keep it up

I was warned. If I want to have a blog I need to continue to write or no one will read it. I don't even know if anyone has read anything so far...I'm not really a good writer, but I want to let people know what architects do and think outside and inside of architecture. I hope to let my clients see updates of their projects when they aren't around to see the progress themselves.

I usually take a walk or a run mid-day with the dog. It gets me out from behind the computer screen and sometimes even inspires me. My usual walk takes me past these two properties, which are inspiring. The forms are clear and uncomplicated. One is old, one is new. They state their presence without overstating.

I am designing a house in Greenport that is on the Main Road. The owners want the house to be reminiscent of a farm house, yet modern. They want it to be 'green'. I am thinking about a simple form like these two, to keep the costs down within the budget. I like the metal roof for the aesthetics, and the heat reflectivity, and the material sustainability.

I don't know who designed the new house, or who the owners are. I walked up the driveway today along the rye grass field. No one is there during the week. I am working up the courage to visit on the weekend, unannounced, to state my interest. I am hoping for a warm reception.

Coordination

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining in a crystal blue sky. The breeze was blowing softly, the birds were singing and the jackhammers were pounding the old concrete slab into oblivion.

Yesterday was the first day of construction on the studio renovation in Orient. I met with the contractor, and we discussed all the site issues. It was so invigorating for me to get out of the office and into the nitty gritty of a project.

We were in the crawl space looking at the waste lines, out on the street looking at the LIPA poles, discussing the location of the new supply well, the dispersion well for the geothermal heat, the septic lines, the electrical supply to the house and studio, and the water lines for both buildings. How in the world are we going to keep them all the necessary distances away from each other and the house, the studio and the trees? Architecture is like a life size puzzle that is constantly changing shape. I love puzzles.