Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

She sits in her sunroom looking out over the cornfield browning in the early fall on a cloudy day with her dogs sitting nearby. She doesnt take days like this for granted. Sue Slauson spent 66 days at UnityPoint Health-Meriter, some of them in the ICU and on a ventilator after being diagnosed with COVID-19 at the end of May.

This is a nice view, its really nice when the corn is gone, Slauson, a retired teacher of the Lake Mills Area School District, said last week.

At the beginning of the pandemic Slauson and her husband Maury Martin were in Hawaii, a typical vacation spot for them.

We were just beginning to hear about it, she said. She noticed a lot of Asian people wearing masks when they went to the airport and wondered if they should be concerned.

When they came home the pandemic was really starting to pick up.

We were super careful, she said. We didnt go out and when we did go shopping for food we would go really early and we wore masks.

She doesnt know how her, and her husband got the virus.

Slausons friend and Martin had COVID at the same time as her, but they dont know how they were infected exactly.

The couple started having symptoms the weekend after Memorial Day when they got together finally with their families for an outdoor event, thankfully none of those in attendance got the virus.

We were keeping our distance, she said. We planned this big get together and we had our two mobile homes at Woodland Beach and we rented this large cabin so that they could cook, and it had big outside tables and we could all be outside.

They noticed the coughing first.

I just thought it was allergies, she said.

On Sunday night Martin got really tired and wanted to lay down. On Monday they started feeling uncomfortable and lost their sense of taste and smell by that night.

On Tuesday we were spiking fevers and we called to have a test at Fort Hospital and we were both swabbed.

By Wednesday Slauson had a high fever and her blood saturation went down. She went back to the ER and they sent her back home after she stabilized.

By the next Monday she was spiking fevers up to 104 and her blood saturation was in the low 80s.

I was like a zombie, she said. Maury had it, but it wasnt as bad.

On June 8 she went back to the ER, this time to UW near Sun Prairie. They tested her again and she was sent to Meriter. The virus had settled into her lungs. She had pneumonia.

They took me to the floor for COVID patients and I didnt even last three hours there, and they took me to ICU.

Slauson felt adamant she didnt want to be on a ventilator.

The doctor came in with forces behind him, another doctor and nurses, and he said, You have to decide right now.

They had to put it in between her fevers spiking.

I was taking so much oxygen. I was at 90% oxygen, she said.

He said you have to decide right now whether youll go on a ventilator or the other decision is how we can let you die comfortably.

At that point she let them put it in.

I thought I would sleep through it and I would be off of it. Its not like that at all. Its horrible, absolutely horrible.

She was aware and could answer questions with a pen and paper, she said.

They even had me doing Facetime with Maury and my son.

She said it felt very surreal to be on the ventilator.

I can understand why people want to pull it out. Its very uncomfortable. I had a very sore throat and youre so drugged and you cant talk.

While on the ventilator she said she was having some hallucinations.

I thought they had gone through my ribs to clear out my lungs. They didnt do that.

Slauson was on the ventilator for six days, but said it felt like a month.

After the ventilator came out Slauson says she thought she would be able to get her strength back and go home.

She went back to a general floor and was there for one night and went back to the ICU.

I was there for weeks.

The goal was to get her oxygen level down, so she could go home.

Slauson says she pushed herself to get there.

The doctors and nurses at the hospital told her their patients dont normally push themselves like that.

I asked what they do, and they said they lay in bed and cry. What good is that going to do? You have to work at it, she said with determination.

She worked with physical therapy and occupational therapy, doing more than what they asked.

I was doing more than what they were teaching me to do.

Perhaps one of the worst parts of her hospital experience was being alone.

You could have no visitors, not my husband, nobody, even though he already had COVID.

For her family the only glimpse of Slauson while she was in the hospital was by Facetime.

I cant imagine what it would have been like before that.

The outpouring of love she has seen from friends has really affected her.

Theyve really been wonderful, she said through tears.

She tried to keep friends updated on Facebook.

I had people from Florida to Alaska, East Coast to Hawaii and everywhere in between that were trying to contact me.

It was a struggle for her to get down to 10 liters of oxygen, which was what she needed to do to go home. There was a possibility she could have gone to a rehab facility, but she was on too much oxygen to go there as well.

They thought I would do better at home.

A friend of the couple gave them an electric wheelchair to help Slauson get around her home, which she was using up until a few weeks ago, now she just uses it to go outside.

That was the only way I could get around the house. I couldnt walk it.

Shes come a long way, but the journey isnt over. Right now, she is on six liters of oxygen during the day and there is still a lot of inflammation in her lungs.

I have to go in for a breathing test and the pulmonary doctor said we will enjoy what you are doing as well as youre doing it, but we will also talk about, not that were going there, but well talk about a lung transplant, because there is damage that will not be able to be fixed.

Slauson is hoping to eventually get to the point where she can be off of oxygen.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the recovery from COVID-19, says UW Healths chief quality officer, Dr. Jeff Pathof, an emergency medicine physician.

Either you have COVID or you are recovered, well recovery isnt an end point, its a journey, he says. What were seeing with COVID, that isnt typical of other viruses like influenza, there are these lingering symptoms that go on for months.

He said patients whove had COVID early on in the pandemic are still dealing with lingering symptoms.

It seems to be the more severe your battle with COVID-19 is, the more likely and more pronounced these lingering symptoms are. So much so, people started studying them.

Patients continue to report having chest tightness, saying they cant breathe like they used to, and they report brain fog or not being as clear minded as they would like to be, significant fatigue and persistent muscle pain.

Researchers found some startling facts, Pathof said, after looking at imaging of the lungs, they saw a pattern in the lungs consistent with scaring that in other conditions is often permanent, as Slauson described.

You could develop scaring in the lungs that doesnt reverse itself and you may not have the ability to exert yourself or do the things you did pre-COVID because your lungs dont function as well as they used to, he said.

Another study looked at people who are recovering from COVID-19, who no longer have the virus in their system, but they have persistent inflammation of their heart tissue, called myocarditis.

Inflamed heart muscle doesnt work as well as normal heart muscle. It reduces your ability to exert yourself and do the things you did before, Pathof said. We have people for months now have had this persistent inflammation in the heart and we dont know if its going to go away or not.

He said one of the most disconcerting things for patients is not only do they have to battle COVID-19, but they have to deal with the lingering effects on their body.

Recovery

A constant cough and her 50-foot oxygen line to her concentrator in the house keep her on a pretty tight leash, as does her energy level, but she did get out to the patio to clean up the flower gardens last week, which felt like a big accomplishment.

For Maury the experience of having his wife in the hospital with COVID has been very stressful.

I think the experience is worse than losing a spouse, which I have, he said. Martin was his first wife caregiver. She had COPD and was on oxygen.

Im in good hands, Slauson said. I hate to have him go through that again.

When your spouse passes you at least have closure. This went on all summer, Martin said.

He did his best to stay busy while Slauson was in the hospital by exercising, doing yard work and taking care of the house.

Slauson had no underlying conditions before she caught the virus.

I was very, very healthy. I thought, well, OK, so we get it and get through it and then we are immune. Itll be OK. I wasnt expecting to be in this position.

Her doctor told her she was one of the worst cases they had who lived through COVID.

I felt mad, like why did I get it, when I was being so careful, Slauson said.

I dont feel like I want to blame anyone for it, Martin commented. Its out there and you dont know how your body is going to react if you get it.

The couple asks everyone to do their part and wear a mask and socially distance to protect themselves and others.

Locally a coalition of over a dozen community groups has come together to keep COVID-19 out of Lake Mills, called Keep COVID out. The group is asking for the entire Lake Mills community to commit to the Three Ws: watch your distance, wash your hands, and wear a face covering.

Keeping our schools open is best for kids and we are all about kids, said Dave Wendt, of the Lake Mills Optimists. We need to make sure that our staff and students are safe in order to keep schools open, added Sandy Whisler, Citizen Advocates for Public Education (CAPE). Police Chief Mick Selck, President of Lake Mills Rotary said, As members of a community it is incumbent on all of us to work together to keep COVID out of our schools. The more precautions we all take, the slower COVID spreads in our community and thus our schools.

Lake Mills schools could become a hub for transmission if the community isnt careful, the group stressed.

We all want to be out and about and normal, but we cant be, Slauson said. Everything they are saying as far as the science goes people need to listen and nobody wants to.

Pathof stressed, People need to dig deep and really come together and say the only way we get back to normal and beat this pandemic, until we have a vaccine or some other miracle treatment, is we have to socially distance and physically distance and we have to wear masks. We have to do those things because if we dont this only gets worse, it doesnt get better. There is no upside right now that is worth further propagation of this disease, more people getting sick, more people having their life changed forever. We need to do this.

In our country we are so used to our freedoms and expect our freedoms we are not willing to give them up for the good of others, Slauson said.

Though her COVID journey isnt over, shes keeping a positive attitude about her prognosis.

You just have to get through it and laugh whenever you can.

Read the original here:
Finally home: 66 days in the hospital, 6 days on a ventilator - HNGnews.com

toledano + architects has refurbished a duplex that occupies the 2 first floors of a 1970s building with a private garden in paris, france. the idea was to remodel the layout in its entirety, in order to accommodate a large family with 3 young children, but also to provide healthy living conditions for the residents, by ensuring sufficient lighting and ventilation all year long.

all images by salem mostefaoui

the master suite is placed on the ground floor, built through several progressive layers of privacy, thanks to the pivot doors that allow residents to decide when to connect the room to the rest of the living space. in this way, the big modular bedroom can share access with the kids rooms. with this design, toledano + architects aim to encourage interaction between parents and children in an apartment interior that calls for togetherness.

the dwelling includes a wide living room, dining room, and kitchen, which are all connected to the wooden terrace and the planted garden through the big sliding windows. in addition, there is also an available home-office, that turned out to be especially useful during the pandemic, as well as a boxing space, and a dressing room. the two floors are connected through a distinct staircase design, which plays with transparency, using perforated metal sheets as well as geometry and gravity. the steps are hanging from the wall and ceiling and wrapped in a triangular metal box, while a wooden closet is integrated underneath.

the materiality generates a minimal, warm environment, while incorporating a japanese feel. in the boxing and dressing room, the wood and fabric floor-to-ceiling spaces were inspired by tatamis. in the rest of the duplex, concrete, black metal, black granite, carrara marble, oak wood, fabric and perforated steel complete the space. on the kids floor, a bright klein blue brings a fun and dynamic twist to the playroom.

playful kids hangout and TV room in klein blue

in order to maximize natural daylight and still be protected against high heat during summer, the windows were replaced by a very thin and highly efficient aluminum model. the glass has solar control properties and is also the source of heat for the whole apartment, providing an innovative soft and comfortable heating solution.

home office with a garden view

perforated metal and solid oak wood form the hanging staircase

the boxing space allows residents to blow off steam when needed

project info:

name: M garden duplexarchitects: toledano + architectslocation: paris, france

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom

Read more:
toledano + architects adds geometric wood and metal staircase to apartment in paris - Designboom

Seattle-based LMN Architects has unveiled the highly anticipated Grand Avenue Park Bridge in Everett, Washington. First opening to the public in late August, the $20 million bridge acts as both a long-sought infrastructural asset to a hillside residential community severed from the increasingly enticing waterfront district and a singular new civic space with widespread appeal beyond the immediate neighborhood it serves. An industrial city with deep ties to logging and aerospace manufacturing located on the east-central Puget Sound, Everett serves as the core economic and population center for the northern stretch of the Seattle metropolitan area.

Designed by LMN in collaboration with KPFF Consulting Engineers, the 257-foot-long truss bridge is a pedestrian span meant to carry foot traffic over a modest highway, active train tracks, and electrical lines to and from Grand Avenue Park, a locally beloved bluff-top public green space. On the opposite side of the highway and train tracks, the bridge terminates at an external staircase-wrapped concrete tower with an elevator that links the five-acre park and its namesake bridge to northwest Everetts fast-evolving waterfront, pedestrian promenade, public marina, farmers market, and the in-the-works Waterfront Place mixed-use development at the Port of Everett.

Normally, walking from the park down to, for example, to the new elevator tower, would take nearly 40 minutes along a painfully circuitous route. Now, it takes just a few.

The bridge, described in a news release as a composition of concrete and steel, design and functionality, nature and digital design technology also discreetly doubles as an above-ground utility crossing for hillside sewer and storm drainage pipelines. This function, initially conceived as the structures function until federal grant money made the integration of a pedestrian crossing possible according to LMN, is tucked away beneath an unlikely new form that weaves pedestrian ramps and stairs above, around, and inside a sloping truss.

Whats more, by placing the entrance to the meandering walking path on top of the truss and positioning most of the structure lower down the steep hillside that it extends from, the sweeping views of Possession Sound and from Grand Avenue Park remain interrupted, whereas they could have easily been obscured by a more conventional bridge design. Beyond local residents thrilled to have more convenient pedestrian access to the waterfront, the bridge may serve as less of a means of getting from point A to point B and more of a scenic observation platform of sorts that acts as a meticulously engineered extension of the cliffside park.

In its design, the Grand Avenue Park Bridge is also a destination, said LMN partner Stephen Van Dyck, AIA, in a statement. The bridges paths, stairs, and spaces create a variety of views beyond and within that make it a place of discovery.

LMN elaborated on the bridges unique design:

The bridges iconic presence is rooted in the unexpected formal juxtaposition of muscular and delicate, rustic and refined, symmetrical and asymmetrical, inside and out.

The truss form responds directly to its programmatic needs while recalling the form and character of traditional railroad trusses found across the Pacific Northwest. The structural elements are constructed of weathering steel, a raw form of steel, which uses rust to form a protective layer, providing corrosion resistance and enhancing the bridges maintainability over time. Wrapping around and running through the truss, a shining, lacey guardrail also serves as the bridges de-facto wayfinding system, contrasting with the raw character of the rusted truss with its silvery aluminum panels.

Fabricated using a CNC machine, the bridges shiny aluminum guardrail panelsnumbering 400 in total, each of them uniquehave an intricate, nature-inspired perforated pattern. The perforations, which vary on each individual panel, were specifically designed to enhance the reflectivity of the artificial lighting, improving the performance of the integrated linear lights at the top of the rail while minimizing glare and light pollution, according to LMN. That same distinctive pattern can also be found on the exterior of the concrete elevator tower/utility core.

Preliminary site work on the project first kicked off during the summer of 2017. The million-pound steel structure was lifted into place in September 2019 while its sewer and stormwater connections were brought online earlier this year.

More details on the Grand Avenue Park Bridge, a complex project heralded as a gorgeous new asset for the city by Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin at its opening ceremony, can be found here.

Read the original post:
LMN Architects completes a connectivity-boosting bridge in Everett, Washington - The Architect's Newspaper

New York-based SO IL has shared images and details of its recently completed North Fork House, a subdued and tranquilyet never close to sterileweekend retreat in East Marion, New York, tucked into a 20-acre hillside site overlooking Long Island Sound. The project, finished last year, was designed in collaboration with Shenton Architects with Patrick Cullina serving as landscape designer.

The cruciform residence, wrapped entirely by a continuous porch thats sheltered by generous roof overhangs, is comprised of four distinct rectangular volumes with expansive floor-to-ceiling glass windows and steeply pitched, zinc-clad gabled roofs. This organization of space allows for each distinct wingseparated between living and sleeping quartersto take on its own relationship with the surprisingly varied topography of the property. The house seeks to sample the lively terrain, bringing together different qualities of light, landscape, and vista to define interior spaces, explained the design team.

The wings containing the bedrooms, for example, are positioned within a more wooded, secluded part of the property with the living spaces arranged above a soft clearing that slopes down to the water. A dining area and library have been carved out where two of the living-centered quadrants meet; beyond this section of the home is a spacious, pie-shaped outdoor entertaining area that that extends from a porch area tucked beneath a curving, cantilevered roof that offers a deviation from the largely angular forms that comprise the residence. At the center of the home is a modest roof terrace thats discretely burrowed between the four gables that sneaks vistas bordered by the gables diagonal lines.

Nestled within a collage of disparate landscapes, North Fork House offers a sense of uniformity in its design and organization of spaces yet, above all else, celebrates the varying forms of natural beauty that makes the property so unique.

Read more from the original source:
SO IL and Shenton Architects complete a porch-wrapped sanctuary on Long Island's North Fork - The Architect's Newspaper

US design firm Fentress Architects has unveiled the winners of its 2020 Fentress Global Challenge, a competition for architecture and engineering students from around the world.

The first place was awarded to Green Gateway, a zero-emission multimodal hub designed by students from the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

The project redesigned New Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport as a sustainability-centric hub with enhanced mobility. The airport features a central terminal surrounded by six towers located around the city.

The towers, working both as air-purifying centres and stations for flying cars, are meant to improve New Delhis mobility and would offer an alternative to domestic flights, which are a major source of pollution for India.

The designers described Green Gateway as zero-emission at the macro and micro level, improving mobility across the city by replacing domestic flight as one of the major sources of pollution and making air travel a personal affair.

Duan Sekulic, a student from Slovenias University of Ljubljana, came in second with his innovative design for Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which involved autonomous pods, AI-powered navigation as well as vertical take-off and landing for aircraft.

Sekulics design transforms Hartsfield-Jackson into a drive-in airport where travellers pods and driving chairs bring them to their aircraft.

Fentress awarded students from Beijing Jiaotong University the third place. Entitled Floating Zero City, the plan reimagined Hong Kongs airport and turned it into a building floating at sea. The new airport would be made of a three-dimensional moveable platform, which would reduce the impact on the terrain while increasing the amount of available land.

The concepts vertical structure also reduces the time for passengers to move from the check-in to the boarding area.

The Vertebrae a design by University of Malaya students and OPon the Hill a project by Jakarta University of Technology came in first and second in the Peoples Choice Awards, with 6,200 and 5,900 votes respectively.

Started in 2011, this years edition of the Fentress Global Challenge year asked participants to envision airport mobility for the year 2100.

A deep passion for design and a creative mindset are the cornerstone of any successful design competition submission, said Fentress Architects principal in charge of design Curtis Fentress.

Each year, the submissions we receive are more innovative, spirited and dynamic than the prior year, which shows an exciting outlook for the future of terminal design. Were greatly impressed by this years winners and every submission we received.

Antimicrobial Trays for Security Checkpoints

Aircraft Ground Support Equipment

Bag Tagging Services

Go here to read the rest:
Fentress Architects announce winners of 2020 Global Challenge - Airport Technology

Aerial view of the new Grand Avenue Park Bridge in Everett, Washington. Photo: Adam Hunter/LMN Architects.

Detail view of the aluminum panels, the truss, and the structure of the Grand Avenue Park Bridge. Photo: Adam Hunter/LMN Architects.

Seattle, Oct. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LMN Architects celebrates the completion of the Grand Avenue Park Bridge in Everett, Washington. The 257-foot-long asymmetrical weathering steel truss spans from the hillside to a vertical concrete tower, creating a sequence of new civic spaces and connecting Grand Avenue Park with Everetts growing waterfront district.

Elevating utilitarian infrastructure to a thoughtfully designed community asset, the Grand Avenue Park Bridge highlights the value of rethinking public realm design. The bridge transforms the Everett waterfront, establishing a new connection between the historical Grand Avenue Park and the citys developing waterfront district. At the bridges recent opening, Mayor Cassie Franklin commented, It is a beautiful bridge, it is a utility project, and it is going to be part of our city for generations to come. It is a gorgeous new asset.

The new bridge solves a complicated sequence of grade-changes and utility needs in an unlikely new form that weaves pedestrian ramps and stairs above, around, and inside a sloping truss, presenting an inviting new crossing from Grand Avenue Park to the waterfront district. Across its 257-foot span, the bridge carries major utilities while navigating a network of existing electrical lines, a five-lane highway, and the BNSF train tracks at the base of an 80-foot-tall steep slope, all while preserving views from the park above. In part, the amazing views are preserved by having a unique entrance onto the top of the bridge such that most of the bridge structure is below Grand Avenue Park.

As designers, we found these circumstances the perfect opportunity to create a place where the accessible features would define the experience, says LMN Partner Stephen Van Dyck, AIA. In its design, the Grand Avenue Park Bridge is also a destination. The bridges paths, stairs and spaces create a variety of views beyond and within that make it a place of discovery.

The design is pragmatic and economical. The truss form responds directly to its programmatic needs while recalling the form and character of traditional railroad trusses found across the Pacific Northwest. The structural elements are constructed of weathering steel, a raw form of steel, which uses rust to form a protective layer, providing corrosion resistance and enhancing the bridges maintainability over time. Wrapping around and running through the truss, a shining, lacey guardrail also serves as the bridges de-facto wayfinding system, contrasting with the raw character of the rusted truss with its silvery aluminum panels.

The guardrail features a bespoke perforation that is inspired by the forms of the surrounding natural environment. The varied density of perforations was designed to enhance reflectivity of the artificial lighting, improving the performance of the integrated linear lights at the top of the rail while minimizing glare and light pollution. Each aluminum panel is unique, responding to the geometry of the bridge, views beyond, and varying guardrail requirements.

Geometry for the 400 aluminum panels was generated through a computer script, automating the layout, numbering and cut file production. A separate file for each panel was provided to a fabricator for use with their computer numerically controlled (CNC) Waterjet. LMN Principal Scott Crawford says, LMNs experimentation with our own CNC machine to fabricate full-scale mockups was essential for refining the scale of the pattern, adjusting the amount of area for the light reflection, and testing the digital cut files. This close collaboration allowed for a solution that is finely tuned to its context.

The overlay of large-scale truss elements and small-scale perforations creates a dynamic experience of view, light and shadow along the walking path. A tall concrete elevator and utility core serve as the western abutment, its concrete walls blasted with the same perforation pattern and wrapped in a staircase that leads to the pedestrian-level waterfront promenade.The bridges iconic presence is rooted in the unexpected formal juxtaposition of muscular and delicate, rustic and refined, symmetrical and asymmetrical, inside and out. Since its completion in late August, the Grand Avenue Park Bridge has become a popular destination, enhancing the pedestrian life of the Northwest neighborhood and the growing mixed-use waterfront district. By embracing a creative pragmatic approach, the design addresses both functional and aesthetic demands, weaving urban infrastructure into the life of the city and becoming a catalyst for continued community revitalization.

LMN Architects is recipient of the 2016 AIA National Architecture Firm Award and is widely recognized for its design of projects that support smart, sustainable, cities. The firm has successfully completed more than 700 projects across North America, including the double LEED Platinum Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, Canada; Cleveland Convention Center & Civic Core in Cleveland, Ohio; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas; and the Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The firms ongoing dedication to communities at all scales is underscored by its design approach, creating environments that elevate the social experience.

About LMN ArchitectsSince its founding in 1979, LMN Architects has dedicated its practice to the health and vitality of communities of all scales. Internationally recognized for the planning and design of environments that elevate the social experience, the firm works across a diversity of project typologies, including higher education facilities, science and technology, civic and cultural projects, conference and convention centers, urban mixed-use and transportation.

LMN has successfully completed over 700 projects across North America, including the Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas; Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, Canada; Sound Transit University of Washington Station in Seattle, Washington; and the new Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Based in Seattle, Washington, LMN Architects is led by partners John Chau, Sam Miller, Walt Niehoff, Wendy Pautz, Mark Reddington, George Shaw, Stephen Van Dyck, and Rafael Violy-Menendez. The firm employs 165 talented professionals practicing architecture, interior design, and urban design, and the quality of the work has been recognized with nearly 300 national and international design awards, including the prestigious 2016 National Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

For more information on the work of LMN Architects, please visit lmnarchitects.com

Read more here:
LMN Architects Celebrates the Completion of the Grand Avenue Park Bridge in Washington - GlobeNewswire

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By Jackson Strom, Principle Architect at Strom ArchitecturePhotos by Chantell Lauren Photography

Starting a home project, whether it is building new or remodeling, can be an exciting, yet unfamiliar process. Inspiration images, timeline, budget, square footage, material selectionsthese are just some of the unknowns that may keep you up at night. So much time and investment go into a new project, and you want to be certain youve selected the right architect to guide you through the process, making it not only a positive experience but an exciting one as well.

In this edition of Form & Function, we suggest key questions we feel are important to ask when hiring your architect.

Are you an architect or a designer?

Architects are required to meet rigorous education requirements, pass a licensing exam and complete continuing education to maintain their license. An architect will ensure the proposed design is able to be built the way it was presented. There should be little that differs between the final rendering and the built project.

What range of services do you offer?

Beyond the design and construction documents, is your architect able to assist throughout the project? Even with the construction documents in hand, there are many decisions that need to be made throughout the project, and we suggest involving a professional to assist, ensuring the project is constructed in line with your original vision.

A common misconception is that architects are not involved with the interior of the project. Architects take a holistic approach to design and spend as much energy on the interiors as any other area. Ask about an interior 3D model. This model provides the vision for the interior and assists with finishes and material selections.

What is your design aesthetic?

While some firms work has a similar aesthetic, others offer a diverse range of styles. You will want to review the work to see what speaks to you and your project.

Can you provide a preliminary estimate for the design?

Based on the clients proposed budget, the architect should be designing with the appropriate square footages, materials and details in mind. With that, construction costs fluctuate, and until a builder is able to put numbers to the schematic plans and specifications, nothing is certain. We suggest engaging select builders after the schematic design, and prior to construction documents, to provide an estimate ensuring the project is on the path to meet the proposed budget. The estimate does not provide the final construction cost, but it tests the project midway through, either giving peace of mind that you are on the right path, or allowing time to revise the plans and details before the final construction documents are complete.

Do you have a reference?

Ask your architect about past clients and builders they have worked with, and then reach out to the references they provide. All projects, big or small, are the product of many relationships. Some of these relationships are lasting, some arent. Your architects goal should be that you are just as excited to work with them at the end of the project as you were at the beginning. Reaching out to their references provides you with insight on what to expect for your project and relationship.

How long does it take to design the project?

Whether you are in a hurry to get in the ground before snow falls, or you have all the time in the world, it is best to understand the architects workload and the general amount of time dedicated to a new design. Often the architect can provide a general timeline based on past projects of a similar scope of work. With that, we would suggest requesting a proposed timeline of your project from your architect to ensure the project proceeds in a timely manner.

What do your services cost?

Does the architect bill hourly or provide a fixed-fee for the project? This is a personal decision, and you will need to find what works best for you. Often architects will tailor their proposal to your preferences upon request.

Who builds the project?

Does your architect have a preferred list of builders they work with? Are they open to working with a builder you have already selected? We suggest clients have at least three builders bid on the project, then review the bids with the team. We often suggest touring a few of the builders past projects to better understand their quality of work. If the architect is committed to a single builder, this could possibly limit your projects opportunities and reduce accountability.

The process of a new project is a journey, and with the right team in place, can be an exciting one. You will not regret spending additional time upfront to understand the differences between firms and find the right architect for your project.

Strom Architecturestromarch.com@stromarch

With over a decade of experience, Stroms passion for the architectural profession led him to found Strom Architecture in 2019. Within his new firm, Strom Architecture strives to elevate the ordinary elements that exist in all projects.

More here:
Form & Function: Things to Ask When Hiring an Architect - Design and Living Magazine - Design & Living Magazine

How to Balance Creativity and Constructibility? Design Assist Smartly Links Owners, Architects, and Contractors

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Every project begins with a design, and ends with an attractive and functional building. What happens between these two end points is where it gets interesting - and challenging. The construction process is complicated. It means meeting and exceeding expectations in design, affordability and constructibility. It means overcoming hurdles and facilitating smooth transitions from design to engineering to construction. And for complex projects with more unusual features and elements, the risk factors increase exponentially.

Which is why any project with high design aspirations should start with a discussion around the design. What does the architect have in mind? Whats the inspiration? Whats the desired effect of certain design elements? Communication, awareness and accountability are crucial success factors for any team. Great teams talk and develop rapport. They rally around common goals and understanding. They push each other for excellence in all aspects of a project.

These team qualities also describe the benefits of Design Assist, the planning method and process structured to facilitate this kind of collaboration and cooperation among interdisciplinary construction teams. Theres a real concern among architects, owners and contractors that Design Assist slows things down, adds costs, and invites additional complexity. But the fact is, especially when it comes to architectural metals and fabrications, there are often knowledge gaps between design and engineering, materials and applications, attachment points and installations.

Design Assist can add a layer of knowledge that fills these crucial gaps and brings together the disciplines of architecture, engineering, metal fabrication, and construction. It expands thinking to solve design challenges with sophistication, elegance and practicality. Design Assist considers the whole project and makes thoughtful, well-informed recommendations that can save months in construction schedules, and millions in construction costs.

Design Assist should not begin as an accounting and value engineering exercise. It shouldnt start with costs and timelines. Sure, those details are critical for project success, but they come later. First and foremost, Design Assist is a conversation about design inspiration, vision and intent. Balancing creativity and constructibility is the ultimate challenge for any owner, architect, or general contractor and early collaboration can help these key stakeholders achieve that delicate balance. The Design Assist phase of a project can be extremely useful and productive - and when done well with experienced practitioners - can often mean the difference between confusion and clarity, costly and cost-effective, mediocre and exceptional.

Great Design Assist Clarifies and Simplifies Your Project

In traditional construction projects, the design, engineering and construction teams often work independently on their respective parts. Construction documents are created; subcontractors submit their bids, and the process of coordination, shop drawings, and bid awards begins.

When inevitable discrepancies arise, the design team must answer requests for information and modify construction documents, causing delays, changes in orders and added costs. Fingers of blame tend to get pointed in all directions.

Design Assist prevents this dynamic. The best Design Assist practitioners, especially in architectural metals and fabrication, have multidisciplinary teams of architects, engineers, metallurgists and fabricators. These specialists assist the architects and engineers of record with input as designs take shape.

The end result is a well-informed construction team thats better prepared to handle any hurdle or contingency that comes along.

The benefits of Design Assist are numerous:

What to Look For In a Design Assist Partner

The single most important factor in construction project success is subcontractor selection and execution. Heres what to look for in a Design Assist subcontractor:

Design Assist can have a significant and positive impact on design, cost, quality, and constructability. And that can be especially important in high-risk projects where sophisticated materials, specialized fabrication, and complex installations are in play.

But risk and uncertainty can be reduced in these high-stakes situations - and ensure project success - by assembling the right team of subcontractors early, tapping into their expertise, and using their best ideas to build in a smarter, faster and more profitable way.

By Bill Zahner, President/CEO of Zahner.

Zahner is an architectural metals, engineering and fabrication firm that helps architects, artists, owners, and contractors through its own special brand of design assist - Zahner AssistSM - to make any project more feasible, achievable and affordable. Zahner brings a blend of architecture, engineering, technology and metallurgy - all under one roof - to every design and construction project. To find out more about Zahner Assist, visit us at AZahner.com or call +1 (816) 474 - 8882 to speak with one of our Project Specialists.

Read the original:
How to Balance Creativity and Constructibility? Design Assist Smartly Links Owners, Architects, and Contractors - ArchDaily

along the eastern tip of long island, female-run studio valerie schweitzer architects presents its newly completed outside-in pavilion. the playful, occupiable sculpture is characterized as a cluster of elevated volumes projecting upward. crafted with loosely spaced timber slats, each part faces intimately inward while remaining open to filter the air and natural sunlight. in this way, the project defies the strict dichotomy of inside versus outside, and seeks to exist as more than an object within the landscape. instead, the pavilion blends within its forested context with a rhythmic verticality.

image by blaine davis | @blaineduh

the design team at valerie schweitzer architects has realized the outside-in pavilion as an environmentally-sensitive intervention to its context in watermill, new york. the structure is fabricated of both salvaged and new cedar wood, together with construction waste, which is used at the stair rails and in the blocking between each cedar wood post. the structure simulates a forest and allows the unadorned material to speak for itself. additionally, the forms loosely resemble the silos of the surrounding farmlands.

image by blaine davis

the team has realized the outside-in pavilion at the request of the lead architects mother-in-law as a space to gather her family and friends in nature. during the era of COVID-19 however, the pavilion takes on more prominent role as a contemplative place of reflection in solitude. it is also programmed further as an ancillary outdoor office with wifi and allows a place of retreat for members of a large family during quarantine. the pavilion even offers a sleeping porch cloaked with mosquito netting, framing the night sky through its oculus. a steel circular rod allows for mosquito netting, and the space can be used as a sleeping porch from summer through fall.

image by josh goetz

image by josh goetz

image by josh goetz

image by josh goetz

image by josh goetz

Here is the original post:
VSA playfully clusters its floating 'outside-in pavilion' in watermill, new york - Designboom

Craig and Meyer Architects based in the town's Duke Street have been given the green light to transform a disused store and workshop into three homes despite an objection form a nearby resident.

Councillors sitting on Barrow Borough Council development control committee heard the Victorian property had been a blight on the area for several years.

Speaking out against the plans, one resident told councillors in a letter: "If restored in a sensitive manner, the building could be a positive addition to the adjoining conservation area, especially as the site has gained a new prominence following the demolition of the former registry office.

"I am happy to see empty buildings brought back into use, but I am very disappointed to see the way this project has been handled.

"I implore the council to demand better of the developer and use this opportunity to do something positive for the towns heritage in a built up environment."

But despite the neighbour's concerns the plans were passed unanimously.

Councillor Anne Burns who represents Hindpool told the meeting she was concerned not enough information was being past to residents about new development projects in the borough.

She said: How are we consulting with the residents on the conversions of buildings? We should be letting people locally know what is going on.

"I am delighted that this building is finally getting done up as residents regularly say to me that it is a mess.

"We need to update residents about what is going to be converted around our town."

Maureen Smith, planning officer replied: We did write to all the residents in the area and put up a site notice. As well as a condition of the construction management plan.

The committee was told the developer will make sensitive improvements to carry out work away from the road to avoid congestion on Coulton street.

See more here:
'I implore the council to demand better of the developer' - Architects given greenlight to convert eyesore store despite objections - NW Evening Mail