The simplistic beauty of early New England homes continues to inspire our design aesthetic today. The challenge of historic restoration is to blend authentic work and materials with high levels of energy efficiency, without losing the beauty and character of the original structure. Through our years of experience and thoughtful consideration of maintaining the historic fabric of the home, we continue to preserve our rich built environment while reducing carbon emissions for our future.
18th Century Home Restoration
East Branch Studio was the general contractor for the restoration of a circa 1703 home that had been deconstructed and stored in pieces in a trailer. Our team rebuilt the house, nail by authentic nail. Any floor and siding sections that had to be replaced were hand planed with blades and techniques matching the period in which the house was built. Molding was cut to replicate the original bead and paints were blended with early 18th century hues. When complete, the house in the trailer grew into an elegant super-insulated home, with insulation tucked into deep window wells and the gambrel roof. Now surrounded by a landscape of stone, grass, and flower, this house stands as a model of historic aesthetic and modern building science.
TEAM
General Contractor: East Branch Studio
Architect: Jeffrey Scott Penn
Engineer: Ryan Helwig
Historian and Tireless Worker: Jerrilee Cain
PRESS
February 2010 issue of Early American Life, a 12-page story on the “Trailer Home.”
Summer 2017 issue of A Simple Life magazine.
Old Grist Mill
Before Reconstruction
The goals for this retrofit were to repurpose a building and its materials in a thoughtful way, to make it as energy efficient as possible, and to minimize its carbon footprint. This deep energy retrofit of an1850 mill building on the Westfield River was super-insulated, airtight, and able to completely dry if flooding occurs (as we experienced during Hurricane Irene in late August 2011). To manage future flood events, the building is insulated with mineral wool (that will drain and dry out) and removable wall panels allow for increased drying if encroachment by the Westfield River occurs. Old roof boards were reused as flooring, and chimney bricks made a new walkway. This Old Grist Mill is now East Branch Studio’s headquarters.
Reconstruction Process
Complete Retrofit
TEAM
Design, East Branch Studio
Structural Engineer, Ryan Helwig and John Wallen
Photography, Lynne Graves, interior shots
PRODUCTS
Windows/Doors, Schuco from European Architectural Supply
Heating/Cooling, Fujitsu
PRESS
Cover Story of Home Magazine 2018.
Net Zero Timber Barn/Home
TEAM
General Contractor, East Branch Studio
Architects, Catherine Truman and Associates
Mechanical Engineer, Jordan Goldman, Zero Energy Design
Structural Engineer, Jim DeStefano, Ken Fleming–DeStefano and Chamberlain Inc.
Photography, Professional shots done by Jane Messinger
PRODUCTS
Windows/Doors, Loewen
Insulation, Dense pack cellulose, mineral wool, polyiso
Heating/cooling, Mitsubishi Hyper Heat
Ventilation, Zehnder ERV
Solar, PV Squared
PRESS
Awarded “Best in Massachusetts” in 2019 IIDA New England
2020 Boston Society of Architects Residential Design Awards
Featured in 2017 Boston Magazine