CRAVER Architects

Renovation Organization

As projects go, there are few more complicated than home renovation projects. Most are older homes with older plumbing, heating and electrical systems that need updating themselves in addition to tying into the proposed new work. Homeowners dealing with the demands of work and family now have the enormous To Do List that these projects represent, a full time job unto themselves, not to mention the time and budget pressures added in to the mix. It's not easy. Here are three suggestions to help keep construction going smoothly:

1. Set up a Schedule. In a perfect world, all decisions would be made before construction starts but that almost never happens and somethings demolition has to happen first to know what choices you have in front of you. So for those "To Be Selected" items, it really helps to know by what date decisions need to be made on things such as finishes, fixtures and colors for the job to continue to operate on schedule. Setting up a flow chart with the builder at the beginning of the process can help you avoid a rush of last minute decisions and charges for delays later on. Don't forget to enough time - often it takes weeks of searching to find the right combination of items.

2. Get Organized. Having a checklist and keeping everything in one place can help you see what you've selected and what is still needed. Binders are a great help with this. For our renovation, I used one for the whole house with dividers for each room and a separate binder just to handle the kitchen. Everything went in: shopping lists, pictures from magazines, sketches, brochures, business cards, paint colors, invoices etc.

What we like to see: a well organized job site.

3. Be Prepared. And by this I mean mentally. Knowing that expecting the unexpected is par for the course in renovations can help you handle them in stride. It's generally considered a standard rule of thumb to budget 5% for unanticipated costs during construction and I would add that the older the house or more complex the addition, the higher that figure should be.

Before and After

Visualizing what the finished project will look like is not always easy and at the other end, it's often hard to remember what used to be there. At the end of what is usually a long road for most of my clients, it's good to look back and see how much improvement has taken shape. For that reason, I recommend taking as many pictures as possible throughout construction.

 
Before and After

Here is an update on one of our projects, currently in construction. It is coming along very nicely:

New Photos

The dust has finally settled here long enough for me to get some new pictures taken of the finished interiors of our own home renovation.

The Living Room with it's much improved circulation. It didn't get any bigger but the improved traffic flow, new window/door units and added insulation all make the room more comfortable to be in.

The built-in surround sound system is sleek and unobtrusive; perfect for a small room.

The Dining Room has the best view in the house. Directly off the Kitchen, the open floor plan lets both rooms capture the terrific natural light streaming in from the southern exposure. The rooms feel bigger because of the expansive visual connection to the new Patio and large yard.

More pictures to come soon!

Solar Decathlon 2009

The 2009 Solar Decathlon opens it's doors this week from October 9-18th to the public.

If you've never been, it all happens right here in Washington, DC on the Mall. Twenty college and university teams compete to design, build and run the best looking solar powered house. If you're looking for ways to go green, workshops on solar power or just need some architectural inspiration, this is a great place for it. You can find out more, get the schedule and even watch live video at www.solardecathlon.org.

FAQ's

Over the course of my years of practicing residential architecture, I’ve been asked many times about contracts, construction and how the whole process works. Starting today, I’ll take the opportunity every month to address some of the questions I receive most frequently.

What exactly is schematic design and design development?

It all starts with the simple question : How do we get what we want with what we have?

This phase begins as “brainstorming on paper”. It takes the client wish list and the possibilities in the existing house and begins to put the two together in a way that works. We start with the big picture: Which rooms need to be next to what? How big? What works that already exists? What needs to be fixed? We ask the client a lot of “What if…?” questions at this point, looking at fresh ideas, exploring many options and helping the client to prioritize their goals. Working with the client, we develop the design through increasing levels of detail: selecting window sizes and locations, arranging cabinet layouts, determining a lighting arrangement, connecting the design to the landscaping. We usually bring the structural engineer on board at this point as well, coordinating their work with the design goals.

 

All of the decisions made along the way are like pieces of a puzzle that become linked together in the final design. How long does the process take? Good question! We’ve had many cases where we strike gold with the first design idea. More often, though, it is a process that takes many weeks. It’s good to take the time at this point to consider the options carefully, making sure you understand the drawings and that you’re really getting what you want and need out of the project. Trust me; it is much easier to move a wall over on paper than it is in the field. Once all the design work has been done, the project is ready to move into the nest phase: Construction Documents.

Party Mix

Take one creative family bursting with three burgeoning musicians, add one underused garage and you have the perfect catalyst for creating an upscale haven that is a garage band's heaven. In most typical houses, the basement would be finished and called the classic Rec Room. For this project, there was no basement option so it was one bay of an existing garage that was reinvented into the Music and Entertainment Room. It has the added advantage of sound isolation from the main living quarters so when the party is on, it doesn't rock down the house.

With the structural column grid already determined, a more functional layout for the Music Room was created by carving out an alcove between the columns that still maintained a usable parking bay beyond. The open floor plan and flexible seating arrangement is able to handle a crowd and also offers the opportunity for more intimate jam sessions. Functional flooring materials and leather furniture make this an extremely hard-wearing room, perfect for entertaining.

The highlight is the owner's rotating collection of guitars which hang alongside an oil painting by New Jersey artist, Rie McGroarity.

ICSC Conference

The office will be closed next week while we are at the ICSC Conference in Las Vegas but we will be available by phone, so please call if you need us!

New Photos Coming Soon!

Now that the rain has finally stopped, we've started in on our schedule of photographing works that have been completed in the last two years. The Live, Work, Play Galleries will be updated with the new images but for now, here is one of the first of our house renovation. More to follow!

5 Ways to Save

Everywhere you turn, people are looking to spend their money wisely especially when it comes to home improvement projects that can quickly spin out of control when it comes to selecting finishes. Here are some guides on where to invest wisely and where you can get away with less for an end result that gives you the biggest bang for your buck.

1. Go Basic for the Background

Ceramic tile is the perfect example of where I tend to suggest more inexpensive tile especially when it will be white and simply blend into the background when all is said and done. Sure, hand made imported tiles are beautiful but at $40 a square foot it can break the bank when it all adds up – and don’t forget that extra 10% you’ll be buying just for waste. A bright white porcelain tile can be a wonderful, crisp backdrop to just about any bathroom and at an average price of $3.00 per square foot, a perfect place to save.

2. Paint is Cheap

Think of it as clothing for the room. Easily changed for less than $100, use it to highlight and turn the focus up on more expensive, permanent features of the space. So, if you have a room that has beautifully trimmed doors and windows, lots of custom built-ins or a vaulted ceiling, choose a wall color that creates more contrast between the two and the special feature will really shine.

3. Put Your Money Where Your Hands Are

How things feel: knobs, faucet handles, the weight of a door as it’s pulled open, all send a tactile sensory input message to your brain that will register somewhere between “cheap-o” and “Mmmm” depending on what you choose. When it comes to these items I have found that, almost without exception, you get what you pay for in terms of feel, function and the lifespan of the product.

4. The Internet is Good

Time consuming, yes but a great way to find deals on certain items. I recommend this particularly for things you’ve already seen and felt first hand in a store and that you’re certain you want. (Tip: shop with a little camera to easily record items you like). Here’s an example from my own house. We wanted a zero radius, stainless steel single bowl kitchen sink that was 10” deep. Now, there are lots of companies out there that make a sink like this but we kept running up against prices in the $1500 to $2000 range everywhere we looked. Armed with the specifications (including the weight of the steel) we were able to find an identical one on the internet for $399. with free shipping to boot!

5. It Can’t Hurt to Ask

It’s true that because I am “in the trade” I did get the benefit of some discounts on things such as tile and counters. When it wasn’t automatic though, I asked. In fact, I asked everyone, everywhere if they would take something off the price and in most cases, they did. A ten percent savings here and waived delivery charges there can add up to a significant savings over a whole project.

Happy Shopping!

On The Boards

We've been busy this spring gearing up for construction on several projects. One of the largest of our residential projects will be the second floor addition and general makeover to this 1950's era brick rambler. Expansive, light filled rooms were a top priority for this family to connect the house to the beautiful wooded lot and to allow their extended family to reconnect at gatherings. We'll keep you up to date on the progress throughout construction.