Live/Work

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Eric Storm and Beth Meredith of the design firm Living Spaces. Eric and Beth stumbled across my site and invited me to lunch to discuss ADUs.

Without going into too much detail, we had a great conversation about the ADU program, it’s shortcomings, and how the city could tweak a few things to improve adoption. We all agree that the city’s code needs some updates, and it’s good to find like-minded folks who see the potential for ADUs in Portland

What I like most about Eric and Beth is that they see the merits of small, efficient design. Their portfolio has some excellent examples of how small, organizational changes can have a profound impact on the efficacy and enjoyment of the home.

In addition to their work, the design duo have some great articles/essays on their site. Here’s one excerpt I found to be particularly compelling:

The fact is that the greenest solution is one that involves the least building possible…

Pretty courageous coming from folks who make their living from building design! Kudos! A while back I wrote an article that discussed the decidedly disturbing trend of “trophy green” - remodeling for the sake of vanity or prestige. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m introducing a new category to the site this week. It’s called “Heroes.” The idea is to highlight individuals, businesses, and organizations that have contributed to the project. Initially, I was going to call this category “Heroes and Villains” but decided that the “Villains” just weren’t worth my time or energy. Focus on the positive!

(and how they can fix it)

Those of you following this website know that for over a year (17 months, but who’s counting?) I’ve been trying to get our ADU project off the ground. We’ve won some major battles (land use adjustments) suffered some small setbacks (NIMBY neighbors) and learned a lot about urban development.

A few months ago the magazine Portland Spaces put out a brief article on the ADU “trend” (”trend” is an overstatement, but the article did make it seem as if ADUs were the next “big thing”) Anyway, one of the points made by the article was that the permit process is so expensive (at least $7500 for permits) that ADUs fees are nearly as expensive as building a “real” house.

Which segues to my main point - building an ADU in the Portland city limits is simply too difficult, time consuming, and expensive. Read the rest of this entry »

Found this very interesting product this afternoon - 100% recycled brick pavers made from shredded tires and plastic bottles - Made by Vast.

Seems like a great alternative to poured concrete or traditional brick. I’ll look into pricing to see what it might cost. One of the most exciting features of this product is that the “bricks” can be cut with standard woodworking tools. Anyone who’s ever used a brick saw knows what I’m talking about!

Did I mention these bricks are 1/3 the weight of traditional pavers? Hello deck!

Eric Strong is an Ashland-based woodworker who specializes in one-of-a-kind furniture. One of the coolest things about his work is his commitment to using local and recycled wood. Check out his site here.

Bench made from concrete and reclaimed fir from an old pickle barrel.

The folks over at 100k House are having an interesting discussion on ceiling fans and lighting. Chad’s found some great ceiling fan fixtures (designed for industrial applications). The downside? No integrated light source.

One idea is to separate the light from fan function. Here’s an example of what we’re doing in the ADU bedroom: lights mounted on top of the closet “wash” the ceiling with light. Nice and indirect, you can still use less expensive industrial fans (click on the image for a larger view).

Anyone who owns dogs knows how tough it is to keep them from ruining your landscaping. We love our pups, but nothing kills a plant faster than a 90lb Saint Bernhard.
So, as part of our ongoing battle to save our vegetation, I’m designing a new fence around one of our planting beds. It won’t keep the dogs out entirely, but it should provide a degree of protection. Raina and I have discovered the trick isn’t so much to stop the dogs as it is to provide them with “paths of least resistance.”

I’ll update as the project progresses. I’ve also included some past reference photos below. Fun fun! Read the rest of this entry »

The city of Portland recently announced its winners in the first ever “Courtyard Housing” design competition. In the process of reviewing the winners I stumbled across one of the most succinct, thoughtful graphics explaining the benefit of accessory units. The graphic is part of the proposal by the very talented architect/designer/graphic guru Ryan Sullivan at Sparkynino. (I’m hoping Ryan doesn’t mind that I share his super-cool design). Check it out:

One of the things that’s great about this graphic is that it shows the sustainable nature of accessory units. These additional units allow families to stay on their property, even as housing needs change over the years. Rather than selling the house as children move in (or out), the family can simply move in (or out) of the accessory unit.

Take a look at Ryan’s website, along with his full proposal here.

There’s a real movement afoot to design sophisticated “sheds” as part of the back yard. These range from small, functional buildings to elaborate artist’s spaced and spare bedrooms. Here are just a few great examples.

Milton Studio, by Timber Design Limited:

Check out the interior!

You can also find some additional resources at the website Shedworking. For the ambitious DIYer, check out Readymade Magazine. They’ve got a new issue for FREE online viewing. You can see all sorts of great designs, and even buy a shed-kit!

A few US-based sources:

Moderncabana

Metro Shed

Modern Shed

Taking a break from the project…needed some fresh perspective. Headed south and found some wonderful architecture along the waterfront.