Sustainable Design

We have been making our architecture sustainable since our firm’s inception over 20 years ago. Starting with the simple tried-and-true approach, we keep our firm’s carbon footprint small by adapting and reusing buildings instead of carting them off to landfill. Then, where appropriate, we add modern energy-efficient technologies.

Our Pierside Restoration project in West Chop is an example of tried-and-true restoration. Here we salvaged windows, interior trim, cabinetry, flooring, and even plumbing fixtures, repaired and reworked these elements, and recombined them in new ways to fit back into this extensively renovated home. Even the bricks from a torn-down chimney stayed on-site, reused as walkways and as the foundation for the garden shed.

At our Country Tudor project in upstate NY, we combined salvage and recycling of old materials with a state-of-the-art geothermal system to heat and cool the house. The geothermal system draws on deep wells and, coupled with super-insulation and efficient windows, provides energy efficiency. Using used salvaged brick, recycled cypress timber, natural slate roofing with copper trim, and reclaimed stone slab flooring further limit the carbon footprint of this intensely “green” project.

We celebrate the virtues of Yankee thrift and economy by recombining the salvaged elements with elegance and keen attention to proportion, all while embracing new approaches to energy efficiency.