Every contractor and every Architect has heard the question many times – “Do I need a building permit for my project?” Or to put it more accurately, “Do I need to pay for an expensive building permit, and go through the hassle and delays of inspections...
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Single-story homes were at the height of their popularity in the middle of the 20th century. Those designed with traditional styling have always been called “ranches”; less traditional ones are now often called “mid-century Modern”. Mid-century modern and ranch additions have become a big part...
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A friend of mine put me on the spot when she asked me over to take a look at the new home she was looking to purchase. “I’m not sure what I should be looking for” she asked. “What is quality construction?”
For the price, sure, it was decent quality; it wasn’t in danger of collapse, the doorknobs weren’t falling off, and water wasn’t dripping through a leaky roof – but it wasn’t a showcase of construction skill either.
Years ago, before I’d thought of Architecture as a career, I worked summers as a construction laborer and framing carpenter. Some days, working outside was great fun for an 18-year old (read:summertime). I learned a lot about construction those two years, including the fact that construction doesn’t only happen on sunny, warm, summer days. And I wondered, when is it too cold to build a house?
If you’re not yet giving much thought to how much energy your new house is going to use, and how much it’s going to waste, then it’s time you started thinking about energy efficient home design.
It should be one of your top priorities – if for no other reason than your own pocketbook.
Energy used for heating and cooling homes is going to continue to get more expensive and as we’ve seen recently, world politics can quickly and dramatically affect your access to cheap energy.
Lucky you if you’ve never heard of ice-damming! Maybe you live in a part of the country where this winter pest isn’t a problem.
But here in the Midwest, ice damming happens without much warning, and can cause significant damage to the inside and the outside of your home.
It’s the question every client asks at some point during the design process: “What builders do you recommend?”
Many people who are considering building a new home worry more about choosing a builder even before they think about the Architect, the house design, decorating, a property to build on, or anything else.
Why? Because ultimately, the builder is the one responsible for getting it done right; the guy you’ll be writing the really big checks to.
Getting prices from contractors for your construction project probably scares the daylights out of you and for good reason – you don’t really know what you should be paying for the work.
How do you know whether the price you’re offered for your new home or remodeling project is a “good” price?
It’s a common complaint among city-dwellers that the walls and floors separating one apartment from another allow sounds from one side to pass too easily through to the other.
It’s one of the reasons people move away from the city.
But acoustical privacy is becoming a problem in some suburban areas too – as land prices increase, lots are getting smaller and houses are getting closer together. Houses are also getting closer to the street and its associated noise pollution.
In some parts of the USA this question’s irrelevant – there are few basements or crawl spaces in the desert southwest, the Alaskan tundra, or anywhere else that it’s not practical to excavate a foundation.
But here in Midwestern America it’s a frequent concern.
Most homes I design or add to have at least a partial basement; the real questions are whether to excavate an entire basement, or just part, and how deep.