I like movies with architects in them. No surprise, really. In most cases, it is clear that the writers had no idea what an architect does, or what construction is really like. But the 1948 classic, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, is the exception to that rule. Staring Cary […]
Process
83 posts
Oh, heavenly day! We got the permit! Pardon me while I dance a little jig in celebration. You see, this is a small San Francisco project legalizing an existing secondary dwelling. We are doing this through a special program San Francisco offers, which allows owners of houses with unpermitted second […]
Today I visited my Oakland remodel project. The owner and I met with the contractor to discuss tile details – where grout joints will be, alignments, and so on. The owner and I also discussed the paint colors for the remodeled Master Suite and came to some decisions. This above […]
I recently saw a horrifying article pop up on my FaceBook feed. It was a news story from Southern California about the largest case of engineering fraud in the history of the state. In summary, two guys had been holding themselves out as engineers. Using a combination of pirated software […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I think it’s time to update the progress on one project and introduce a new one. Here we go! San Bruno Hits A Snag Ah, the continuing saga of the San Bruno project. As a reminder, the project is a simple 200 square foot extension at the back of the house. […]
I am pleased to announce that I am now a New Avenue Homes architect partner. That means that I am joining a select group of talented architects who are bringing structure and clarity to the design-build process for home renovations. Clients for New Avenue Homes are primarily people who are interested […]
This is a question I get asked with some frequency: Do you use CAD? The answer to this question is both “yes” and “no”. I do use a software program to produce my drawings. In that sense, “yes” I use CAD. But the program I use is not AutoCAD, the […]
The small addition project in San Bruno is moving forward. I met with the clients this week. The decision was made to apply for the Architectural Review next week. While this project is small – 210 square foot addition – there is a complicating factor which means an Architectural Review […]
Last week I wrote that I was about to accompany the client in to the Oakland Permit Center to apply for a permit for the project. The project is fairly small: we are adding a deck, replacing one window, replacing another window with a sliding glass door, and rebuilding a bathroom […]
Tomorrow I will be accompanying my client for the Deck and Remodel project to the City’s Permit Center to apply for, and hopefully receive, the Building Permit for the project. This project has gone exceptionally quickly. I started work on 7/12. We will be applying for the permit on 7/31. That’s […]
Following up on last week’s post: after modeling the existing house, I made the changes we had discussed. I also sent a drawing of the proposed deck to the structural engineer. He came back with some suggestions that make things simpler. The new deck is shown in the illustration above. […]
This week I got started on two new projects. The project illustrated above is one of them. It is a simple remodel to a house in Oakland on a fairly steeply sloped site. The only changes planned to the exterior are adding the deck. This 3D image is produced by […]