"Your houses are wonderful. I've never seen nature-in-the-raw so elegantly incorporated - perfect tension between the rawness and the sophistication."
..............................................
"Wonderful Work. I loved the natural aesthetics -- the sense of grace -- as I have loved your design work since watching you craft your projects at PEA."
..............................................
PRESS RELEASE POSTED: 12.2.05
CAREFUL, DON’T DROP IT!
On December 8th, an expert rigger and crane operator will oh-so-carefully lower an 8-ton granite chimney cap onto an extraordinary new home in New Durham, NH.
What may be the world’s largest residential chimney cap will be set on an already massive 144-ton chimney, the centerpiece of a one-of-a-kind timber and stone home on Merrymeeting Lake.
Roger Nold, the chief architect and principal of Noldesign, has a passion for designing and building homes that incorporate massive natural elements. For each home, he sends his team of stone and timber experts into the forests of Northern New England to find giant boulders, entire trees or 8-ton granite stones that become the signature elements of each home.
When asked about the use of such unusual materials in his design Nold said, “ When a client wants their weekend, or second, home to provide retreat and renewal far from their primary home – this distance is not measured just in miles, but in the emotions their home evokes. We use as-found materials – mountain stone as it was sheared by ice from the mountain’s face, giant boulders as they lay where glaciers left them, and not just logs, but full, unshaped trees - to take our clients into a physical and emotional place far beyond their everyday environment – to make them feel at home on this planet in a way that is breathtaking and primal in its directness.”
This is the seventh home Nold, a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, has designed and built on Merrymeeting Lake. Each of these projects resulting in a unique home tailored to the needs of the client and seamlessly integrated with the characteristics of the site.
You can expect to see smoke billowing from this awe-inspiring chimney sometime this spring when the owners, warm and sheltered from the storm, will begin enjoying the beauty of Merrymeeting Lake. For more information about Noldesign LLC, visit www.noldesign.com.
..............................................
"Naturally, an Arborist couldn't help but be impressed with this concept of construction. I have seen other homes partially constructed with trees but often the effect is either somewhat half-baked or artificial. Your use of whole tree sections including branches, branch collars, and trunk flares makes for a completely different and natural feel to this structure. Also, the juxtaposition of large open spaces with more intimate spaces provides many points of interest within the house. The outside of the structure is equally impressive and seems to fit quite naturally on this site.
More importantly, from an arborists standpoint is the fact that the site work and construction activities have been done in such a way as to minimize impact on the native trees. It is very unusual to find a construction site in our region where there has been virtually no damage to the trunks and trunk flares of existing trees from heavy equipment....I can say that you, your client, and your contractors have accomplished something special here."
-Jeff W. Ott, Certified Arborist with Northeast Shade Tree
..............................................
"I found the island home interesting not only because of the use of stone and natural timbers but also the design of the roof where it appears to be layered. What do you call that anyways? That caught my attention before even seeing the other side of the house.
The island house has many unique features out of the ordinary. My son is studying architectural technology at Keene State College. We both enjoy looking at custom designed homes. The island home certainly caught our attention."
..............................................
"Your work is absolutely amazing. I saw your ad in Adirondack Life and went right to the website. I am 31 yrs. old and have worked as an art teacher for 6 or 7 yrs. now. I am a rustic furniture fan and have built a few pieces using mainly birch. Your work is appealing to me I think because of it's innovative design and creative use of space while maintaining an old world craftsmanship quality (something that is missing all to often these days). I was wondering if you had any advice for someone like myself."
..............................................
"I was absolutely SHOCKED by your web site. What amazing, original, awesomely cool work your firm does. Do you guys take Co-op students on for periods of say, 6 months? If so, do you have an opening in the Spring 2007? I want to come work with you for my last co-op before I graduate from Northeastern University, Boston, MA. "
..............................................
"Roger - came across your website - NICE stuff - especially the lovely pencil drawings. Bold and outrageous...Wright would have to like..."
..............................................
"Hello: I saw a design of yours in Adirondac Magazine. I love the rustic work using the natural curved wood found in the forest."
..............................................