November Wrap Up

With the infrastructure in place for the winter, we turn our attention to the design phase of the project and the various aspects it includes. The week prior to Thanksgiving (by the way, Happy Belated Thanksgiving to All), we had initial design renditions from Don Briggs, Briggs Architecture and Design. Don was putting forth the initial drawings basis the program we submitted for a second time last month. We were pleased with the initial rendition as it both answered questions we had about our initial program design ideas and prompted new aspects we had yet to think about. If anything, the first round of drawings transformed our ideas to paper which brought clarity and change to what we had thought we would like. As a result, we went back to Don with constructive comments on what we liked and what we wished to rework per our new vision. Looking back at the program (see article dated 10/21 'Reshuffled Program') we opted to revamp the basement space, make a small flow change from kitchen to great room, maximize the useable space over the garage, and downsize the observation deck on the 3rd floor. Speaking with Don, we are expecting another round of rough drafts by next week. From there we will continue to tweak the design until we have our final product.



That being said, there is much to work through before this final product materializes. Working very closely with Don Briggs we will be spending the majority of December building a project team whom will work together to start in January in collaborating on this final product. Don Briggs (Architect), Tim & Sarah Southwell (Owners), Structural, Eletrical, Mechanical Engineers, Landscape Architect, Energy rater / Commissioning Agent, LEED AP, and other industry experts will be invited to take part in brainstorming, designing, and ultimately producing a highly efficient, sustainably designed, green built home. The renditions we are working on at present will merely act as a starting point for getting the ball rolling. As we get the initial draft together for the project team and the corresponding charette process to commence in January, I will be posting the initial drawings for all to see so to better appreciate the scope of the project at large.



As always, I appreciate your comments and thank those that have put opinions and suggestions forward towards our green build. Happy holidays and an Abundant Tomorrow to All.



Sincerely, Tim Southwell