Keene, New Hampshire, September 19, 2025
News Summary
Chapman Construction/Design has been selected to oversee construction of a 6,000-square-foot headquarters for the Monadnock Conservancy that will achieve Net Zero energy usage. The one-story, wood-framed facility will include offices, community meeting space, regenerative site work and on-site stormwater management. The project pairs low-carbon materials (Pozzotive, Glavel foam glass gravel) with offsite, panelized assembly from Bensonwood, battery-powered tool trials with Milwaukee Tools, and a renewable power agreement with Eversource. Sheldon Pennoyer Architects provides the low-energy design and locally milled ash and site-harvested wood will be reused as interior features.
Chapman Construction/Design to lead net-zero, 6,000-sf Monadnock Conservancy headquarters
What happened: Chapman Construction/Design has been selected to oversee construction of a new headquarters building for the Monadnock Conservancy. The Monadnock Conservancy’s new headquarters will be 6,000 square feet. The new Monadnock Conservancy building will achieve Net Zero energy usage when complete. Net Zero energy usage is defined here as generating as much renewable energy on site as the building consumes over the course of a year.
Top details
Chapman Construction/Design is based in Manchester, New Hampshire. Chapman Construction/Design is a construction management company. Chapman Construction/Design specializes in high-performance building and has deep experience in energy-efficient design and construction. Chapman will use innovative approaches to value-engineering on the Conservancy project to help the organization meet ambitious environmental goals while staying within budget.
Project basics and program
The project is a new one-story wood-framed building. The building program includes offices. The building program includes community meeting space. The project includes regenerative site improvements and a stormwater management system. The facility will incorporate numerous novel solutions for limiting energy usage and numerous novel solutions for limiting carbon emissions. The project will allow the non-profit Monadnock Conservancy to relocate from rented space into a permanent home.
Design, materials and partners
The project’s designer is Sheldon Pennoyer Architects, based in Concord, New Hampshire. Sheldon Pennoyer Architects will provide a low-energy, high-performance design for the building. Sheldon Pennoyer Architects will donate locally sourced ash that will be milled and used within the building. Several trees removed during site preparation will be milled and incorporated into the project as feature elements.
During pre-construction Chapman identified several subcontractors and partners to provide sustainable building materials. Pozzotive was identified as a partner/subcontractor for the project. Pozzotive is described as a ground glass pozzolan and industrial filler made from recycled post-consumer glass. Glavel foam glass gravel was identified for use as subslab insulation.
Chapman has a partnership with Milwaukee Tools for the project to demonstrate the carbon-reduction impact of using high-performance, battery-powered tools. Bensonwood (based in Walpole, New Hampshire) will provide an offsite, panelized construction system for the project. Bensonwood’s offsite, panelized system will cut down on travel to and from the jobsite to reduce the project’s carbon impact, expedite assembly of a higher-quality, weather-tight structure, and produce significantly less construction waste.
Chapman will partner with utility company Eversource on the project. The partnership with Eversource is to ensure the Conservancy’s power is supplied by 100% renewable resources.
Team formation and roles
Michael Bruss of Bruss Project Management played a key role in bringing together the high-performance building team and facilitated the process for assembling the project team. Amanda Littleton is the executive director of the Monadnock Conservancy. Amanda Littleton is quoted saying the new headquarters represents the culmination of many years of planning and implementing strategies to serve the community with minimal environmental impact. Amanda Littleton said working with Chapman enabled the Conservancy to engage a partner that prioritizes energy efficiency and intelligent re-use.
Why this matters
This project combines a one-story wood-framed building program with regenerative site work and a Net Zero energy goal. The decision to use premanufactured panelized systems, recycled-material pozzolans, foam glass insulation, and battery-powered tools is aimed at reducing embodied and operational carbon while improving construction speed and reducing waste. Bensonwood’s offsite panels are expected to improve weather-tightness and lower onsite travel and waste, while Pozzotive and Glavel supply recycled-material options for concrete and insulation needs. Chapman’s approach aims to balance the Conservancy’s environmental ambitions with cost control through value-engineering and early partner selection.
Context and related activity
This announcement arrives amid a busy stretch of construction and development activity in the region, including hospital expansions, mixed-use apartment projects, and conservation center builds where similar teams are combining high-performance design and offsite construction methods. Several regional projects have used panelized or modular systems, and this project follows that trend while emphasizing local material reuse and renewable energy sourcing.
FAQ
Who is managing construction of the Monadnock Conservancy headquarters?
Chapman Construction/Design has been selected to oversee construction of a new headquarters building for the Monadnock Conservancy.
Where is Chapman Construction/Design based?
Chapman Construction/Design is based in Manchester, New Hampshire.
What type of company is Chapman Construction/Design?
Chapman Construction/Design is a construction management company.
What does Chapman specialize in?
Chapman Construction/Design specializes in high-performance building.
How large will the new Monadnock Conservancy headquarters be?
The Monadnock Conservancy’s new headquarters will be 6,000 square feet.
What is the energy goal for the new building?
The new Monadnock Conservancy building will achieve Net Zero energy usage when complete.
How is Net Zero defined for this project?
Net Zero energy usage is defined here as generating as much renewable energy on site as the building consumes over the course of a year.
What is the building form and program?
The project is a new one-story wood-framed building. The building program includes offices. The building program includes community meeting space.
What site and environmental measures are included?
The project includes regenerative site improvements. The project includes a stormwater management system.
Which sustainable material partners were identified?
Pozzotive was identified as a partner/subcontractor for the project. Pozzotive is described as a ground glass pozzolan and industrial filler made from recycled post-consumer glass. Glavel foam glass gravel was identified for use as subslab insulation.
Who will provide the offsite construction system?
Bensonwood (based in Walpole, New Hampshire) will provide an offsite, panelized construction system for the project.
Who is the designer for the project?
The project’s designer is Sheldon Pennoyer Architects, based in Concord, New Hampshire. Sheldon Pennoyer Architects will provide a low-energy, high-performance design for the building. Sheldon Pennoyer Architects will donate locally sourced ash that will be milled and used within the building.
Who helped assemble the project team?
Michael Bruss of Bruss Project Management played a key role in bringing together the high-performance building team.
Who is the Conservancy’s leader and what did she say?
Amanda Littleton is the executive director of the Monadnock Conservancy. Amanda Littleton is quoted saying the new headquarters represents the culmination of many years of planning and implementing strategies to serve the community with minimal environmental impact. Amanda Littleton said working with Chapman enabled the Conservancy to engage a partner that prioritizes energy efficiency and intelligent re-use.
Who will ensure renewable power for the Conservancy?
Chapman will partner with utility company Eversource on the project. The partnership with Eversource is to ensure the Conservancy’s power is supplied by 100% renewable resources.
Key project features
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Construction manager | Chapman Construction/Design is based in Manchester, New Hampshire. |
| Type of company | Chapman Construction/Design is a construction management company. |
| Specialty | Chapman Construction/Design specializes in high-performance building. |
| Project scope | The Monadnock Conservancy’s new headquarters will be 6,000 square feet. |
| Energy target | The new Monadnock Conservancy building will achieve Net Zero energy usage when complete. |
| Net Zero definition | Net Zero energy usage is defined here as generating as much renewable energy on site as the building consumes over the course of a year. |
| Building form | The project is a new one-story wood-framed building. |
| Program | The building program includes offices; the building program includes community meeting space. |
| Site work | The project includes regenerative site improvements; the project includes a stormwater management system. |
| Design partner | The project’s designer is Sheldon Pennoyer Architects, based in Concord, New Hampshire. |
| Material partners | Pozzotive (ground glass pozzolan and industrial filler made from recycled post-consumer glass); Glavel foam glass gravel for subslab insulation. |
| Offsite builder | Bensonwood (based in Walpole, New Hampshire) will provide an offsite, panelized construction system for the project. |
| Utility partner | Chapman will partner with utility company Eversource on the project to ensure the Conservancy’s power is supplied by 100% renewable resources. |
Contact/address included in source material: 17 Accord Park Drive #207, Norwell MA 02061; phone (781) 878-4540.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- New England Real Estate Journal: Chapman Construction selected for Monadnock Conservancy project
- Wikipedia: Monadnock Conservancy
- New Hampshire Business Review: People and property — real estate and construction news from around NH
- Google Search: Monadnock Conservancy Net Zero headquarters
- BD+C: Manchester modular hotel is constructed of shipping containers
- Google Scholar: Modular construction shipping container hotels
- Treehugger: Construction industry will be disrupted by marriage of modular and shipping container
- Encyclopedia Britannica: modular construction
- Albert Lea Tribune: This week in history — local/state leaders tour Manchester wind farm construction site
- Google News: Manchester wind farm construction
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