News From Us
See our blog for new projects, announcements, and all things TMS Architects & Interiors.The Miracle of Changing Rooms
TMS Architect’s guest historian, J. Dennis Robinson, provides us with an interesting post on moving things around and how a change in space or time can really alter your perspective! As he says, “the more things change, the more they stay the same…”
“I used to row an Alden Ocean Shell. I put the fiberglass boat on the top of my old Toyota Tercell and hauled it from one access point on the Piscataqua River to the next. Once, long ago, I put the boat in the back yard to store it for the winter — and it sits there still.
Read More
New Life for an Old Barn!
TMS Architects recently had the opportunity to work again with Rob Karosis to photograph an unusual architectural project that Shannon Alther, TMS principal, worked on recently. The homeowners of this beautiful home and barn had lived in the area for years and were thinking seriously about downsizing…apparently all they really needed in a new locale was access to the internet and an airport. However, the more they thought about leaving the area, the pull of family and grandchildren was hard to ignore so they came up with an ingenious solution in lieu of leaving the family home.
Read More
Buzzing in Durham
Durham, NH, home of UNH, is a hotbed of construction activity these days as multiple projects are underway to provide housing and retail space for university students. A groundbreaking ceremony was held today for Madbury Commons, a TMS-designed project that, when completed by the fall of 2015, will provide students with 126 residential apartments and commercial space on the ground floor of both buildings.
Read More
A New TMS Home – “Oceanfront Outlook”
Rob Karosis of Rob Karosis Photography recently photographed this TMS-designed home with interiors created by Cebula Design and landscaping by Woodburn and Company. The location near the ocean is stunning and the interiors utilize a design palette that compliments its oceanfront location. Samia Touma, TMS project manager, explained that “this very inspiring site presented a number of challenges, including the clients’ wish to save some existing mature trees while the elongated shape of the site made siting the residence a difficult task. Incorporating a generous program on the narrow site was a challenge. The screen porch and attached garage had to be relocated several times to achieve the final layout due to programmatic and site constraints.”
Read More
New Housing in Progress for UNH Students
Foundation work began in July on a new TMS-designed 212,000 square foot student apartment and commercial complex in Durham, New Hampshire. This badly-needed student housing will be ready for occupancy in the fall of 2015 and will accommodate up to 524 students in 126 residential apartments. Consisting of two separate buildings, the commercial units on the ground floor of Building “B” are designed for a number of different tenants while Building “A” will bring the well-respected UNH Interoperability Lab into downtown Durham and closer to the UNH campus. We will keep you posted as construction continues.
Read More
A Boy’s Dollhouse Memories
Having just moved a large pink dollhouse, made for my daughter by her grandfather, J. Dennis Robinson’s recent post for TMS Architects was very poignant. The pink dollhouse has seen better days and needs some refurbishing but it was a labor of love and evokes so many good memories. Dennis Robinson is absolutely right….architecture can be found in a pink dollhouse, a model of Portsmouth’s South Church, a hand-made wooden fire station, a home or skyscraper…all were designed, built and are repositories of very powerful memories.
Dollhouses are not just for girls. My grandfather made one for me when I was a boy. It was a realistic, hand-made, wooden fire station almost three feet tall. It had a tower and two arched openings for my fire trucks. Grandpa Jake painted every red brick on the firehouse and installed every tiny shingle on the steep sloping roof. The model is still up in the attic of my parent’s home.
Read More
Selecting the Right Eco-Friendly Paints
We are all too familiar with the lingering odor of new paint. It strikes you like an open palm upon entering a freshly painted house, and perhaps forces you to open a window or even leave the area entirely. What you may not know is the chemicals you are inhaling are not only harmful to you, but also the environment.
Read More
A TMS Beachfront Remodel Finishing in Time for Summer!
Cristina Marias, TMS Architect’s interior designer, took these progress photographs recently of a TMS home in the final stages of construction before the homeowners move in for the summer. Built by CM Ragusa Builders, it is a lovely renovation with gorgeous ocean views from the upper floor and on a beautiful summer day, it was a perfect spot to visit. We will be professionally photographing this residence very shortly but wanted to share some “teaser” pictures with you.
Read More
Exciting Progress on New TMS-Designed Residence
TMS Architects’ project manager, Justin Knowlton, came back from a sit visit recently with new photographs of a TMS-designed home on the New Hampshire Seacoast. Located on a wooded site with water and march views, the home’s progress can be seen in the following pictures. Justin explained that because so much mahogany was used on the interior millwork, it was decided to purchase an entire tree and mill it in New Hampshire to insure that the colors and grain of the wood would match!
Read More
Is This Obelisk Architecture?
J. Dennis Robinson, historian and TMS Architects’ guest blogger, brings us an interesting piece today about Edward Tuck, founder of the first graduate school of business at Dartmouth, and leaves us with an interesting question to ponder…is an obelisk architecture? Read on and let us know what you think!
Read More
TMS Designs New Clubhouse in Hamden, MA
A new 25,000 square foot, TMS Architects designed, clubhouse is currently under construction at the Hampden Country Club in Hampden, Massachusetts. The clubhouse is a synthesis of rustic styles such as western arts and crafts, timber frame and New England farmhouse. Situated on a large hillside, generous windows provide unobstructed views overlooking the Berkshire Mountains and the professionally designed golf course by renowned course designer, Brian Silva.
Read More
Of Books and Buildings
TMS Architects is delighted to welcome J. Dennis Robinson back as a guest blogger after a hiatus in which he was toiling away on his new book, Mystery on the Isles of Shoals. The link he draws between architects and writers is very apt and we wish him well with his latest project!
Read More
Mark Your Calendars for The Music Hall’s 23rd Annual Kitchen Tour
TMS Architects has enjoyed working with the Portsmouth Music Hall Theatre over the years, having partnered with a team of builders, construction companies and engineers to complete a historic renovation of the theater in 2006 and 2007. So, we’re excited to be lending our support to the theater once again this year by sponsoring the upcoming Music Hall Kitchen Tour.
Read More
A New Hampshire Coastal Renovation Underway!
Under the watchful design guidance of TMS principal architect, Robert Carty, AIA, and Chris Ragusa of CM Ragusa Builders, a wonderful renovation is under construction near the ocean on New Hampshire’s coastline. The homeowners live in the Midwest, using this home as their beach vacation house and wanted to expand the family living area to make it more open for entertaining and large family gatherings.
Read More
What Are They Doing?
Several interesting structures have been taking shape in a parking lot directly outside TMS Architects’ offices and finally an article in The Portsmouth Herald revealed what’s going on out there ! The parking lot is apparently connected to Port City Makerspace which defines itself as ” a co-op shop for Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We are a community based shop that provides tools and workspace to members for a low monthly fee…the space we provide is the ultimate playground for those who tinker, design, build, fabricate, prototype, make and machine”
Read More
A Transformation in Progress!
TMS Architects’s intrepid project manager, Justin Knowlton, paid a site visit yesterday to a renovation he is supervising currently under construction on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Designed by TMS principal, William Soupcoff, these photos speak volumes about the transformational possibilities inherent in an architecturally-designed renovation.
Read More
Old House and Barn Expo
Mark your calendars for the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s Old House and Barn Expo taking place March 15-16, 2014 at the Radisson/Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH. Historical preservation is an important mission for TMS Architects and we applaud the work that the NH Preservation Alliance does to publicize and preserve New Hampshire’s historic treasures. The Old House Barn and Expo is only one of their many important activities.
Read More
Couture Dresses from Stark Fabrics?
TMS Architects was treated to a wonderful morning recently at the Boston Design Center‘s Stark Showroom which had been briefly appropriated by Boston Home Magazine to introduce their Spring issue. Editor Rachel Slade led the audience through the new issue, highlighting great products for spring (wonderful to see pastels !) and walked us through some amazing New England homes featured in this new issue. There was a wonderful Tremont Street town house, a small apartment beautifully designed by interior designer Frank Hodge and a very special Chappaquiddick house that was the work of Boston-based architect Peter Rose among many other articles.
Read More
What is the Future of Home Design?
This question was posed to TMS Architects by one of loyal “correspondents” who has followed our work for several years. His question, in its entirety went as follows:
> “If you don’t mind me asking, this is kind of an open-ended question, but I’ve been thinking about it lately since I’m seeing the home design/engineering process first hand.
>> In short, what do you see in the future of home design? Not in terms of software, but in terms of overall design trends?
>> It’s been fun viewing and studying your designs for all this time and seeing how your designs progress as the months and years pass! I’m sure you’ve seen so many trends that have come and gone, but overall, I think traditional design is here to stay, albeit with different design trends.
>> I just hope there are people in my generation that will be able to design such wonderful homes since you probably won’t be designing forever.”
Read More
Inside the Seacoast’s Saddest Structure
TMS Architect’s guest historian, J. Dennis Robinson, is back with a piece for us on a mysterious pile of stone in Portsmouth Harbor. If you live on the Seacoast of New Hampshire or travel in the area by boat, you have probably seen the structure’s ghostly presence on the banks of the Piscataqua River. Dennis provides us with some insight into the building and its murky history.
Read More