I can’t remember the last job I had where I woke up excited to go to work. Since starting this project not a single morning has been sluggish. It is difficult to be indifferent when the project that you designed is manifesting right before your eyes. Akin to watching a favorite television show, it is a […]
Read more "Fast as Framing"
We did it! We made it out of the ground! Last week felt like my birthday – full of presents and extremely rewarding. Not only did we pour the slab, but we also built our first two walls. Let the vertical [games] begin! However, before I get carried away let me back up and start with […]
Read more "Going Vertical"Slab preparation requires a ton of physical work and is visually unrewarding. Last week I became much too familiar with the word wheelbarrow. The site is nearly flat, with a minor 8-inch grade change between the north and south side of the house. We had to add earth to the interior footprint to bring everything […]
Read more "Wheelbarrow is one Word."I have drawn this detail so many times, and never really understood how it was built… until now. It is a standard foundation detail; one taught in school. However, I learn by experience, so it took building it to finally make sense. The most confounding part of the detail was how the vertical rebar managed to […]
Read more "Foundation System"As with any profession, one must learn the language. Despite the similarities between architecture and construction, building vernacular is much more expansive; not only do you need to know what to call the finished product, for example, “footers,” but you also need to know the parts required to make that product: batter boards, alligator clips, […]
Read more "Earthwork"Week one, and done! Where did the time go? If there is one thing I can say about my dad, it is that he does not waste time. In fact, I have had zero time to be timid or unsure about the design, which is ultimately a blessing; I have lost enough sleep over it […]
Read more "Tabula Rasa"