SELT Mathey Center for People and Nature

Epping, NH

Architect: Sheldon Pennoyer Architects

Photos: Ridgelight Studio. Drone Images by Orazio Guevara

Construction of a two-story wood-frame building that serves as the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire’s headquarters. The new building contains office and programming space to facilitate the organization’s nature-based programming.

 

The fossil fuel-free building was constructed using sustainable practices and operates at the highest building performance standards. A high-performance enclosure with continuous air vapor barrier and insulation creates a super-tight and well-insulated building that reduces energy loads.

 

Wood framing was used to reduce embodied carbon footprint, and locally sourced thermally modified wood was selected for longevity. To limit solar heat gain during the summer cooling season and allow it during the winter heating season, recessed windows and sunshades were installed to reduce loads and operational energy. The solar panels that line the roof and the five ground-mounted solar arrays can fully power both The Mathey Center and the adjacent farmhouse.