A very special announcement!

Great news! Living Shelter is joining Board & Vellum. 

We are so thrilled to finally be able to share this news with everyone — as of April 1st, 2022, Living Shelter Architects is joining the talented multidisciplinary design firm, Board & Vellum, forming the base of a new studio focused on sustainable practices, with Terry Phelan at the helm.

Living Shelter Architects (LSA) was founded in 1992 by Terry Phelan, and has been elevating sustainable design practices for 30 years. As Terry looked towards retirement, she began seeking ways to transition her firm to enable the team of dedicated designers at LSA to carry on the mission. 

Founded in 2011 by Jeff Pelletier, Board & Vellum (B&V) has grown into a mid-size firm offering integrated design services in architecture, interiors, and landscape architecture. In the past few years, the B&V team has been eager to accelerate their knowledge and growth into the world of deeply sustainable projects.  

Jeff and Terry were introduced in 2021 after admiring each other’s work for years, and the more the idea of teaming up was explored, the more natural it felt. Our firms share the same values, we are both very approachable and dedicated to excellent client care, and we are both passionate about delivering beautifully-designed, contextually-sensitive projects. 

Responsibility to sustainable practices has always been at the core of both Living Shelter Architect’s and Board & Vellum’s approach. Combining our talented and passionate teams, with credentials and accreditations like LEED, LFA, and CPHC, means we are more ready than ever to bring approachable sustainability measures to everything we do. 

LSA is also thrilled to have the larger platform that B&V provides to develop and deliver more educational content aimed at effecting change toward building resiliency at a wider scale. 

Current LSA clients can expect a smooth transition, as their familiar design team continues thoughtful services without change in scope, budget, or delivery timeline. And, we are excited to offer even more to clients who would like to increase the sustainability of their projects with an integrated design approach, and who desire more capacity in project type and size. 

That’s the big news in a nutshell! Now that the secret is out, we hope you’ll stay tuned — as our teams come together, we will have plenty more to share, starting with these personal reflections on this exciting news from Terry Phelan and Jeff Pelletier. (Or, visit the companion post at Board & Vellum.)

In the meantime, please join us in our excitement as we embark on this new chapter with the entire Board & Vellum team! 

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Teaming Up: More From Terry Phelan

Terry has spent 30 years building a career and business focused on accessible sustainable design. Now, as her retirement approaches, Terry is looking toward a future that protects her legacy while expanding the amazing work she and Living Shelter have started. Read more about Terry’s thoughts and perspective on this great news in Teaming Up: A Message From Terry Phelan.

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Teaming Up: More From Jeff Pelletier

Though we’ve long been dedicated to sustainable design, diving deeper into the world of green building was part of a more intensive plan we’d just started to flesh out. But things move quickly here at Board & Vellum, and we’re not afraid to make big changes when the right opportunities arise. Learn more about Jeff’s thoughts and perspective on this great news in Teaming Up: A Message From Jeff Pelletier.

Is 3D Printing The Answer To Affordable Sustainable Housing?

Auburn University scientists and faculty are looking to use technology to address this widespread issue. The team is focusing on bio-resin development as a feedstock for 3D printing.

This sustainable resin derived from renewable forest biomass and other waste resource such as cross-contaminated timber, would reduce construction waste and the negative impact on the environment caused by disposing composite materials at the end of their life.

The process involves converting biomass into chemicals and nanomaterials to improve the sustainability of the resin, with the end goal of building sustainable affordable housing through a 3D printing process.

Biomaterial 3D printed building components such as wall panels, can be customized and shipped to the site to be used in construction. However, unlike comparable composite materials, these sustainable 3D printed components allow for end-of-life recycling.

Is this the future of sustainable construction? We are super curious to find out!

Learn more in the Daily Commercial News article.

Building with Hemp Block is Lego for Adults!

Hemp blocks are life-scale and made from a sustainable material called hempcrete (Very unlike it’s small plastic counterpart!)

Hempcrete is essentially a mixture comprised of hemp herd (the inner core of the hemp plant) and natural lime. Hemp is rapidly renewable resource. In fact, hemp grows so quickly that it can be harvested in just 90 days, unlike with traditional lumber where a tree can take 20+ years to reach maturity. Lime is also far more environmentally friendly than concrete, it re-absorbs the CO2 that was released when it was being manufactured. Additionally, hemp sequesters 1.6x its weight in CO2 wile the plant is growing.

Between the CO2 absorbed by the hemp as it grows, and the lime re-absorbing the CO2 during production it is considered a carbon-negative material. It even exceeds the passive house standards for energy consumption.

In addition to its environmental benefits, building with hemp block is easier and more practical to work with than traditional concrete or hempcrete because you don’t need to wait for it to dry.

The hemp and lime mixture is cast around a structural frame, giving it the load bearing capacity of high performance concrete. Hemp block has all the benefits of a concrete wall, but with half the weight, 10x the insulation value, and absolutely no VOCs.

Each block weighs only 25 lbs, and stack and interlock together making it fast and easy product to work with. Unlike traditional masonry, hemp blocks are self-leveling, just stack up the wall and its ready to go!

Additionally, each block has pre-cast conduit holes every 5.3” to make it easy to run electrical while you stack. This product contains no sand, so it can be easily cut onsite with a band or reciprocating saw.

Hemp block prices similarly to conventional building materials but has far superior performance. This modular building block is a great insulator and has a 2hr + fire rating that maintains 100% of its structural integrity.

We’re excited to start using this building block in upcoming projects. Take a look at this video to see how it works!