Peterborough Cohousing, Peterborough, NH
Peterborough Cohousing is a planned community for twenty-nine families with a Common House and an organic farm. The houses are sited to reinforce social interaction while also insuring outdoor privacy and views. Green technologies include a central pellet-fired heat plant, highly insulated building envelopes, and natural materials chosen for longevity. The U.S. Green Building Council recently awarded LEED platinum certification for one of the single-family houses. See www.peterboroughcohousing.org

Lincoln Post Office and Cafe, Lincoln, MA
This Office was retained to design a new post office for Lincoln's small commercial area that would meet the goals voiced in a town-wide planning effort for a small pedestrian-based village center. To reflect the high value and intentionally limited-growth potential of the land, the plan incorporates some second floor office space and a cafe, to shape a small green facing south across Lincoln Road. A one story open arcade brings life to the edge of the green, and makes a connection to the parking lot hidden behind the building. A loading dock and service area for mail trucks is located between the post office and the railroad tracks.

Family Compound, Lincoln, MA
This house designed for a three-generation family was shaped by our client's well articulated priorities: insure quiet and privacy; minimize its impact on the land; and make it appear simple. A one-story expression on the entry yard creates a welcoming scale and shapes a space for children to play in safely. Inside, a timber frame unifies a main living space in which two sitting areas, a dining alcove, a window seat for two, and a screened porch wrap around an open-plan kitchen.

Shingle Style House, Sudbury, MA
A shingle style exterior with traditional natural materials belies modern interior detailing, a vaulted ceiling, and a second floor wrap-around library overlooking the main living spaces.

MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, NH
OPA is in the process of redesigning several studios and Colony Hall at the MacDowell Colony, a residential artists' retreat in New Hampshire. Incorporating modern conveniences and systems and providing better indoor light and view has been achieved in the context of preserving original character.

Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, Greenfield, NH
OPA is currently designing a moderate-income co-housing project for CMRC's First Neighborhood Development in Greenfield, NH. The site plan and building design were conceived to create a village-scaled apartment complex surrounding an existing pocket park located at the heart of the campus. The Common House is situated to promote informal social interactions between clients and staff, easy accessibility, and neighborhood identity.