With summer upon us, it’s an excellent time to think about remodeling your outdoor living spaces. One excellent, eco-friendly upgrade to consider is replacing patios and walkways made from impermeable paving materials – such as traditional concrete or stone, asphalt, or plastic – with permeable paving. Why Use Permeable Paving Materials? Permeable materials are porous
After a long rainy season and an unusually cold winter, the sun is back. You may be thinking about a swimming pool. Yet, what if you don’t have a lot of room for a conventional, in-ground swimming pool? You might consider an endless pool. What is an Endless Pool? An endless pool is a swimming
Accessory dwelling units (also known as “granny units” or ADUs) are small living spaces that are on the same property, but are separate from, the main living space. They can be attached to the main home or completely separate. They range from tiny studio apartments to fully appointed cottages and can serve lots of different
As it turns out, you need both, for different reasons. If you are considering remodeling or adding an addition to your home, your architect can tell you what type of fire safe material is best for your specific building design and location. But can they help you with a fire safe landscape design? Marin, Sonoma
Post-frame construction has been around since humans first started building spaces to live in, but it is becoming a more popular option for new home and commercial construction, thanks to its flexibility, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. What Is Post-Frame Construction? Post-frame construction is an engineered-wood-frame building system that meets Uniform Building Code (UBC) and International Building
If you own an Eichler home, and it needs an exterior lift, you may be wondering what paint color to choose. So many paint choices, so little time. Most paints have instructions about applying them between certain temperature ranges, and dry weather is best. In Marin, our unusual weather patterns and foggy days are getting
With all the praise and enthusiasm for Accessory Dwelling Units today, you might be surprised by their history. Commonly referred to as in-law units or granny flats by some and infill apartments by affordable housing advocates, they were once highly restricted and outright illegal in many municipalities. In 2017 a California law (AB68) was enacted
Flat roofs have been with us since at least the time of the ancient Egyptians. Their mud-dried brick homes would get very warm after a day of sitting in the hot sun. Residents could use their flat roofs as a sleeping platform, for a cooler night’s sleep. In Northern California, you’ll find whole neighborhoods of
Hiring an architect for your project is like choosing a doctor – you want an ideal mix of expertise, experience, ethics and bedside manner. So what are the most important things to look for when hiring an architect? Look for a Licensed Architect The architect you select should be licensed in your state. A license
As an architect, I like to think of remodeling and building projects as a symphony. All the sections of the orchestra – the strings, the brass, the percussion – use their unique skills to work on their separate bits of music, yet somehow, everything comes together to create something beautiful. But without a conductor to
