Welcoming Holiday Entry
Bright holiday lights, greens and bows adorn this home making for a festive holiday entrance. We all know how important first impressions can be. Our opinion of something or someone is formed quickly upon our first encounter. That’s one reason...
Holiday Season is Here!
Be sure to remember to include space for storage of special items when you plan your home.
Control Moisture in the Air During Construction for Better Finishes
This is a great tip about how to control the moisture content in a house while under construction.I often get questions about why floor finishes change or seem to warp after awhile. By conditioning the air during construction you can control the...
Framing words Studs, joists, rafters, i-joists
Studs? Joists? Rafters? I-Joists? When an Architect and builder sit down to discuss the plans for framing a house, they speak a common language. Sometimes I forget that the terms we use are not words used by other people everyday. Dimensional Lumber...
A Question about a Skillion Style Roof
a Skillion Style Roof. This is a roof type typically referred to as a shed roof. A Skillion roof is a mono-slanted roof that is usually attached to a high wall, and slopes down to a lower wall.
Artwork for your walls
Artwork by Bill Hirsch is available for purchase on this website! Add beauty to your walls . Bill has an assortment of choices, check them out in the Architecture2Art section of this website ! Bill’s artwork is printed on canvas or on...
One Way to Build Green: Use Reclaimed Beams
The Straight Goods on Green Building and Energy-Efficient Home Design. Green building is the catch phrase for the creation of houses that are energy efficient and environmentally in their design and construction. …… The article expands the information about what Green building means and what is needed to build and energy efficient home. These are the four things that I feel are important considerations when trying to build Green. ( the video illustrates item #2)
Design a house that uses less energy to heat, cool, light and maintain.
Use materials that consume less energy to produce and transport are non-toxic, and can be re-cycled or safely disposed of when no longer useful.
Use building products made from materials that are not limited in supply and are quickly and easily regrown, reproduced and replaced.
Use energy sources that are readily replenished and have an unlimited supply
Sustainable and Green Building
Sustainable and Green are terms that are being tossed around more and more frequently, especially in the world of construction and home design. If you have a product to sell, labeling it “green” is the first consideration in your marketing plan. But...
Define space in open floor plan
Sick of Open Floor Plans? Try These 5 Tricks to Separate Your Space I find the trend toward an open floor plan is changing a bit these days,” says William J. Hirsch Jr., an architect and author of ” Designing Your Perfect House.” “People...
Design to stay at home for a lifetime
I have an article featured in the April 2016 Issue of Beacon DC called, “Adapt Your Home to be Livable for Years”. Here are some tips to help you stay at home for a lifetime. Plan ahead for one floor living. Eliminate tripping hazards Make sure doorways...