We have been blessed with a handful of rewarding and challenging projects over the last year and frankly, these have take priority rather than frequent blog posting. There are a number of projects in various stages of the process - initial design, permitting, and construction
The Great Gear Dilemma
Boulder is known as an outdoor enthusiast's kind of town. Almost everyone I know has a plethora of outdoor gear - multiple bikes, skis, helmets of every configuration, packs and bags, tents, stoves, and the occasional kayak and canoe. Largely this equipment has usurped the car from its usual haunt in the garage. It is a rare Boulderite who can actually fit their car in their garage because of the ever-expanding collection of bikes if nothing else.
architecture and truth and miscommunication
Of the many things that stand between architects and clients, none is so fraught as the architect's quest for architectural integrity which often masquerades as Truth. Please don't get me wrong, I am not asserting that all architects are questing for Truth while our clients really were only looking for a building. I have rarely experienced that. But my more recent experience as a member of the local Landmarks Board has highlighted this difference between how architects and normal people view buildings. Most all architects educated in the last 50 years have been instilled with this idea of Truth in architecture.
house construction and being local
In many ways, building or remodeling is about the most local, job-creating activity within the economy. Unless your construction is from very unconventional materials, they are most likely sourced relatively closely to the place of construction. "Local" may mean the US, not the preferred 500 mile definition, but very few of the things consumers typically purchase can even say that. Most of the wood in residential construction comes from the US or Canada (the importing of subsidized Canadian softwoods is a touchy subject for US manufacturers).
heating and cooling for your house
The types and costs of heating your house
The available array of options for heating and cooling your house is significantly larger than it was just a few years ago. Heightened awareness of energy efficiency and new, related techologies, have given us options that not only provide a much greater degree of thermal comfort, but do so at less cost and most importantly provide the homeowner with monitoring tools to increase awareness of how these systems can be optimized.
