242mo

Jul 3

The Delicacy and Steadfast Nature of Trees

Part of the appeal of this lot was the amount of trees on it. Granted, the configuration completely sucked with bunch of green ash lining the arcing perimeter and bisecting the lot across the old stone wall. But after four years of ogling those anemic, tightly clustered bad boys, we found that they obscured the view and were smack dab in the way of building.

Nevertheless, when we left more than 30 feet of space between trunks we believed those hangers-on would remain unscathed. We were dead wrong. In so many weeks, we’ve had five trees roughed up. Seeing the first slash of bark on the first tree got me excited and now I’m rolling with them. But, a client has to log these incidents and proceed according to his demeanor.

Me, well, I like to identify the bruises as they happen just so Marvin, our general contractor, is aware of them. And, more helpful, I like to document them with photos. In the first incident, I was told that the two isolated scrapes happened at the same time. Photos helped me correct that assumption.

In this case, I asked the excavator to compensate either by having an arborist evaluate the situation or waive the $200 change order for removing the extra stone retaining wall he needed to use for a path for his equipment.

The existing stone retaining wall was no more

The last scraping, the most egregious one, I don’t know how to handle. It’s the best-looking tree of the bunch and I don’t want to lose any more trees. I’ll call somebody and ask and then work with Marvin from there to rectify the situation.

I’ve been told accidents happen on construction sites. I get that. I also know that anything that I didn’t have specced as part of the contract, I will be charged. I expect the same type of professionalism in return. If a sub damages something, they should be held culpable by the general and the client. Some might disagree; I’m the only advocate I got.

Jul 2

Just thought the edge of this stacked plywwod looked pretty.

Draining the Slough

The way things turned out we won’t need mechanical sump pumps. We had enough of an elevation drop from the base of the footings to the bottom of the lot that the water should drain due to a little thing called “gravity.” Granted, the drop is not significant — a little more than an inch in the from the foundation to the outlet. The soil only covers the pipe by a couple of inches along that run from the north side of the steps to the exit point you see here. When we start landscaping, how do we handle that? Do nothing? Create a visual line that also acts as a loose identifier? TBD to be sure.

Jun 29

For my inaugral post it’s pretty fitting that mine is celebrity-related and not some obscure architectural post a la Trent. I often reflect on the uncanny similarities between us and the Jolie-Pitts, for example, just like Angelina, my better half has a deep appreciation for architecture and just like Brad’s Angelina, I’m….well…I guess the similarities end there. This week, a picture of Mr. Pitt screamed out one distinction, however. My husband knows how to hold a hammer! A WAKA! (via New York Post’s Page Six)

Jun 21

Read the Reports

I learned a valuable lesson today. Read all the reports and directly ask your contractor if there were any issues that you as a client should be aware of. In this case, it came down to reading the soil engineer’s final report.

When we bought the lot (nearly four years ago now in June 2004), part of the agreement was that the previous owners would pay for soil borings to let us know if the lot was buildable. Due to a large amount of fat clay that becomes softer the deeper you go, he recommended some expensive alternatives — corkscrew piers, for one — or building a split-level residence — which the City wouldn’t allow and we wouldn’t design — or a reinforced foundation at a shallow depth with a two feet of correction to allow for soil consolidation.

Fast forward to December 2006. The man hired was Patrick Hines from Interstate Geotechnical Engineering, Inc. Talking to him is like meeting the engineering equivalent of the IT Guy on SNL. Smug. Arrogant. Generally an ass. He actually told me on the phone last night that his opinion as to the certification of the site “exceeded that of God’s.”

Dude, are you kidding me? We stuck with him.

Yeah, we wanted to maintain a sense of continuity. He isn’t worth it, particularly because he charges $.65 a mile and he lives in Cottage Grove. If you’re looking to shave a couple of hundred smacks here and there, take simple travel time into account. He not only gets reimbursed for mileage but charges for travel time itself. Imagine if you or I got paid for our daily commutes. Oh, I’d be a rich man.

Near the end of Hines’ final report, we read a disconcerting paragraph:

“Imported fill placed for site correction consisted of a quite clean rather well graded sand (SW) with a low content of fine gravel. I took two density tests upon these materials to determine conformance to project requirements. Results are attached. The test in the carport pad footing trench passed, while the test in the main residence area failed. After discussion of this with the earthwork contractor, I agreed to perform two supplemental retests. Both of these tests passed, exceeding report requirements. Evidently, the original test in the main living area was as he suspected, an isolated aberration.”

How come I don’t feel like we have an advocate here, even though I know that it’s his reputation and certification that’s on the line?

He told me that the aberration was most likely due to machinery operating in that particular spot, which the excavator explained as the issue. The two additional tests added an extra $155.95 to the total invoice because of the excavator. Not a huge amount, to be sure, but something that’s part of a series of little extras.

Now it’s a case of ensuring that Marvin (general contractor) knows that his sub should bear the extra costs and that these details should be relayed to us. It also makes me aware that being on-site daily is absolutely necessary.

Jun 10

Details in a Sushi Restaurant

We’re in NYC for the Webbys and decided to get some sushi at Blue Ribbon Sushi since Benchali was only doin the takeout thing. What we discovered was a confirmation of our hopes about the use of clear-grade cedar throughout the house.

The shiplap profile complemented with ripped-down 2-bys turned on end and spaced widely for screening created a comfortable, human space without pretension. The screen frame had a slight, shallow kerf to it that contributed to the aesthetic. One must not forget that detail.

More to follow. I’m on my N95 and typing’s a slow process without a keyboard!

May 25

In order to get this house flying and within budget, Bella and I decided to forego the detached garage and add a port cochere (who am I kidding, a car port). We reduced the budget by $22k and still meet the 15 points needed to qualify for a building permit with the city of Minneapolis by extending the basement.

This is all great for storage and a rumpus room and a utility room and a bathroom and extra bedroom. But, where to put all those power tools and lawn mowers and chainsaws? We still don’t know.

We were thinking an 8’x20’ shipping container. Prices were amazingly affordable: ~$1800-2000. I love the look of ‘em and we could be adventurous with color and perspective and later inclusion in something like the Rural Studio Supershed. Well, code requires that any structure exceeding 120sf needs to gain approval from the City. And, would it really make a good workspace without some serious augmentation? *shrug*

An alternative would be to double the price and buy a chopped down 8’x’10’ shipping container. Or (maybe and?) we could do something spanky like this. I’d like to erect something from the ground up… and do it right. Might be a nice project for future learning too. I wonder what the final price might be, especially considering I’ve got some major landscaping to do and think about.

I’ll post about rosenlof/lucas aspirations in a future post. Be sure to check out their muxtape.

Apr 30

A Smoke Alarm That Won't Make You Sweat

We spend all this time ironing out details, ensuring clean lines pick up and leave off where they should. But it’s usually the common objects that are overlooked: exterior vent caps and escutcheon plates, shut-off valves for the biffs, hooks for hanging towels, and so on.

In this particular case, smoke alarms. But, Kidde is making a pretty slim (due spring 2008) version that is fairly unintrusive and doesn’t impinge on your right to live on earth rather than on a Apollo 13. Can one go stealth on a smoke alarm?

Apr 29

Inflated Sense of Green-Importance

I think one of the most frustrating parts of designing and building a home right now is all the god-forsaken, self-congratulatory articles being written. Open the May/June issue of Architecture Minnesota, Dwell, or Metropolitan Home, and you’ll see what I mean.

Humility would serve architects and designers well. Look to their provincial roots, and they’ll find some of the poorest families — especially farmers from the region. And, so much of it is marketing and spin.

Later on in this project, Bella and I will give you the straight rundown on the materials and what we’re doing. Then, we’ll give you the “green” version. Words, words, words. What a game…

Apr 14

I have an intense dislike for cable rails. And yet, as it currently stands, they are specc’ed for the steel-frame guard railings on the south side of the main floor deck, and the railing cordoning off the second-floor veranda on the east side. They seem dated to me — a relic of the opening decade of the 21st century much like the interior tubular railings of the 80s with a Robert Nagel print posing in the periphery.

Alternatives: well, we already have plenty off-set clear cedar railings. Stainless steel options are too expensive. Minnesota Public Radio has simple metal work for the atrium, but the intercostals are solid metal rods that don’t quite sing.

But, check out the work of Martin Fernandez de Lemais in this spectacular, wooded Argentinean get-away. Flat iron painted white and capped with wood. Clean, probably too much space for Lucian and Rainier’s noggins. Me likies. And, if you haven’t noticed, the planar bench extending from the wing wall draws out the line so naturally that one may overlook the sleek concept and integration.

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.

Read the Reports

Details in a Sushi Restaurant

A Smoke Alarm That Won't Make You Sweat

Inflated Sense of Green-Importance