Construction Shots - Little Gull

This sustainably designed house under construction has a timber frame roof in the great room and SIPs panels on the all of the roofs.  SIPs (structural insulated panels) are extremely air tight, well insulated and fabricated to precision off-site. The panels are made from rigid foam insulation sandwiched between strand board.  The ridge beam of this house is engineered lumber and the rafters, which are spaced 8 feet on center, are douglas fir.

This is the rear of the house, which faces south.  The overhang will shade the high summer sun from heating the great room, and will allow the low angled winter rays to penetrate the space.  The view out of the future expanse of sliding doors is of Little Gull in Greenport.

These temporary stairs follow the lines of the final design.  The stairs to the 4 bedrooms will partially open to the great room. They will be ulitmately screened with a wood slat wall that will give visual and spatial division between the public and private areas of the house.  

It's Not the Size that Matters....

Ive been meeting with many potential clients these days.  Some of the projects are for new homes, some are for additions, some are for renovations.  Most are projects located on the water.  When I ask how they found me, people almost always say they found me through my website.  Most of the projects on my website are house renovations.  However, I enjoy working on smaller projects as well, such as sun room additions and kitchen renovations.  

What matters to me is that my clients share my design philosophy: Clarity.  My primary goal in design is to derive uncomplicated solutions that solve spatial organization problems, both from usability and visual standpoints.  

I use honest, sustainable materials whenever possible to achieve the highest energy efficiency. By investing wisely in materials and equipment we can increase the intrinsic value of a property.  Most people can "feel" that a house is designed well without being able to tell you why.  

My Trip to Tulum

I thought that maybe I would make my posts a bit more personal, and maybe I can get some more people to read them.  Please let me know that you read my blog...that I am not doing this solely for my own entertainment.....


Last month I took a well deserved trip to Mexico organized by Claire Januzzi from the Giving Room in Southold.  The Giving Room is where I practice yoga most of the time.  I've never been away from my family on my own for more than a day or two, and certainly had never been on a yoga retreat!  In addition to opening up my yoga practice, it opened up my mind and psyche.  I am trying to steer my professional practice in that same direction.  What direction?  In my direction!  Sustainable, cleanly designed, more modern, open, spiritual and honest. 

I visited some Mayan ruins while I was there...

I observed that the vernacular architecture of most of the beach structures must not be regulated by any building codes.  The ceiling structures are made of long tree trunks and thatch covering.  The floors sway when the wind blows and the bounce when we walked.  Hurricanes be damned.

I like how they incorporated tiles into the stucco walls to make pretty designs.....

Thank you to the lovely Paula DiDonato, owner of The Giving Room for allowing me the use of some of her photos  :)

From the Water and Other Places

We finally have our sailboat in the water after 8 years of not having it in the water.  I am hoping to sail past some of the waterfront homes that I have designed and take some photos from a different angle.  Stay tuned!


Meanwhile, I am working on many house renovations, none of which are on the water.  One of my clients is going solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, geothermal heating and air conditioning, among other sustainable building features.  I am grateful to be working with people who care about taking care of the planet in this way.


I have another client all the way in East Quogue.  The project started out as a kitchen renovation but it has expanded to include an addition for a master bedroom suite, a bathroom renovation, and a sunroom addition.  


I am also working on a craftsman style bungalow in Greenport Village.  My clients are so appreciative of their home.  They are dedicated to remaining true to the bungalow style.  They are so enthusiastic.   They have picked out their tiles, appliances, plumbing and lighitng fixtures, before I have finished the drawings.  I keep joking with them that they are leaving me with very little to do. 


A former client of mine just called today to tell me she purchased a new creek front house that she wants to renovate and add a second floor to.  She consulted with me on the purchase of the house, to make sure that she could do with it what she wants.  She told me that she wants to have the same feeling in the new place as she does in the old one.  It's a good feeling to know that someone has chosen to work with me a second time.  

Snapshots

The other day, one of my Facebook friends, a photographer who has done some work for me for my website and and portfolio sent me an e mail.  He commented on the photos on my blog....Naturally, since he is a photographer.  The photos, he said could really benefit from some retouching.  This worried me a bit, since my blog is mostly made up of snapshots that I have taken with my phone, just to give folks and idea of the works in progress.  I hope that no one thinks that the images on my blog are shots that I consider anything but snapshots.


Once my projects are complete, and the landscaping has had a chance to "take root," I have the project shot professionally for my website and portfolio.  So, if any of my readers want to see completed projects, please go to my website,  www.mkarchitect.com and click on the portfolio link.  


So, today I am working on the finishing touches to the drawings of a house addition and renovation in Sag Harbor.  I attended the ZBA hearing on Tuesday evening and we were approved.  The Architectural Review Board has already given us the thumbs up.


I am also working on the timber frame design for a sustainable house in Greenport.  Click here to see schematic design drawings. It will have SIPS panel roofing, geothermal heating,a metal roof, and the design is passive thermal, to mention a few things that make it "green."

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!