August 2024
New Growth at Graphite
Stand by for new announcements on team growth, as we welcome a new Design Lead and a new Architecture Intern this Fall!
Team Joins AIA
AIA (American Institute of Architecture) is the trade organization of Architects in the US. Andrew has been a member of AIA variously for nearly 20 years. Anita and Molly have recently joined as Associate AIA - a designation for non-licensed professionals working in the field. Now everyone has a fancy pin!
Porter Thayer Farm Gets New Life
One of our new projects - begun this summer in Newfane, VT - has just completed schematic design and is soon to begin design development. This means we are mostly done moving walls around and the layout of rooms, window placement, and room sizes are set and ready to move forward. We have decided on bedrooms to the north (see plans above), a 2-part bathroom, a dining nook which could also function as a study/office, and a large open kitchen + living area.
Working with Apple Tree Builders, our goal is to create a simple, elegant building, suitable for rental, but with an eye toward expansion - when the Owners consider full-time occupancy for themselves. (See that door out the north side? Two more bedrooms will line up down that hall!)
The challenge, in the current building climate, is to keep costs down. For us, this means limiting the square footage, designing with few built-ins, and simple forms, with long-term flexibility in mind.
2A Stoop, Cambridge
We’re engaged with Wells & Company, of Wenham, MA, on a number of small projects that owner Toby Wells thought could benefit from a little CAD work. The owners were searching for an upgrade to their aging front porch/step, with some ideas off Pinterest. With a pointer from Toby to his favorite local mill work shop JP Moriarity, we were able to find an appropriate trim package and a Doric column to suit (a first for us!). We made some lighting suggestions, and now just await finished photos from Toby and his crew on site!
Atherton Hill
Our project in Spofford, NH is nearly complete. The deep energy retrofit of an 1800s building required some creative solutions from design team, builder, and Owner alike. Here, Craig’s showing off the surgery required to retrofit the existing chimney to accept a new wood stove pipe!
As one of the last projects of Putney, Vermont’s Jonathan Klein, we were pleased to get to know him and his team. Within weeks, the final roof material will go on, the solar completed (by Revision Energy, who also provided heat pumps!), and the job complete. Congratulations!
Field Trip: Vermont Plank Flooring
We got the chance to visit Vermont Plank Flooring, where we got a tour of the mill. It was a delight to see the variety of grades, finishes, species, and widths/lengths available. We toured the shop, the showroom, and the finishing areas. This local manufacturer provides a specialty product - hardwood and engineered flooring in long lengths and widths - for a lovely, distinctive look. Thanks, Tim, for showing us around!