Residential Architect articles from August 2004

Residential Architect archives from August 2004

The charge brigade: what do you cost, and how can you justify it?(from the editor)
August 1, 2004... Politics, religion, money. Bring up any of these subjects and you're bound to hit a nerve. If you mention architectural fees, you'll zap about 31 nerves. That's how many e-mails I received after I quoted a hypothetical lee in my April...

What price glory?(letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... in response to your April editorial ("Where's the Architect?" page 11), I see two problems for this client. The first is an understanding of what an architect really does; the second is how much that service is worth. We are partial victims of...

Regeneration now.(home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
August 1, 2004... two architecture firms joined forces to create a winning entry in the Green Building Design Competition for New York City. The Regenerative Row House, which won first place in the single-family houses category, is the brainchild of Studio 27...

Cora's core group.(home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
August 1, 2004... the nascent Congress of Residential Architects (CORA) took another step toward developing a full-fledged organization at a recent planning session in Washington, D.C. The gathering was spearheaded by architects Jeremiah Eck, Duo Dickinson, and...

Message doors.(home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
August 1, 2004... we live in the information age, so why waste space on uncommunicative passage doors? Simpson Door Co.'s new line of doors contains panels made of a magnetic, chalkboard-like material. The doors provide a handy spot to scribble or affix notes,...

Calendar.(home front)(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... 2005 residential architect design awards: call for entries entry form and fee due: november 15 completed binders due: january 5 Our annual residential architect Design Awards program honors outstanding architecture in 14 categories...

On the boards / above the store.(home front)
August 1, 2004... mixed-use development is perking up urban neighborhoods across the country, and the Hillcrest section of San Diego, Calif., will soon get its own sleek landmark based on the live/work model. The 30,000-square-foot project, designed by local...

Kitchen: small wonder.(k + b studio)
August 1, 2004... Can you really squeeze a family of four and their Aspen accoutrement into an 1,100-square-foot condominium renovation? No problem, says architect Scott Lindenau. Well, the masonry construction, low ceilings, and paucity of windows were a...

Bath: stone heart.(k + b studio)
August 1, 2004... Renovating bathroom is somewhat like surgery. First, you must do no harm. Working existing plumbing, wiring, and venting, architect Alex Harrow skillfully inserted a new, more vigorous heart into this master bath: a custom solid granite tub...

Client commandments: what a perfect client would never, ever say to an architect.(perspective)
August 1, 2004... If I sense that a prospective client has a sense of humor, or is going to be "troublesome," I'll give them a copy of the attached. I don't know whether it accomplishes anything in their minds, but at least I've deluded myself into thinking that...

Smart growth: what's the right size for your firm?(practice)
August 1, 2004... the receptionist at a well-known architectural office in Chicago answers the phone with a friendly "Nagle Hartray." But the proper name--Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Penney Architects--rolls off the tongue like that of a corporate law firm,...

Walking the walk: David Baker weaves social consciousness through his life and work.
August 1, 2004... David Baker, FAIA doesn't own a car. It's not because he doesn't know how to drive one, and, as the head of an in-demand San Francisco firm, it s not because he can't afford to buy one. No, Baker got rid of all three of his cars a few years ago...

Space in the city: three formerly dark and diminutive dwellings now live large.
August 1, 2004... Floating in light one common drawback to apartments is that views are often unidirectional. This apartment was different. Located in New York City, it had views in three directions, including sightlines to Central Park, but it failed to fully...

Quiet time: hushing the hubbub in multifamily design.(doctor spec)
August 1, 2004... it goes without saying that doing all attached multifamily project is a world apart from designing a custom home. After taming site conditions, an architect must tackle such key issues as structure and energy. Less obvious but equally...

Starck lines.(architects' choice)
August 1, 2004... To complement the firm's Modern bathrooms, Honarkar specs Hansgrohe's Axor Starck lavatory and bath faucets. "The products bring out a little bit of high design for the bathroom," he says. Designed by Philippe Starck, the single-hole sink...

Discreet attachments.(architects' choice)
August 1, 2004... Division One likes its wall switches to be screw-free and have a little bit of color to blend with the wall. The units that satisfy both those requirements are Lutron Electronics' Satin Colors--a line of dimmers and accessories that come in 15...

Heavenly blow.(architects' choice)
August 1, 2004... Honarkar has a thing for unusually designed fixtures, which is why he likes the uniqueness of Luceplan's funky Blow ceiling fan (shown in this townhouse). Unlike most fans, Blow's bulb is mounted above the blades so light filters down through...

Hide and chic.(new material)
August 1, 2004... StyleLine decorative wall panels break the monotony of drywall expanses. Panels come in assorted faux patterns and textures from leather to linen and in a range of vibrant and subdued colors and perforated styles (Elegant Pine in bone white is...

Ergo sum.(new material)
August 1, 2004... The newest introduction from Israel's leading brass faucet manufacturer, Ergo is a high-arc kitchen faucet with sweeping lines, a slender 360-degree spout, and two handle options: the joystick Olympus (shown) or the 45-degree Everest style....

Grass skirt.(new material)
August 1, 2004... Broomfield, Colo.-based Diamond Spas is known for its modern stainless steel and copper products. With this Japanese soaking tub, the manufacturer introduces bamboo to its palette. The stainless soaking tub has a low bench seat and a skirt...

Tile tale.(The fab floor: new flooring styles look fantastic underfoot)
August 1, 2004... Rikett's 70 percent quartz crystal composition adds flexibility and strength to vinyl tiles. Natural pigments carry through the material, which means no waxing, stripping, or harsh cleaning is needed to preserve the slip-resistant satin sheen....

Gray matter.(The fab floor: new flooring styles look fantastic underfoot)
August 1, 2004... Gladiator Tile flooring features locking tabs for quick installation and nonporous PVC construction for heavy-duty uses. The 12-inch-square tiles have a textured surface excellent for wet areas. An antimicrobial additive keeps mold and fungus...

Aged beauty.(The fab floor: new flooring styles look fantastic underfoot)
August 1, 2004... Twenty-foot-long Ancient Chinese Elm timbers are being reclaimed from demolished 400-year-old Ming Dynasty structures to be milled into exquisite flooring. Nails were never used, so nearly all of the 25-inch-thick logs can be recycled into...

Green tree.(The fab floor: new flooring styles look fantastic underfoot)
August 1, 2004... Teragren's 6x6 plank bamboo flooring can be glued, nailed, stapled, or floated on, above, or below grade. Formaldehyde-free adhesives and a water-based coating help the highly renewable, 100 percent bamboo layers maintain their environmental...

On tap.(The fab floor: new flooring styles look fantastic underfoot)
August 1, 2004... The Contact line of laminated floors offers 19 plank and seven tile patterns. A stain-, wear-, and fade-resistant commercial grade overlay tops the high-density fiberboard core, while an acoustic attenuation layer and impact-resistant bottom...

Rug rage.(The fab floor: new flooring styles look fantastic underfoot)
August 1, 2004... InterfaceFlor has introduced a modular carpet system for residential applications. Twenty-inch-square tiles come in various textures, patterns, weaves, and colors. Tiles are made of recycled materials--mostly nylon fibers with rubber backing....

Accessible products.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2004... Universal design is one of the fastest of the growing trends in the housing industry, in large part because of Baby Boomers looking toward their retirement years. A home that features universal design elements may include raised outlets,...

Folk wisdom.(end quote)
August 1, 2004... new gourna, egypt, 1948 hassan fathy hassan Fathy's most famous project didn't turn out to be the utopian success he had envisioned. The government of his native country, Egypt, hired him to design a mixed-use village near Luxor to house...