242mo

A wide-open journal about the work and the money that goes into buying a lot, designing a contemporary house, and building the damn thing without going into bankruptcy and not cheaping out. This is not about being "green"; it's about building a home for my family.

Jan 8
via www.archdaily.com Landscaping practicalities.

via www.archdaily.com

Landscaping practicalities.
Posted at 12:46am

Oct 23
The permanence and plasticity of this approach is absolutely brilliant. A slightly elevated set stone walkway ensconced in a sea of sand. Moss lapping up against the boulder’s shore. New growth hanging over the water’s edge. Kuro - a house in Fukui city, Japan, by architect Takuya Hosokai and Hiromasa Mori. (via Dezeen)

The permanence and plasticity of this approach is absolutely brilliant. A slightly elevated set stone walkway ensconced in a sea of sand. Moss lapping up against the boulder’s shore. New growth hanging over the water’s edge.

Kuro - a house in Fukui city, Japan, by architect Takuya Hosokai and Hiromasa Mori.

(via Dezeen)
Posted at 6:41am

Aug 14
Thinking about how to wrap the landscape of the house and create a soft hardscape as a temporary solution until I can enact my master plan.

Thinking about how to wrap the landscape of the house and create a soft hardscape as a temporary solution until I can enact my master plan.
Posted at 6:36am

Jul 24
A View to a Steal The installers boarded up the house to prevent vandals and theft, I assume. But perhaps the better prevention technique would be to stack the units near an interior wall that wouldn’t feature the uninstalled window units as if they were a Christmas display. I’m not criticizing; I’m just saying…

A View to a Steal

The installers boarded up the house to prevent vandals and theft, I assume. But perhaps the better prevention technique would be to stack the units near an interior wall that wouldn’t feature the uninstalled window units as if they were a Christmas display. I’m not criticizing; I’m just saying…
Posted at 6:02pm

Jul 11
Of all the materials and design decisions we’ve needed to make, I’ve got to believe choosing the color and profile of the steel siding to complement the cedar box has been the most perplexing. I know the color palettes I like, but when talking about such a massive scale of siding the unpracticed mind struggles to envision the look. So, once again, I’m trusting my gut. We’ve decided on UNA-CLAD Cityscape, as you can see above. Coupled with the concrete, the fir and brown cladding of the windows, and the clear cedar ship-lap, the grey should pull the materials together. What I’m anxious to see is the shadows cast by the 1.75”-2” flanges throughout the day. With such a long run on the south side, I drew inspiration from the detail of Antioch Baptist Church in Alabama. The cats from Rural Studio nailed this simple detail and gave the unheeded side some needed love.

Of all the materials and design decisions we’ve needed to make, I’ve got to believe choosing the color and profile of the steel siding to complement the cedar box has been the most perplexing. I know the color palettes I like, but when talking about such a massive scale of siding the unpracticed mind struggles to envision the look. So, once again, I’m trusting my gut.

We’ve decided on UNA-CLAD Cityscape, as you can see above. Coupled with the concrete, the fir and brown cladding of the windows, and the clear cedar ship-lap, the grey should pull the materials together.

Antioch Baptist ChurchWhat I’m anxious to see is the shadows cast by the 1.75”-2” flanges throughout the day. With such a long run on the south side, I drew inspiration from the detail of Antioch Baptist Church in Alabama. The cats from Rural Studio nailed this simple detail and gave the unheeded side some needed love.
Posted at 2:07am

Jul 10
“This Is My New House!” Say it again, boy-king.

“This Is My New House!”

Say it again, boy-king.
Posted at 4:06pm

Jul 9
If This Ain’t What It’s All About The excitement and wonder of seeing a foundation poured put me on the path to concretely (no pun intended, wiseacre) imagining living in the space. And once the joists and sheathing went up, well… But when the walls go up and you see your wife and son gazing intently, lovingly, you know what the entire process is about — not building some stealth structure that you hope you love, that your neighbors will envy, that you think might get you a bare-footed shot (lame!) in Dwell. I’ve got 40 years of love swelling the joint, unless I die in 12 like I predict. Give me an amen, brother.

If This Ain’t What It’s All About

The excitement and wonder of seeing a foundation poured put me on the path to concretely (no pun intended, wiseacre) imagining living in the space. And once the joists and sheathing went up, well…

But when the walls go up and you see your wife and son gazing intently, lovingly, you know what the entire process is about — not building some stealth structure that you hope you love, that your neighbors will envy, that you think might get you a bare-footed shot (lame!) in Dwell.

IMG_6558

I’ve got 40 years of love swelling the joint, unless I die in 12 like I predict. Give me an amen, brother.
Posted at 7:55pm

Jul 8

"Let's Get to Work"

Bella sent me an e-mail with this subject line. She’s a fun person to be married to b/c she dives in and makes decisions. Quite the snoopervisor to boot. We aimed at using a shipping container, but the timing and size and permit requirements are getting in the way. So now we’re using it as an opportunity to design and build something from scratch. These plans will get me started on thinking about the real needs, rather than some punk-wannabe hangout for faux hepsters.

Posted at 3:26pm

Just One Post You see that temporary board kiddywompus just under the dining room. Well, we talked about that sumbitch for a good half-hour this morning in our weekly meeting with Mike and Marvin. Early on in the design process, we contemplated using steel for a cantilevered open edge on the northeast corner of the house. It would’ve looked super cool, and that would’ve been echoed with an open edge on the second floor balcony. Then budget got in the way. The load on a 4’ overhang with a second story is incredibly pincing on the soil’s nasal passages, so we thought we’d let her breathe. Since it’s a load bearing point, Marvin wanted to use green-treated lumber. I get it, but it’s ugly. Mike accounted for most of it and had wrapped the post, except for the most visible part peeking out throught the 3/4” spaces between the cedar screen. It’ll be wrapped and we’ll push the screen out a half-inch past the concrete wall to mask the rough, irregular edge and the massive chunk taken out of the corner of the protruding foot. The changes are now transferred to the framers’ drawings. Awesome.

Just One Post

You see that temporary board kiddywompus just under the dining room. Well, we talked about that sumbitch for a good half-hour this morning in our weekly meeting with Mike and Marvin.

Early on in the design process, we contemplated using steel for a cantilevered open edge on the northeast corner of the house. It would’ve looked super cool, and that would’ve been echoed with an open edge on the second floor balcony. Then budget got in the way.

The load on a 4’ overhang with a second story is incredibly pincing on the soil’s nasal passages, so we thought we’d let her breathe. Since it’s a load bearing point, Marvin wanted to use green-treated lumber. I get it, but it’s ugly. Mike accounted for most of it and had wrapped the post, except for the most visible part peeking out throught the 3/4” spaces between the cedar screen.

It’ll be wrapped and we’ll push the screen out a half-inch past the concrete wall to mask the rough, irregular edge and the massive chunk taken out of the corner of the protruding foot. The changes are now transferred to the framers’ drawings. Awesome.
Posted at 10:16am

Jul 3
Views Lost for Sight As I surveyed the joists forming the first floor, I realized that the treasure of this tiny piece of land in the city may be lost. Where I stand is where many a game of tennis was played, or so I’ve been told. The little old lady that’s lived in the modest house to the west has looked out her miniscule kitchen window for five decades now. She’ll see the back side of a structure she won’t recognize. Where’s our obligation to create another vista for her that’s worth her final days. Nevertheless, I pine a bit for myself, for what my boys will never know as the city grows denser and history is leveled for new dwellings, more sustainably designed buildings. The strata of history pile up and new views are created where old ones once reigned.

Views Lost for Sight

As I surveyed the joists forming the first floor, I realized that the treasure of this tiny piece of land in the city may be lost. Where I stand is where many a game of tennis was played, or so I’ve been told.

The little old lady that’s lived in the modest house to the west has looked out her miniscule kitchen window for five decades now. She’ll see the back side of a structure she won’t recognize. Where’s our obligation to create another vista for her that’s worth her final days.

IMG_6265

Nevertheless, I pine a bit for myself, for what my boys will never know as the city grows denser and history is leveled for new dwellings, more sustainably designed buildings. The strata of history pile up and new views are created where old ones once reigned.
Posted at 5:38pm

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