Open House Sunday 14th, 12p-2p (VIRTUAL TOUR)

I am going to tell you about a very special house. It is an exquisite example of c.1870s Mansard Victorian and the former home of William Ellison Brigham. But first you might be asking, “William, what is a Mansard Victorian?”  Well, it just so happens that back in 2004 I was finally in the market for my own home and I purchased a Mansard of my very own in the Brewery District of Jamaica Plain.

Arthouse vacation rental in Jamaica Plain, MA

I was of course very fond of the historic architecture and curious as to the purpose and origin of the style. Wikipedia’s description is as such; A mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret. The upper slope of the roof may not be visible from street level when viewed from close proximity to the building.

The roof design was first popularized by François Mansart (1598–1666), an accomplished architect of the French Baroque period. It became especially fashionable during the Second French Empire (1852–1870) of Napoléon III. I remembered reading that this style of home had something to do with a loophole to avoid taxes but again Wikipedia set me straight.

One frequently seen explanation for the popularity of the mansard style is that it served to shelter its owners against taxes as well as rain. One such example of this claim, from the 1914 book, How to Make a Country Place, reads, “Monsieur Mansard is said to have circumvented that senseless window tax of France by adapting the windowed roof that bears his name.” This is improbable in many respects: Mansart was a profligate spender of his clients’ money, and while a French window tax did exist, it was enacted in 1798, 132 years after Mansart’s death, and did not exempt mansard windows.

Later examples suggest that either French or American buildings were taxed by their height (or number of storeys) to the base of the roof, or that mansards were used to bypass zoning restrictions.This last explanation is the nearest to the truth: a Parisian law had been in place since 1783, restricting the heights of buildings to 20 meters (65 feet). The height was only measured up to the cornice line, making any living space contained in a mansard roof exempt. A 1902 revision of the law permitted three or even four stories to be contained in such a roof.

5 Brewer St, Jamaica Plain - Single Family Victorian Mansard

The Mansard has become my favorite antique style of architecture and I was very surprised and excited when my good friends Bob & Julie told me they wanted to downsize. Their home at 5 Brewer St. in Jamaica Plain is extraordinary. The exterior has been restored as accurately as possible to replicate the original architecture. The interior however might be described as Contemporary Artisan.

Why reinvent the wheel? Here’s the marketing text I wrote for the highlight sheets and such. Tease me all you want about the Realtorspeak, just come see the house and you’ll agree I’m sure.

Throw the French doors open and enjoy the outdoors while preparing dinner in an incredibly well appointed kitchen. There is no shortage of cabinets and storage and only the best appliances. Chat with the chef and enjoy a glass of wine whilst seated at the enormous center island.

Center island and modern kitchen at 5 Brewer St. in Jamaica Plain

To one side the kitchen flows into a family room with beamed cathedral ceiling that opens to a rear deck overlooking the yard and carriage house. The other side opens to the dining and living room as well as a cozy reading room.

Dine elegantly in front of the Victorian “Windsor Arch” marble fireplace under tall ceilings accented with hand crafted plaster crown molding and a graceful bow window. Adjourn to the formal living room with full length period windows and a mirror image marble fireplace. One gets a real sense of time in the foyer where the owners have lovingly restored the chateau entry doors and the antique stair leading to the upper levels.

While the detail remains, the dark and stuffy Victorian interior has been transformed into a bright, inviting space. The top floors consist of four well-spaced bedrooms intermingled with baths, the laundry and two cozy studies. While the home is large it’s not overwhelming. There is room for the inhabitants to each find their own private spot to curl up with a book and enjoy some quiet time.

Not a single detail was overlooked during renovations. Unlike most homes of this caliber the architect employed many environmentally friendly features such as recycled denim and cellulose insulation, a four zone state-of-the-art HVAC system that functions up to 98% efficiency and high-end Marvin windows and doors.

The bathrooms are luxurious, yet unassuming and outfitted with only the best fixtures and hardware such as Hansgrohe, Toto, Jado, Duravit, Franke and Kohler. A color consultant chose pleasant Benjamin Moore low VOC paints and there are custom window treatments throughout the home. The neatly ordered CAT6 telecommunications run to almost every room in the house and provide the ultimate flexibility for technophiles.

Brewer Street is a very charming and quaint side street lined with beautiful homes and sheltered on either side by historic Eliot and Burroughs Streets. This location is a short walk from Jamaica Plain’s bustling Centre and the beloved Jamaica Pond. Just around the corner you’ll find the ever charming Footlight Club which has been presenting community theater every year since 1877.

William Ellison Brigham house at 5 Brewer St, Jamaica Plain

Attend fascinating lectures at First Church or take in a class on the creative side at the Eliot School. All this and you can still walk to the subway or jump on the #39 bus which runs right past the Longwood Medical area, Museum of Fine Arts, Northeastern and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Impressive, right? Now for the history. My favorite historian, Mark Bulger over at the Remember Jamaica Plain blog turned me onto this little tidbit:

Boston Daily Globe April 21, 1907

An Equine Methuselah

According to all obtainable statistics, Jeff Brigham is one of the oldest horses in the world. He lives in the Jamaica Plain district, at No. 5 Brewer st, as a member of the family of Mrs W.E. Brigham. Thirty-seven or 38 years is no great age in a man, but it is twice the average of a horse. The animal that lives to the end of 18 years is considered to have reached a ripe old age and is usually turned out to pasture, sold at auction, or chloroformed, according to the compassion of his owner. Jeff’s owners would as soon think of administering chloroform to one of themselves as putting an end to the good old horse’s life.

Jeff has grown old with the family that owns him. He has outlived his master, and now faithfully serves his mistress, whom he conveys wherever she goes, always moving at a comfortable trot with very little indication of age in his movements. He has never been sick a day in his life, but of late years he has required to services of a dentist, not for any lack of teeth, but owing to an over supply. He has had to have his teeth filed down two or three times to prevent their interfering with the mastication of his food. Eating has always been a very important consideration with Jeff. Three meals a day, as regularly as the clock strikes, have been his never-failing portion. He is comfortably housed in a warm, new stable, built especially for him. He is accustomed to gentle treatment and a certain degree of deference to the dignity of his age. The boys George and Will, who used to romp on his back when he was a sprightly horse of 10 or 12, have grown to stalwart manhood under his supervision, and they treat him with the respect which is his due. An automobile is Jeff’s particular horror. Born before the time of bicycles, he managed to become reconciled to them in his youth, but these new devices, with their honking and puffing and locomotive speed, are too much for him at his time of life. He is exceedingly fond of music, especially of the martial type, and will march to time and cavort in dance fashion if he happens not to be harnessed.

It seems the extremely low interest rates and a lack of condominium inventory in Jamaica Plain have created a very strong Fall real estate market.

I was prepared to market three new homes as soon as possible after September 1st – a single family and two condos. I no more than put the sign in the ground and the Roslindale single family received an outstanding offer. It never even hit the MLS. So, look alive condo buyers! The market is moving at a brisk pace – get out to those open houses the first weekend they are available.

The Boston Home Team is very excited to have two very cool homes to offer this weekend:

239 Amory St. in Jamaica Plain is a very unique home well located on the edge of the Brewery District near the Stony Brook subway station. This particular home offers some outstanding potential for a new buyer. Currently the owners have only utilized the first and second floor. There are two bedrooms upstairs which they set to work on as soon as they closed several years ago. They removed the ceiling, opening the volume right up to the roof line and installed a skylight. In addition, they opened up the closets a bit and installed very clever warehouse style sliding doors on exposed hardware. They left the doors raw and unfinished which really adds a pretty neat look. No space was wasted as they added storage up high in the space over the stairs which is good for that stuff you don’t need to get at often like suitcases and seasonal clothes. Both of the upstairs bedrooms share a full bath. This was pretty clever and makes the plan very efficient.

The main level consists of a living room, 1/2 bath, dining room and kitchen which opens to the rear of the property, overlooking a nice sized yard for the city. Although this home is wonderful as it is – the next owners will have plenty of opportunity to take the design to the next level. The main area of interest to this agent is the basement. This space in particular offers some great expansion potential. Tall ceilings and full height windows would allow the new owner to create a great deal of value adding roughly 350SF to the overall living space. The possibilities are endless.

I’ve left the best for last – location, of course. This home is situated right on the edge of the Brewery District in Jamaica Plain, just 200 yards from Stony Brook subway station. Within a very small radius you will find a great liquor store with local beer, the original and now famous City Feed & Supply, Ula Cafe, Bella Luna Restaurant and the Milky Way Lounge where you can enjoy entertainment from stand-up comedy to DJs and live acts. Mike’s Fitness is a block away too. I have an open house scheduled on Sunday from 12:30-1p. Please check out the website for more details, photos and a virtual tour.

I have another open house scheduled from 11a-12:30p on Sunday in the beautiful and serene Woodbourne neighborhood of Jamaica Plain. 87-89 Bourne Street is situated on a corner lot surveying the neighborhood. It happens to be just a short walk from Forest Hills Cemetery (doesn’t sound like a great place for a stroll, but it is) where you can enjoy Jamaica Plain’s Lantern Festival, sculpture, music, etc. and of course the subway, the new Harvest Coop and a handful of restaurants, stores and a great coffee shop.

This home has a very common 3BD layout with the bedrooms all in a row on one side and the kitchen, dining and living on the other. Presumably one would use the rearmost room as the master bedroom and the front facing as a guest/study/home office as it is the smallest and open to the front covered deck overlooking the front yard and street. The middle bedroom has two doors for good flow. One opens toward the bathroom and the master bedroom, the other toward the study and front entrance.

The kitchen and bathroom renovations here were thoughtful and sophisticated. They will certainly stand the test of time. The old kitchen pantry was jettisoned for an open plan and more storage and counter space. It’s the kind of kitchen you make holiday cookies in, or cram full of your friends for wine and hors d’oeuvres. It has a big center island and a glass door out to the covered rear deck. The bathroom renovation kept the fantastic large tub and sink (1920s?) but everything else is new.

My favorite part about this home is the natural light play. The kitchen, dining and living rooms are all flooded with bright sunshine – but the bedrooms get a more muted light thanks to some giant trees that overshadow that side of the home. They’re not dark mid you, but they have a more comfortable glow. I imagine them to be quite nice on warm summer days when you need to escape the heat for a while.

Come visit me at the first open house on Sunday from 11a-12:30p and please check it out on my website for more pictures, information and of course the virtual tour.

Immaculate two-level unit. Charming sitting area, media room and TONS of built-ins. Fantastic flow for entertaining – including a neat pass-through with cabinets and a wetbar! South facing windows and sun porch wash open fireplaced living room with sun. Huge master bedroom with skylights, front-loading washer/dryer, vaulted tile bath with high-end fixtures and media room with wired recess for flat screen. Big back deck overlooks common yard. Short walk to subway, pubs and new Harvest Coop.

I have been exceptionally lucky to have the opportunity to represent some fantastic homes this year. I’ve had one good-looking website because of all the great photos – but as luck and skill would have it – they all sold. But wait! we’ve got a new, very impressive home near Roslindale Village. This pristine Bungalow is owned by a woman with impeccable taste. Wendy has meticulously maintained her home – and not just the fun stuff. The roof (decking and shingles) were replaced with a 30 year architectural shingle. She had new Harvey windows installed, some of which are wood toned and match the original woodwork. Electric, plumbing and maybe most important- the insulation, have all been done.

Gorgeous Bungalow at 158 Durnell Ave in Roslindale. Click on this image to visit the website and virtual tour on www.TheBostonHomeTeam.com.

For those of you who are more interested in the pretty stuff, Wendy made some exquisite design decisions to optimize flow and function not to mention the kitchen looks HOT! She used custom cherry millwork cabinets that reach all the way to the ceiling. These contrast beautifully with relatively subdued and sophisticated black stone counters. Recessed lights in the ceiling, under the cabinets and pendants over the island provide ample task lighting. The far side of the kitchen has a huge pantry/laundry closet with full-sized machines and a built-in bookshelf in the short passageway to the dining room.

The yard and landscaping are beautiful but not overdone. There’s certainly room for a new owner to make their mark and create their own custom look. Currently, Wendy only uses enough of the driveway to park her Mini Cooper. She has transformed the rest into a garden area. The drive meanders to a garage under the house and could easily be used for that purpose again. However, it is my opinion that this particular basement holds a lot of potential.Right now it’s a pristine storage and work space for toys and garden tools, but as a good portion of it is mostly out of ground due to the slight slope of the lot – I think it has a lot of potential to be converted to additional living space without the feeling of being in a basement. I imagine a 3rd bedroom/study/family room, a more efficient machine room and then a wicked workroom with access to the garage door.

If you’d like to see this home for yourself the first showings are tonight (Friday 27th) from 6:30p-7:30p. I am available Saturday to show as well (two showings scheduled from 11-11:30a) and Sunday an open house is scheduled from 12-2p. You’re welcome to make an appointment if one of those times don’t work for you but I’m really not sure I would count on it being available beyond this weekend…we shall see.

article first appeared in the Jamaica Plain Gazette written by John Ruch

Arthouse vacation rental in Jamaica Plain, MA

For the price of a downtown hotel room, travelers can rent entire gorgeous, furnished condos at nearly a dozen Jamaica Plain homes.

Short-term house rentals might be the best open secret in local travel, and appears to be a growing real estate trend. They essentially offer a bed-and-breakfast type of experience, minus the breakfast.

“We really like meeting the people,” said local real estate agent William Brokhof, who along with wife Christine Li runs a short-term rental property called the “Arthouse” near The Brewery in Brookside. “People come from Australia, Japan—almost every country I can think of.”

The popular travel website “HomeAway” (homeaway.com) shows that JP is a hotbed of Boston short-term rentals, where visitors can stay by the night, the week or the month. A map on the site shows short-term rentals on Carolina Avenue, Lee Street, Parley Vale, Lochstead Avenue, Pershing Road, Moraine Street and S. Huntington Avenue, among other sites.

But most appear to prefer a low profile. When the Gazette contacted several owners, some did not return calls. Others declined to comment, citing concerns about riling neighbors or the hotel industry.

The local Taylor House Bed and Breakfast in Pondside straddles both worlds, operating a B&B on Burroughs Street and a short-term rental house next door on Agassiz Park. Taylor House did not return a Gazette call.

Arthouse vacation rental in Jamaica Plain, MA

The City’s Inspectional Services Department did not respond to questions about short-term rentals. But it appears that no permits are required as long as the guests sign leases; no meals are served to them; and occupancy is kept to a maximum of four unrelated people per unit. Legally, it seems, guests are simply renters, not hotel guests or rooming house residents.

Travelers love the short-term rental option, judging by the many glowing reviews of JP properties on homeaway.com.

“The house is very well-maintained, excellently laid out and very comfortable,” wrote one traveler last August about the Moraine Street house. “Jamaica Plain is a cool part of town, and there is so much to do within walking distance.”

Details of the properties show amenities that range from comfy to stunning, such as the stainless-steel-and-marble gourmet kitchen for use in the Parley Vale property.

Brokhof said that part of the inspiration for the Arthouse came from using short-term rentals on his own travels elsewhere.

“We found it to be way more enjoyable—more space and more privacy,” he said. “People get, basically, a condo instead of a hotel room.”

There was an economic motive, too. Brokhof and Li used to live in the two-unit house, but were forced to move out into a rental house due to personal finances and the economic crisis. Short-term rentals at the Arthouse have been far more profitable than selling it or doing a regular residential rental, he said.

Rates range from $150-$225 a night, with weekly rates around $1,000 to $1,500, and monthly rates north of $3,000. Most renters are tourists, Brokhof said, but some have short-term jobs or are receiving treatment at area hospitals.

It is branded as the “Arthouse” because both units contain the couple’s personal art collection. The upstairs unit’s art is a “little racy”—backstage photos of drag queens at the famous Bay Village bar Jacque’s Cabaret.

“Some people freaked out. We had one couple who took down all the art,” said Brokhof, adding that they now warn renters and that most guests “love it.”

Other than that, renters are typically no problem, he said.

“This niche seems to select for a certain group of people. We just don’t get trouble-makers,” he said.

While short-term rentals have been good business for Brokhof and Li, “This wouldn’t work for everybody,” Brokhof said. He said some local friends and clients have tried and failed.

“It really is a full-time job. You need to respond to people lightning-fast,” he said. “I would say it’s a lot like running a hotel. [Renters] do expect a higher level of service than they would expect at a Day’s Inn.”

He said his experience in real estate promotion and deals—he works with the Boston Home Team, affiliated with Prudential Unlimited Realty—has given him an advantage as well. The Arthouse is currently being advertised in the window of the Centre Street Prudential office as an “affordable hotel alternative.”

For more information about the Arthouse, contact Brokhof and Li at arthouseboston@gmail.com.

My friend Davin recently sent this to me. I have great disdain for most of the spammy crap I get in my inbox but this hit home as I have do deal with this sort of thing from time to time even here in Jamaica Plain.

I wonder is the lawyer used this stamp on his letter to the FHA underwriters?

Part of the rebuilding New Orleans caused residents to often be challenged with the task of tracing home titles back potentially hundreds of years..

With a community rich with history stretching back over two centuries, houses have been passed along through generations of family, sometimes making it quite difficult to establish ownership.

Here’s a great letter an attorney wrote to the FHA on behalf of a client:
You have to love this lawyer…….

A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client. He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove satisfactory title to a parcel of property being offered as collateral. The title to the property dated back to 1803, which took the lawyer three months to track down. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply.

(Actual reply from FHA):

“Upon review of your letter adjoining your client’s loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title.

While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803.

Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin.”

Annoyed, the lawyer responded as follows:
(Actual response):
“Your letter regarding title in Case No.189156 has been received.

I note that you wish to have title extended further than the 206 years covered by the present application.
I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working in the property area, would not know that Louisiana was purchased by the United States from France in 1803, the year of origin identified in our application.

For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain.

The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery, made in the year 1492, by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Queen Isabella.

The good Queen Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus’s expedition…

Now the Pope, as I’m sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, it is commonly accepted, created this world.

Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana . God, therefore, would be the owner of origin, and His origins date back to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it, and the FHA.

I hope you find God’s original claim to be satisfactory. Now, may we have our loan?”

The loan was immediately approved.

This is a simulation done by the Mass. Department of Transportation for how traffic and people would flow in an “at-grade” solution to the design of Forest Hills after the Casey Overpass is torn down. Credit Chris Helms

Casey Overpass being built over the old elevated Orange line

Casey Overpass is falling down. Feel free to sing along if you know the words. After several delays and missed deadlines, it seems the “at-grade” solution will win. As usual, Jamaica Plain residents were torn in half over what the resolution should be. It seems we’re not happy unless we’re arguing over what’s best for our little community. I guess that’s just a sign of how much we all love this place.

Whether the “at-grade” solution is best in the long run we won’t know for a while – but as a Realtor who works with a lot of buyers and sellers, the one thing you can take to the bank is how much this will positively effect the cohesiveness of Forest Hills. There’s no doubt the the Casey Overpass has a psychological implication for the public. It might as well be a brick wall.

I am anxious to learn how the pedestrian and bike routes will evolve over time. This is my biggest concern overall. If you can’t easily and quickly traverse the huge intersection into Central Jamaica Plain – Forest Hills will remain the red-headed step child of JP.

Boston has been doing a fair job of jumping on the “green” bandwagon over the last few years and the Triple Decker Pilot Program is one of the most recent attempts to do just that. For once, this writer thinks they might be on to something down at city hall.

Clearly, the triple-decker is one of Boston’s most common architectural typologies not to mention the relative commonality of structure that could eventually allow for the streamlining and efficiencies of construction technique that would be required to create a cost-effective, sustainable program.

It just so happens that my good friend Jeremy McHugh (who also happens to be a damn good real estate attorney) and his upstairs and downstairs neighbors are participating in the program. As far as I know they are the only ones in Jamaica Plain. I am fascinated with retrofitting, repurposing, recycling and reusing as it pertains to housing in America and around the world so this project has really caught my attention. I will be following the project as they progress in a series of posts attempting to explain the benefits, introduce new technology and maybe even propose a few questions (I am a first class Devil’s Advocate and pessimist) to challenge the sustainability of the project. I welcome any and all comments and questions.

This is a pretty big story and I have had a real hard time getting started. As my father said, “you have to eat an elephant one bite at a time.” So lets start with some introductions, shall we? First, I’ll describe the program:

Get with the program

Originally the Boston Triple Decker Program was only to include two structures, but it was later expanded to five structures. It is a partnership between Nstar, National Grid, Energy Star, Historic Boston, Inc., the Boston Redevelopment Association and various builders and owners. The goal is to increase the energy efficiency of Boston’s triple-deckers and attain a HERS (Home energy rating) of 65. A home energy rating involves an analysis of a home’s construction plans and onsite testing. Based on the home’s plans, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home’s design. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS Index. This particular project is also utilizing infra-red optics to see cold spots and air leaks. Triple-decker owner applicants should be individuals/associations who have planned some renovation work, are willing to work with a team of building energy efficiency experts to develop their project, and are ready to proceed logistically and financially.

“Tackling energy inefficiency in Boston’s housing is one of Mayor Menino’s sustainability and economic development priorities,” said John F. Palmieri, BRA Director. “Leaky buildings cost residents more to heat and cool, and increase the City’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the City’s climate change report found that residents and businesses could save over $2 billion in energy expenses over 10 years if we reduced our green house gas emissions by 25%.” – BRA website

Here’s the rub – building owners may be eligible for BRA and utility company rebates up to 27K per building. Keep in mind they owners will need to be prepared to put some of their own cash down on the barrel head (or finance) the balance of the work plan. Understanding the scope of work right out of the gate seems to be the real challenge here. Hopefully, as this series progresses I’ll be able to outline a bit more on how this is accomplished. The program is meant to compliment the city’s Renew Boston  program and inform future Recovery Act funded energy efficiency work in Boston’s triple-decker housing stock.

The Players

Okay, now you have the gist of the program, let’s meet the players. Introducing real estate attorney extraordinaire, Jeremy Earl McHugh. His practice as described on his website:

Jeremy Earl McHugh

We provide exceptional client service to homebuyers, homeowners, lenders and others seeking legal advice and representation relating to real estate & business law.

We strive to provide legal representation that fits within your budget, because everyone deserves access to sound legal advice during those exciting and sometimes difficult times that require the guidance of a legal advocate.

Our mission is to deliver the highest quality legal services to our clients in a cost efficient and transparent manner. We utilize the latest technology to reduce paper waste and simplify the process of client communication for those who prefer to store correspondence and documents electronically. We believe that these practices are important both in terms of ecological sustainability and providing cost efficient and responsive client services.

“Earl” is also an avid biker and despite my constant protest against riding a fixed gear bike he continues to hassle me relentlessly to do so. When he’s not riding around in ridiculously colorful outfits he is participating hands-on with this project. (Confidentially, downstairs neighbor Colin said they keep him well away from the power tools.)

"Earl" the cycling contractor

Jeremy is not the only owner involved in this project however. In an unusual turn of events, three different owners bought three different units in this building, all of which were in foreclosure with different banks. If you know anything about the current foreclosure debacle – you know this was no small feat. The fact that they are now turning this old building around and creating a state-of-the-art picture of efficiency is pretty cool. I’ve only met one of the other owners who happens to live downstairs. His name is Colin Booth and he’s an architect with a firm called Sasaki in Watertown.

I had the pleasure of visiting with Colin last weekend to ask him myriad questions about the project from concept to crazy details of the technology used. He graciously answered all of my questions. Before I get into a lot of specifics about the details of the technology however let’s talk a bit more about the overall project.

Colin Booth of Sasaki Associates

Colin seems to be the ring leader of this particular project, having knowledge of the trades and a penchant for grant writing coupled with some contacts he collected from working on the MIT solar decathlon. Colin explored a number of design-related fields before finally finding architecture, which bridged his academic and activist interests. Throughout his time at the BAC he has focused on furthering his understanding of sustainable design and its impacts on process, form, team dynamics, and firm culture. Colin has been an active member of the BAC community, serving on the BAC Board of Directors for the 2007-2008 year, as well as a wide variety of student and BAC board committees, including the BAC Sustainability Council.

Sealing the Building Envelope

These 100+ year old triple-deckers are really more like swiss cheese than closed systems. Beyond insulating the structure, the contractors need to find all the air leaks (they call it thermal bypass to sound smart) and seal them up.  They block off the windows and doors and install a temporary fan in the doorway.

Blowers used for detecting air leaks

An infrared device is used to scan the building repeatedly, locating the “cold” areas. Spray foam, cellulose and other materials are used to then remedy the faulty spots and equalize the leaks.

The improvements to the building envelope include air sealing in the basement and attic; addressing thermal bypass issues with pipe and wire penetrations where air was infiltrating.   The open ceiling framing will be covered with loose fill cellulose which is no small feat in this case because they don’t intend to open the ceiling from within the 3rd floor unit. They will have to access it from the exterior of the building near the soffits. They’ll have to insert a pipe into the bays and get the cellulose all the way to the middle. When I spoke to the contractor he seemed unphased by this but my inner skeptic was, well skeptical. There’s a lot of stuff in your ceilings like wires and pipes, not to mention many have wooden cross supports to keep the joists from rolling over time. I think this is going to be

Cold areas highlighted by infrared camera

about as easy as getting a baby back in, but he knows best, I’m sure. The exterior was actually good news for the owners. Outstanding actually. The original estimate involved a figure of about $10,000.00 for the removal of asbestos siding.

I actually learned a very important lesson here. In the past I would have seen these (easily recognized) grooved, rectangular shingles and said they were definitely asbestos. These owners, for reasons that have escaped me, ended up testing samples with the result of learning they are not asbestos at all. Apparently there are some asbestos shingle look-like’s out there. I did some research online and found a lot of chatter about it but no way to identify the different types for sure. In any case, I’ll think twice before I condemn a project to the costs involved with removal. I’m not going to provide a link to an asbestos testing company. The only advice I have is to consider either sending the sample to a company that only tests – but doesn’t do removal, or tell them up front you only want testing and have no intention of contracting with them to do the removal. My experience comes from working with mold remediation companies. I’ve seen several mold inspections now – always the same result. Low air quality – pay us 6K to remediate the issue. I feel like it’s a conflict.

new rigid foam insulation

Once the siding was removed, the old windows are replaced with state-of-the-art gel filled windows (much more on that later), a moisture barrier (black rubber strips around windows) is applied and rigid foam insulation and strapping is applied to seal the exterior before new siding is applied. In this case the owners have chosen to reside with Hardiplank (clapboards) and after consulting my real estate sensibilities they chose a dark bluish color.

Normally, they would be able to insulate the roof wit rigid foam and cellulose from the top before applying the flat, rubber membrane – but this property had to be rescued from rampant water penetration when it was well into the foreclosure process with a new rubber roof. This makes insulating the space between the third floor ceiling and the roof a bit trickier and this is why they have to blow in insulation from the sides near the soffit.

Once the house has been sealed tighter than a Ziploc bag the issue of circulation comes in to play. Previously, air would move to and fro through the unit through the multitude of cracks and gaps pretty much everywhere. When the contractor is done with the insulation, windows and sealing process – not so much. Therefore they will have to install an ERV. Whenever possible, I let the elves at Wikipedia explain things as they usually do it much better than I.

Energy recovery ventilation (ERV)

Energy Recovery Ventilation is the energy recovery process of exchanging the energy contained in normally exhausted building or space air and using it to treat (precondition) the incoming outdoor ventilation air in residential and commercial HVAC systems. During the warmer seasons, the system pre-cools and dehumidifies while humidifying and pre-heating in the cooler seasons.The benefit of using energy recovery is the ability to meet the ASHRAE ventilation & energy standards, while improving indoor air quality and reducing total HVAC equipment capacity.

This technology, as expected, has not only demonstrated an effective means of reducing energy cost and heating and cooling loads, but has allowed for the scaling down of equipment. Additionally, this system will allow for the indoor environment to maintain a relative humidity of an appealing 40% to 50% range. This range can be maintained under essentially all conditions. The only energy penalty is the power needed for the blower to overcome the pressure drop in the system.^[2]

An energy recovery ventilator (also abbreviated ERV) is a type of air-to-air heat exchanger that not only transfers sensible heat but also latent heat. Since both temperature and moisture is transferred, ERVs can be considered total enthalpic devices. On the other hand, a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) can only transfer sensible heat. HRVs can be considered sensible only devices because they only exchange sensible heat. In other words, whereas all ERVs are HRVs, not all HRVs are ERVs, but many people use the terms HRV, AAHX (air-to-air heat exchanger), and ERV interchangeably.^[3]

Throughout the cooling season, the system works to cool and dehumidify the incoming, outside air. This is accomplished by the system simply taking the rejected heat and sending it into the exhaust airstream. Sequentially, this air cools the condenser coil at a lower temperature than if the rejected heat had not entered the exhaust airstream. During the heating seasons, the system works in reverse. Instead of discharging the heat into the exhaust airstream, the system draws heat from the exhaust airstream in order to pre-heat the incoming air. At this stage, the air passes through a primary unit and then into a space. With this type of system, it is normal, during the cooling seasons, for the exhaust air to be cooler than the ventilation air and, during the heating seasons, warmer than the ventilation air. It is this reason the system works very efficiently and effectively. The Coefficient of Performance (COP) will increase as the conditions become more extreme (i.e., more hot and humid for cooling and colder for heating).^[4]

The efficiency of an ERV system is the ratio of energy transferred between the two air streams compared with the total energy transported through the heat exchanger.^[5][6]

With the variety of products on the market, efficiency is unquestionably going to vary from product to product. Some of these systems have been known to have heat exchange efficiencies as high as 70-80% while others have as low as 50%. Even though this lower figure is preferable to the basic HVAC system, it is not up to par with the rest of its class. Studies are being done to increase the heat transfer efficiency to 90%.^[7]

The use of modern low-cost gas-phase heat exchanger technology will allow for significant improvements in efficiency. The use of high conductivity porous material is believed to produce an exchange effectiveness in excess of 90%. By exceeding a 90% effective rate, an improvement of up to 5 factors in energy loss can be seen.^[8]

The Home Ventilation Institute (HVI) has developed a standard test for any and all units manufactured within the United States. Regardless, not all have been tested. It is imperative to investigate efficiency claims, comparing data produced by HVI as well as that produced by the manufacturer. (Note: all unites sold in Canada are placed through the R-2000 program, a standard test synonymous to the HVI test).^[9]

To be continued…

Next I’ll discuss the HVAC and tankless hot water systems that will be employed and it WILL BE SCINTILLATING!

Just posted on Yelp:

My husband and I had been casually perusing open houses all over Boston for about a year, when we decided it was time to get serious and contact Will Brokhof and the Boston Home Team. We had read several glowing reviews online, and were also drawn in by Will’s user-friendly website. From our first meeting with Will to our closing four months later, we had no question that he was our man. We appreciated his combination of professionalism and relaxed humor, and sensed immediately that we were not dealing with a typical salesman, but rather a guy that really truly cared about helping us find the right home for us.

I love my clients.

We hit the pavement with Will nearly every weekend for a few months, as he helped us navigate our indecisiveness and desire to leave no stone unturned as first-time home buyers. Will stuck with us as we waffled between wanting so many different things from our first home – A condo or a single-family? A spot in Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, South Boston, or the South End? Something move-in ready or a fixer-upper? Will showed us so many intriguing properties, with very little direction from us. Like many first-time home buyers, we were initially drawn to all things new and shiny.

It was critical to have Will on our side to point out that behind some of the superficial wow-factors we encountered, there often lurked serious issues with the foundation, or the roof, or the plumbing, etc. Will’s first stop in any home we entered was the basement, and he really helped us to understand the true cost of each property we encountered, by looking beyond cosmetics (things we could change) and really assessing the bones of a place (things we’d be stuck with).

Ultimately, Will’s instincts about what would work for us were right on, and we could not be more happy with where we’ve ended up. It’s worth mentioning, too, that during the course of our search with Will, we changed our budget several times, and ended up wanting to spend significantly less than we had first indicated. We never got the sense that this bothered Will, and in fact, were impressed that the price of a home seemed to have no bearing whatsoever on how much he encouraged us to consider it. In fact, we ended up purchasing the least expensive home we viewed, with absolutely no pressure to do otherwise. We wholeheartedly recommend Will to anyone looking for an honest, fun (we spent alot of time together!), and extremely hard-working ally during what can be a very stressful process.

I am working with a client who has a challenging search. This blended family has children of all ages, some living at home, some just visiting between collegiate adventures. I am trying to rustle up a 4+BD/3+BTH with a minimum of 3000 square feet of living space and a fairly large side or rear yard sufficient for a small swimming pool. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you know the house I’m looking for.

Help me find the right house!