deedsdesign

Interview with the owner-designer-builders of an unusual house in Berkeley

December 14, 2011 by sarah

I recently found this video interview with the owner-design-builder team of this unusual house in my neighborhood.

I posted some photos of it a while back.

In the video, they reveal the source of many of the materials and their inspirations and technical considerations.

For example, they used lighter colored car roofs for siding on the north side to reflect more indirect sunlight into the house to the north. I’d love to see how this worked out. It might reflect a bit too much in the summer when the sun actually rises and sets in the North part of the sky….but other times it’s probably quite nice.

Posted in Found Objects | Tagged Berkeley, curves, recycled, salvaged | Leave a Comment »

Pier 80

December 13, 2011 by sarah

I started a new project today for Artemis Racing. I’m not sure how much work there will be for me, but it was fun to spend the day on Pier 80 today.

My friend Vincent, another architect, helped me take measurements and photos of the structure.

This reminded me of my friend Peter’s A Project

Posted in Design Projects, Found Objects | Tagged big buildings, buildings on the water | Leave a Comment »

Progress on Several Projects

November 29, 2011 by sarah

In case you’ve been wondering what deedsdesign has been up to, besides enjoying Thanksgiving with friends and family, I visited a few job sites last week to check in.

Fairfax addition and remodel: exterior insulation and reinstallation of the old siding as a rainscreen – This is the owner and two uncles working together

Truss roof rafters installed on my Richmond addition, now plumber and electrician hard at work

Albany Chinese Medicine Store: finished and open for business complete with handicap access ramp

Posted in Design Projects | Tagged Albany, Fairfax, houses, Richmond | Leave a Comment »

Maple Bookshelf with Red Marmoleum Top and Viking Ship with Red Striped Sail on the High Seas

November 28, 2011 by sarah

Maple bookshelf with toys and viking painting

maple bookshelf with red marmoleum top

Not to be sappy, but the true joy in my work is when I see something I made being used and looking good in a friend’s house, with a piece of nice art hanging over it.

Posted in Design Projects | Tagged furniture | 2 Comments »

Secret Houses On the Marsh

October 31, 2011 by sarah

John was fishing in the North Bay and took these pictures of a village accessible only from the water. There are about 10 houses in total, but only a couple of them appear to be in use.

Posted in Found Objects | Tagged buildings on the water, houses | 2 Comments »

Winner of the 2010 Solar Decathalon Europe

October 27, 2011 by sarah

Lumenhaus -- photo by Jim Stroup, Virginia Tech

More photos and information can be found on Lumenhaus.com , Treehugger, and, in the NY Times, this review of the project.

Except for the slightly odd beams that stick out to support the opened sliding screens (see some of the other photos at links above) the design of this experimental and technologically advanced house is quite elegant. The basic idea is to use technology to allow a glass house to be comfortable and energy efficient in all seasons…and to take this a few steps further to enhance quality of life in the house with these same features.

It has been criticized as too techy and too expensive to be marketable, which might be valid, and with almost all glass on the north and South walls, its needs a big suburban or country lot for privacy. (It currently resides next to the famous Farnsworth House (Mies Van Der Rohe) in Plano, Illinos.)

The concept of having stackable modules, so that the house can expand and contract as the family does, would change the real estate profession. The ease of adding and subtracting modules would be an important factor in whether it would be worth the hassle of removing part of your house and selling it to a neighbor.

Be sure to check out the adjustable perforated shade screens that can become more or less opaque depending on the temperature inside. These screens are a much simplified version of Jean Nouvell’s beautiful screens on the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris

This is a picture of me inside Jean Nouvel's Institute Du Monde Arab (photo by Amanda Soskin)

Exterior Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris

Posted in Found Objects | Tagged green, high tech, small buildings, solar electricity | Leave a Comment »

Warren Place: cottages for working men

October 25, 2011 by sarah

These small brick row houses face a lush gated courtyard perpendicular to the public street and each also has access to an alley on the back side. It is similar to this project in Berkeley, but minus the driveway through the middle….which makes a big difference.

gate to the back alley

Posted in Found Objects | Tagged garden, historical styles, landscape, New York, planning, small buildings | Leave a Comment »

TimberSIL Deck Almost Done

October 20, 2011 by sarah

Timbersil decking

Timbersil Framing

Adolfo (Ron Tostenson Construction) was sanding the decking smooth before staining when I stopped by. The framing and the decking are all glass impregnated wood by TimberSIL and extremely fire and rot resistant. (more info here) Its looking good – much better than pressure treated from below, and the decking is nice too.

Posted in Design Projects | Tagged decks, fire resistant construction, glass impregnated wood, new materials, utilitarian, wood | 1 Comment »

party pencil drawing

October 17, 2011 by sarah

Posted in Design Projects | Tagged art, graphic design | 2 Comments »

Big seismic brace bolted to a floor joist and the foundation

October 13, 2011 by sarah

I recently helped my friend Rain assess the architectural merits of a house she wanted to buy. She also hired a home inspector who brought this seismic brace to my attention. It was his opinion that this is a poor design because in a big quake it concentrates the force and ends up busting through the floor rather than providing lateral stability.

Posted in Found Objects, Information | Tagged Berkeley, houses, structural engineering | Leave a Comment »

An Artful Cobble Hill Apartment

October 11, 2011 by sarah

This long apartment with windows at each end is in a building from the early 1800s. It hasn’t been staged for the photo shoot and the owner hasn’t finished moving in yet, but I was moved to capture some of the artistic decorating details that are already in place.

The fact that there are only windows on the ends, and the middle is dark might not be ideal, but the open plan allows a long view across the length of the apartment through the windowless center to the bright room on the other side. The simplicity of the unusually long space is nice.