I was looking for these photos of an inspiring architectural tour…old phone photos, but such a cool spot. We’ve done a few monster beam ends inspired by these.
Posted in Found Objects | Tagged animal beam ends, eyes on beams, Faculty Club, Maybeck, monster beam ends, nostrils, teeth, wood | Leave a Comment »
We have been busy with all sorts of great projects the last few months. Here are a few snapshots.
Mudroom Bench – Very similar to one we did 10 years ago, but customized to perfectly fit the new space: narrower on one wall than the other. The lid is solid ash and the rest is painted. I need to get some photos of the blue interior. Thanks to Kelly Best and McBride Construction for the excellent craftsmanship.
The slab was poured and beautiful saw cut control joints added. Now the structural framing is underway. The tolerances are very tight in these small living spaces. Every inch matters. I was delighted to discover that the concrete work and framing has resulted in walls that match my drawings to the 1/16 inch.
Finally did a photoshoot at a recently finished Accessory Dwelling Unit in the Berkeley Hills. Below you will see the photographer, Lenny Gonzalez, and the photoshoot models Eowyn & John.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged Accessory Dwelling Units, Berkeley, bright colors, cabinets, color, details, Emeryville, energy efficiency, framing, Limeplaster, process, skylight, small buildings | Leave a Comment »
This place had been on my list for a while and I finally got a chance to check it out. One man, Baldassare Forestiere, tunneled in and under the hardpan on his property for many acres to create rooms and gardens of fruit trees and vines. The earth and the shade moderates the wide temperature swings of the Central Valley, allowing Baldassare to grow plants that normally couldn’t grow in that location. His underground rooms stayed comfortable as well. I cant write more but here it a link to the Website for more info.
Posted in Information | Tagged earthen floor, Forestiere, Fresno, garden, hardpan, houses, tunneling, underground, whimsy | 1 Comment »
This 2016 remodel recently sold. I was shocked by the selling price. The realtor was kind enough to share her photos. We remodeled the back of the house and the second floor to better connect to the yard and the south light. She also hired Shawn Lovell to build a very special staircase.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged bathroom, Berkeley, botanical, houses, interior window, metal, natural light, Oak, passive solar, remodel, stairway, Vanity, winter sun | Leave a Comment »
This ADU is 160 SF. Backyard is small and client chose not to move the ADU to 4′ setbacks and enlarge because it would make the usable yard even smaller. It was quite challenging to fit all the Accessory Dwelling Unit requirements in such a tiny space. We got the redwood shakes from Humboldt county, Doors are Blomberg and the high performance skylights have exterior shades.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, barn shakes, Berkeley, curbless shower, redwood, small buildings, wood | Leave a Comment »
This project was completed a a few years ago, but I realized I never posted any finished photos because I was waiting for the landscaping and an interior sliding screen between office and living room. I think it’s done now and I hope to stop by soon to see it.
John and I both would love to build more strawbale structures. The thick walls (In this case 24″ thick, but 18″ is common) are really great architecturally and the inside is so quiet and well insulated. It is wonderful to use a natural material that is an agricultural waste product to insulate. Lime plastered strawbale buildings are also very fire resistant.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, clay plaster, cottage, curves, fire resistant construction, green building, light, Lime Plaster, straw, Strawbale, thick walls, tiny house | Leave a Comment »
My client for a remodel of a 1960s house on Galiano Island invited my family up to see the almost finished house. (a few details and exterior paint not finished yet)
The location is truly spectacular and I was very happy with the improvements that we made. Improvements included: on the practical side: tightening up the exterior envelope (including new fibercement rainscreen siding, all new windows, & insulation), upgrading to an energy efficient heating system, and adding a HRV, and then rearranging the interior extensively to simplifying and improve the transitions between spaces. The lower level was majorly improved, but it was a pretty straight forward rearrangement breaking it up into more usable rooms, guest suite, familyroom, office and storage. I didn’t include those photos.
The main event is the view to the south to Active Pass and all the way to the Olympic National Park 70 miles to the south. We spent many hours enjoying the view of wildlife and boats from the covered porch.
You can see some before shots of the house here.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged British COlumbia, clean lines, color, fir, Galiano Island, green, green building, houses, Kable lighting, kitchen, lighting design, passive solar, remodel, simplify, steel, wood | Leave a Comment »
Here are a few exterior shots of the integral color plaster walls. Action shots of the plastering team at work courtesy of Michael Scott.
Interior and detail shots will hopefully be forthcoming, (hard to get photos in such a small space with ongoing work and protection in place) but the exterior is really looking good.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, color, Lime Plaster, process, small buildings | Leave a Comment »
The owner took these photos for me of our little ADU taking shape. In the first photo you can see our 4×6 rafter tails with a curve. These will get gyp sheathing above with non flammable (Hardiboard & Boral) material on the outside. No venting. (Roof sheathing is kept above the dewpoint with rigid insulation on top.) The lower eaves that are less visible will be enclosed completely. The last photo is john rabbeting one of the exposed fir beams for the interior.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged accessory dwelling unit, ADU, Berkeley, eaves, housing, process, small buildings, wood, WUI | Leave a Comment »
I have been spending some time enjoying the Pilates and Rehab studio that McBride Construction and I finished last year. At long last PGE hooked up the electricity and the mostly native plants that I helped select and install in front are growing in fast and the studio is shaping up nicely. Calscape has a tool where you can enter your address and it will give you a list of plants they consider native to that spot. This guided some of our choices.
The project involved remodeling the existing floor of the single family house into two residential units – a two bedroom in front and a one bedroom ADU in back, and adding a brand new accessible Commercial space below. (It was a dirt crawlspace)
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged color, housing, infill, lighting design, mixed use, native plants, Oakland, Pilates, ventilation | Leave a Comment »
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged bathroom, Berkeley, patterns, shower, simple, tile, white | Leave a Comment »
These guys are still waiting on some steel railings & southside deck & stairs, but you can see the basic transformation. We added some rooms on top and were sad to loose the distinctive little attic dormer. (See before shot below) I think we added just as much whimsical character back with the new details up top. Some serious energy upgrades and top to bottom remodel also occurred along the way.
Posted in Design Projects | Tagged Berkeley, houses, patterns, victorian, whimsy | 1 Comment »
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