Late Autumn Update!

Gang,
I have been busy! It is great news, but the documenting of work and networking has kept me from this service. I want to keep updating the pages, but I also need good light and time to take photos. Work comes from the most unlikely places and I enjoy seeing how the fruits of networking labor pay.

Late summer update

Been fielding calls and meeting with (potential) clients and keeping up with the projects that I do have. Now, I just need to schedule a clear day for pictures of the work that has been completed this summer. Keeping up with the lot and working to meet people on the street and also planning to plant some trees this autumn. That way the trees have a year or two to mature and help get a nice backdrop for the house. I had the lot staked and I want to make sure the neighbors are ok with it!

Busy Summer

Here is some of the work being done on our lot! Getting calls and finishing plans to get this business off the ground. The earthquake today reminds us all about the importance of architecture.

House Sign?

What do you think?

New Photos

Pix of the property are on the way. Time to update lots of pix. Little ideas trickling through for Turnpike House. Signs, posts, renderings...

Update!

Wow, been super busy chasing so many threads, soccer, work, friends, family, and of course LAND! .7 acres is ours as of last Friday, July 15! Right now it is sitting, just letting the grass grow, well the grass would be growing if it wasn't 100 degrees outside and no rain for the past month or so. Just need to maintain the land for about two years then begin the building process. I have been tweaking the plans and detailing everything! Even trying to see what tht landscape plan might be.
Pix to follow of the house model, plans, and the property itself.

Land ho!

Land purchase is starting with settlement dates, checks, etc. In two years' time I fully expect to be in the midst of construction, preparing for an autumn entry. In other news, a bit of a quiet period as vacations ramp up, but there is still plenty of drawing and meetings to be had. More projects are going to construction and that means there will be photos sometime soon!

Time is flying!

Summer is here and the days fly off of the calendar! We are going to settlement on the land on July 1! Land owners, but must wait a year or so to build. In business news, the projects are still coming in and I am getting drawings to clients and builders. Continue to network and meet new people. Much of the same, but with more and more items checked off the to do list. I want to focus on the excitement and stress of being an architect in these times, but mostly I forge forward and work the similar techniques that yield the best results.

Summer is coming!

With May over, summer is really bearing down here. Continued networking and meetings are creating opportunities for new work. Taking advantage of the sun when deadlines are met and enjoying cool nights drafting and emailing work to my clients. More updates soon.

Land part ?!

Alright, we have just about settled on a piece of land! Have a few questions and minor items to resolve, but this puts us on track to build. Been busy drafting, surveying, and meeting with clients to keep the work humming. Unfortunately, a couple projects have also stopped due to financial reasons for funding. Nonetheless, a strong spring bodes well for the summer and completed work.

Updating

I think that I need to go to more photo or image based blog pages so that there is a topic to see. Right now, just busy drafting, meetings, and measuring! There have been great happenings at BHA recently and I am just keeping with the momentum and seeing most of Chester County in the past few weeks.

Vacation Busy

Prepping for a vacation didn't happen this time. The only exception was knowing we were stopping at Fallingwater. An unexpected surpise was while at my mom's house, she contacted a friend that lives in Lynn Hall, a contemporary or predecessor of Fallingwater, tucked away in Northwest PA. Two amazing buildings at the forefront of architecture in three days, both in Western PA. Nonetheless, working, drawing, meetings, family, fun, and more on this trip made it whiz by and not seem like a vacation at all. I enjoy the multi-faceted part of this vacation since I am not that good at doing "nothing."

social media

Is there a way to blend social media, blogging, tweeting, and facebooking with architecture? Should there be screens on the homes showing who has checked in? A directory at the mall showing where your friends are shopping? A pavilion near the Eiffel Tower with digital graffiti showing the people that have been there in the last day or week or month? Is there a way to include technology in another fashion? Showing usage of a space? Thoughts continue...

Spring continues

There is no April Fool's this year. The phone continues to ring or emails continue to be read. Proposals that are sent to prospects are becoming active, not just gathering dust. I was concerned for a while that it was my pricing or approach, but more than likely it was the overall economy and reluctance of people to spend money and invest in their homes. Dormant projects have revived and are a nice bonus to keep me busy and continue to keep clients' satisfaction the number one priority.

Continued Networking

The power of networking seems to be kicking in now that the weather is warmer and people are thinking of work on their homes. Serving on the board for the local soccer league should net a project for a client wanting to stay within the existing footprint. Keeping in touch with people and the continued presence of my cards, emails, t-shirts, hats, and signs is starting to pay dividends. You have to spend money to make money, this is very true!

Re-use

Continuing data from various publications and organizations that track construction continue to show a stronger remodeling market compared to custom or production building. I sincerely hope that this does continue and that the production market takes a back seat for both design and land grabbing reasons. Remodeling existing stock can improve the aesthetic and reduces the amount of farms that are being converted into residential developments. I think that this will make homeowners and architects revisit design decisions and reduce construction waste by renovating what we have already. Time shall tell.

Smaller houses

This has not been just a trend, but my mantra for years. We have too much space in our houses that take up too much land. I am not on a soap box here, but there are repurcussions to the large land grab and over building. As we continue to push for this land/house deal, I am questioned about the size of our proposed house and people are surprised by the modest size. I hope this becomes the new norm and I know that I have the designs to back up the move to smaller and traditional.

New options for land, houses

As I/we search for land to either build or heavily renovate/expand an existing house, I have noticed a similar trend in the sprawl-burbs as in cities, dead zones. Not cell phone dead zones, but areas that are prime for development to increase density in a positive manner. I do love to preserve "green space", but what the concept of sprawl infill means is fewer farms going the way of the dodo. Parcels of large developments that are not water retention ponds, or being utilized, (or taxed) can be filled in to create a closer, more urban fabric. I know there are enormous parking lots sitting vacant, along with the big box stores that have gone belly up in the last three or four years, so reexamine zoning. Encourage mixed use development and stores, institutions, etc., that are not corporate monsters that erect sprawl one year and gone the next. Re-use the Blockbusters, Circuit Cities, K-marts, into more localized/regional shopping, dining, living experiences. This can only happen when townships and boros examine lost revenue and visual blight. Residential infill of small shops can also act as a local, greener, alternative to hauling the kids to the mega mart each time a quart of milk is needed. I believe this will happen when the distances traveled and the farms going away reach a tipping point towards home owners and business owners feeling an ethical responsibility after this market meltdown.

Hand House

Land and/or major remodel of a house search continues!
We have located several great lots. Some great locations and designs coming along.

Calls for new work

Received a few calls recently and writing proposals again! As winter loosens its' grip, people start to think about their house and what can be done! Cleaning out basements, garages, attics, etc., allow for better use of space and refitting those spaces to new uses, such as pool tables, craft areas, and spare bedrooms. I'll keep chasing these opportunities and crafting great spaces.

Quiet winter

As many news sources have reported, the economy is slow! Single family residential permits are low, even for the winter season. Apartment starts are way up, probably because so many people have recently lost their home due to foreclosure! Continue to spread the word and work at the projects I have and keep my clients happy. I am certain that when the economy changes, that I shall be positioned to meet the demand.

Options

People love options. I love to make sure that when design or choice occur, that they are custom, exactly what a client wants. Reading magazines with "customized" plans for sale is like having your favorite musician sing you happy birthday, but it really isn't for you, it is for the hundreds or thousands of others with the same name and just spliced in by a techie behind a sound board. My approach to architecture is to not sell just one or two plans and swipe out a dormer or bay window to make a pre-designed plan "custom." Custom means the design is unique, but can still be influenced by previous designs or building techniques. Strive to match the individuality we own in as many facets of your life as possible! Architecture is a great way to say who you are.

Psychology of architecture

I think there is an undefined "flock" mentality of architecture in the United States. For a country that has prided itself on breaking boundaries and creating new technology and lifestyles, architecture by and large, has stayed to the reasoning of if the neighbor has it, then I want the same. If you know of any books to read about this concept, please pass along the titles so that I can figure a way to capture a new market.

Ready for the new build cycle!

This is an article that should pave the way for more responsible building in the next wave! Smaller, greener, and thoughtful.
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/no-mcmansions-for-millennials.html

Radio Show

Announcing my Radio Show on WCHE 1520 AM on Tuesday, January 18th at 3:00pm! Speaking on several issues relating to residential architecture in the 21st century. Any requests for topics?

2011

Good news from 2010! Four times as many projects in 2010 as the previous year. 2011 has much promise as I have been talking to many clients about repeat business. Evaluating goals for 2011 and thinking about some options for photo journeys this year. Here is to a great start to my third year in business!