Posted in Design Projects, tagged Berkeley, commercial, utilitarian on April 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »
This project is the opposite of my last post. 14000 SF of beautiful space is very nice if you want to fabricate things. No need to squeeze in storage space in every nook and cranny! We are working on improvements to the space for a technology start-up to use it for fabrication and testing of their prototypes.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged green, landscape, paint, painted plywood, passive solar, rainscreen, redwood, salvaged, small buildings, video on April 10, 2012| 2 Comments »
Posted in Design Projects, tagged Berkeley, cabinets, holes, interiors, natural light, process on April 6, 2012| Leave a Comment »
These are “sketches” of a cabinet upgrade. This existing deep cabinet will get glass doors and translucent glass back so that light from the stairwell skylight behind the cabinet will light up the glassware and shine through into the dining room. I’ll post a photo when its built.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged deck, landscape, Oakland, small buildings, value on March 10, 2012| 1 Comment »
This was a collaboration with Matt Hornby Garden Design and Construction.
It wasn’t hard to improve upon the existing decks and yard, but the budget was a challenge.
These are before photos of the deck and yard:
This huge deck on the second floor didn’t even have real footings!
So the idea was to make the upper deck just big enough for a couple to sit and enjoy the evening, and to make a nice big lower level deck. the structure supporting the upper deck and the upper deck itself will help to create zones for different sorts of outdoor living. There is also a patio and a lot of garden that doesn’t appear in the sketch model.
sketchup model of the multi-layered landscape design
railing sketch
Deck gone!
The middle post is actually not connected to the deck. It is for a pergola that will attach to the deck.
Now I’ll have to go back and visit to get some more photos of the finished project.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged COR-TEN steel, corten steel, dog, furniture, garden, isba, landscape architects, materials, metal, planter box, weathering steel on March 3, 2012| 1 Comment »
Weathering Steel or COR-TEN steel weathers to a nice coppery brown color, then stops rusting for the most part. John welded up this planter box for a garden in Rockridge, CA this morning.
corten steel planter box
Isba supervises
Welder and two Landscape Architects
Posted in Design Projects on March 1, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I visited two jobsites yesterday. The first is this project, a small landscape office and toolshed for my friend Matt Hornby, landscape architect and stone mason. He has poured the foundation slabs and will soon be ready to frame the walls and roofs:
Two Little Foundations
The second is a remodel in the Berkeley hills – A master bedroom, bathroom, and office in a mid century home.
We added a skylight over the stairs. We will be opening up the stairwell to the upper level, so the light will permeate several rooms as well as bringing light to the lower level.
Skylight framing – bigger opening in the ceiling than the roof, light will wash down 3 walls
Electrician pulling wires in a new master bath
Floor plan with electrical
Posted in Design Projects, tagged fibercement, houses, passive solar, Richmond, value on February 15, 2012| 2 Comments »
Sometimes the job calls for a very simple addition – bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, and family room all in less than 500 SF, plus a new deck on the south side. and energy efficiency upgrades throughout.
Existing Floor Plan
New Floor Plan
The roofline dictated the easiest place for the addition and the owners preferred a small master bedroom and a small study/ family room rather than a large bedroom. Adding a deck to the south off the kitchen and dining room seemed like an obvious way to fill in the corner (facing due south.) The fact that it has walls on two sides adds a bit of shelter from the wind.
The owners selected locally crafted light fixtures from Metro Lighting on San Pablo and many LED lights for the project.
Canivet Construction built the project on time and on budget (about 230/SF plus fixtures that the owner bought themselves.)
Posted in Design Projects, tagged Accessibility, ADA, Barbershop, commercial, recycled, salvaged, San Francisco, tile, wood on February 13, 2012| 2 Comments »
Cashier station and glass partition wall
Oval shaped bench (built by Eby Construction) – Salvaged antique barber stations beyond
Handicap accessible changing room
New handicap accessible entry
The owner of this shop is responsible for most of the salvaged and rustic aesthetic. Deeds design assisted with the technicalities and accessibility issues and helped keep the permit process moving along so they could open on time.
(Photos by Pete Trachy & Sarah Deeds)
Posted in Design Projects, tagged box, boxes, color, ensign, furniture, paint, patterns, poplar on February 11, 2012| 2 Comments »
This prototype is solid 1.125″ thick poplar. It also has box joint corners and a piano hinge.
I am using my old artist oils for this decorative paint job. I went to the art store for a new paintbrush and noticed that they now sell “water- mixable” oil paints. I am curious how those work.
Posted in Design Projects, tagged boxes, furniture, process on February 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Back of the napkin sketch – prototype 3
Posted in Design Projects, tagged Fairfax, fiberglass windows, windows, wood siding on February 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Photo courtesy of Forrest Fennell
My clients in Fairfax are close to buttoning up the exterior of their addition. Pictured here are Serious Materials 725 Series fiberglass windows (well above average R-value for a window: R-6-R-7, depending on the type.) and wood siding over Homeslicker plus Typar to create a drainage plane behind the siding.
Posted in Design Projects, Found Objects, tagged botanical cutouts, cedar, copper pipe, deck railings, decks, guards, historical styles, holes, paint, painted wood, porch railings, railing, railings, redwood on February 1, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Redwood railing with copper pipe – Forestville, CA
Point Richmond Railing
Painted railing with decorative holes in the white pickets, contrasting black braces – Inverness, CA
Painted railing with decorative cross-shaped cutouts – Berkeley, CA
Redwood and Stainless Steel Railing – El Cerrito, CA
stainless steel with round posts – Michigan (Thomas Hardware Photo)
Simple Ipe railing – Oakland, CA
Simple Ipe Railing – Oakland, CA
Redwood Railing – Berkeley CA
Cookie cutout railing – Berkeley, CA
Diamond spaces between red painted slats – Albany, CA
Elegant traditional railing – cedar panels with botanical cutouts
deedsdesign 