Photo via Seacoast online - David J. Murray, ClearEyePhoto.com
Earlier this month Discover Portsmouth had its long awaited official opening. This wonderful Portsmouth gem is the is the home of the Portsmouth Historical Society, the Seacoast African-American Cultural Center (SAACC) and the Star Island Corporation. The building is symbolic of the delicate balancing act Portsmouth performs of embracing its rich history and while still being a very modern city.
TMS Architects was hired to spearhead the building’s redesign and renovation. Our charge was to retain the historic charm of the buildings while making the building functional for the organizations that would be using the space. This was also to be a renovation with a strong emphasis on energy conservation.
“Restoring a historic building isn’t as simple as coming in and gutting the walls and replacing all the pipes and ducts. You’ve got to preserve the feel of the structure, and anything you add needs to be sustainable,” said architect Nicole Martineau of TMS. “And it’s got to be sustainable from multiple avenues, both environmentally and financially.” from Sea Coast Online.
In fact, this renovation resulted in an energy savings of 58% in the month of April when compared to energy costs prior to the restoration. Read more about how we did this on one of our favorite blogs – Seacoastonline.
