Makeover Magic

A Concord Couple Breathes New Life into their Riverside Home...

Dave Witherbee and Michelle Bociek had a problem. Several years ago Dave had purchased a house in a desirable neighborhood in Concord, Massachusetts. The land borders the Sudbury River and takes in a commanding view of the waterway and all its wildlife. The problem was the house. It had been built in the early 1950's and needed drastic updating. "The old house was tired. Its mechanical systems were sadly outdated and its insulation and windows were nowhere near current building standards," explains Dave.

While looking to update the house with modern conveniences and comfort, Dave, an avid outdoorsman with a concern for his surroundings, also had a great interest in utilizing green building techniques and materials. His research led him to examine the traditional building technique of timber framing. By nature, timber frame homes are extremely energy efficient, use sustainable building materials, and produce less waste on the building site than most conventional construction. "I have always liked the look and structure of timber frame homes, this was just an added benefit," comments Dave.

The couple made many environmentally responsible decisions during the building process. "When the original house was demolished, the materials were taken to a recycling plant in New Hampshire that used water tanks to separate wood, then metal and glass," notes Dave. He goes on to explain, "The septic system is a Presby system that allowed us to place the leach field under the driveway. This prevented our having to cut down several large trees. I believe it is also cleaner for our river environment."

Saving energy and money was also on the couple's minds. "The home is heated using Electric Thermal Storage (ETS), which is off-peak electric power that heats ceramic bricks in the middle of the night at low electric rates. The bricks then heat water, which is used for heating our radiant floors and ceiling." Dave was thrilled with the money saved by choosing this alternative form of energy. "ETS, along with the efficiency of the Timberpeg®house and the radiant system, is inexpensive heat. It only cost about $200 to heat during the coldest winter months!"

Of course, like all timber frame enthusiasts, Dave and Michelle weren't only attracted to the "green" features of a timber frame home. "We both are in love with the openness that a timber frame home allows. We have a view to the river from every room in the home," says Michelle.
The house was designed around what Dave fondly refers to as My Perch. "The one thing I knew I wanted from the beginning was an area in the home where I could really enjoy the land and wildlife surrounding the home. My perch feels almost like a tree house. I love to sit and read in my big cozy chair with the window open, listening to the river, the birds and the wind rustling the tree leaves," says Dave.

Timberpeg® Chief Designer Jim Driesch notes how important it is to develop a design program. "They came to us with some very specific features they liked and disliked about the old house and had a pretty good idea of what they wanted in the new one. For the most part, they really liked the overall layout and flow of the floor plan. They did not like the inefficient insulation that made the home costly to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and they wanted the home to take better advantage of the views that surrounded them."

The couple has such wonderful memories already in the new home, memories which began during the building process. "Building a timber frame is so different than building any other type of home. During the frame raising, we had parties on the deck under the skeleton of the frame," says Dave. "The bare timber frame in the sunset was just so beautiful. It was almost sad to cover it up," Michelle adds. -

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