Thursday, January 30, 2014



Bonin Architects & Associates was recently honored to receive two design awards during the New Hampshire Home Magazine Design Awards Ceremony which was recently held in Manchester, NH at the Radisson Hotel.

The first award for Green Design was based on a recently completed timber framed hybrid home located in the Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee region of NH.
Sustainable design elements included:·         The home is a timber frame and structural insulated panel (SIPs) with an ICF foundation.
·         A continuous high R-value envelope; meticulously air sealed and uses balanced HRVs for ventilation.
·         This house was designed to meet the Energy Star certification.
·         Solar hot water and geothermal heating system lower energy costs and eliminate onsite fossil fuel for heating.
·         Materials sourced from local NH and VT companies, sealants/adhesives/paints are all low or no-voc products.
·         100% of storm water run-off is collected and infiltrated in order to protect the water quality of the Lake preventing erosion and siltation in accordance with (and exceeding) the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act.
·         An existing shed was re-purposed providing lakeside seating, bath facilities and water front storage space.

For photos of this project, please see:
http://www.boninarchitects.com/en/selected-projects/83-portfolio/selected-projects/90-cronenwett.html

The second project received an Honorable Mention Award in Architectural Design for a home designed by Bonin Architects on Lake Sunapee in Newbury, NH. 

Materials, innovative and sustainable components:

·         The foundation was done with insulated concrete formwork; the exterior walls and roof are conventionally framed and highly insulated with a hybrid system, and are properly air sealed for a very weather tight exterior
·         Durable/maintainable materials; cedar shingles, AZEK trim, IPE decking, Hickory flooring, reclaimed wood, tile/stone, aluminum clad wood windows and 50 year asphalt roof shingles
·         Because of the operable windows and doors bringing in the cool lake breeze the client did not want air conditioning.  The home has in floor radiant heat and a Heat Recovery Ventilator to allow preheated fresh air to exchange automatically maintaining a proper balance of fresh air.

·         There was 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 and hardscape areas.