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Creating Outdoor Connections

June 2026

by Rachel White
At the start of a project, homeowners often complain that they feel cut off from their outdoor spaces. There are too few windows. Views are...Read More

Making the Most of Space You Already Have

January 2025

by Rachel White
One of the most common complaints we hear from potential new clients is that they don’t have enough space. Their kitchen feels cramped and confining. Their entryway is clu...Read More

Revisiting Radon

November 2024

by Brendan Kavanagh
Radon is often misunderstood, and understandably so as most people only think about it once when they are buying a house. When I ask homeowners what they know about th...Read More

Vigilance on Refrigerants

July 2024

by Brendan Kavanagh
It’s an exciting time to be working on building decarbonization in Massachusetts. Aggressive climate policy coupled with rapid technolo...Read More

Where Byggmeister Gives Back & Why

June 2023

by Rachel White
When Byggmeister converted to worker-ownership we committed to donate 5-10% of our annual net profit to organizations working to address climate...Read More

Common Myths About Green Building

February 2022

by Paul Eldrenkamp

We posted a version of this post in 2015. Since then, we’ve learned a lot more about the impact of our building practices and the speed with which...Read More

Working With Heat Pumps

March 2021

by Brendan Kavanagh
Almost 10 years ago Byggmeister started installing air-source heat pumps (also referred to as “mini-splits”) as part of our energy retrofit projects.  Since t...Read More

The Road Ahead

May 2020

by Rachel White
It's hard to remember a time when I have felt as riven by conflicting emotions as I have these past couple of months. Despair and hope. Conviction and doubt. Joy ...Read More

Byggmeister 2.0

January 2020

by Rachel White
I began my relationship with Byggmeister in 2008 as a client. My husband and I hired the company to renovate our master bedroom and improve the efficiency of our ...Read More

The All Electric Home

December 2018

by Rachel White and Paul Eldrenkamp
Even before the September 2018 gas explosions in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, we were encouraging homeowners to wean themselves from ...Read More

Space as a “Green” Metric

June 2017

by Kristina Eldrenkamp
“Green” can be an empty term if it’s not defined in measurable ways. This conviction has informed our efforts to assign performance metrics to projects and...Read More

Managing a Job for Success

March 2017

by Kristina Eldrenkamp
This past fall, Byggmeister organized a workshop for lead carpenters on project management. The goal was to exchange ideas and best practices for l...Read More

Controlling Pollutants Caused by Cooking

November 2016

by Paul Eldrenkamp
One of Byggmeister’s goals with each project is to improve indoor air quality, including minimizing the pollutants caused by cooking. Cooking, it turns out, is...Read More

Operating At Net Zero Energy

March 2016

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by Paul Eldrenkamp and Rachel White
A few months ago we completed a deep energy retrofit of a house that we hope will be net-zero energy—in o...Read More

A Socioeconomic Context For Ice Dams

September 2015

by Paul Eldrenkamp
This past winter, national insurance companies were sending their “catastrophe response teams” to the Boston area. I personally met with adjusters and ...Read More

Bringing Your Renovation To Life

June 2015

by Rachel White
Designing a renovation is a collaborative process at Byggmeister. Between the time we first visit a house and sign a construction contract, several members of our...Read More

Why and How We Strive to Avoid Additions

January 2014

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by Rachel White
It's easy to solve a client's problem by adding square feet with an addition. The living room is cluttered with toys and game...Read More