“Bringing an Old Mill into the 21st Century”
Kent Hicks’ home and office have been a labor of love for the past decade. The building was originally a grist mill, then a tool handle manufacturing company. The historic renovation had many challenges – the goals were to repurpose a building and its materials in a thoughtful way, to make it as energy efficient as possible, and minimizing its carbon footprint. The mill was a victim of flooding during Hurricane Irene, and required Kent to make it floodproof. Kent solved this challenge by insulating with mineral wool (that will drain and dry out) and creating removable wall panels to allow for encroachment by the Westfield River. “Everything about it appealed to me” when he first saw the property, he has no regrets about it.