In an effort to provide more useful information to my clients, I am launching two new products. The first is a free Project Planning Cheat Sheet. The other is a Needs + Options Review service. If you are thinking about building or remodeling in 2016, now is the time […]
Yearly Archives: 2015
28 posts
I’ve got a new t-shirt available for only 10 days. It proclaims the subtle truth, that architects make dreams, not drawings. It is available in short sleeve, long sleeve and as a hooded sweat shirt. Personally, I like the white lettering against the blue background, but it’s available in a range of […]
This is the first in an occasional series of posts about what architecture is and how it should be made. I am working on an architectural creed and hope to share it with you soon. The title of this post could be restate as “what is the difference between architecture and […]
If you live in San Francisco and have a rental unit on your property that was built without proper permits, the City has an amnesty program which will allow you to legalize the unit. If you are legalizing voluntarily, the program allows you to legalize your illegal rental unit without […]
The other day I met with a client and the contractor to discuss the project. This project is in the Construction Documents phase – when we make the drawings used to apply for a permit and from which the Contractor will build. The contractor complimented me on the clarity of the drawings. […]
This is a project that I have been working on for a while. For a variety of reasons, we have only just applied for the building permit. Two main situations have held up the project: gaining Planning approval took a ridiculous amount of time – and we didn’t have any […]
It has been a couple of weeks since I was able to post anything here. I’ve been busy working on projects for my clients. But this past week saw a very important milestone, 25 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. 25 years is a […]
This is the first post in what will be a short series about Tools of The Trade. Clients, collaborators, and other architects are often interested to know what tools I use. To be honest, I’m also interested in the tools that others use to get through their day. One of […]
Some of my favorite rooms and buildings are libraries. There is just something about the combination of books, buildings, and light, that inspire architects and readers to make better spaces. In this post, I’m going to grapple with an idea about the synergy that happens when the owner and architect […]
One of the questions you want to ask a prospective architect, for those of you who are getting ready to hire an architect, is “have you worked in my city?” I have been working in architecture in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1985. The chances are fairly good that […]
For home owners building codes can be a real mystery, particularly when the project is to remodel an existing house. New projects are required to comply with the current building code (the code in effect at the time you apply for a building permit). The general rule is that whatever […]
Today I am going to spend a little time talking about some improvements that I’ve made here in the Studio and on the website. These improvements are made in order to make providing you with better architectural services or with more information about architectural services. Website I don’t know about […]
I realize that the word “modern” is one fraught with emotion for many people. They think “modern” means either boring or expensive or self-indulgent. When I think of “modern”, I think of wonderful, light filled spaces that have a range of experiences and are full of color and texture and […]
Indulge me for a moment, if you will. Today I want to share a marvelous little house in the UK by some architects I both greatly admire and have dedicated quite a bit o time learning about their careers. In addition to my professional degree in architecture, I have a […]
Two weeks ago, I posted a brief audio blog post about Existing Conditions Drawings, mentioning that it is a “pre-design” service. I realized that I haven’t really spoken much about the phases of a project. I do discuss it on my Process page, and I’ve mentioned various phases in different […]
I’m not one to take design advice from the folks at Fortune magazine, but they recently posted an article entitled “The Home Renovations That Will Deliver The Biggest Bang For Your Buck“. After reading it, I am still not one to take design advice from the folks at Fortune magazine. […]
Today I thought I’d try an experiment. Instead of writing about Existing Conditions drawings, I thought, let’s see if I can talk about it. I recorded this short explanation and I like it! I explain what these drawings are and briefly how I go about making them and why they […]
File this under “keeping up with bureaucracy”. In California architects are required to renew their licenses to practice architecture every two years. I have to renew in odd numbered years. I just received confirmation of my license renewal. Renewal requires that we attend an approved Americans with Disabilities Act related […]
The schematic design phase of the Bay Vista project is over. Now is a good time to recap the design. As you may recall, the Bay Vista project, in Oakland, is a whole house remodel + an addition to a faintly Swiss cottage style California Ranch house that dates from […]
When should you hire an architect? The folks over at Curbed.com, the real estate website, recently posted about the house pictured below. It is buildings like this that make me think, if it requires a permit, it requires an architect. Seriously. I am sure that the original owner who designed […]