Posts Tagged ‘dream house’
Do I Need an Architect?
I realize that the majority of new homes are not designed by architects. But naturally, as an architect I would recommend using one. But a lot can be achieved by simply doing some homework and thinking through what you want your house to be. Even if your budget can only afford the “cookie cutter” house,…
Read MoreThe High Cost of Copper – Copper Gutter Costs
I often design houses that are the “new old house” type. Those are the ones that are new, but look like thay have been there for many years. I find that an important part of getting the look and feel of these houses right is to pay close attention to the details.Often, an important detail…
Read MoreLEED Certification for Homes
Do you want to know that your new house design is “green,” or as I prefer to call it, energy and resources responsible? There is now a way to certify that it is so. The U.S. Green Building Council conducts a program of LEED certification, a nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high…
Read MorePaint Versus Stain
I had a question from a client today about how to treat cedar shingle siding. Should they paint it, use a semi-transparent stain, or just what? Or, can the keep the natural cedar look of fresh milled cedar? In terms of maintenance, paint is one of the worst treatments for any kind of wood siding.…
Read MoreGreen Mansions: Building Green – Part Six
Sustainable building materials are more and more available these days. “Sustainable” means the materials are manufactured in environmentally responsible ways. They may be made from recycled materials, such as tile or wallboard.Some are made from agricultural wastes, like wheat straw and rice hulls. Still others are made from rapidly renewable materials, such as bamboo or…
Read MoreGreen Mansions: Building Green – Part Five
An energy management system can reduce your electric bill and help reduce energy demand at peak times. This system monitors and controls what equipment can come on during certain hours of the day. It may block an electric water heater from starting until an air conditioner that is already running has completed its cycle. Most…
Read More“Green” Mansions: Building Green – Part Four
When it comes to “building green,” There are other energy-saving measures that can occur behind the scenes. Proper insulation, including draft blocking to prevent convective loops of cold or warm air within walls and ceilings will reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. I’ve found that in southern climates insulation and building tightness…
Read MoreSummertime Energy Tips
Are your windows locked? We don’t tend to think of air leakage in the summer like we do in the wintertime. When it’s cold, we can feel the cold drafts wafting through the house. But in the summer, warm drafts are not as easily felt. But the more hot air that seeps into your house,…
Read MoreBrick Mortar Is Important
Here’s a discussion that came up today on one of my projects. We were making a brick selection for the exterior of the house. The brick companies readily provide sample boards that have thin pieces of actual bricks, not just photos, for you to see. That’s very helpful, but the problem is that the cardboard…
Read MoreA Truly Custom House
Make It Perfect I call my book Designing Your Perfect House. The idea is that Your perfect house is different from the next persons’s perfect house. What you want your house to be can and should be unique to you and your family. My message today is this. Don’t be afraid to express your feelings.…
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