The shingles arrived...and a science mini lesson!

The wood shingles were held up at the factory where they were being stained.  The factory was waiting for a full truck load before they would release the shipment.  That was good for the environment and bad for our project schedule.  Almost a month later than we expected, they are here.  The contractor was really pro active and instead of stopping the progress of the job, he moved on to other things, like completing the stone retaining walls around the driveway, and painting the trim around the windows.  These things would usually occur at the later stages of construction.

The red cedar shake and shingle bureau has conducted many thorough studies that conclude that shingles that are pre-stained, front and back, retain their finish significantly longer than those that are stained or painted after they are installed.  This is because unfinished wood absorbs moisture, and literally pushes the stain or paint off of the surface of the shingle.  Moisture seeks daylight to evaporate!

Surprise

view from the intermediate stair landing

The living room doors and windows

The master bedroom porch which leads to the deck

This is the entry porch with the bathroom dormers above

The roofing started today

We had a surprise last week.  When the mason came to start work on the stone chimney he found that it was originally built incorrectly.  It would never be able to burn wood without smoking into the house.  The patching that was required wouldn't be as seamless as we had hoped, and his recommendation was to take it down and rebuild it.  Once we heard this, we had to reconsider the chimney's presence at all.  Without it there is an unrestricted view of the water, and a large room with no obstacles for furnishing.  So, we decided to get rid of it completely.  Sometimes surprises are for the best. 

Point of Views

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For some reason, the blog server is not allowing me to label each photograph....The top image is the view from the music room windows toward the bay.   The next image is the view from the second floor hall bathroom out of high windows.  No one will be able to see in, which is nice!  The next image is the girder that is above the living room doors.  The windows and roof above the doors have not been framed yet because we are waiting for some steel to be fabricated.  The bottom image is a view out the front bedroom windows toward the street.  By the end of this week, they will be finished framing and the roofing will begin.

Frame of Mind

The framers are almost done with the roof and dormers.  The windows have arrived at the lumber yard and are almost ready to be installed. 

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!