Hallie M. Bowie
Architect / LEED Green Associate
I’ve been designing homes since 1987, with projects ranging from additions and renovations to whole house design. I founded New Leaf Home Design in 2006 to allow me to continue working directly with homeowners, and to increase my focus on creating more sustainable and energy efficient houses. I began working from home before my young adult children Hannah and Aaron were born, so the relationship between family life and home design has always been very clear for me!
I’m a registered architect in the state of Ohio, License #9767. In order to maintain my license, I complete a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education courses per year in subjects like Universal Design, Aging in Place, and Sustainability. I’m a Certified Green Professional through the National Association of Home Builders, as well as a LEED Green Associate. I helped with the design of a LEED new home for Habitat for Humanity of Stark and Carroll Counties, and was the architect for two “deep energy retrofits” of existing homes by YouthBuild Akron and Canton’s Project ReBuild. I’m also the HBA representative on the Summit County Environmental Sustainability Task Force created by county council in August of 2019.
As an architectural firm, New Leaf provides design services. I’ll help you sort out what your goals are, listen to what is most important to you, pay attention to the things you’d like to have if you can, evaluate the opportunities and limitations of your existing home or your building site. I’ll also provide advice on materials, systems, energy efficiency strategies, and the whole process of getting your project built. If you already know exactly what you want to build and have a floor plan sketched out to scale, you may be better served by a drafting service to convert your sketches to drawings detailed enough for the building department.
I’m an active member of the Home Builders Association of Portage and Summit Counties and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron. When I’m not designing homes or doing volunteer work, I enjoy singing, doing yoga, and being outdoors hiking, running, and gardening.
Addition and Renovation Projects:
Do you love your neighborhood, but need some adjustments to your home so you can stay there for years to come? Would you like to use your home’s existing spaces as well as possible, and add just enough new area to accomplish your goals? I’ve helped many families with projects such as:
- Kitchen renovations and additions
- Creating a more open floor plans by removing the walls between Kitchens, Family Rooms, and Dining areas
- Improving Mudroom entries
- Aging-in-Place changes, such as creating accessible first floor Master Suites and Laundry areas, and widening doorways
- Garage additions
- Master Bedroom renovations and additions
- Porch additions
- Exterior renovations, such as front porch renovations and siding upgrades
New Homes:
Would you like to build a home that is designed for energy efficiency, makes the most of the views on your site, is oriented to take advantage of the sun, and provides just as much space as you and your family need? My new homes are designed to meet the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home guidelines. The foundation, wall and ceiling assemblies provide plenty of insulation; the windows are located to provide plenty of warm winter sun while minimizing summer overheating; and the detailing recognizes the importance of air sealing for energy savings. And because it is designed just for you, I’ll make sure it includes the things that are important to you: a Kitchen designed for serious cooking, space for musical instruments, a home office space, or any other feature that will make the difference between building a house and building your home.
Take a few minutes to explore the website and see what New Leaf Home Design can do for you!