News
Flying Point Wins FHB Best Energy-Smart Home Award
Fine Homebuilding magazine has named our Flying Point project the Best Energy-Smart Home of 2013!
Check out the link for a video with interviews of Jesse and one of the homeowners to learn how Jesse and Richard made this Freeport home super energy efficient.
May 7, 2013
Earthship Farmstead Gets Passive House Certification
Our Earthship Farmstead home in Virginia is now a certified Passive House! LEED Platinum certification is also in progress, making this home unique not just for its style, but also for its sustainability standards.
Mar 11, 2013
Peaks Island Home Start Houses are Complete
The two homes that we designed for Peaks Island Home Start have been completed and are ready for occupancy! Built by Keiser Homes, ferried across Casco Bay on a barge, and installed by Hallmark Homes, these affordable modular homes are net zero ready and super efficient.
Feb 19, 2013
David's Opus 10 is Open for Business!
We had to keep it under wraps while we were working on it, but we can finally announce our involvement in David Turin's latest restaurant endeavor. David's Opus Ten is a mini restaurant within a restaurant with just one seating per night and only 18 seats. We loved the challenge of creating this unique space, and Jesse particularly enjoyed the 9-course tasting menu reward.
Eater Maine posted more photos and the Press Herald has a great description of the space and some mouth-watering food images. Tempted yet? Call 207-773-4340 to reserve your table!
Nov 18, 2012
Peaks Island Home Start is Happening
Construction of the Peaks Island Home Start green modular homes is underway. Each module was taken across the bay on a barge and craned into place. These new homes will be ready in just a matter of weeks!
For more information about this collaborative community project to get affordable net-zero homes on Peaks Island, check out this Working Waterfront article.
You can also follow our progress on Facebook and view more photos of this exciting project.
Nov 16, 2012
Harborview Townhouses framing is up
Our Harborview Townhouse 7 unit project is in full swing with framing at top speed. Panelized double-stud walls from Hancock lumber are arriving daily, and it's rising quickly. Huge windows, great views and an exciting contemporary new building for Portland!
Oct 26, 2012
David's Opus 10 - New Restaurant Project
Kaplan Thompson Architects has been keeping a secret... We have been working with David Turin, chef and owner of David's Restaurant, on his latest brainchild - Opus 10, a restaurant within the existing restaurant in Monument Square. Stay tuned for more developments, or check it out yourself when it opens this fall!
Get more details from the Portland Press Herald article.
Sep 25, 2012
Harborview Townhouses are out of the ground!
Redfern Properties' Harborview Townhouse construction is in full swing. Site walls are complete, building stem walls will be poured today. This is a very exciting project for us, a very low energy multi-family building close to all the good things in town. Anyone interested, they've pre-sold 4 out of 7 units. If you want in, give them a call soon!
Learn more on the Kaplan Thompson Architects website or from the realtor.
Jul 20, 2012
Phil Kaplan Joins Green Building Advisor Team
Our own Phil Kaplan has joined the GBA Advisory Team! As the publisher of Fine Homebuilding magazine and GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, GBA is a trusted source for both homeowners and residential design and construction professionals. Phil's role as an advisor and contributing editor stems from the Green Architects' Lounge podcast he does with fellow Maine arichitect Chris Briley, who has also joined the GBA Advisory Team. Congrats to Phil and Chris!
Jul 19, 2012
Open House at Maine's First Net-Zero Community
Portland Press Herald writer Tux Turkel reported on the recent Brackett Estates open house and had glowing remarks about the green design aesthetic created by Kaplan Thompson Architects:
"Buyers these days expect hardwood floors, granite counters and oversized windows in an architecturally designed house, and the model home in the new Brackett Estates subdivision doesn't disappoint.
The space is bright and beautiful. But beyond the amenities, the house is so energy-efficient, it will be able to produce more energy than it consumes over the course of a year."
Combining the affordability of modular construction with high energy efficiency standards and net-zero solar capability, this model Modular Zero Home is the first of its kind in Maine.
Read the full article to learn more about this innovative project and how you can buy your own net-zero home in Wells, Maine.
Jun 25, 2012
Cross Laminated Timber is coming, look out steel and concrete.
Who wants to hire us to design the first CLT building on the East Coast?
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/05/science/0605-timber.html & Wood That Reaches New Heights
We've got a great supplier in Quebec with Nordic Wood Products: http://nordicewp.com/literatures/N-C261_Nordic_X-Lam_June_2011.pdf
We're ready to be done with steel and concrete low rise buildings...
Jun 5, 2012
Winner of three Maine AIA Design Awards
We are thrilled to announce that we received multiple awards last night at the biannual Maine AIA 2012 Design Awards as judged by AIA Minnesota. All of us here at Kaplan Thompson Architects are humbled and honored to have received a total of 3 of the 9 awards handed out:
A huge thanks goes out to our clients. Without them there would be no architecture for anyone to talk about. Our collaborators deserve enormous credit as well for working with us as a true team to achieve such great results.
May 8, 2012
Phil at the AIA National Convention - May 16th
Phil is excited to be presenting a worksop alongside Eco-King Peter Pfeiffer on May 16th at the AIA National Convention in Washington DC. It's titled “Seeing Beyond the Glare of “EcoBling”: A Tale of Two Climates" and will explore net zero building strategies in Texas and Maine. It will be filmed for posterity...and AIA Learning credits.
May 4, 2012
Morgan Law receives Passive House Consultant Certification
Please join us in congratulating Morgan Law on his recent Passive House Consultant Certification issued by the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS).
Morgan developed an interest in Passive House from having used the PHIUS software on over ten residential projects. As a certified Passive House Consultant, Morgan has a deep understanding of thermal/air barriers, sizing efficient mechanical systems and thermal bridge free construction.
Passive House [known as
Passivhaus Institute (PHI) in Europe] represents the world’s most rigorous
energy efficiency standard for buildings of all types. Buildings that meet Passive House standards
must prove that they use 90% less energy than a comparable conventionally built
building. PHIUS defines a Passive House
as a, “very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated
by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people.” An energy
recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply creating a superb indoor air quality environment.
Apr 11, 2012
Jesse's on You Tube!
As one of the winners of Marvin Windows and Doors annual Architect's Challenge competition Jesse Thompson went on the record to discuss "White Mountain View," check out his You Tube exclusive.
Mar 6, 2012
Building Energy Conference
As part of our annual effort to stay on top of the latest technologies our staff will be attending the BuildingEnergy Conference in Boston this week. BuildingEnergy is the most established and most cross-disciplinary renewable energy and high performance building conference in the region. Organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, it brings together architects, engineers, builders, policymakers, developers and building managers for three days of networking, accredited educational sessions and a high-level trade show.
Mar 5, 2012
Green Architects Lounge interview with James Howard Kunstler
Some see the glass as half full, others see it as half empty. Jim tells you what the %$#@! is in the glass, how it got there, and what SHOULD be in the glass instead. Join Phil and his co-host Chris Briley as they interview author, and social commentator, James Howard Kunstler. Jim delivers his commentary on the built environment in a refreshing, unique, and blunt manner.
Feb 6, 2012
Flying Point achieves LEED Platinum!
We are thrilled to announce that Flying Point, in Freeport Maine, was just awarded LEED Platinum status according to the US Green Building Council. The house is built with triple glazed windows and double stud wall construction. The heating system of this 1800 sq.ft. 3 bedroom home is merely a single zone radiant slab! Flying Point also meets the Architecture 2030 Challenge of a 50% carbon reduction by 2010.
Feb 1, 2012
High Design & High Performance: The Passivhaus Building Energy Standard for Architects
On February 16th, Join Jesse for a presentation on Passive House structures being presented by AIA New Hampshire. Starting at 5:30 sharp we'll start with a tour of Regeneration Park, a near net zero structure in Portsmouth. Register on AIA NH's website.
Jan 23, 2012
Cityworks X(po) in Roanoke
Phil was honored to be a speaker at last month's CityWorks (X)po in Roanoke, Virginia, a small cities conference celebrating the people and projects that have exponential impact. National leaders from the fields of Social Entrepreneurship & Capital, Arts & Design, Knowledge & New Media, Leadership & Good Government, Food & Drink and Outdoors & Recreation gathered from all over the country. In chatting and sharing ideas alongside gadfly James Howard Kunstler and the inspirational Theaster Gates among many others, Phil was simply blown away. Organizer Ed Walker deserves a world of credit for an inspiring event that hopefully has enough steam to spread throughout our nation's small-but-linchpin cities such as Ogden, Utah and our very own Portland, Maine.
See Phil's interview as an out-of-town Speaker for the local Roanoke paper here.
Dec 29, 2011
Falmouth Town Green Development
As one of the slated designers of Falmouth Town Green we are excited about our collaboration on the development of the former Plummer-Motz & Lunt School Complex. The proposal has been submitted by Redfern North Atlantic LLC who is encouraging community discussion via their website Falmouth Town Green.
Redfern's plan calls for a new neighborhood with educational, civic/recreational, office, retail, and residential uses, surrounding a Public Park (Town Green), in the tradition of early New England villages. The Town Green will be anchored by a local food market/bakery, and is intended to host community events such as farmer’s markets, concerts, and other special events.
Log on today and let us know your thoughts on this development!
Dec 2, 2011
November/December Issue of Maine Home + Design
Our White Mountain View design is featured in the Architectural Issue of Maine Home + Design's November/December issue. This issue hightlights 20 of Maine's latest, most inventive, and striking architectural projects and we couldn't be more pleased to see White Mountain View included amongst such designs.
Oct 26, 2011
October, 1st: Tour Six Kaplan Thompson Architects designed houses on the NESEA Tour
Join us this Saturday, October 1st for the annual NESEA Open House tour. This year we'll have six low-energy homes on the tour from Portland to Rockland, most houses are open to the public from 10-4pm. NESEA's tour spans throughout the Northeast we'd encourage you to check out their website to find homes near you.
Sep 28, 2011
September issue of Builder Magazine
Our Modular Zero Collection series is featured on the cover of September's issue of Builder Magazine. Click here to read the full article; on news stands now.
Sep 23, 2011
Winner of 2011 Marvin Windows Architect Challenge
We are pleased to announce that White Mountain View is a winner of the 2011 myMarvin Architect's Challenge. Winning entries, which use Marvin windows, represent the "best examples of solution-driven design, innovation, classic beauty and sustainability." Located in Sweden, Maine this project is a two bedroom house over a horse barn with stunning views (through Marvin windows) of the White Mountain's Tuckerman's Ravine.
Photo by Trent Bell.
Aug 29, 2011
