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
If you are a resident of Marin County and you use your home, a room in your home or an ADU on your property for short-term rentals (of 30 days or less), you may want to voice your opinion about planned regulations. The Short Term Rental Ordinance, which applies in the unincorporated areas of Marin,
As an architect, several times a month, I find myself in some variation of a phone or email conversation with a prospective client that starts like this: Client: Hi. My contractor suggested I contact you. Me: How can I help you? Client: We’re doing a [describes project] and we thought it would be simple and
When planning a kitchen remodel, nothing seems to stress my clients out more than selecting a kitchen countertop. And no wonder – the countertop not only defines the style of your kitchen, it also serves as its primary workhorse, sometimes acting as food prep surface, sometimes as trivet, storage area or even dining table. Not
High utility bills and growing anxiety about climate change might have you thinking about going solar. While the technology of the silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell has been with us since 1954 in the U.S., it didn’t take off as expected. According to the Energy Information Administration, as of 2020, only 3.7% of U.S. residences generated
Any building or remodeling project involves a team of professionals. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, the team can range from a single architect and contractor to a host of architects, engineers and construction project managers, but the basic requirements are the same: properly trained and experienced professionals working in concert via
No surprise if you haven’t thought about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) lately. However, Rewiring America would like you to start thinking about it. Why? Because it is the largest climate bill in U.S. history. It contains, among other things, benefits to help purchase electric vehicles and install heat pumps, induction stoves, solar and other
As a female architect, I was interested to see the New York Times address the dearth of women in architecture in their December 18, 2018 article “Where Are All the Female Architects?” A few important points from the article: Until 1972 (and Title IX), most U.S. architecture schools didn’t admit women. Currently, half of all
