The old chimney was built into the walls of the old house.  We are going to make it a free standing object in the living/dining room.

This is the street side of the house with the first floor walls framed.  You can see the new garage door openings below.  As soon as they finish framing the second floor, they will start the walls and roof rafters and the house will begin to take shape.

Planning

I went to a East End Planning and Design Conference last week sponsored by the Long Island Section of the American Planning Association's NY Metro Chapter and the Peconic Chapter of the AIA. The attendees were a varied group of planners, architects and town administrators. It was divided into three sessions:

1. Comprehensive Plans - the moderator and panelists discussed the direction in which the east end towns are headed, either by unplanned growth or as a result of decisions made by town codes, and the sustainability and impact of the changes that are taken place.
2. Downtown Revitalization - the moderator and panelists were representing the Towns of Southampton, Riverhead and the Village of Greenport. Discussion centered on projects underway that included master plans, LWRPs, and building and park development. It was very interesting to see how the three different municipalities approach these issues.
   
3. Architectural Guidelines - what impact does architecture have on a community, its traditions and how should they be reviewed, evaluated and implemented.

It's nice to get out of the office and think about the big issues for a change!

Chicken Coop

I am working on updating my website with new photos of projects that were completed last fall. One of my favorites is the most unusual. When a former client called me and asked for help in designing and fabricating a chicken coop for her new sustainable egg farm, I was thrilled. The criteria were simple. The coop needed to be movable so that the chickens could be kept in fresh pastures. It needed to protect the chickens from predators at night and provide shade during the summer days. It needed to be well ventilated, too. We came up with a prototype that was so successful that North Fork Egg Farm now has built a second one!

Well, there sure is a lot more light in the living room now that the renovation is underway! I can't wait to see the new addition started. The mason will start his work first, and the framing will begin after that.