energy efficient architecture

"Alan & Nancy designed a home from the ground up that is small (624 sq foot footprint), but feels spacious, let's in ample sunlight, and meets my heating efficiency requirements in Mount Holly, VT. All this on a tight budget. They run their business efficiently and I always knew that every penny spent was worth the home e now live in."

"After many frustrating attempts to make our 1880 house retain its character, but function better, we consulted with Alan & Nancy. They asked questions, listened to our needs, & came up with a brilliant solution for our kitchen & mud room. They added a powder room to the kitchen (who knew that could work!), a pantry, reconfigured traffic patterns into the kitchen & turned our former tiny entryway into a receptacle for our trash/recycling! They are such wonderful people & so easy to work with. They care so much about the environment, & were excited when we used reclaimed/salvage materials. They even came up with a fabulous plan for a deck, pergola, & landscaping. I have no hesitation in recommending Alan& Nancy & will use them again if the situation arises."

"We worked with Alan and Nancy on the design of a new kitchen in our post and beam contemporary in Weston, Vt. They are a wonderful team to work with! They meet their deadlines, communicate concisely and in a timely manner, and listen to the needs and desires of their clients. They have been a great resource in directing us to other vendors for materials and work. Probably the most important aspect of working with Alan and Nancy is outside the realm of their professionalism and talents. They are genuine people who are honest, kind, warm, and a pleasure to be around....fundamentals not often found and more important that drawings and designs. We have been very fortunate to have found this great team and highly recommend them."

"We had a very large project, involving several structural needs, including a dormer and moving internal staircase, as well as adding/moving new internal walls and also designing the interior for a previously unfinished loft space. Alan did an amazing job, focusing on our needs for the project and combining those with the design specifics and constraints of the existing house. He worked very well with the construction company to coordinate the project and the result is something even more beautiful than we could have imagined. We would definitely recommend him and Sustainable Design to anyone who wants a high quality project."

"My wife and I have truly enjoyed working with Alan and Nancy on the renovation of our 1860's farmhouse in Woodstock, Vermont. They are both courteous and professional, and their ideas and attention to detail are exceptional. They have guided us through the renovation process, ensuring that we maintain the integrity of the original design. The contractors they have recommended have all come in on budget, and their workmanship is better than we expected. We will definitely be working with them on some additional projects."

"Alan and Nancy are a pleasure to work with. They have great ideas, provide timely, thoughtful responses to questions, and are overall just wonderful people. Highly recommend!"

"We enjoyed working with you.  We have always shied away from construction on the theory that there would be a lot of aggravation.  You have cured us.  And we love the result.  Thank you for your sensitivity to our concerns." 

"We like to think that WE designed our house….but the truth is that it was Alan’s creativity and architectural expertise that turned our ideas into a beautiful home. Alan came up with interesting, workable plans that reflected our desire for an energy and cost efficient home that would continue to work for us in our later years. The result has far exceeded our expectations and we couldn’t be happier with our new home (or with our architect!)."
 

"We undertook a major (pretty much gut) renovation of my parents' home when we inherited it.  Fortunately we chose Alan Benoit d/b/a  Sustainable  Design in Manchester, Vt. We found Alan to be very knowledgeable and most importantly for us approachable at any time with our ideas (screwball or not!). He was always diplomatic and professional in his comments and criticisms and we usually found a way to compromise his and our versions of the idea. We would unhesitatingly recommend Alan and Sustainable Design for your architectural needs."

We worked with Alan off and on over a two year period to finalize the design and plans for our unconventional timber-frame / straw-bale house project. During this time, we found Alan to be friendly and easy to talk with. He was a good listener who took the time to understand our ideas, goals and design constraints. He was patient, generous with his time and truly committed both professionally and personally to seeing our project to a successful completion. We are very pleased with our house that resulted from this collaboration."

"Alan Benoit of Sustainable Design has worked on several projects for me both residential and commercial. The largest, a rebuild of a 1950 one-story brook stone ranch house to a wonderful two story cottage style home and detached garage/guest house which was a complete new build. He was creative in design and mindful of space utilization. The most recent project was a sugar house outbuilding which appears to have been built many many years ago, capturing the essence of old Vermont. People come to our door to ask about this building, taking photos and inquiring about the designer. A current design is in the works for a pergola for a large outdoor patio. None of these projects would have been possible without his professional knowledge as an architect and his creative lens. Alan is terrific to work with, always willing to go back to the drawing board if necessary, tweaking this or that, and at all times dedicated to working with the client to realize a vision."

"Susan and I would like to thank you so much for helping us with our master landscaping plan. We had always wanted to open up the one acre wooded area behind our house for vegetable and perennial flower gardens. We did not know where and/or how to start. You carefully listened to our hopes and dreams and developed a plan that incorporated everything we wanted. Fortunately, our retirement has allowed us the time to develop your plan such that our perennial flower beds and vegetable gardens are quite honestly, the envy of the neighborhood. Again, thank you for your time and expertise."
 

"After purchasing a "fixer upper", we soon realized we needed guidance from someone who could help us navigate through the overwhelming process of renovating. With Alan's emphasis on sustainability, we knew he would be a good fit for us. Alan first helped us prioritize our seemingly endless task list. He understood and brought clarity to our design ideas, was mindful of the perimeters of our budget, and provided us with referrals to well respected local contractors. He was ever-patient with our many questions, warm, personable, and knowledgeable not only about issues pertaining to our house, but the vegetation and surrounding landscape as well. Alan saw us through every step of the way, and has continued to be a helpful resource any time we have had additional questions and concerns. Thank you, Alan!"
 

"I have a working knowledge about "green" energy and design, so hiring a "green" architect seemed extravagant. I am, however, extremely glad I did. With his recommendations, our house earned a “Gold” rating from CVPS, and we saved more money via energy reduction and savings than I paid for his services. With Alan's help the project turned out better than I could have dreamed, and I would not hesitate to work with him again."