want to miss the article in the current issue of Timber Home Living magazine, “Bonus Points”!  

Architect Jeremy Bonin gives tips for handing ceiling height and headroom issues, heating and cooling issues, and accessibility issues specific to second floor access.

Read an excerpt of the Timber Home Living article on the Press page of our website.

Meet our Staff: Intern Architect Christopher Timberlake

Bonin Architects’ Intern Architect Christopher Timberlake obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Studies and his Masters degree in Architecture from Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont.

Prior to joining Bonin Architects, Chris was an architectural designer for a national timber frame company for five years and was head of the design department during his last year there.  His knowledge in sustainable design, green building materials, and energy efficient homes, high level of creativity, devotion to quality design, and professionalism benefits all of our projects. His professional experience, coupled with his enthusiasm for architecture and strong work ethic is a great asset to our company.

More about Intern Architects:

An intern architect, or sometimes an architectural intern, is a person who has successfully completed a professional degree in architecture (B.Arch or M.Arch) and is studying for the professional licensure/ registration exam.   In order to be licensed, candidates prepare for and take the Architect Registration Examination^® (ARE^®), which assesses candidates for their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide the various services required in the practice of architecture.  Seven divisions make up the Architect Registration Examination:

Programming, Planning & Practice: The application of project development knowledge and skills relating to architectural programming; environmental, social, and economic issues; codes and regulations; and project and practice management. 

Site Planning & Design:  The application of knowledge and skills of site planning and design including environmental, social, and economic issues, project and practice management. 

Building Design & Construction Systems:  The application of knowledge and skills of building design and construction, including environmental, social, and economic issues, project and practice management. 

Schematic Design:  The application of knowledge and skills required for the schematic design of buildings and interior space planning. 

Structural Systems:  Identification and incorporation of general structural and lateral force principles in the design and construction of buildings. 

Building Systems:  The evaluation, selection, and integration of mechanical, electrical, and specialty systems in building design and construction. 

Construction Documents & Services:  Application of project management and professional practice knowledge and skills, including the preparation of contract documents and contract administration.

Building a new timber home

You’ve made the decision to build an energy efficient timber home but may be no further in the process than that initial decision.  Bonin Architects & Associates is ready to help you design and build a home that not only matches your needs and fulfills your desires, but also meets your budget.  Throughout the architectural design and construction administration process, we will help you give consideration to the impact to both the site environment and to the building itself in terms of stewardship and environmental quality.  
 
Here are five factors Bonin Architects & Associates will urge you to contemplate when building a sustainable, energy efficient timber frame home:

1. Site consideration
2. Water efficiency
3. Energy and atmosphere
4. Materials and resources
5. Indoor environmental quality

There are many material choices and alternative energy solutions available in building a timber home that is considered truly green.  Our architects will present many of these to you during the design phase of the project, keeping in mind your project goals and budget.  Some considerations are:

• Recycled and reclaimed materials: Wood species, Roofing material, Decking
• Insulation systems: Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
• Renewable Energy Systems

By mapping your objectives and goals during the design process, Bonin Architects will then work with you to exceed your expectations in building your green home.  The end result fulfills more than the basic need for shelter – your sustainable home will provide maximum return on your investment, require minimal maintenance, and satisfy the innate desire to create a nurturing environment in which your family can flourish.

 Call us to discuss your project at 603-526-6200 or email info@boninarchitects.com

New Homes: Size Matters

Building a new home, no matter what style or construction type, impacts the environment. Our goal as green architects is to limit that impact through the green home design process and construction of the home. Not surprisingly, the size of a new home can and does influence its environmental impact. With the green building movement taking shape over the past ten years, one would think the average home size has decreased. On the contrary: the average new home built in 2008 in the northeast was 274 square feet larger than one built in 2000 (source NAHB).

Small homes have benefits over larger 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

Will require less maintenance
Less is definitely more in terms of size.

Small green homes are less in terms of:

Disturbance to the site, natural landscape, and habitat

Building materials and resources used

Toxic materials and harmful chemicals

Energy usage and water waste

If you have questions about the costs of building a new home, feel free to send us an email or give us a call!

Bonin Architects & Associates

info@boninarchitects.com

603-504-6009

Residential Architecture: Schematic Design

Some clients have already put a lot of time and effort thinking about the new timber home they want to build and come to us with magazine clippings, notebooks, and sketches of their new timber house. Others are in the beginning stages of the design of the home and are just starting to consider their needs and the flow of the floor plan.

In these cases we can prepare schematic design drawings to help our client visualize the scale and location of the rooms as well as the shape of the home’s footprint. Also shown in the schematic design drawings are boundaries, setbacks, vegetation, and the driveway approach to the home.

More detailed information, including the location of garage doors, fireplace placement, timber porches, decks, and outdoor spaces are also specified on the schematic drawing. Any changes or alterations to the layout of the home are easily accomplished in this stage.

After any changes are made to the layout and the schematic design is approved, more detailed floor plans are drawn depicting room sizes (erased from this example), furniture layout, and square footage. Notice in this example the first floor bedroom near the entry was eliminated.

Learn more about our architectural services and design fees for timber frame homes on our website, and feel free to ask questions specific to your project!

Timber House: Factors Impacting the Home Design

There are two basic factors in timber home design: fundamental and elemental. Fundamental considerations are tangible. For example, how many people will be living in your home? How much do you wish to invest, both financially and emotionally? Is it a timber house you’ll use after retirement, which might dictate single-level living? Only you can determine the emotional investment you’ll have in the house. This varies from person to person and typically affects how much day-to-day input you’ll have in the home’s development.

Elemental considerations are less tangible. The three I find most important are light, views and permanence. Light makes visible the spaces we inhabit. Light also has its own characteristics such as intensity, color, texture and depth, so light and its absence must be considered when designing. For example, if you have two identical rooms—one on the east side of a house and one on the west—each space will be perceived differently, even if they have the same colors, furnishings, textures, volume and design. Yes, it all comes down to sunlight. For example, if you’re not a morning person, it might not be a wise move to place your bedroom on the east side of the house.

Views come next. One of the advantages of a timber home is the ability of timbers to frame views of different spaces. A pair of posts might define the entrance from the dining to the living room; and a floor girder might delineate the dining from the living room in the same manner, acting as a soffit between different ceiling heights. Our experiences in a space often are based upon what we see or feel from it even before we enter a room.

The last is permanence. Obviously, a home is more than shelter. It can be a place of retreat and serenity, and when we can see and understand the structure that protects us—the posts, beams and braces—we gain a primal understanding of security. Again, many timber homes built long ago are still around today. We might not understand the comfort and security these structures provide, but we all perceive and feel those qualities the minute we set foot in one of these homes.

Kitchen Design Layout

Our clients who are building an energy efficient one story home in Jaffrey New Hampshire are in the Design Development phase. Chris drew a couple of kitchen design layouts for them to see and also provided the 3D rendering to match the layout. Adding people to the layouts will allow our clients visualize the scale of the room.


The first design is a galley layout with a long straight counter and the dining room table centered on the east wall between the patio doors.





The second kitchen design layout is U-shaped with the bench seat on the back side of the kitchen island, opening up the access areas.

The last design layout features a kitchen island with counter seating on the east side to access the patio and the dining table to the south, against the masonry heater.

Visit our website to see more drawings of this one story home design and our other current projects, including green homes and timber houses!

Drafting Service for Custom Homes

While most of our clients utilize our full architectural design and construction document services, in some instances we provide a drafting service (only drawings and renderings) in order to aid the client in visualizing the floor plans and elevations of their new home.

Our newest client, building a custom home along the banks of the Mississippi River, contacted us for drafting services to provide drawings to allow him to conceptualize the home on the property based on his sketches. He did not request a full construction set of plans or specifications as he is acting as the general contractor for his home. We were happy to modify our fees based on our client’s specific design needs. With his input, we are helping him develop an exterior façade and plans which addresses the lot and aesthetic character he desires.

The approximately 2300 square foot residence will face 90’ of river frontage directly on the Mississippi.

Are you looking for drafting services for your new home or addition? We’ll be happy to discuss your home plans and modify our fees to match your drawing requirements.

Timber Frame Home Design Trends

Trends in timber frame design are following the general trends in home design, moving away from specific rooms and space to materials and energy efficiency. This is good news, as we strive to become more energy conscious.

Here are some of the current trends in timber frame home design:

1. Reduce, reuse, recycle: More and more homeowners are looking to purchase recycled building materials to use in their new timber frame home. Reclaimed timbers, siding, decking, trim, doors, brick, and stone are all very popular. Simple, bio-degradable materials are replacing resources that harm the environment.

2. Here comes the sun: Solar energy systems, particularly solar hot water heaters and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce electricity are extremely popular. The current tax credit helps, giving you back 30% of the total cost (product + installation), now with no upper limit.

3. Size and flexibility matter: Smaller, energy efficient timber frame home designs are more popular than the rambling, spacious mansions of the past. Homeowners are addressing changes in lifestyle by replacing separate dining and living areas with large, multi-purpose family rooms, and adding sliding or pocket doors which allow flexibility in living space. First-floor bonus rooms which can be used as a home office or additional bedroom address changing needs.

4. Save a buck: Let’s face it: low maintenance is in. Popular low maintenance materials include green flooring, tankless water heaters, ENERGY STAR appliances. Low-maintenance landscaping using native plants has a positive effect on the site by reducing irrigation, pesticides, and fertilizers – which means less time you have to take care of it.

5. Accessibility: Universal home designs address the comfort of people of all ages and abilities. Features that may be eliminated are spiral staircases, sunken or raised living rooms, and high cabinets or shelves. Wide hallways and low storage areas are incorporated into the timber frame home design without sacrificing the home’s beauty and appearance.

Going green makes $ense: with green technology and materials flooding the market, prices continue to come down, saving you money over the life of the material. The home design is the start of the timber frame home’s life cycle – and undoubtedly it is the most important phase, as the home’s space, features, and systems are designed to work together as a whole for your benefit and comfort – and the environment’s.

Five Reasons to Use an Architect for Your Home Design

When you are building a new home, you want to have it your way, and rightly so. Everything from the floor plan layout, the home’s character and style, features, systems, materials, and décor should reflect who you are and your philosophy on life. Hiring an architect for the design and project management of the home can make the whole process go smoothly. Here are some of the skills an architect brings to a project and some of the functions he or she performs:

1. Understands the Scope of the Project: A licensed architect understands the details and phases of the project and has the expertise to develop and refine the vision so you can understand the scope of the project.

2. Knows State and Local Codes: The licensed architect is knowledgeable in the building codes applicable to your project and designs the structure of the home to meet these codes. They usually prepare most of the documentation necessary for you to get your building permits, saving you both time and money.

3. Hires the Team: When you secure an architect’s project management services, he or she heads the team and makes sure everyone knows their job. They answer the myriad of questions from the builder and their subcontractors, and makes sure any changes do not affect the structural and architectural integrity of the design.

4. Oversees the Project: The licensed architect is involved in the day-to-day construction of the project, making him or herself available for consultations, meetings, and questions from the site. Some architects will also hire the subcontractors for you and then establish and manage the construction schedule. Throughout the project, your architect is your advocate, staying true to your design and budget.

5. Can Green Up Your Project: Are you interested in building a green home? A green architect will give you numerous options for saving money and protecting your investment in the home design and material selection processes.

If you’re planning on building a new home, hiring an architect is well worth your investment to ensure the end result is exactly what you wanted. Are you incorporating green materials and renewable energy systems? Read an article on some common terms in green home building.

Jackie Lampiasi
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

AIA is Walking the Walk

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 home seminars, and a Timberpeg open house. Learn more about how you can lower your home’s energy consumption and play an active role in, well … saving the earth.

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

AIA Home Design Trends Report

A recent study conducted by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) reveals the popularity of energy management systems and sustainable design elements in our current market, and highlights some new trends in home design, including emerging home features in systems, technologies, materials, and function rooms.

“There is strong demand for green home design features and products like solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and water reclamation systems,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “As there is more focus on making homes more energy-efficient, there is less emphasis on investing in special function rooms such as home offices and game rooms.”

While overall room sizes are reducing in size, home offices are still the most requested function room in new home design. Home workshops and mud rooms are still popular, as well, but other function rooms such as in-law suites and hobby and game rooms are being left on the drawing room floor. The reason? New innovative energy conservation technologies are taking their place.

Solar panels and photovoltaics, along with energy management systems, are among the “special features” being incorporated into new homes. Other well-liked features include installing wireless technology, geothermal heating and cooling systems, water reclamation (such as cisterns), air purification systems, and automated lighting controls.

Products featuring green, energy efficient, and low maintenance characteristics are also on the rise – including tankless water heaters, double- or triple-glazed windows, sustainable flooring products, synthetic or engineered materials (as in countertops, flooring, decking), and reclaimed or salvaged materials. Also popular in the product category are water-saving devices such as filters, aerators on taps, and low-flow showerhead nozzles.

Insulation is taking a front seat in sustainable design, a trend that is overwhelmingly popular in both new construction and remodels. Structural Insulated Panels are staying at the top of the list for consumers building new energy efficient homes, and adding insulation to existing homes is popular among remodels (Bonin Architects actively supports building with SIP panels!) With active hurricanes and their widespread destruction over the past three years (five in 2006, six in 2007 and six to date in 2008), it’s not surprising that “hurricane resistant” design is saturating coastal region’s building activity.

Accessibility in the home has also maintained its standings in well-liked home features. Ramps, elevators, handles, and faucets – anything easy-to-use – are still being incorporated into sustainable home designs. Being scratched off the home design priority list are three or more car garages, which are now being seen as a luxury.

For the advantages of designing and building a green home, check out one of our past blogs,

Benefits of Building a Green Home.

What are your priorities in home design?

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Innovative, Sustainable Design Solutions

Why Should You Hire an Architect?

We’ve all done it…browsed through the section of standard floor plans in a magazine, critiquing each one against our family’s wants and needs in a home. There are literally thousands out there, some free, some for sale. The problem is that finding the perfect plan for you is like finding a needle in a haystack. If and when you do find a great plan, you have a host of other considerations to make before purchasing it including your site, local and state building code requirements, and the energy efficient materials and systems you want to include in your home.

The Log Home Directory asked Green Architect, Jeremy Bonin, for his insight on how an architect helps you incorporate all of your requirements into a green home, as well as help you with such things as site analysis, environmental studies (including wetland and shore lands), and bid negotiation – well beyond what a standard floor plan in a book can provide.

Read Jeremy’s article posted on the Log Home Directory’s website. For more information or to talk to Jeremy about your plans to build a green home and how to get started, call or email us!

Jackie Lampiasi, Marketing Director

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

The Lighthouse Lesson

The feedback we’ve received from the topics of our blogs (sustainable home design, green living, timber frame design, and renewable energy) has been very positive, and we know our clients appreciate substantive information provided weekly; solid and accurate information regarding options for sustainable home design and timber frame industry topics for the edification of our clients and guest readers.

I am, however, going to write a bit of a fluffy blog about a past trip Jeremy and I were able to take recently (thanks to Jackie for handling all of the day-to-day office tasks while we were away). Our trip was actually our honeymoon we had delayed a bit until we had enough staff to continue operating without interruption while we visited the Sebasco Harbor Resort in Phippsburg, Maine. We discovered the resort while visiting a client's site a month or so ago.

We stayed in the lighthouse overlooking the harbor and found the lighthouse to be a wonderful example of placing a building in exactly the right location (the perfect example of form following function) - something we stress the importance of to our clients. With a 360 degree view from the windows in the ‘beacon’ room, the sunsets were beyond description. We stayed at the resort for five days, relaxing and taking in the environment.

We’d definitely recommend the resort for not only the location, excellent food, on-site golf courses (two) where we played a few rounds, “Fred” the seagull (named by the wait-staff) who sits daily on the rock ledge and watches the outside diners and waits for his meal to be thrown his way, and the unique solar heated sea water pool we took advantage of every day-we even have the suntans to show for it!

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Who will design your green home?

A sustainable home starts with good home design – even with experience in home building and energy efficient building materials, you can benefit with the advice of a design expert. The traditional approach is to hire an architect to design your home and a builder to construct the home.

Make sure your architect is highly knowledgeable about green building, a LEED accredited professional if possible, and interview builders to see their energy efficient homes, discuss costs, budgets, and check their references. In this instance, the architect stays involved with the project from start to finish, helping you to find potential builders and making sure the home is built as specified in the drawings.

You may consider a local design-build firm to build your green home that will handle both the design and the construction of your home. Another approach is to hire a builder or manufacturer to design the home. Many companies offer “standard plans” with flexible floor plans. Consider carefully before selecting a stock plan: while your spatial needs may be met with a standard home design, your sustainable home should be designed to match your family’s philosophy on sustainability and be tailored to you site. Alex Wilson, President of BuildingGreen, Inc. and Editor of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec Directory, also cautions about using standard plans in his book Your Green Home, “Green building involves elements that are not conducive to the use of stock house plans, such as a close examination of the building site and a careful tailoring of the design to make the home fit the site.”

Many design-build firms, builders, and manufacturers offer green home design services but do not have an architect on staff. So what’s the difference between an architect and a designer? Timber Home Living’s 2007 Annual Buyer’s Guide article titled “The Design Pros”, explains, “Schooling, accreditation, and cost, primarily. All architects are designers, but not all designers are architects.” Before hiring a designer who is not an architect, make sure you check with your state and local permitting authorities, many are requiring a registered architect’s stamp and you don’t want to end up paying twice for services.

The Timber Home Living article continues, “To become an architect, the individual must pass his or her state’s Board of Architects exam, which indicates an understanding of the structural engineering principles behind making a building stand up. A designer may be able to design an entire building, he just needs an architect or engineer to ensure it will be properly built.”

Alex Wilson essentially sums it up: “The importance of good energy design cannot be overemphasized. Hopefully the architecture firm or design-build company will have the in-house expertise needed to create a very low-energy house. If not, the designer should have a good working relationship with an energy expert who is skilled in energy-efficient construction detailing, passive solar heating design, daylighting, computer modeling of energy performance, advanced mechanical equipment, and state-of-the-art electric lighting.”

Take a look at our sustainable home design services when you get an opportunity. We're happy to answer any of your questions on green building and look forward to helping you design your sustainable home with structural insulated panels, timber framing, post and beam, or another building method you are interested in!

Jackie Lampiasi, Marketing Director

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Tips to Designing a Green Home

There are almost limitless options, technologies and design techniques in the planning and building of a sustainable home. Here are some things to keep in mind when designing your green home:

1. Evaluate the site and surrounding vegetation.
Take into consideration nearby bodies of water (lakes, ponds, and streams) as well as parks and protected areas. Site the home to have minimal negative impact on these as well as any trees and vegetation on the property.

2. Take advantage of solar energy.
There are many ways you can use solar energy in your new timber frame home – two of them, passive solar design and daylighting, are planned for during the design phase and do not require any equipment or expensive installation costs. Other solar applications to research are active solar heating systems, Photovoltaic systems to generate electricity, and solar water heating systems. All of these applications can be used in any climate.

3. Design only as much space as you need.
One of the dangers of designing a home can be “project creep”. Adding four feet to the house, finishing the basement, or increasing a Master Bedroom wing not only increase the living space of the home, but greatly increase its cost – from foundation to roof. Before increasing your home’s footprint, consider whether or not the additional space is necessary. Compare your design with your current home’s space. Don’t forget to take into account how the materials will impact cost – the foundation, site work, increased timbers, siding, windows, insulation, and roofing materials.

4. Compare building materials and energy systems.
There are a myriad of material options to choose from in building a green home. Compare materials for regional availability, energy efficiency, maintenance, warranty & longevity, and return on investment. Consider using one or more of these: Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) foundation, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) enclosure system, recycled decking, radiant in-floor heat, and low-E windows. Wherever possible, select FSC certified wood products and an ENERGY STAR® approval on appliances.

5. Hire an architect who is familiar with the type of home you wish to build.
An architect will be able to save you money, solve problems that might arise, and most importantly, keep your goals as the top priority as he or she manages your team of experts during the home’s design and construction. He or she will guide you through the stages of designing your home to match your family’s needs and answer questions you might have about energy systems, green materials, and sustainable design options.

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Why Hire an Architect?

A common question is what does an Architect offer to the process and final product of designing my home?

Architecture affects people every moment of every day. We reside in homes where we sleep, cook, eat and spend time with our families; we typically travel to a building to work or a school to learn. These buildings, and many others, inhabited during those functions are essential to our lives and our health and Architects are ethically bound to continually better that built environment. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards defines the role of an Architect in their Mission Statement as, “…the primary building professional qualified to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public through the enhancement of the quality of the built environment and the richness of space and form”.

Architecture is also more than just a physical object. Architecture involves correctly interpreting a dream or vision, exploring all possibilities, studying and responding to the site and environment the building will become an integral part of and delivering a product that will exceed expectations.

An Architect will enrich the process and the project through integrity, conscientious design, environmental awareness and the application of skills specific to their trade. When you involve an Architect you are ensuring that your welfare and vision are paramount.

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP
Bonin Architects & Associates PLLC
http://www.boninarchitects.com/

Is It Ever Too Early to Start the Design Process?

I’ve been asked many times over the years by clients, “I don’t own my land yet, but I’d like to begin designing my new timber frame or post and beam house. Is this wise?”

The advice I’ve always given is, please wait until you close on your land, because starting the design process too soon could end up costing you more money. For example, the site you decide to purchase may have the potential for a walk-out basement, which could allow for more usable square footage, such as a recreation room or extra bedrooms for guests or children. Items such as these may not have been incorporated into the original design.

In contrast, if you design a SIPs or timber frame home prior to the purchase of your land, you may find that the site or local restrictions will not accommodate the size or placement of the home you’ve paid to design, and you need to return to the drawing board…literally!

Prior to closing on land, please contact us; we can assist in review of the property for the home’s placement if you wish. When you are ready to begin the design process for your new timber frame, post & beam, SIPs, or sustainable home, let us know. Designing your custom home should be an enjoyable and memorable process.

Kimberly Bonin, Executive Project Manager
Bonin Architects & Associates
http://www.boninarchitects.com/