Rawhide and Cosmos and Vista

Rawhide is the name of the 6 X 24 textured porcelain floor tile in this bathroom. Thank you to all those who visited the projects on the I Have A Dream house tour… Read More →

Wild wood

Click to see this project on Houzz. Detail of the kitchen island counter top contrasts the simple, clean lines of the cabinets against the natural edge of this top. The material was harvested… Read More →

tree

  This reusable Christmas tree created by architect Philip Lawrence                                   could hardly be called artificial  … Read More →

reduce, reuse, RECYCLE

or How a Tree Lives Again Indoors Milled cottonwood trunks dry in stacks waiting to be transformed into beautiful objects. ___________________________________________________________________ As construction continues on the Meadow House, workers prepare to deconstruct  the… Read More →

Late Summer Courtyards

Take advantage of the space between buildings to locate a courtyard. In the late summer, shade and plantings mix with paved areas to provide spaces for entertainment or for quiet contemplation. An outdoor… Read More →

Efficient Stair Plans

Photos and plans of smallest stairs that comply with building codes. The drawings show three options for stairs to climb 9′-0″. A) Spiral stair – compact and efficient plan saves space in small… Read More →

Drawings and Design, 2D

Two-dimensional basics: Plans, sections, elevations, and construction drawings Often design starts with a hand-sketched schematic floor plan. The one shown above combines layout of rooms, relationship to the landscape, views, and location of… Read More →

Staying Cool – The Passive Options

A summer of frequent 100-plus degree days underlines the need for cooling strategies. Turning on the air conditioner, evaporative cooler, or even the electric fans should be the last resort. Here are some… Read More →

Loud and quiet in NYC

A metal apple, incongruously suspended in a glass box, perches quietly over translucent steps and cylindrical elevator that lure crowds to the burrow of early adopters. Beyond the street noise uptown at the… Read More →

Masonry at the edge of town

A green belt surrounds the City of Boulder, Colorado. Planners have acquired natural and rural property including in 1978 the Viele-VanVleet Farm, an original homestead. The Viele family crossed the prairie in covered… Read More →