Day: November 6, 2019

AMHERST — C&H Architects is celebrating 30 years of designing sustainable architecture.

The firm’s work serves as an example of how, in a time of critical climate challenges, developers can add to the built environment in a way that improves the sustainability of future generations, rather than threatening it, partner Jesse Selman said. “We have an ethical duty to understand the impact of our work — both socially and environmentally. It is a challenge that forms the basis of our work — and is what gets us up in the morning.”

At their most basic level, buildings protect individuals from the elements. Beyond that, they shape the environment and provide texture to people’s lives. Buildings, however, are also one of the largest contributors to global warming, accounting for nearly 40% of all greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide — a statistic expected to double by 2050. In an effort to mitigate these impacts, there has been a steady increase in sustainable architecture — the design of buildings that work in harmony with the environment.

C&H Architects has been at the forefront of this effort for the past 30 years. It designed the fifth-ever certified Living Building Challenge project in the world (and the first in New England) for Smith College’s MacLeish Field Station, the most rigorous performance standard for buildings available. The firm has designed more than 10 net-zero homes, the most recent of which won the top honor at AIA (American Institute of Architecture) Rhode Island in 2018, and includes a solar array that powers both the house and the car of its occupants.

Founded in 1989 by Bruce Coldham to create architecture that responds to our rapidly changing climate and resources, the Amherst-based firm has served hundreds of clients with projects at every scale, from small residential renovations to large institutional construction.

Today, the firm’s four partners — Tom Hartman, Garth Schwellenbach, Jesse Selman, and Elizabeth Morgan — carry on the tradition Coldham started, while constantly incorporating advances in building technology, materials, and practices. Their forward-thinking mindset is embodied by their mission to “design for the next hundred years.” Their work can be seen on their website, candharchitects.com.

AMHERST — Dillon Bodley & Associates, P.C., owned and operated by certified public accountants Brian Dillon and Catherine Bodley, recently moved its Amherst location to 196 North Pleasant St. to offer its clients more convenient parking and better access.

The firm closed at its former location at 37 South Pleasant St. on Oct. 27 and reopened at the new address on Nov. 1.

“We’re looking forward to offering a better parking situation for our clients, as well as providing ourselves with more office space, as our company has grown,” Bodley said. “We anticipate the move will go smoothly, and there will be no disruption in service.”

Dillon Bodley & Associates, P.C. provides a broad range of accounting and tax services, including tax preparation and planning engagements for individuals, small businesses, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. It also offers bookkeeping services to its business tax clients and provides consulting to small businesses and startups. 

The firm was located on South Pleasant Street for four years, with Bodley working on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Dillon working on Wednesdays during tax season. Services are provided on other days of the week and throughout the rest of the year by appointment.

Dillon Bodley & Associates, P.C. also has a West Springfield office at 63 Myron St., which will move to 71 Park Ave., Suite C, on Dec. 4 to accommodate an increased number of staff members. Approximately 20% of the firm’s clients are served at the Amherst office.

Founded by Dillon as Dillon Consulting and Tax Services in 2011, the firm changed its name when he joined forces with Bodley in January 2014.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony today, Nov. 6, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. outside the Student Learning Commons (Building 19).

The ceremony will include a presentation of the colors by Commerce High School’s JROTC. A guest speaker from One Call Away Foundation, a PTSD support network, will talk about veteran suicide awareness. Following the ceremony, there will be a reception in the Veterans Center in Building 19.

SPRINGFIELD — On Saturday, Nov. 9, Western New England University’s multi-cultural student organization United & Mutually Equal will host World Fest 2019, celebrating the cultures of the world.

The evening, beginning at 6 p.m. in Rivers Memorial Hall, will showcase various foods and include performances and a fashion show. The event is open to the public as part of the university’s celebration of Diversity Week. Admission is $3 for students and $5 for non-students.