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 […]
I’m really excited about this project. I started it about a month ago and it’s off to a great start. The project is to remodel and expand an existing house in the Oakland hills. The house sits on a down sloping one acre site with a tremendous view of the […]
Yay! The project in San Bruno was finally schedule to go before their Architectural Design committee in mid-March. After the staff presentation of the project, the conversation among the committee members was more along the lines of “why did this need a hearing” than they were about the project. There […]
This project is one that I don’t think I’ve written about. The client for the deck on the Oakland hillside house decided that she wanted to rebuild a previously existing detached garage. The garage had been demolished prior to her buying the property, but the foundations, which also functioned as a […]
Ikea’s new kitchen system, SEKTION, was released on February 2nd. We are starting to hear more about it. The folks over at thekitchn.com have been all over it. The most recent post there discusses some of the similarities and differences from the old system. In summary, the SEKTION cabinet widths are […]
What was it I said about blogging every week? Sigh. The good news is that the reason I haven’t managed to write a blog post, or prepare my newsletter is that I have been very busy! With projects in San Bruno, three in Oakland and one in Richmond, I have […]
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. […]
If you are interested in “tiny houses”, HGTV may have the show for you. It’s called Tiny House Hunters. Like it’s name sakes, House Hunters and International House Hunters, the “tiny” version of the show follows a person, couple, or family while they search for a tiny house solution just […]
I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year! 2014 was, like most years, a year of ups and downs. It ended on a high, however, which is carrying over into 2015. I am excited to dig into 2015 and make it as good […]
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 […]
Check out my new car signs! What I am calling “Car Signs 2.0” are pretty nifty looking. I have added my voice mail number to the signs. I have also featured my phone number more prominently on the website. You’ll see it in the upper right hand corner at the top of […]
I have a confession to make. I have an architect crush. It is common among architects, especially young ones, to have architect crushes on one or two favorite established architects. An architect crush is when you find the work of an architect conceptually, visually, and emotionally admirable and appealing. You’ […]
This apartment in Spain by PKMN Architecture, is an inspired bit of space planning and “thinking outside the box”. The client, an artist and designer who works from home, needed a house that provided a series of different spaces. The solution the architects came up with is ingenious. It may […]
There are currently two small projects in my office. The first is to rebuild an existing non-conforming detached garage. The other is a small addition to a house. Both of these projects appear to be simple and straight forward. Both have complications that mean the projects aren’t moving forward as […]
Sometimes you have to make a small kitchen work. Expanding the kitchen is not viable because of cost, space constraints, or because you are renting. Kitchn.com recently published a list of 8 ways to make more of a small kitchen. Though, there are two number 4’s and no number 6. […]