ADI Welcomes Tom Chalmers

We welcome on board Tom Chalmers, AIA, an architect in Massachusetts with over 20 years’ experience in all aspects of the design and construction of institutional and residential projects.

Tom’s institutional work has primarily been in the area of renovations to inner city public schools. His residential work has focused on providing quality planning and detailing for homeowners where function, energy efficiency and budget are paramount, primarily through additions and renovations.

He has worked in a small firm, with a partner and a number of employees, and for the last ten years on his own with employees and associates as opportunities arose.

Tom joins us at a crucial juncture in time. With the spring of 2012, several new projects have come to us which require the skills and expertise of a well-rounded team. Our current projects include the design of a new ski resort base lodge in Vermont, a local near zero net energy house, and two sustainable homes located in Oregon. Tom’s strengths in project management and design will provide our architecture office with the talent needed to complete these projects skillfully and successfully.

Murphy Residence - Small Home Design

Steady progress is being made on the construction of a small home renovation project on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont.

Bill designed a seasonal lakefront house for friends KC and Ralph Murphy of western Massachusetts, who continue to send us wonderful updates and photography of the construction in progress. The renovation got underway last year and will complete in time for enjoying a full summer of fun and tranquility this year in the Green Mountain State!

Cottage on a lake

Coming along nicely

Kitchen with water views














Warm, wooded interiors

Upstairs landing














Glassed-in porch, first floor

Murphy Residence - Small House Design

We appreciate friends KC and Ralph Murphy continuing to keep us abreast of the exciting renovations and rebuild of their lakefront cottage in Burlington, Vermont!

We last posted photos on November 21, 2011 and are glad to see the steady and great looking progress.

The front facade under construction

View of gabled end

Moving into the interior, we see large windows and wall insulation made of fiberglass batts.

Not intended or designed for year round use, the home is the perfect destination for vacations from early springtime through late autumn.

Curved, beadboard ceiling detail

A view of the home's stick framing, insulation, and electrical circuits














A view of the living room and the multi-season porch from the kitchen

From the living room we see the porch on the left, and the kitchen in the background

View of the living room and stairs to the second floor master suite and guest bedroom

Master bathroom

Master bedroom

The cottage enjoys beautiful views of mountains and Lake Champlain.

Lake Champlain and surrounding hills and mountains

Austin Design inc represents at AIA Grassroots 2012 conference in Washington DC

Austin Design inc architect Chris Farley is attending this year's AIA Grassroots convention in Washington DC this week as president-elect of the Western Massachusetts chapter of the American Institute of Architects (WMAIA).

From the convention website:

"This annual meeting offers opportunities for leaders from nearly 280 state and local chapters to exchange programs, best practices, and share and discuss information and challenges that relate to their experiences."

Have a great trip Chris.

PinkCloud.DK Plans to Transform Oil Refineries into Giant Energy Positive Communities

Interested in a future home that is energy-efficient, airtight, waterproof, and structurally bulletproof? PinkCloud.DK thinks so. To read more about this design, follow the link below:

http://inhabitat.com/pinkcloud-dk-transforms-oil-refineries-into-giant-energy-positive-communities/

A Tale of Two Realities

In his essay, A Tale of Two Realities, Bill relates his, and wife Joan Rockwell's, experiences as they traveled to Nova Scotia and Haiti, in June and November 2011, respectively.

Briefly, Bill and Joan ventured to Nova Scotia for a rewarding conference with peers in architecture and landscape architecture.  Five months later, they were off to Haiti with Marky Jean-Pierre of the Honor for Haiti Foundation (FONHOH) to visit the country and the site of a proposed educational complex in the rural region of Lagoun. This experience was eye-opening and soul-moving, and has further inspired and motivated Bill and Joan to work toward the creation of positive change in the U.S. and abroad.

Enjoy reading.

Photos of the two trips follow below, along with conceptual drawings for the Lagoun-based education center:

Haiti - Bird's eye view of the Lagoun site

Haiti - Site view key plan

Haiti - Eye-level view from roof deck

Haiti - A neighbor's farmhouse

Nova Scotia - Historic Lunenberg

Nova Scotia - Historic Lunenberg

Haiti - Local chairmaker's house

Haiti - Neighbors and future students

Haiti - Neighbors and future students

Nova Scotia - One of the many Brian MacKay-Lyons houses visible around Shobac. They have been compared to vernacular barns, bobbing shipping containers or breaching whales.

Nova Scotia - One of two observatory towers built at Shobac during a previous Ghost Lab

Haiti - Roadside vendors

Haiti - Rural village streetlife

Nova Scotia - Shobac is available to rent for conferences. Below are the barn, cottages and conference building.

Nova Scotia - Stutchbury, Murcott, Frampton & Pallasmaa. Photo by Marcus Gleysteen.

Haiti - The founders of FONHOH and Joan

Nova Scotia - The octagonal barn where the lectures were held. A previous Ghost Lab deconstructed it and reassembled it at Shobac.

Haiti - The old school on the site

Nova Scotia - The octagonal dining tents plated well against the barn

Haiti - View from the school site

Haiti - View from the school site

Haiti - View from the school site