Author Archives: admin

The Eyes Have It

Let’s go beyond the blog built upon an architecture of words, paragraph upon paragraph of text. Why say it with arial, tahoma, or helvetica, when you can say it with brick, columns, and marble? Here are just three recent projects that show what we at SOMMA have been up to. Happy Spring! While winter may seem to be hanging on a little longer than we’d like it to, at SOMMA we have just the idea to get you in a spring mindset. Below, is a rooftop deck and pergola design….

“Here’s to History!”

“Bold & Brash,” the highly anticipated exhibit at one of Portsmouth’s hottest new “old” spots, was an excellent opportunity to ask one of its sponsors some history-tinged questions. Jennifer Ramsey, architect, of SOMMA Studios, in Portsmouth, was excited to share information about “Bold & Brash: The Art of John Haley Bellamy,” which opens April 3 at the Discover Portsmouth Center. First, the nitty-gritty, for your date books: WHAT: “Bold & Brash: The Art of John Haley Bellamy” art exhibit WHEN: Thursday, April 3, 5:30 to 8 p.m., VIP doors open…

Top Five Spots to Tuck Away to in Portsmouth

On Feb. 11 you couldn’t look at Facebook or Twitter without seeing it: Portsmouth was number 9 of the cities in the CNN Travel article “10 of America’s most romantic towns.” To hop on the Valentine’s Day band wagon, we asked Jennifer Ramsey, founder, managing partner of SOMMA Studios, LLC, which spots within this special city of ours fit her bill for most romantic. She stopped designing beautiful buildings for one minute to answer us, proving that in addition to architecture, she knows a thing or two about Portsmouth. Top 5: Black…

Q&A with Quiet Home Paints Founder, Lisa Teague

SOMMA: Tell us a bit about Quiet Home Paints. What got you interested in the industry? How did you go about getting started? Lisa Teague: I have two different businesses. I’ve been the principal designer at Lisa Teague Design Studios for twenty years. I started as a decorative painter and then developed a design following. While I still design and apply decorative finishes, my primary focus is interior design and project management. Quiet Home Paints is an offshoot of my design business. I conceptualized and then launched it along with my daughter…

Product Overview: Quiet Home Paints

From time to time we like to rave about the products we’re using to aide in bringing our developments to life. It’s easy to show something on paper, and get a client excited about what teir prospective space/project could look like. It’s easier still when the partnerships you’re forging with the products you like to utilize consistently come out exactly as described. One such element to many of our projects is color. Let’s face it – A white box is boring. We like to bring color into our projects (especially…

Foundation Set: Happy New Year!

As 2013 comes to a close we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the year that was and lay the foundation for the excitement to come in the year ahead. We were privy to great growth and exemplary amounts of inspiration here at SOMMA Studios throughout the span of the last twelve months. Our clients were vast, and the projects we took part in, plentiful and varied. In short, there was never a dull moment. One highlight for us was the collaborative work we did alongside Chinburg Properties. We…

Q&A with Tangram 3DS – Part Two (of Two)

SOMMA: What excites you about partnering with such firms as SOMMA? Tangram: You really chose the right word there — it’s all about partnering. Working with a partner-client such as SOMMA is especially exciting because they are open to, and appreciate the extra lengths that we go to in trying to help them maximize the success of a project. We’re especially thrilled to be able to showcase services and visuals that go beyond the building, ultimately sharing a combined vision with the public in marketing the project. SOMMA was receptive…

Q&A with Tangram 3DS – Part One (of Two)

In our last post we discussed our partnership with Tangram 3DS and the exciting ways they render our architectural drawings and bring them to virtual life. So for this installment we thought we’d actually sit down with Tangram 3DS owner, Stefan Vittori and Marketing Manager, Marie MacDonald to discuss their business (where they are, where they’ve been, and where they’re going), and how they’re revolutionizing the marketing possibilities of their clients with their robust digital development tools. SOMMA: Please introduce Tangram 3DS. What were the goals behind the company at the outset?…

Real-Life Renderings of Working “Parkside” Architecture in Portsmouth

Creative Collaboration with Tangram 3DS Leads to Supreme “Real-Life” Renderings of Working “Parkside” Architecture in Portsmouth At SOMMA, we’re very transparent about our mission. We’re an architectural design firm constantly pushing the envelope of the limitless possibilities that can be achieved in our industry – from humble homes, to corporate projects (and everything in between). Opportunity is abound. As stated as a working piece of our mission, we believe design is best when collaborative. We’re in the business of creating, and we continually exercise the age-old conversation of problem solving….

Kline’s Site Plan Gets Final Approval

By Dave Choate September 18. 2009 2:00AM Kline’s site plan gets final approval PORTSMOUTH — The plan to replace the old Kline’s Furniture building is a go. The Planning Board granted site review approval to a five-story, 11,995-square-foot, mixed-use building at the site of the now-closed Islington Street store, the final evolution of a plan which originally called for a pair of multi-story buildings but was scaled down for a less intense use of the property. John Chagnon of Ambit Engineering, who presented to the board Thursday night on behalf…