SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2010
By BUILD LLC
One of the reasons we enjoy residential remodels so much is because, with the correct design moves, homeowners can have more opportunities in their day-to-day lives than they ever imagined before. Good design can bring about new possibilities that allow people to live significantly better lives – that’s pretty dang exciting to those of us that run around thinking about design all day. One small design move that has a big impact is a new type of door we’ve been using lately. These doors open and close in an accordion folding method leaving the opening, well, wide open. The multiple door panels are light enough that they glide easily on the top and bottom tracks, there’s also a single panel swinging door at the end for passage use. The door system works so well that we’re actually finding that the limiting factor of the opening size is the structural header above.
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JULY 19TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
[All photos by BUILD LLC]
Recently BUILD LLC finished up a modern residential project in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood. Today’s post covers the interior package and we’ve got plenty of information to share about the materials, methods and design ideas – all with a healthy supply of links for you to check out. You can take a look at the exterior package here and some night shots here. Many, many more links can be found on the home-owners extremely thorough journal documenting the process.
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JULY 5TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Maybe it had something to do with the 4th of July fireworks last night or being over-served by the bar tender, but some night shots of our latest project, the Davidson Residence, sounded like a good blog post today. We love taking night shots and dusk shots of our projects because the conditions keep changing by the minute – it’s a balancing act between exercising patience and quick maneuvering. We’re also finding some key ingredients that greatly improve the quality of night shots:
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JUNE 26TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
BUILD LLC just wrapped up a sharp, modern residence in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood and it’s a perfect time to share some materials, methods and design ideas. We decided years ago that the BUILDblog would be dedicated to transparency and getting useful information out there in the world about design and architecture. This project, in particular, is an excellent means to do so as the owner, Mike Davidson, has kept the most thorough journal/blog we’ve ever seen on a residential project. A HOUSE BY THE PARK documents everything from talking to realtors about buying the land, through the design and construction process, all the way down to the punch list. It’s an objective, accurate look at home construction and you should check it out. Give the owner some kudos for the achievement and supporting architecture!
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APRIL 15TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Sometimes the most interesting design work on a project occurs after the architect has left the scene. When the punch list is complete, after the furniture has been placed, once the owners have had a chance to kick the tires on their new home.
We noticed this on our Park Modern project and it’s a good time to give a shout-out to some design ideas that are pleasing and synergistic to the building’s architecture. They’re also great modern design elements for your own home or project.
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APRIL 7TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
We’ve always found demolition to be an amazing stage of most projects. While messy and raw, it is also informative and in some cases even poetic. All the mysteries of a house or building are finally exposed and the assumptions and discrepancies of as-built drawings can finally be resolved. The layers of history can be peeled back and deciphered. Depending on the project, it can feel like an archeological dig removing the wood paneling of the 80’s to remove the wallpapers of the 70’s to reveal the lathe and plaster of the 40’s. As architects and builders we’ve always had a curiosity about the methods and techniques of those who came before us and a building in demolition is a little museum to their craft. So for today’s post we’re highlighting photos that you wouldn’t normally see on a design blog – demo photos.
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FEBRUARY 26TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
[Photo by BUILD LLC]
This time of year we like to escape the gloomy northwest and seek out the yellow rays of southern destinations. This time around we picked Miami for several reasons; the weather, the urban life, the design culture that’s been steadily growing, and Art Deco architecture. For today’s post we’re going to highlight some fantastic examples of Art Deco design and then we’re going to throw a bunch of BUILDblog opinion at it.
As designers of the current time, rooted in modern materials and methods, we were initially skeptical of the Art Deco philosophy. The design moves seemed flamboyant, the elevations overly glamorous. Such lavishness so easily leads to pure decoration and we’re rarely fans of fashion in architecture. However, this was a different place, another culture and the buildings represent a different time. Before making up our minds about Art Deco there was a due diligence required of us. So we photographed these structures in the bright daylight, we shot them in the glowing neon nights, we drank coffee under their sheltering awnings, we dined in their grand restaurants, we drank martinis on their terraces, we thoroughly kicked the tires on Art Deco. Our conclusion?
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JANUARY 25TH, 2010
By BUILD LLC
Years ago we worked on a house in a neighborhood full of homes designed in multiple styles; there were craftsman homes, Tudors, Victorians, Cape Cods, colonials, Queen Anne homes, the list goes on. Each of these is a respectable style in its own geographical origin, its own time and in its own method of construction. But here’s the deal-breaker, all of the homes in this neighborhood were built in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Not a single one of them was authentic.
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FEBRUARY 8TH, 2009
By BUILD LLC
Here at BUILD, we pride ourselves on being industrious- we establish reasonable project costs very early in the design process with our clients and then stick to those costs till the physical construction is complete. We work diligently to maintain the budget, and when circumstances chosen by our clients or brought to us by the nature of custom construction cause impacts to that budget, we are forthright and manage those circumstances immediately. In our spirit of transparency, we’ve devised the residential construction pricing guide below- around the BUILD community we’ve been calling it the BUILD Cheat Sheet. We believe our industry has done a fantastic job of misquoting and/ or poorly enumerating what the actual construction AND overall project costs of a project are going to be. Many of us have experienced something like… “oh I didn’t know that wasn’t included in the construction costs before” or the dreaded “I read in a (fill in the blank) article that they built the (fill in the blank) for $110/ sf.” What is in that number? Who’s uncle was the electrician? Were the appliances and lighting free? Does it include the cost of the cabinets and finishes? Was it built with student or prison labor? Who verified the number anyway? So, in response to these and other pressing questions, we’re giving the guide away below for free. We hope its valuable as you’re looking at your options for the design and construction of your dream house. And if you want more of the straight scoop, feel free to contact your friends here at BUILD LLC.
The PDF download can be found here.
JANUARY 16TH, 2009
By BUILD LLC
BUILD LLC recently completed the design and remodel of a mid-century modern home in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood and has some valuable information to share. As with many of Seattle’s mid-century residences, this home was overdue for considerable updates. The “bones” of these structures are typically very solid; the concrete and framing can be surgically retained and, oftentimes, featured for their richness and texture. Efforts and funds can be directed toward reorganization of the space planning as well as the kitchen, bathrooms, cabinet package, surfaces and systems (heating, plumbing, electrical).
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