ENERGY STAR® Timber Home

The design development drawings of our Energy Star timber home in Old Lyme, Connecticut, is coming along nicely. Revisions were made to the floor plans to accommodate our clients’ busy family and entertaining lifestyle.


The basement will be the central activity area, including a recreation room with a ping pong table, small kitchen, and access to an outdoor patio. An exercise room will have a treadmill and Pilate’s area, and the media room includes a plasma TV and comfortable seating. The basement also includes a guest suite with oversized closet space and a mechanical room.

The entry to the timber home provides plenty of storage area for this busy family and a bench for sitting while taking off winter boots. The timber frame cathedral great room is designed for entertaining and includes two sitting areas, one with a hideaway plasma entertainment center dividing the two areas. The spacious U-shaped kitchen is both efficient and accommodating to guests, who can watch the chef in action from the raised counter.

The laundry room is designed for efficiency, with counter space, a sink, closet, and a built-in ironing board. The master bedroom has a large walk-in closet / changing area. The master bath includes a double shower, corner soaking tub, and vanity with plenty of storage space.

Two bedrooms share a large bathroom and the second floor loft area which overlooks the great room and provides a birds-eye view of the property. The cupola above the loft floods it with light and ventilation, creating a beautiful, quiet spot to read. A dormer provides additional headroom for the bathroom and reading area.

In addition to being a beautiful timber home is an energy efficient home by built to Energy Star standards, saving over 30% in energy costs. An independent Energy Star rater will inspect the home during the stages of construction and provide final Energy Star certification.

CT Energy Star Timber Frame Home

The first schematic design for an Energy Star timber frame home in Connecticut is completed. The barn style theme fits in nicely with the theme of the surrounding area architecture.

The home will be designed for the ENERGY STAR® program, which will include ENERGY STAR approved insulation (SIP panels), duct system, mechanical ventilation system, windows, heating and cooling units, lighting, and appliances.






At 2500 square feet, this energy efficient home has views to the south and west. The first floor features a timber frame cathedral great room and a Tulikivi stove. The kitchen has views overlooking the property and is open to the dining, with easy access to the laundry room, and large master bedroom suite.



The second floor has two guest bedrooms, a full bath, and a spacious loft overlooking the great room.



In the next design stage, we will complete room dimensions add interior and exterior details.



Check out this and our other current green homes and timber houses on our website!

Bonin Architects Becomes ENERGY STAR® Partner

Our firm, focusing on sustainable design for residential and light commercial structures, has become an Architect / Home Plan Designer ENERGY STAR Partner to meet consumer demand for more environmentally friendly choices. ENERGY STAR is recognized by more than 60% of US consumers nationwide, working with over 12,000 public and private sector organizations that ensure energy efficient products and practices help to reduce high energy bills, improve comfort and help to protect the environment.

Bonin Architects is proud to be able to recommend energy efficient products to our clients. We are dedicated to educating consumers on preserve the environment by incorporating renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and wind energy products, as well as energy efficient choices for lighting, appliances, and technology.


ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, helps protect the environment through business partners. Products, homes, and buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

All ENERGY STAR house plans include energy-efficient details and specifications for features such as tight construction and duct systems, properly-installed insulation, high performance windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances to reduce energy costs by 20 to 30 percent. After the home is built, an independent ENERGY STAR Rater calculates and tests the energy efficiency of the home and submits the results to ENERGY STAR for approval.

What Goes Into an ENERGY STAR Home?

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.

In just the year 2007, homeowners who used ENERGY STAR building products saved the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as produced from 27 million automobiles – while saving a total of $16 billion on their utility bills!

The first criterion for an ENERGY STAR home is that it is not more than three stories. It can be a structural insulated panel home, post and beam or

timber frame home, single-family, or low-rise multi-family home. The key is in the materials used.

So what goes into an ENERGY STAR home? An ENERGY STAR home has five major components that a conventional home might not have:

1. High performance insulation. Probably the biggest savings in energy costs can be obtained through having properly installed and correct amounts of insulation in the walls, floors, and roof of your home. We recommend using

structural insulated panels for your home.

2. Energy efficient windows. New technology in window design, glazing, and protective coatings contribute greatly to energy efficiency in windows, helping to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.

3. Tight Building Envelope. Making sure your building envelope is “tight”, including well insulated and sealed heating and cooling duct systems, goes a long way in reducing drafts, moisture, noise, and air pollutants, which ultimately create a healthier environment for your family.

4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Systems. Energy efficient heating and cooling systems, especially

renewable energy systems, offer great savings in energy costs and contribute to the overall comfort of your home.

5. Efficient Products.

ENERGY STAR products and appliances make a significant contribution toward energy savings in a green home.

Of course you will want to have an independent ENERGY STAR qualified Home Energy Rater evaluate your home to be called an ENERY STAR home. The Rater calculates and test energy efficient features of the home, including insulation, air tightness, and duct sealing by conducting a blower door test (waived in structural insulated panel homes), duct blaster tests, and completing a thermal bypass checklist of the home. After approval, the only thing left to do is to enjoy the comfort of your new energy efficient home while admiring your low energy bills.

If you’re planning to build an ENERGY STAR home, you won’t want to miss our Free Home Seminar on Saturday, November 15th in Manchester, NH. For more details and to register, visit our Upcoming Events page.

Jackie Lampiasi, Marketing Director

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Building an ENERGY STAR Home

Are you considering building an ENERGY STAR® home? You’re certainly not alone. Over 120,000 new homes earned the ENERGY STAR seal of approval in 2007. It’s not surprising that green homes in Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont made up a significant percentage of the number of homes built there.

If you’re planning to build a green home in New Hampshire, Colorado, Michigan, Maryland, or Minnesota, you’ll be among a small percentage of homeowners there concerned with energy efficiency in a new home. These are among the 18 states that had between 3% and 11% of homes meeting ENERGY STAR standards.

And then, if you’re planning to build an energy efficient home in Maine, Pennsylvania, or Montana, you’re one of the more forward-thinking homeowners in your area. Your new green home, once its ENERGY STAR certified, will give you savings in energy costs for heating and cooling and provide a healthy living environment for your family. Smart choice!


Data released by ENERGY STAR

Bonin Architects & Associates promotes ENERGY STAR products and builders. We work with you to design your home to meet ENERGY STAR requirements so you can build a green home that incorporates all of your wants and needs and saves at least 20-30% in energy costs!

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