Blog
See our blog for new projects, announcements, and all things TMS Architects.
Portsmouth’s Other Lost Public Spaces
There has been a considerable amount of publicity lately about replicating The Old State House, which is presumed to have once stood in the center of Market Square. This got our guest historian, J. Dennis Robinson, thinking about other Portsmouth buildings that have also been lost over time.
“Here we go again. Just when you thought Portsmouth’s Old State House was never to return, it’s back in the news. A well-intentioned group wants to build a replica of the 1760-era colonial state house on the site of the city’s federal building off Daniel Street. That dream has been kicking around Portsmouth for almost a century. Architect John Mead Howells tossed out the idea back in the 1930s. I sat on a city committee to study the issue and TMS Architects helped with an in-depth study of the surviving remnants of the building.
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Luxe Energy-Efficient Kitchen Appliances for your Passive Kitchen
Sustainable homeowners are smart homeowners. After all, wouldn’t you rather spend your money on a weekend getaway or a fun day out with your family than waste it on your electrical bill? Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances in your kitchen can mean less waste, less resources consumed, more peace of mind, and more money in your pocket.
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First Glimpse of a TMS-Designed Beach House
TMS Architects was asked recently to design a beach house for a family currently living in “All for the Family“, their TMS-designed main home. The owners had their eyes on this spectacular beachfront lot for many years and were able to purchase it when it became available.
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Beautifully Design an Eco-Friendly Bathroom
With the right design, a bathroom can be just as eco-friendly as it is beautiful. It starts with the thoughtful selection of reclaimed, recycled, and green materials and finishes with water-saving features that ensure environmental responsibility. A well-designed, eco-friendly bathroom can evoke peace of mind, not only with its spa-like atmosphere but with its clear environmentally conscious layout.
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Control Rain Runoff with Landscaping Design
Rooftops, pavings, and other hardscapes can negatively affect landscapes and the environment. An unfortunate side effect of these impermeable surfaces, rain runoff, can deprive garden beds of natural irrigation and prevent groundwater tables from replenishing. It can cause erosion, slides, and even flash floods. Stormwater can pick up contaminates and lead to increased pollution of streams, rivers, and oceans.
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Eco-Friendly Steps to a Zero Energy Home
Looking for ways to follow a more eco-friendly path? Working towards the end goal of having a zero-energy home — that is, a home that uses the same amount of energy as it produces — involves a lot of careful planning. However, jump on board the tips below, and you’ll quickly see smaller energy bills, shrinking water bills, and more.
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TMS Architect, Bill Soupcoff, Builds a Business from the Ground Up!
Morey Stettner, a business reporter for The Portsmouth Herald recently interviewed William Soupcoff, a founder and principal architect of TMS Architects. It was a very informative piece as we all learned some things about Bill that we didn’t know before….such as his first “real” job:
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Transformation of a Master Suite
Lafe Covill, Associate AIA , TMS Architects Project Manager and Cristina Marais, our Interior Designer, spent the morning at a renovation they have been working on for some time and we were thrilled to see the construction photographs they brought back with them! Located in the mid part of New Hampshire, this project involves a complete renovation of the master suite, the main living spaces and bathrooms. TMS has been collaborating once again with CMRugusa Builders on this renovation as we have on completed TMS projects, Seaside Renovation and Family Room Renovation.
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Upcycled Materials Great for Insulating Sustainable Homes
Homeowners are increasingly committing to living greener more eco-friendly lifestyles, and that extends to how they build and remodel their homes. If sustainability is a concern for your home, you will want to look into eco-friendly insulation materials.
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Roof Overhangs Keep Energy In for Comfortable Climates
Decorating your home is fun, but you want to make sure your home is functioning well, too. Spring is a great time to give your home a maintenance check up and tackle some of those projects that have been on your to-do list.
One aspect to consider is your home’s energy efficiency. By adding energy efficient systems, you can save money in the long run and help the environment in the process. These include things such as programmable thermostats, solar heating, insulation, windows, and more.
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Designing a Sustainable Home Around Natural Elements
If you are a fan of green building like we are, you are probably going to look for ways to incorporate your natural surroundings into your home as well. Many times, building or remodeling your home so that it is more in harmony with nature can boost both the way your home performs as well as the way it makes you feel. If your home has a close relationship with your surroundings, it creates a calming effect, and here are some ways to a build a home with natural elements in mind:
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Madbury Commons On Schedule In Spite of Tough Winter
According to a recent article in the Manchester Union Leader, the TMS-designed, Madbury Commons project is on schedule for an August completion date thanks to construction company ProCon’s valiant efforts in battling one of the worst winters in the Northeast. According to developer Ken Rubin, President of Golden Goose Capital in Durham, “It’s a very important project for the town…the whole concept was to extend downtown and create quality public space.”
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Heating & Lighting Interiors with Natural Sunlight
Good natural light is a feature many people appreciate in a home. But good natural light can also help with energy efficiency to create a more eco-friendly and sustainable home. Besides helping to illuminate the home and offering scenic views, windows, skylights, and glass walls can also help generate heat to warm your home, helping you to save on energy costs.
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What Makes It Work?
New England Home Magazine recently debuted a section called Perspectives which shares interesting tidbits from various architects and designers such as “What I’m Looking At” and “Shopping Bag”. One of articles in this section is called “What Makes It Work” and we were delighted that the March-April issue featured a home designed by TMS Architect, Shannon Alther, AIA.
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Keep Cooler & Warmer with Thermal Mass
We are all for designing eco-friendly and sustainable homes. Many homeowners are now looking for eco-friendly features in their homes from the materials they are built with to the way they are built. Whether you are building or remodeling, there are things you can do to make your home more eco-friendly.
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Portsmouth’s Forgotten Textile Industry
TMS always learns something interesting about Portsmouth when we publish a post from J. Dennis Robinson, our guest historical contributor. Last time we learned about the building that presently houses our offices when it was part of the Eldredge Brewing Company ; this time we learned more about its earlier history in the textile industry.
In our last history installment we learned that the site of the modern TMS Architects offices was once a brewery. Heman (not Herman) Eldredge and his sons ran the Eldredge Brewing Company on the same spot off Bartlett Street in the second half of the 19th century. Although their brew, including Portsmouth Ale, was hugely popular, the Eldredge brand was drowned out by the even greater success of the Frank Jones Brewery just across the tracks in the city’s West End.
But there’s more. The brewery was built on the site of an equally important, but now forgotten, textile factory. Yes, during the 1800s, Portsmouth was also known as a key city for the production of stockings. Who knew?
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Hampden Country Club Entering the Home Stretch!
A TMS Architects designed project in western Massachusetts, the Hampden Country Club, is in the final stages of completion with an opening date of early May scheduled for the new Clubhouse and end of June for the Banquet Facility. This three year project features a 24,000 square foot Clubhouse complete with a generous dining room, separate bar and lounge, men and women’s lounges, a pro shop, luxurious spa, golf simulator room, exercise room, conference room and a wedding garden.
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Clever, Eco-Friendly Styles for Reclaimed Wood
Spring is just around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to update or renovate your home. There are many smart options for building materials on the current market, so it can be understandably difficult to choose the right ones for your particular project. We love the way reclaimed wood adds warmth and introduces texture to a space. With reclaimed wood, you can make a huge design statement, so we have some tips and ideas to get you started.
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A Sustainable Garden Loves Back: Planning Your Own
Looking for a way to give back to nature while receiving the benefits of flowers, plants, and vegetables? Growing your own plants and food is an important step toward leading a more sustainable lifestyle. Switching over to a sustainable gardening style goes a really long way in building a garden that you can then admire, eat from, and enjoy. To help you avoid getting lost on the way, we have some information to help grow your sustainable garden into a feature you can be proud of.
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Not Just for Asethetics or Shade: Benefits of Trees
What has bark but no bite? You guessed it — a tree! We see them all the time, and they’re part of our everyday landscape, but do you know why they’re so important? Trees are crucial in absorbing greenhouse gases and helping to protect Earth from the heat of the sun. But that’s just one of the many benefits of trees.
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