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I found a fantastic website with some amazing architectural works (Olson Sundberg Kundig out of Seattle). Here’s just a sampling of some ways to handle the division of space:
I like how these screens divide the [...]
Met with Mark Lakeman and Patrick Donaldson of Communitecture today. Great meeting. They’ve completed some interesting projects including the Rebuilding Center on Mississippi. Mark says he’ll be sending me a proposal in the next couple of days. It sounds like they have the resources to take on the project.
Costs yet to be determined, though ballpark [...]
Hot tubs seem like a great idea, but just about everyone I know who has a hot tub hardly ever uses it. Seems like a pretty big waste of electricity, not to mention all the chemicals and maintenance. So, this got me to thinking: what about an oversized bathtub? No chlorine, and no wasted electricity. [...]
Concrete floors have never looked so good! Who wants grey, when you can have rust, orange, and or umber?
Here’s a few examples from this site: http://www.stainedconcrete.org
And some more from this site: www.masterpiececoncrete.com
I’ve been speaking with three mortgage brokers about financing the house. Below is their contact info and general synopsis of our conversations so far:
Kao Saechao, Northwest General Mortgage
p: 503-595-4848
Synopsis: Kao has more traditional loan products – refinancing of existing structures, new home loans, etc. Not many options for construction. If we could get the property [...]
This is probably stating the obvious, but be sure to call the Utility Notification Center before doing any digging on the property. This is to protect you from accidentally damaging a power, water, sewer or other utility line. And, of course, to keep you from getting killed.
Another point mentioned by Northwest Natural: be sure to [...]
The city of Santa Cruz offered a design competition for ADU design. Great idea! Check it out here
Some while back, the city of Portland had a “skinny house competition.” It would be great if they’d do the same for ADUs.
And while we’re on the topic of ADU inspiration, I’d like to mention the “Rose House.” [...]
Saw an interesting concept from LG today – a stackable dryer that allows you to reposition the controls at the bottom of the dryer so that it’s more ergonomic when stacked. Pretty cool. I’ll post a photo when I find one.
The other thought I had about stackable washers is the issue of flooding (especially on [...]
I’ve really grown to enjoy our bar area – it fosters conversations and provides a nice counter for food during a party. One thing I don’t like about out kitchen is that the stove and cooking area faces a wall. It would be nice to change this so that the chef could interact with guests. [...]
Warmboard
Tankless water heater systems – I wonder how this would fit into a solar water heating system (or if it would at all)