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.

AIA Design Awards - Last Day to Vote Online for Your Favorite Project!

Voting ends today for the AIA NH Excellence in Design People's Choice Awards!  

Bonin Architects submitted a custom home on Lake Sunapee to be considered for the Awards.  Help us get the People's Choice Award two years in a row by voting online!

 Our project, # 1, The Landing, located in Blodgettt Landing, Lake Sunapee in Newbury, NH replaced an old uninsulated family summer cottage on the property.  Design goals were to maximize living space, lakefront views, and capture as much natural daylight as possible while maintaining privacy between close neighboring homes.  With four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, the design addresses all of the client needs.  Recreation areas and a home theatre provide options for children and adults alike.

An open stair anchors the home and creates a focal point, celebrating the four story design.  The basement provides direct lake access, ample storage, and a full bathroom for showering after enjoying the lake.

Site placement and interior programming / design conform to property setbacks, neighboring homes less than 7 feet away, and CSPA guidelines.  A 5% decrease in the impermeable impact of the site (53% to 48%) was achieved with an overall smaller building footprint and reduction in paved/hardscaped areas.


Please take time to vote for Project #1, The Landing!

Vote on the AIA site:  http://www.aianh.org/design_awards_vote2012.asp

Factors Impacting Home Design:

There are two basic factors in 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 home 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 timber homes 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.

~Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP

Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC

Licensed in NH, VT, ME, MA, RI, and CT

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

Building, Remodel & Decorate: Trend Watch – Image Magazine

The Spring 2011 issue of Image Magazine, distributed to homeowners in 46 towns along the CT River Valley in New Hampshire and Vermont, features a unique section called Trend Watch, a homeowner’s guide to building, remodeling, and decorating. In this regard, we see the same trends in conventional homes as we do in timber homes.

When asked about current home design and building trends, NH Architect Jeremy Bonin pointed to home size.  “Smaller is definitely a trend,” said Bonin, Principal Architect of Bonin Architect & Associates in New London. “The size of the custom house is coming down.  We’re seeing fewer rooms and more multi-use spaces.  Instead of two separate rooms with several hundred square feet each, these are combined into one slightly larger room.”

Another trend, says Bonin, is maximizing outdoor space.  “We design many lakefront homes in the Sunapee region.  These homes have a lot of interaction of the indoor living space and the exterior landscape or lake side of the home with views and outdoor activities.”

Energy efficiency is another front-runner in design and building trends.  Bonin, a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional), uses his training in sustainable design in each and every project.  “For energy efficiency and sustainability, we use guidelines from LEED and Energy Star,” adds Bonin.  “The building envelopes are well-insulated, we specify durable low-maintenance materials, high-quality windows and doors, and homes are sited to take advantage of passive solar as well as views.”

Other building and remodeling trends Bonin notes:

• Open kitchen, dining, and living areas
• First floor Master Suites and one story living
• Incorporating three-season porches with energy efficient windows to use year-round

Jeremy Bonin has contributed to many publications.  Click the link to read some of his articles on green building.

Carriage Houses

Carriage houses as very popular in all areas of the country.  Typically designed with a two-car garage on the lower level and living space above, the carriage house is a home design that can stand alone or supplement a main house as a guest house.

This carriage house design will be used as a guest house on a large property on Lake Winnipesaukee.  The lower level will house three cars and ¾ bathroom.

The second floor living space is large enough for two bedrooms and a shared full bath.  The timber frame creates an open floor plan, and with the kitchen, dining, and living room as one space, the custom timber frame becomes the focal point instead of interior walls.  

A sleeping loft is the bonus room and is accessible by a ladder near the kitchen, which eliminates the need for a stairway while increasing living space.

Timber Frame Renderings

No doubt, timber homes are gorgeous and can be designed in any architectural style to match your lifestyle and setting.

Included in our architectural design services is to create renderings of the timber frame interior for clients to visualize the space and volume of the rooms in addition to the overall home design. Check out this great timber frame we are designing for one of our clients:

If you are thinking about building a timber home, here are five reasons why you should consider using an architect to design your home.

To see our other timber home designs, check out our current projects and timber homes under construction!

Home Construction Photos

Progress is continuing on our custom luxury home in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley.  Check out the latest construction photos!

The Douglas fir key-laminated beams are lifted in place by the crane.  The “keys” are hardwood wedges joined transversely to the adjacent timbers to transfer shear and limit interlayer slip.

 

Next, Structural Insulated Panels (SIP panels) will be installed this week. Stay posted for new photos!  Here are the floor plan and renderings of the home so you can see what it will look like.

May Events: NH Open House with Green Architect, Builder & Realtor

Are you planning to build a new home or addition?
Remodeling your home or lakefront cottage?
This event is just for you!

Open House
Talk with Local Green Design & Building Experts!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
4:00 - 6:00 PM
Custom home near Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire

Come tour a beautiful lakeside custom home and get answers to your questions about building a home! Enjoy a relaxing atmosphere, refreshments, and learn about Shoreland Protection guidelines, the importance of green home design, building costs, budgeting, the construction process, purchasing land, and more!

Registration is required for this free event!
Register by calling Bonin Architects at 603-504-6009

About the Experts:

Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP: Jeremy Bonin, a principal partner of Bonin Architects & Associates, is an accomplished speaker, award-winning architect, and the author of TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home, which was written to help homeowners become fully involved in the design of a custom home. Jeremy has a special interest in sustainable design and green building while incorporating energy efficient building materials and renewable energy systems including geothermal heating, wind power, and solar energy.

Dan O'Halloran: Dan is a high-energy realtor who specializes in residential real estate. Over the past four years with Colby Real Estate he has gained considerable experience working with clients and developers on view lots and subdivision transactions. Dan uses the most current marketing and advertising technology and techniques available in the real estate industry to achieve maximum visibility for every client he works with. His background in finance and marketing rounds out his qualifications and enhances his skills he offers.

Everett Pollard: For over thirty years Everett has been designing and building custom homes in the Lake Sunapee area. He and his staff are involved from day one of their projects, assuring a successful and fun process. Everett is dedicated to the building industry as a whole, which is evident by his active role in associations such as the local and national Home Builder's Association. His priorities are successfully balanced between preserving the environment and providing superior customer service to his clients.

Timber Frame House Plans

When working on a timber home design, we show the clients a house rendering to help them visualize the interior layout of the home.

For instance, for this floor plan, we created two interior renderings, one from the kitchen looking into the great room, and one in the opposite direction from the great room to the kitchen.

This not only helps the clients to envision the timber frame which is the structural skeleton of the house, but see the window style and configuration in relation to the interior.

Additional choices, including colors and kitchen cabinetry are selected in the final phase of the home design.

Log Home Addition

Our newest client contacted us to design an addition for his vacation log home located on the Connecticut River, Vermont.


The new addition increases the floor plan by 850 square feet, adding an entry, a great room, bedroom, and full bath. An existing bedroom in the log home will be remodeled to become the access hallway to the new wing. A masonry heater will be added to provide comfortable, even heat throughout the addition and into the home.


The sliding barn doors will add security to the home when the owners are away.

Architectural Drafting Services

Some people do not require full architectural plans, but only limited drawings. Bonin Architects offers both full architectural services and drafting services for those projects requiring only drawings and renderings.

Here are some drawings we did for a client who needed drafting services for a custom home he is building on the Mississippi River.

Our client 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 home has a total of four bedrooms and two and a half baths.


If you need a home design but do not require full architectural services, we will be happy to provide you with a quote to design your new home.

Energy Efficient Home Plans

One of our clients is planning to tear down their 1940’s cottage on their lakefront property and build a new energy efficient home in its place. The couple’s goals are to captivate the panoramic views of the lake while incorporating green building materials and a solar energy system to keep the carbon footprint to a minimum and lessen the impact on the environment. Space planning goals include built-ins and plenty of storage.





The cottage features an open floor plan and one floor living. Designed at 2,480 square feet, the cottage has a generous master bedroom suite with large his and her walk-through closets. The master bedroom has plenty of windows to enjoy the view and a built-in cabinet with shelves for storage.

The television is conveniently placed in a built-in entertainment center, which can store DVD’s, CD’s and games, and a gas fireplace with wood surround and mantle. Double doors open to a screened porch and access to the lake. The entry has both a coat closet for guests and storage under the stairs, which will come in handy for keeping seasonal items and holiday decorations.

A U-shaped kitchen is an efficient design for this space, remaining open to the living and dining areas. A large walk-in pantry is useful for storing appliances and larger items and is conveniently located near the garage for unloading groceries from the car. The laundry room is large enough to do the ironing, and includes a closet for hanging clothes and storing supplies.

The one-car garage is efficient in design. The mechanical room is spacious and has double doors which will make it easy to install a boiler, generator, and solar hot water heating system.

The second floor has two large bedrooms and a full bath -- plenty of room for grandchildren visiting during summer vacation. The bedrooms have built-ins in addition to closet space for storage. An office can double as an additional bedroom if needed and also includes a built-in with shelves and drawers.


If you are planning to build an energy efficient home, work with green architects Bonin Architects to design your home. We'll will combine your wants, needs, and aspirations with your goals of energy efficiency and sustainability to successfully match your project objectives. Working with an experienced architect is well worth your investment to ensure the end result is exactly what you want!

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!

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!