Salvaging What Matters in Home Building When an older home undergoes extensive remodeling, or a complete tear down, what happens to the debris? Most of it ends up in landfills. Let’s dust off that old adage, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” There are a multitude of reasons to think this way. It will
You may want to know how adding an addition or remodeling impacts insurance coverage. Are you planning a new addition to your home, or a remodeling project, or possibly an ADU? How can you be sure your homeowner’s insurance is up to the task? What does your insurance agent need to know about your project?
Can They Save Us from Climate Change? Is this even the right question? Maybe not. However, it is one that many municipalities in California will be grappling with one day, if they aren’t already. The legislature is pushing for more laws that promote suburban infill, and the promotion of affordable housing. Thirty-two new bills were
A version of this post first ran in 2018. ADUs are growing in popularity in California, and with good reason. ADUs – accessory dwelling units (also known as “granny units”) – are small living spaces that are on the same property but are separate from the main living space. They can be attached to the
Building design can have a signficant impact on your health. According to the landmark National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS), conducted between 1992 and 1994, people spend an average of 87 percent of their lives in enclosed buildings, where pollutants like tobacco smoke, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), asbestos, pesticides and carbon monoxide can prolilferate and,
Now that fall is here, the danger of fire increases with each month until the rains come. If you live in a state other than California, as we’ve seen, the risk may come from extreme weather events like hurricanes or heavy rainstorms that create flooding, or devastating tornadoes. In Northern California, we experience long periods
In my 30-plus years as an architect, I’ve dealt with almost every kind of building project mistake. There are a few that come up over and over, delaying projects, frustrating clients and costing them additional money. These problems tend to arise from a few basic misconceptions. Here are seven of the most common mistakes. Not
For any architectural fans of Frank Lloyd Wright living in Marin County, a tour of the Marin County Civic Center is a must. The 90-minute docent-led walking tour provides the complicated, and some suggest scandalous, history that finally led up to the completion of his last building. It is the only one he created for
There was a time, not so long ago, when greywater systems were not allowed in some municipalities. Even today, they are regulated. Long-running droughts have, of necessity, made the installation of greywater systems not only legal but desirable. Greywater is the water used in your washing machine and in your bath for bathing or showering
This year’s Fire Prevention Week takes place from Sunday, October 6th through Saturday, October 12th. The theme? The National Fire Prevention Association’s campaign says, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!™” Checking to see that you have a working smoke alarm is vital to protect your family in an emergency. However, the threat of wildfires
