What A Great Year! We have accomplished so much since we last spoke that we cannot fit all of our exciting news in one newsletter; look for more news in our next newsletter. We have continued to grow despite the sluggish construction economy and have several new projects starting this spring, ranging from a three-season room to the design and preservation of an entire block of historic homes and shops. 2010 looks to be our most exciting year to date, thanks to everyone allowing us to design and/or preserve important homes, buildings and neighborhoods.
Thank you to all of our supporters!
Old House Journal Features Cummings Architecture Cummings Architects was featured in the December issue of Old House Journal for our design of a Queen Anne Victorian in Winchester, Mass. The article can be viewed on line, or to view the entire gallery please visit our portfolio. A special thanks to Melissa, from our office, for the wonderful job she did taking all of the photos.
Windhill Building almost set to open its doors The exterior of the Windhill Building is almost complete and the interior spaces are well underway. We are proud of this beautiful building and know it will spur an architectural renewal of downtown Ipswich. From left to right is Cummings Architects - Kevin, Mathew, and Melissa.
New Addition to Cummings Architects We’re proud to welcome Kevin Tedesco as the newest member of our architectural firm. We’re proud to have him not just because he’s a fine, young architect, but also because he’s an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. Kevin is hoping that through architecture work at Cummings Architects, he can continue to change people’s lives for the better, this time closer to home.
Youngest member of Cummings team celebrates birthday Liam Cummings, the genius behind Cummings Architecture, celebrated his second birthday in December! He popped over to the office briefly to review plans, whipped out his sharpie marker and began making needed revisions
Alexander Knight House update Mat and the Alexander Knight house team are in the process of constructing the stone foundation for the Alexander Knight House. The home is a re-creation of an early, English-style timber frame from 1657, as described in Ipswich town records. This is an ongoing, live exhibit; built with traditional tools, materials and construction methods of the First Period (1625–1725). All of the work is being done by hand, the old way. Who says an architect’s profession is limited to the office? Not only has Mat provided plans for the house, but he is physically building the stone foundation with the Tim Chouinard of C.H.S. Landscape Concepts and the AKH team. For more information see ipswichknighthouse.org
Classic Cape Cod remodel in Ipswich, MA Take a look at the transformation this cape has undergone. The first phase of this project was completed 8 years ago, with the work completed by Meadowview Construction. Recently, phase two—the kitchen/dining room/mudroom—has been redesigned with storage and family living in mind. Notice the custom under-the-stairs storage and the glass-sided cabinets that let the maximum amount of light in. We hear the family is well on their way to breaking in the new kitchen!
Daniel Lummus House: Almost Completed and Newsworthy (Again!) Construction is almost done! Recently the First-Period hall fireplace made news in North Shore Living Magazine thanks to its unique feature, the inglenook. The Lummus House’s inglenook is possibly the only original First-Period one in New England, and perhaps all of America. The word inglenook is of Scottish origin, from ingle for “house fire burning in a hearth,” and nook meaning “any small recess.”
Restoration of Greek-Style Townhouse in Newburyport Complete! This Greek townhouse in Newburyport, Mass., was once housing for the Ocean Mills Cotton mill. When we first saw it, the two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath home was still a dark, uninspired 1980s remodel, complete with drop ceilings and open kitchen cabinets. The homeowner, who is active in the Newburyport Historical scene, appreciated the history of her home. She wanted it returned to its former glory, and she chose Cummings Architects to design its complete restoration. The reclaimed wood, custom kitchen cabinets, and wide-plank pine floors are some of the specific items that contribute to the revival of this old townhouse.
Ben Plottner, Summer Intern A big architectural thanks to our summer intern, Ben Plottner. He spent the season doing everything from drafting to taking out the trash—and he did it all to learn what it would really be like to work in an architecture firm. Ben can be seen here learning about the summer beam repairs for the First-Period Daniel Lummus House restoration.
3/19/09
“Olde Ipswich Shops” (Moses Lord House CA 1792) For the past year, Shawn Cayer (of Madex Realty Trust) and Mathew have been looking for a project that would make a difference in their hometown of Ipswich. Unfortunately, a project became apparent after a fire last year tore through the Moses Lord House, better known as The Ipswich Paper Store, located at 16 Market Street. Shawn and Mathew are hopeful that construction to replace the now partially demolished Moses Lord house, will start this summer. Mathew and Shawn both believe this will be the first project to spur an architectural renewal of the downtown Ipswich area.
Pax Massage, located in the Shaw’s Plaza in Ipswich, MA Pax Massage is the 2nd therapeutic massage center that Cummings Architects has had the pleasure to design. Construction on the day spa, which has a green architecture theme, will begin in March and be completed by the beginning of the fall. We look forward to showing this green project to everyone after its completion.
First Period Alexander Knight House update Mathew Cummings, in conjunction with Jim Whidden of James Whidden Woodwright, LLC and the Alexander Knight House Team www.ipswichknighthouse.org will be building a 100% authentic, Ipswich-style, one-room colonial house for the Ipswich Museum. The Team is donating their time to this structure to say thank you to the Ipswich Museum, the town of Ipswich, and all preservationists. We will keep you posted in the “What’s New” section of our website; for more information see www.ipswichknighthouse.org. The opportunity to view the actual construction of this building will be a once in a lifetime event--and should not be missed!
11/19/08
Mat Cummings Gets Green on YouTube Restoring old houses is a green endeavor. Here, Ipswich architect Mat Cummings wonders why people remove 200-year-old windows and replace them with vinyl windows that come with a 15-year warranty.
Click on the video to play or click here to view this video on YouTube.
11/19/08
Work on Lummus House begins IPSWICH - If you've driven along Ipswich's "Old House Row" on High Street, you've probably noticed a flurry of people and equipment coming and going from the Daniel Lummus House. Mathew believed the house at 39-41 High, owned by Al Boynton and Kathy Bruce, to be first period; this was later validated by local experts. The couple has embarked on an ambitious renovation of the property, designed to restore and preserve those elements. In the lead-up to Ipswich's 375th anniversary celebration, the Chronicle will follow their progress... Read More.
11/11/08
Cummings Architects wins 2008 CotY Gold Award Cummings Architects in conjunction with All Construction won the 2008 “CotY” Gold Award for a Residential Addition over $200,000 for a project located in West Newbury. Several of our projects were nominated including our Custom-Design New Oceanfront Home located in Wells, Maine. Mat is seen here with the entire All Construction crew: Dan Thornell, Sandi Catino, Mike Harrison, Nelson Miller, Mike Bonia, and Sean Scanlon (accepting the award).
11/5/08
Early One Room House Architect Mathew Cummings in conjunction with timber framer James Whidden of the Alexander Knight House Team (www.ipswichknighthouse.org) have offered to donate a small timber-frame (similar to photo) one-room house to the Ipswich Museum. They will be educating the public on how early homes were built. Pending town approval, they hope to construct the building behind the Whipple House. Construction will take a year and half to allow for the best quality in replication and to allow the public to experience this once in lifetime event.
11/5/08
The Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference has Invited Us Back. Last year Mat presented “Old House Restoration: How to Do it the Right Way” to a packed room at the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference. Demand for our seminar was so high that the Conference has invited us back. Whether you own an old home or would like to build a new “old” home, Mat’s seminar is a worthwhile educational piece for any enthusiast.
11/5/08
Custom Designed New Oceanfront Home in Wells, Maine This private residence located in Wells, Maine was recently completed by All Construction and Remodeling, Inc. The home is sited to take advantage of the panoramic ocean view and constructed out of natural materials pay homage to its setting. Our design was nominated to the National Association of the Remodelers Association to be considered for an award for building excellence. See new photos in our New Home section of our portfolio.
11/5/08
Mat Reviews Work on Water Front Addition in Ipswich, MA The foundation is in and this family room and kitchen addition is well underway. The new octagonal family room incorporates large windows to take in the breathtaking views of the Eagle Hill River with Ipswich Bay beyond.
11/4/08
New Pages Added to Portfolio Section on Website. We’ve recently added new sections to our website to highlight our commercial projects and our small projects. The Commercial section features a massage salon and therapy center designed in the Tuscan style, a single-family housing development in Byfield designed in the Neo-Colonial style, as well as an award-winning condominium project.
New Items Added to Small Projects Section. Our new Small Projects section features garage and second floor additions and well as kitchen renovations.
11/4/08
Liam Excited About Shingle Style Addition on Neck. Our intern Liam is back in the office working on several projects. He recently completed a set of plans for a shingle style addition for a home on Great Neck in Ipswich. Liam took a brief break from drawing to crawl around on the floor, rearrange the books on the lowest shelf, and chew on a piece of paper.
9/10/08
Conley Award goes to Day-Dodge House The Ipswich Historical Commission recently presented the Mary P. Conley Preservation Award to the ca. 1737 Day-Dodge House, located at the top of North Main Street, and owners Craig and Grace Hanson, who had the property restored. Local architect Mat Cummings and woodwright Jim Whidden worked on the project.
59th First Period house discovered in Ipswich Ipswich’s 59th known First Period house was discovered by Mathew earlier this year and will soon be restored by Al Boynton and Kathy Bruce with the help of Cummings Architects.
Custom Folk American Home, Exeter, NH This house was designed to sit on a knoll with a beautiful backdrop of tall evergreens. Mathew designed the house not only to suit the clients’ needs but also to fit its surroundings, with pointed gables mirroring the tree tops and a wrap around porch for enjoying the secluded site. The house looks like it was meant to be.
Custom Design New Lake Front Home, Hamilton, MA This home, designed by Mathew in the Federal style, is situated on a lakefront in Hamilton. It was designed to speak of the client and to be set naturally into its wooded surroundings. The exterior and interior are majestic and both harken to a time past.
Addition to Historic Boardman Homestead, ca. 1750, Ipswich, MA The main house, The Boardman Homestead ca. 1750, won the Mary P. Conley Award for Historic Preservation in 2007. The client then asked us to design an addition that would be set into the landscape and honor the existing architecture of the home. The concept for the addition was to design a separate building (erected ca. 1820 as a workshop and later connected to the main house). The result is a breathtaking guest suite—and more than the client was hoping for.
Custom Garage Addition to Historic McIntire House, Ipswich, MA The main house, “The McIntire House” ca. 1840, was restored by Cummings Architects 12 years ago. The client then asked us to design a garage addition that would blend in with the existing architecture of the home. The concept for the garage was to design a period carriage house with an indigenous feel of the neighborhood and in context of the original home.
Melissa Goes Back to School It’s that time of the year again and Melissa, our Project Manager, is going back to school. As you may know Melissa already has an Associate’s Degree in architecture and is now attending the BAC (Boston Architectural College) for her Bachelor’s Degree. This is the same college where Mat earned his Bachelor’s Degree; it is considered to be one of the best schools of architecture.
Don’t worry: you can still see Melissa working hard here at the office every day, as the BAC is a work-curriculum college.
9/7/08
Mat works on Building Code Mathew started the Residential Design Committee at the Boston Society of Architects in order to monitor the always-evolving Massachusetts residential building codes. Recently, the Board of Building Regulations and Standards has made revisions to the building code that affect the design of additions and new homes. Some examples of these BBRS revisions prevent the design of cathedral ceilings without major engineering work; another states that bedroom windows must be twice as large as previous acceptable.
Some of the code revisions decrease the life, safety and welfare of homes for owners. Others decrease freedoms of homeowners to do what they want with their homes without increasing safety. Wish Mat luck as he gets re-involved with the Residential Design Committee to try to repeal some of the recent changes that decrease life, safety, and welfare of the homeowner and allow for freedom of homeowners to add to their houses as well as build new ones.
8/4/08
Mary P. Conley Award for Historic Preservation In 2008, the Ipswich Historical Commission gave the prestigious Mary P. Conley Award for Historic Preservation to the ca. 1737 Day-Dodge House on Ipswich's historically significant High Street. Cummings Architects choreographed the preservation and restoration of the house, and designed new spaces around the existing home to preserve the integrity of the exterior and interior spaces. The Conley Award was presented by Peter Lampropolous, chairperson of the Ipswich Historical Commission, on August 11, 2008 to the owners of the Day-Dodge House, Cummings Architects, KCM General Contracting & Building, and James Whidden Woodwright. The award is given each year by the Historical Commission to recognize an outstanding example of historic preservation and restoration in Ipswich. In 2003, Cummings Architects won the Mary P. Conley Award for preserving and restoring the ca. 1725 Knowlton House on County Street in Ipswich. The Day-Dodge house is the second home in five years designed and preserved by Cummings Architects to win the Conley Award.
8/4/08
Historic Houses of Ipswich Seminar On August 20th, Mat and Jim Whidden will be giving a seminar on the historic houses of Ipswich. The seminar will be hosted by the Ipswich Historical Society and will be held at the Heard House in the Appleton room at 7:30. All are welcome to this very interesting and worthwhile presentation.
8/4/08
Commerce Meeting Reminder Join us at Cummings Architects (87 Central St.) on Tuesday, August 19 for an EVENING Connections Meeting. Come enjoy networking and refreshments. Each attendee will give a "30 second commercial" to introduce themselves, and we'll hear a bit from the Cummings Architects team about the business and tour Mathew Cummings new home which was a featured story spanning over 19 months in the Salem News.
RSVP requested. Please let us know you're coming by contacting Cummings Architects at 978-356-5026 or info@cummingsarchitects.com. Bring a friend and your business cards! Please use on street parking or park at the Winthrop school as our lot has limited spaces.
8/3/08
'Lunch and Learns' Cummings Architects has scheduled two new Lunch and Learns. The first is to take place on August 4th. This meeting is with Simpson Strong Ties and as before, several of our builder friends will be attending. The second is to take place on August 25th. This meeting will be with Marvin Windows and Doors.
8/3/08
Working on New Signs We have been working with custom-print designers to develop a new company signs for our vehicles and office. The office sign should be out front of the office soon, so look out for it and beep to let us know you’ve seen it!
8/3/08
How Green Is Your Architect? On July 29th, Mat attended a seminar called LEED for Homes which took place at the Boston Society of Architects. Mat received 8 credits in the area of Health and Safety to maintain his license. Mat is planning on using all his new green ideas in his designs.
7/8/08
'Lunch and Learns' Cummings Architects often hosts meetings with a wide variety of sales reps to learn more about the new green building products they distribute. The invitation is open to clients and builders alike, helping everyone involved in the building process keep up to date on new green products and technologies. Here we see a rep from US Green Fiber explaining their product to the Cummings Architects staff and a few builder friends such as Geoff Blaisdell from Roger Burke & Associates and Jim Whidden and Peter Carpentier from James Whidden Woodwright, LLC.
7/7/08
New Photos for our Portfolio Look out for new portfolio photos on the Cummings Architects website. Here is an example of two photos from a photo shoot of the Cummings residence.
Other projects to look out for: Sullivan residence, Turnbull residence and the interior of Wigglesworth.
7/7/08
Cummings Architects Going Green? Here are some things we are up to:
Melissa's Hybrid Car Here is Melissa with her new hybrid car; the Toyota Prius. She has decided to cut down on her gas and carbon emissions, traveling from her home to Cummings Architects and sometimes to class at the Boston Architectural College with her new car. The Prius can get up to 100 mpg, usually averaging 50 mpg. One month after she purchased the car, Toyota offered to buy it back due to high demand. She respectfully declined, of course.
7/7/08
Taking the LEED Mat and Melissa look to start the process of becoming LEED certified by participating in classes offered by the Boston Society of Architects. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) promotes building design and use of certified materials to lower annual operating costs, decrease consumed resources, and lessen a structure’s effects on the environment.
5/2/08
Mat and Jim Whidden spoke to a full house and were a hit at the Traditional Building Show. They presented their seminar to a crowd of architects, engineers, contractors, homeowners, and historic preservation experts. Originally the seminar had 50 people scheduled to attend, but before the seminar began more than 120 people had packed in to hear Old House Restoration: How to do it the right way.
Three new dates have been added to the Old House Restoration tour, the Boxford Town Library (which expects 100-plus attendees), the Ipswich Library and the Ipswich Historical Society. Mat and Jim may also be presenting in Marblehead in the near future.
5/1/08
Ocean Front Shingle Style Addition We are about to begin Construction Drawings for our amazing design of this Ocean Front Shingle Style addition. This beautiful addition is composed of a 3 car garage with a pool cabana above. This project may turn into a redesigning of the entire house to match the new shingle style addition.
5/1/08
New Bar in Pool Cabana Another great project in West Newbury, MA coming to fruition! All Construction is the builder on this project.
New Family Room in Pool Cabana The interior consists of a bar, game room, family room and a laundry/bath area.
Front Elevation This project is almost complete. The client is, with our assistance, currently deciding on the exterior paint color (we really like the dark green).
Pool Elevation The new in-ground pool, landscaping and patios are being installed right now!
4/30/08
Ocean Side Elevation Our beautifully designed New Ocean Front Home in Wells, Maine is almost done! All Construction is also the builder on this project.
Entry Side Elevation The wrap around porch and purposely placed windows take full advantage of the ocean vistas. The foundation below the porch and house were specially designed to allow the ocean waves to roll under the house.
Master Bedroom w/ Ocean Views The master bedroom has vaulted ceilings and wrap around windows which allows panoramic views of the sea and sky from the comfort of your bed.
The deep paneled transition between the living room and kitchen is arched to reflect the gentle curves throughout the home.
3/12/08
We've begun several sets of plans for projects this spring. One example is the restoration of a historic Greek Style townhouse in downtown Newburyport. Stay tuned for an 'after' photo! We have had an increased interest from families needing designs with artistic flair, some historic restoration and preservation possibilities, and even some new homes.
3/12/08
New staff member, Liam Cummings, is seen working with his father Mathew. On his third day of experience as a 'part timer' he's already reviewing drawings for an interior of a first period fireplace. Liam is unhappy with the current design and he has found many improvements to restore the fireplace to its original glory!
3/11/08
Melissa reviews a set of construction plans for correctness for a project in Beverly. Melissa has been a great asset to our firm. One of her assets is her devotion to every client’s schedule for completion. If you drive past our office in downtown Ipswich after dark you will often see the lights on because Melissa is burning the midnight oil.
3/10/08
Restoration Mason Richard Irons explains how they are reusing the original clay mortar to re-build the Capt. Sutton House’s first period fireplace. The original clay is removed during the deconstruction process and saved, if there is not enough of the original clay then other antique clay is added to the mix.
First, the clay is pulverized using very high tech equipment – a 2"x4".
Next the clay is sifted to separate the fine particles from particles that need further pulverization.
After adding water the clay is ready to be used and will last another 300 years.
1/18/08
Architect Mathew Cummings, working with woodwright Jim Whidden, erects the first posts on the 1725 Captain Sutton house, located on Water Street in downtown Ipswich.
1/17/08
Architect Mathew Cummings “foots” the post on the 1725 Captain Sutton house for Jim Widden's guys, then he climbs on top of the unfinished addition to help make small adjustments to the post.
12/12/07
Mathew and Jim Whidden of James Whidden Woodwright LLC are holding a seminar on Restoring Your Old House, How To Do It The Right Way, at the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference March 14th at 10am at the Hynes Convention Center. Please touch base with our website or the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference for a change of time and ticket prices.
12/12/07
Mathew and Jim Whidden of James Whidden Woodwright LLC are holding a seminar on Restoring Your Old House, How To Do It The Right Way, at the Ipswich Public Library the 13th of February 2008 at 7:30pm. Please see our website or the Ipswich Public Library for a change of time and ticket prices.
