Bonin Architects Receives AIANH Excellence in Architecture Design Awards

NEW LONDON, NH, January 29, 2011 (Press-News.org) Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC, New London, NH, received the Merit Award for Residential Architecture for their Lakefront Cottage Renovation. The project was also awarded the People's Choice Award. Each entry is judged on overall design excellence including aesthetics, clarity, creativity, appropriate functionality, sustainability, building performance, and appropriateness with regard to fulfilling the client's program. The entries were also previewed in the January/February 2011 issue of NH Home Magazine. Winning entries will be featured in a future issue.

Residential Architecture: Lakefront Cottage Renovation
Architect: Jeremy Bonin, Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC
Merit Award and People's Choice Award, Residential Architecture

Project Description:
Originally one of eleven cabins on "The Point", the recently subdivided property left this and one other cabin in close proximity to the beautiful beach and lake. Removal of the 'point' cabin allowed for a meandering path from renovated cottage to the dock as well as substantially opening the view to the lake from the remaining cabin.

A newly exposed cathedral ceiling is warm and inviting as are the reused and repositioned windows and doors for capturing lakeside views and breezes. Salvaged and refinished from the cottage are framing lumber, T&G boards and floors. Finishes and materials are low or no VOC products and even the woodstove is a found item making a new home in this beautiful location.

With material reuse and minimal site impact as two principal goals throughout the design and renovation process, the resultant cabin provides for three seasons of comfortable lakefront access and family gatherings.

The 2011 jury was comprised of representatives from the State of Maine's architecture community: James A. Sterling, AIA, Portland; Ellen Belknap, AIA, SMRT Architects, Portland; and Walter Arsenault, AIA, Fraser Matson Architecture & Planning, Falmouth.

Juror Comments: "Understated, simple, cost effective renovation. Excellent use of limited space. Restrained and authentic in use of materials and details. In some ways, this is the most appealing project .... maybe it speaks to the desire for simplicity in all of us."

"This project was fantastic to work on," commented Architect Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEEDAP. "It involved preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse and repurposing. The process of working with a site and existing building always presents unique challenges and opportunities for creativity in the design dictated by necessity." Bonin Architects' Principal Partner Kimberly Bonin added, "The owners were very considerate of the environment throughout the whole project, and took into consideration the site's future use in site planning, as well as its historic precedent. We were thrilled to contribute toward the stewardship of the Point, a landmark on Pleasant Lake." When asked about the key to success in the quality of this project, Jeremy Bonin commented, "In any project the first step is design itself. A careful consideration of the existing conditions of the property, the collaborative design process with the owners, and an on-going relationship between the owner, builder and architect all brought about an award-winning project."

More photos of this project can be found on Bonin Architects & Associates website at http://www.boninarchitects.com.

About The American Institute of Architects
For 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes. AIA members have access to the right people, knowledge, and tools to create better design, and through such resources and access, they help clients and communities make their visions real. http://www.aia.org

About Jeremy Bonin and Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLC
Jeremy Bonin, a principal partner of Bonin Architects & Associates, is an award-winning architect and the author of TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home. Jeremy has a special interest in sustainable design and green homes with a specialty in green building and renewable energy systems. Bonin Architects & Associates, led by Kimberly Bonin and Jeremy Bonin AIA NCARB LEED AP, is a national architectural firm licensed in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.