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March 2012"Modern in the Middle"
In this issue of Newton Living, our New England Contemporary project was featured. "LDa Architecture merges shingle and glass to create a contemporary West Newton Hill home that's steeped with tradition." Check out the full story below... -
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July 2010
Selecting Marble for Your Home
We sometimes receive questions about materials and techniques through our website. Recently a homeowner emailed to ask about the marble countertop in one of our ads. The image is from our Classic Hyannisport Home project, which does in fact have a treated marble island. -
November 2009
INSULATION Part 3: Notes from the Field
Over the past year, we have been working on a project seeking a LEED for Homes certification. Our Building Systems Consultant has been a great addition to the team. The process has been extremely informative. We found an insulation system that we feel gives us the most bang for our buck. This system may not be the best for every project as goals and quantities play a big roll in the cost. Our results are listed below: - New walls are receiving damp applied cellulose -
June 2009
What the heck is a California Corner?
Three stud corners, also known as California corners, are an easy way to reduce the lumber used in a building project. The picture below is of a type of three stud corner currently under construction in one of our projects (in a Boston suburb). -
May 2009The Barrier Method
Continuous thermal and air barriers, that is. Possibly the most critical aspect of sustainable design in buildings is making sure that you can control the movement of energy through the building shell or envelope. Any gaps or leaks are a big problem - mostly because once the project is completed, whether a new or a renovated building, it is very difficult to see and then correct any deficiencies. Ever see really giant ice dams and icicles on houses in the Boston area in the middle of January? -
May 2009
B2GREEN
LDa was invited to attend the B2Green event which was sponsored by a group of businesses and non-profit groups from within Somerville, MA called GoGreen Somerville. Exhibitors included energy consultants, contractors, recycling companies, green roof specialists, wind turbine providers, transportation specialists, and local a local café to name a few. -
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April 2009Green home or leaky artifact?
Is the charming old house really the enemy of 21st century energy efficiency? The answer is, of course, no – but it depends on what you mean by charm and energy efficiency. A house with inherent charm – built, say, before the 1950’s – is an excellent candidate to save and update. We just completed an addition/renovation to a 1915 Victorian that amazingly passed its blower door test and received a HERS index of 58 – astonishing, but it turns out that our continuous air/thermal barrier strategy really worked!