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See our blog for new projects, announcements, and all things TMS Architects.Ground Up: What to Consider When Building Your Dream Home
There is little as thrilling, rewarding, and overwhelming as building an entire home of your own. To create the spaces of your dreams, and fulfilling the scope of your future. To build the ideal place into which you and yours can grow, and making it entirely your own. But while the final image of your complete fantasy might rest easy and fully illustrated in your mind, the actual steps taken between the first turn of soil in a shovel to the finishing beauty of your new house can be daunting. With just a few tips and considerations, the process of building your dream home can be kept from becoming a nightmare.
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TMS Architects Wins Two AIA NH Excellence in Architecture Design Awards
On January 22, 2016, The American Institute of Architects New Hampshire Chapter (AIANH) announced the recipients of its 2016 Annual Excellence in Architecture Design Awards.
This is the highest recognition of architecture that exemplifies excellence in overall design, including aesthetics, clarity, creativity, appropriate functionality, sustainability, building performance, and appropriateness with regard to fulfilling the client’s program. We’re pleased to share that two designs by TMS Architects were selected as winners in this year’s award ceremony.
The 2016 jury was comprised of John Franzen FAIA, J.P. Franzen Associates Architects, Southport, CT; Kevin Herrick AIA, the S/L/A/M Collaborative, Glastonbury, CT; and Laura Pirie AIA, Pirie Associates, New Haven, CT.
Read on to learn more about these award-winning projects…
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TMS Architects Wins Three New Hampshire Home Design Awards
New Hampshire Home recently hosted their Third Annual Design Awards ceremony; a program that honors and celebrates excellence in home design and the creative use of materials in new, remodeled and historic residences. We’re pleased to share that TMS Architects received three awards and one honorable mention for our work! Read on to see some of our award-winning designs…
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Out on the Town: 3 Portsmouth Events to Enjoy This Winter
While freezing gray days might make us all want to huddle inside until the cold season passes, anyone who lives in Portsmouth is lucky enough to experience a beautifully thriving community where there are wonderful events to tempt us from hearth and home, regardless of the weather. With such gorgeous spaces and engaging people, there is no end to the events offered in Portsmouth, even in the seemingly quietest months of the year — and there’s no better New Year’s resolution than getting to know such a town even better.
We had the absolute pleasure of renovating Wentworth by the Sea, a historic hotel with stunning vistas and design that encourages relaxation and refinement. Pair this place with the 2016 Winter Wine Festival, and you have everything you could possibly need for the most dazzling days of the winter season. Kicking off January 22nd, and continuing until February 21st, this festival is New England’s premier winter destination for the complete wine experience, with tastes suited from the amateur to the connoisseur, whether you seek oysters, bubbles, or jazz brunches. Hosted by one of our favorite past projects and a true gem of Portsmouth, winter just became infinitely more enticing.
It’s hard to find the motivation to get out on the town on an icy winter weeknight. Thankfully, Row 34 has a delicious guest chef series in store to help us power through. Every Tuesday from now until March, Row 34 is bringing chefs from the best restaurants throughout New England to make special additions to the menu. Guest chefs include Louis DiBiccari of Tavern Road (1/19), Ben Hasty of Thistle Pig (1/26), and Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa & Toro (2/16). It’s a truly mouthwatering way to spend your evening!
Another favorite project, the Music Hall Loft, has truly earned its place as one of Portsmouth’s most electric venues with this month’s lineup of live performances and special screenings. Whatever you may love, be it the brilliant comedy of Marina Franklin to the thoughtfulness of the award-winning film Mustang, there is the perfect event for anyone and everyone in these next few weeks. Relish these winter evenings in the sumptuous warmth of the lounge, and enjoy a night out with those you love.
With the holidays past, we all might want to just collapse into the couch and stay as warm as possible. But with a town this ideal, you might as well get out on the town and discover some new favorite wine, amazing food, incredible performances, and (best of all) good company.
Value-Adding Additions
There are many things to consider when you make an addition or large renovation to your home. It’s your home, so of course any addition should be something that you and your family will be able to enjoy for years to come. But it’s also smart to think about the big picture when making a change.
When it comes to return on investment, all home additions are not created equal. It’s nice to daydream about adding a sun room, swimming pool, or state of the art kitchen, but unfortunately those additions are not always the most practical when it comes time to sell. Here, we’ll share some of the best value additions you can make to your home.
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TMS Architects 2015: A Year In Review
The TMS Team, December 2015
Is it just us, or has 2015 simply flown by? This time of year is a wonderful opportunity to sit back and reflect on everything that has happened over the past twelve months before diving into the new year. We spent some time reminiscing this week, and we’re pleased to say that 2015 was a banner year for TMS, filled with numerous noteworthy accomplishments both professional and personal. We’re excited to share some highlights with you today, and hope that 2016 brings just as many wonderful memories!
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Trends to Watch in 2016
Hard to believe it, but 2016 will be here in a pop of champagne and the blink of an eye. In the final week of the year, enjoy your home even more by dreaming of its future: grab some hot chocolate, curl up in your favorite overstuffed chair, and mull the best trends of the new year!
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North Shore Design Featured in Coastal Home Magazine
In our opinion, there’s nothing better than being able to take someone’s vision for their dream home and bring it to life. That’s why we’re so thrilled that Coastal Home Magazine chose our Field of Dreams home as the cover feature for their Autumn 2015 issue. Collaboration was key in this project — the homeowners worked closely with TMS’s principle architect Bill Soupcoff and Michael Cebula of Cebula Design to ensure everything fell into place just right. Coastal Home delves into the details in their current issue, but we couldn’t help but share some highlights…
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TMS Architects Wins Four PRISM Awards!
Last weekend, the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston hosted 2015 PRISM Awards Gala. This is an awards ceremony that recognizes excellence in every aspect of building and design — from construction to remodeling and even sales and marketing. We are very pleased to announce that TMS Architects took home four PRISM Awards this year! Take a look our award-winning work…
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Explore the TMS Design Studio with Boston Magazine
Our brand new design studio is where dream homes begin to come to life. Take a look inside with Boston Magazine…
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Matching Old Mortar Matters, Says Mason
TMS received its 34th post this morning from J. Dennis Robinson, Portsmouth’s historian. Who knew that the mortar could be so important when restoring old brick structures? Apparently Master Mason John Wastrom did!
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Designing Gorgeous Rain Garden with Style & Functionality for Landscapes
Looking for something extra to add visual interest to your outdoor landscape? If you’re unfamiliar with the idea of rain gardens, you’ve been missing out on a quintessential, sustainable garden staple. The things that attract us to gorgeous rain gardens are their undeniable reduction in pollution, their contribution to water preservation, and they allow you to enjoy beautiful native plants.
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Stunning Cupola Designs that Flatter the Home
Looking to make a statement with a refined, unique architectural feature? Long forgotten in the design world, people are once again starting to take notice of an iconic rooftop structure — the cupola. So, what is a cupola? And why has it taken the spot of the most pinned Pinterest photo for TMS?
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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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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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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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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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