Click on this photo to see it in the note cards/prints gallery.The white-cedar-shingle wall cladding and trim, shown here, are New England mainstays. Thanks to careful planning, the shingle courses, which probably have approximately 5-inch exposure, align with the top of the window-head trim and the top of the window sill. The rake trim, which follows the roof slope on the gable end wall, is “clipped,” meaning the overhang is minimal. This is a common regional detail, harking back to early Capes. Here, the rake is made of a likely, nominal 8-inch board, with an overlapping crown molding, which adds tight shadow lines. The bead-board shutter is another Yankee touch. Together, these classic New England elements define a spare, but functional, and visually pleasing exterior treatment.

Read more about rake trim here, here, and here.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

This in-town collection of connected buildings in Maine brings to mind the connected farm buildings Thomas Hubka wrote about in Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn. If you’re not familiar with his book, it’s definitely worth reading in order to better appreciate how this typology was adopted by New England farmers and why.

Here the “big house” is a modest 1 ½ story Greek Revival with a secondary “little house” set back, yet parallel to it. The “back house” forms an ell, connecting the front living spaces with the barn. It’s possible that the front Greek Revival originally stood separate from the barn and that the other wings were added over time, as the owners required more living and working space. Often the “little house” was constructed to contain the kitchen, freeing up a room in the “big house” for another use. The “back house” was generally a transitional work space, containing a shop, wash room, wood shed, or storage space – like a working mud room.

Today, assembling a collection of building elements, as in this vernacular example, can make sense when designing new homes too. Such assemblages allow multiple exposures to natural light which can travel deep within each component. They distribute the building’s volume, so it doesn’t appear overly large or monolithic, and they communicate a hierarchy of space and purpose. Connected buildings can also shape a dynamic outdoor space.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Click on this photo to see it in the note cards/prints gallery.Low, winter daylight can be striking. Here it illuminates the Edgartown Light which in turn lights the way for visitors and returning residents alike. After the Hurricane of 1938 demolished the original lighthouse, this 1881 cast-iron structure was relocated to Edgartown from Crane’s Beach in Ipswich. At 45-feet tall, with a few simple, hooded windows, the white and black tapered tower is a cheerful, welcoming marker. Currently cared for by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, it includes a memorial at its base dedicated in the names of children. The Museum recently renovated the lighthouse and opened it to the public for on-season tours.

As we enter a new era, this purposeful, yet inspirational lighthouse, standing steadfast to guide us, may resonate with you as much as it does with me.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Considering the dismal state of the housing market, it’s nice to see that there’s a coalition proposing a solution; it's the Fix Housing First Coalition. On the FHF website, Jerry Howard, President and CEO of the National Association of Home Builders, describes how we should and can fix housing first.

Howard notes that housing is the largest sector of the economy, and that with its collapse, it’s brought down two other sectors, the financial sector and the manufacturing sector. Howard argues that fixing housing first will help fix the other sectors. He sees a clear housing solution: “Stimulate the demand side; stabilize the supply side, and you have the sure fix.”

The Fix Housing First Coalition proposes non-refundable, short-term tax credits for all home buyers, plus below-market, 30-year fixed mortgages (available for a limited time), and continued foreclosure prevention. Visit the website to learn more.

FHF link by way of David Andreozzi via The Congress of Residential Architects

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast

Have you seen the so-bad-it’s-good infomercial for the Snuggie? It’s a blanket with sleeves designed for winter, couch slackers. Well, if the Passive House Institute U.S. has its way, there’ll be no market for Snuggies. Last Friday’s New York Times shares the latest in mechanically ventilated, super-insulated, air-tight construction, known as the “passive house,” which will keep you toasty without a conventional furnace. Made popular in Germany by the Passivehaus Institut, it’s a concept slowly finding its way to the States.

The Times reports, “Decades ago, attempts at creating solar-heated homes failed, because of stagnant air and mold. But new passive houses use an ingenious central ventilation system. The warm air going out passes side by side with clean, cold air coming in, exchanging heat with 90 percent efficiency.”

If you visit the Passive House Institute U.S. website you can view a few sample “passive houses” built in the U.S. One, constructed in 2002/2003, features walls insulated with 12 inches of blown-in fiberglass plus 4 inches of exterior rigid polystyrene. The roof of that same building is insulated with 16 inches of blown-in fiberglass. The concrete slab is insulated with 14 inches of expanded polystyrene and the foundation perimeter is insulated with 6 inches of expanded polystyrene. Wow. It also features triple-glazed windows.

The Passive House Institute U.S. estimates that a “passive house” requires an approximately 10 percent additional upfront investment. It may be more depending on location and building design. As the Times article notes, “Compact shapes are simpler to seal, while sprawling homes are difficult to insulate and heat…Most passive houses allow about 500 square feet per person, a comfortable though not expansive living space.”

Until “passive houses” catch on here, the folks at Snuggie needn’t worry.

by Katie Hutchison for the House Enthusiast