New Homes
Raising the Bar for the Quality of Home Construction Posted on January 9, 2018 by newleaf Our country could be building better quality homes, but we aren’t.Why not? The number of new homes built has risen steadily in the past 5 years, and continues to do so. Unfortunately, most of these homes will be built to meet the […]
Home Energy Renovations: When You Can’t Go Down To The Studs
A couple of months ago I met with a client who wanted to make significant energy improvements to an older house. But because the house was occupied, it wasn’t possible to go down to the studs to do the kind of deep energy retrofit Project Rebuild is doing in Canton. (If you missed that story […]
Raising the Bar for the Quality of Home Construction
Our country could be building better quality homes, but we aren’t. Why not? The number of new homes built has risen steadily in the past 5 years, and continues to do so. Unfortunately, most of these homes will be built to meet the current building code, and not much better. Perhaps the worst news is that […]
A Good Fit for New Leaf
At New Leaf, I’ve been working with several people on new home designs, in addition to my usual renovation projects. So I thought I’d share my thoughts about new home design, and what makes a new home project a good fit for New Leaf. When I tell people about what I do, they often seem […]
Getting To Know You: Introduction Meetings and Consultation
It’s always nice to know what to expect when you do something new. And for most people, working with an architect is something new. So what happens after you decide to work with an architect and find one to call. During this first phone call, the architect will ask you some questions about your project: […]
The Slow Home Movement
Some of you may have heard of the “Slow Food” movement: an approach to food based on the idea that food should taste delicious, be grown in a way that does not harm the environment or our health, and provide fair working conditions for the people who produce it. Well, now there is a “Slow […]
Shaker Design Competition
In January of this year I had the honor of participating in a design competition hosted by the City of Shaker Heights. Twelve teams submitted conceptual drawings for infill lots in the Moreland Heights neighborhood. The city was looking for proposals that emphasize energy efficiency with net zero ready or passive design, that fit into traditional […]
Spring. What a beautiful word!
As I write this I am sitting in a sunlit courtyard with early spring flowers in bloom, listening to the birds singing. Besides these natural sources of beauty, the surrounding building walls create a separation from the world outside, encouraging reflection. There are three benches available, to make it a comfortable place to sit. There […]
Honour Tradition in a Tour of this Colonial-Style Home
One of the most popular residential building styles in the United States, a Colonial style home is a favourite among American families. With the characteristic rectangular shape, two-storey structure, wood facade, and shuttered windows, the brand-new home that you’ll tour in this ideabook is an excellent example of familiar style. Designed by Hallie Bowie, the architect […]
The Checklist Manifesto
Reading this book had been on my list for a while, partly because it got a good deal of attention from USA Today, NPR and many other places, and partly because I went to high school with the author, Atul Gawande. It deals specifically with how checklists can improve the quality of medical care, but […]