Frequently Asked Questions - Sustainable Design, Green Building, Timber Framing, Post and Beam, and Structural Insulated Panels
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Do you design only timber frame and post and beam homes?
No – while we specialize in timber frame homes with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), we also design light commercial structures and are happy to design other types of buildings using energy efficient materials and green building practices. Our goal is to design residences and businesses which have the least negative impact on the environment, keeping that in line with the owner’s desires, goals, and budget.
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What is Sustainable Home Design?
The goal of sustainable home design is to eliminate the negative impact of construction on the natural environment, to eventually eliminate the consumption of non-renewable resources, to minimize construction and fabrication waste, and promote a healthy living environment - green living. Sustainable home design addresses these factors: site specific criteria, energy consumption, energy sources, environmentally conscious material selections, water conservation, indoor air quality, operational costs and maintenance costs. Bonin Architects & Associates incorporates sustainable design in all of our projects, whether they are timber frame, post and beam, or SIPs. For more information on sustainable home design and sustainability, see our Blog.
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How is Bonin Architects & Associates unique in the industries of timber frame design and sustainable home design?
Bonin Architects & Associates is an architectural firm and project management company whose owners have 18 years' combined experience in timber frame and sustainable home design and the project management of timber frames and energy efficient homes. As a result, we understand all phases of the building and design process. Our skills allow us to design a unique home tailored to your individual needs, provide industry specific management services, and match your personal requirements to the appropriate construction type and/or manufacturer for specialties such as post and beam, timber frame and/or SIPs. Our staff includes a registered architect and a LEED accredited professional to assist you in designing your energy efficient home and meeting your goals for green living. |
Should I design my home before committing to a builder, general contractor, and post & beam, timber frame, or structural insulated panel company (if applicable)?
Yes – why? Many companies copyright their plans, resulting in the client not having the freedom to take their plans to several companies for competitive pricing. Having a preliminary design prior to committing to one builder, general contractor, and one company who manufactures post and beam or timber frame homes, and/or SIPs (structural insulated panels or stress skin panels) allows for a price and product comparison that will give you the best return on your investment. Also, builders and general contractors are typically not interested in quoting projects until there are preliminary drawings and specifications completed. With BA&A, you may choose to have us submit preliminary plans and specifications to several timber frame home companies for estimates before having to commit to one particular company. Sending plans to several companies offers the clients better negotiating options with the various bidders. Bonin Architects & Associates allows you the one time copyright permission to build the plan as designed (timber frame, SIP, hybrid, etc.) or conventionally if you choose. For advice on how to choose a general contractor, click here.
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There are various degrees of green building and I'm not interested in going completely "off the grid" with my new home. What is Bonin Architects' philosophy?
Bonin Architects & Associates wants to design the most environmentally-conscious homes possible; however, that is not always realistic when taking your budget, lifestyle, and location into consideration. There are, however, simple, cost-effective design solutions that contribute tremendously to the home’s energy efficiency without negatively impacting the environment. After getting a sense of your desires and needs, we introduce these considerations and continue to offer other design, material, and energy system options throughout the evolution of the design. The result is an energy-efficient home unique to your family’s needs and patterns. Also, see our Blog to see how Bonin Architects & Associates can help you reduce the carbon footprint of your new home by incorporating sustainable design techniques.
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What are SIPs or stress skin panels?
Structural Insulated Panels, or SIPs, at times are also referred to as stress skin panels or curtain wall panels. They consist of a core of rigid insulation with a layer of sheathing on one or both sides. There are numerous combinations of sheathings applied to the panels as well as types and thicknesses of the core insulation. SIPs are the key to an extremely well insulated building allowing for substantially less air infiltration and exfiltration, and in conjunction with their higher R-values, result in their higher performance compared to conventional construction methods. SIPs are able to resist lateral and gravity loads, such as those caused by wind, seismic, and snow, which also enables them to be used independent of a timber frame for the construction of portions of the home (i.e. bedroom wings or connectors between a garage and the home). Common types of insulated panels are expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), and urethane.
- Expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels consist of small beads of styrene foam formed into boards with the thickness of the insulation varying from 3.5 to 9.25 inches, providing R-values from approximately 13 to 35.
- Extruded polystyrene (XPS) is styrene foam forced through molds into panels typically 3.5 inches to 7.5 inches thick, offering R-values from approximately 17 to 36.
- Urethane panels are manufactured by injecting urethane in a liquid form into molds and allowing the urethane to expand and bond to the sheathings. Urethane panel thicknesses vary from 3.5 inches to 5.5 inches, providing R-values from approximately 26 to 40.
Most SIPs panels are 4’ wide by up to 24’ long. Panel types are available in a variety of sheathing configurations. The most common panel consists of a layer of oriented strand board (OSB) on each side. SIPs like these are most commonly used to resist and transfer loads to the timber frame and provide a fastening surface for shingles, clapboards and trim on the exterior and for drywall, trim and cabinetry on the interior. Structural Insulated Panels are a superior building envelope; however, they cannot span great distances by themselves. The combination of timber framing and SIPs is not only a beautiful, but smart building choice. To learn about the importance of ventilation in SIPs, click here. |
Do I need to hire a builder or general contractor for the construction of my new energy efficient home? In most cases, you will need to hire a builder or a general contractor for the construction of your new home, unless you have the knowledge and time to devote to the completion of the project. The construction process of a new energy efficient home can take as little as eight months to as much as two years or perhaps longer depending on the size and complexity of the design. For tips on hiring a general contractor, visit our Blog.
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Will Bonin Architects & Associates work with my chosen general contractor? Yes. It is just as advantageous to select a general contractor during the early design phase, as it is to choose SIPs and timber frame companies. Bonin Architects & Associates will send drawings and specifications to multiple general contractors as well as the timber frame companies for estimates. BA&A will assist you with the estimate analysis for the completed budget costs of your new timber frame home.
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What is a timber frame and how is it different than a post and beam?
Post and beam is a construction framework based on vertical and horizontal timbers. A post and beam is erected in layers, with each floor built independently from the others. Typically, metal fasteners are used at connection points and simple or no joinery is used. Timber framing consists of posts that span unbroken from sill to eave or ridge, have diagonal braces or bracing and are erected in complete walls or bents. Also, timber framing involves the use of wooden pegs and mortise & tenon joinery for timber connections. For a more detailed description of the differences between timber framing and post and beam construction, click here. |
Will Bonin Architects & Associates provide an architect's or engineer's stamp on the drawings?
An architect’s stamp may be provided as required for projects in the many states in which we hold licensure. We also work closely with several engineers who specialize in timber framing and structural insulated panels.
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How much does it cost to build a new timber frame home?
Depending on the level of interior finish and the complexity of the design, a finished timber frame home, not including site development costs or the cost of the land, will finish from $225 per square foot and up, depending on location and finishes. When the preliminary design is completed and sent to various builders, a rough budget may be assembled. With finished construction drawings, a final budget may be completed. It is to your advantage to have at least a preliminary design in hand before approaching builders, SIP, or timber frame companies.
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Is there such a thing as a true “apples to apples” comparison between different companies that manufacture structural insulated panel and timber frames?
Not necessarily. Manufacturers offer a variety of options as part of their timber frame or SIPs packages. While some companies offer the timber frame only, others offer complete turn-key services and many other companies’ services fall somewhere in between. Other differences may be delivery and labor options. Many timber frame companies use a variety of wood species and grades, as well as differing manufacturing processes (some handcraft their frames, while others machine- cut their frames). In addition, SIPs manufacturers offer a large variety of panel options as well.
When sending a request for a bid to different timber frame companies, it very difficult to compare the results unless you have experience in the industry. This is one of the areas of our expertise. We understand the methodologies and construction practices used by various companies and will help you analyze the options which best suit your building needs, location, and budget. Bonin Architects & Associates will submit timber frame design drawings and specifications to companies you select with the guidance of BA&A, analyze each of the quotes, and partner you with the best company while addressing items such as quality expectations, delivery schedule and budget for the construction of your new energy efficient home.
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What happens if the budget numbers supplied by the general contractors and timber frame companies exceed my budget?
We could discuss the option of designing a hybrid home to help reduce costs or change the design to a stick framed home while still incorporating elements into the design to capture energy efficiency.
What exactly is a hybrid home?
A hybrid home will often have only portions of timber framing in the house, while other areas, such as guest bedrooms, bathrooms, closets or mudrooms remain only SIPs construction. SIPs in the hybrid areas maintain the energy efficiency of the continuous high R-values and reduced air leakage throughout the house, expedite the construction process, and address the budget concern of timber framing the whole home. | |
How do I start designing my home or commercial building with BA&A and how long should I allow for the design process?
At a mutually-convenient time, we will arrange a site visit or personal meeting at a chosen location to discuss your site, building and design requirements, and building schedule. BA&A's initial consultation and/or site visit within a 100-mile radius is nonbillable. Initial consultation and/or a site visit outside a 100-mile radius will incur billable expenses such as airline tickets, gas expense, lodging, and meals, and will be invoiced based on actual costs. BA&A will submit an Itinerary to you for your approval prior to the visit. Follow-up site visits or client meetings requiring travel outside of BA&A's office are billed at actual travel costs.
The sustainable home design process may take as little as three weeks for the first set of preliminary designs, to as long as a year for the fully completed construction documents, depending on the complexity and size of the timber frame home.When should you start the design process? See the article "Is it Ever Too Early to Start the Design Process?" on our Timber Frame Blog.
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I would like to work with Bonin Architects & Associates but I don’t think I live close enough for a site visit. Do you work with clients on the west coast?
We work with clients from all over the country. If it is not possible for you to visit our office, we can travel to your site for which you would be responsible for only our actual travel costs. Our initial consultation time and evaluation of the project is non-billable. If a site visit is not possible, we work very successfully with our clients via conference call, email correspondence, and via FedEx. We also may be able to arrange a meeting at a home show or other event.
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What is LEED and a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP)?
A “LEED Professional Accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the LEED certification process. LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs) have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED Rating System. The LEED AP credential represents the individual's knowledge of the LEED Rating System and its application in practice. LEED APs facilitate the integrated design process and streamline LEED certification.” --USGBC definition
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What is Energy Star?
“ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices….ENERGY STAR … a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions…The ENERGY STAR label is now on over 50 product categories including major appliances, office equipment, lighting, and home electronics. The EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.”
“If looking for new household products, look for ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR. They meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy. You can identify them by the blue ENERGY STAR label.” -US Dept. of Energy definition |
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