Ever driven through a development, or looked at a building and said: “Wow! That sticks out like a sore thumb.” I’ll bet you have, and so have I. For decades, maybe millennium, man has treated the process of building as one that tames nature. We defeat her, overcome her, bring her to heel.

But there’s another way to think about nature. One that I’m incorporating into The Park Project; one that is finally gaining traction in the architectural world. And that is: Not only seamlessly integrating building projects into the environment in which they’re to be placed, but recovering and restoring the surrounding environment.

Architects Bill Reed and John Boecker talk with Michael Anschel about that very process in this video:

Now, I bet many of you are probably thinking: Yeah, but I’ll bet doing that kind of thing costs a lot more!

Do those guys charge their client for those kinds of integrated services? Do I? You bet! But here’s the deal: In more and more regulatory jurisdictions, some form of this kind of approach is already required—indirectly, if not directly—by regulatory agencies that have authority over your project. So by starting your project with integration in mind, you can sometimes actually end up saving money in the long run.

Have you had experience with an environmentally integrated building project? Tell me about it.

architecture, environment, @michaelanschel

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The following article was written by Mike Bruno on the Stone Creek Builder’s Blog. I re-post it here because Mike is just so right on about the problems quality builders, and consumers now face as a result of the recession.

I was just thinking that I have been in the home improvement business for almost twenty years. In that time I have had some great experience’s with clients. Experience’s that have not only led to a satisfying career but also great friendships.

When I think about why I got into this business to begin with it was because I love working with people. Of course I love the craft as well but there is something special about building projects that enhance peoples lives. If you have ever crafted something with your hands you can understand the great feeling when you step back and admire your work.

To some old timers, 20 years may seem like a drop in the bucket but during that time the remodeling industry has seen the most dramatic changes due to the advances in technology, product development and the internet. However due to the economic fall out: consumer credit is tightened and some are choosing contractors purely on price instead of quality, experience and professionalism.

So as a result many great craftsman are going out of business. The sad thing is many of them probably went into the business for the same reason I did. And its almost a guarantee that the contractors who low bid the jobs will be out of business too. So what happens next?

• Does the home improvement industry reinvent itself?
• Does some sort of standardization happen so all professional contractors can compete on a level playing field?
• Do we out source all the construction to India?

Who knows but I look forward to meeting new people, more projects, new friends and the ride…

Maybe you’re a real wine enthusiast and have a large wine collection, or maybe you’re a budding collector whose been considering your very own custom wine cellar. The great thing about a custom built wine cellar is that it can be tailored it to your wine collection and your personal style. It’s also an excellent way to utilize the extra or odd space in your house.

But, where do you begin?

The purpose of a wine cellar is to properly store your wines so that they can age correctly, knowing that, it is important to properly construct your cellar. Check out the pictures below of how the Vintage Cellars custom wine cellar design team transformed an unfinished tool storage room into a cellar that fit over 2500 bottles.

Before After

How did we get from barren walls and a cement floor to a functioning cellar? First, we analyzed the available space. We had to keep a few practical issues in mind, such as plumbing pipes that needed access, a drain located in the cement floor that required a raised floor in case of a flood and a second door leading under the house that needed a custom manufactured exterior grade door to keep the cellar properly insulated. Additionally, we inquired about the amount of wine storage desired, and considered our client’s current wine collection, as well as wine trends, bottle sizes and varietals. This is the basic information needed to design any wine cellar. Once we had our information we were able to create a design.

With our design in hand, the next step was to prepare the room and install the cooling system. This took 7 days and required the following steps:

• Stud walls and soffit around all plumbing
• Run a cooling line or frame system
• Set cooling system evaporator coils inside wine cellar
• Set condensing unit in acceptable location
• Creating a vapor barrier
• Insulate the walls and ceiling
• Prepare the electrical and lighting

After studding the walls to frame out the wine cellar, we built a soffit to cover all the piping. Then we installed the cooling unit. We recommend using a ductless split system because it is very quiet, you control where the hot air runs and it is easily serviced. To install this system we ran a line set which runs from the ductless split location to the condenser location. We set the evaporator coils inside the wine cellar and set the condensing unit outside the house for aesthetic reasons.

Next we installed the vapor barrier. To do this, plastic sheeting was applied to the warm wall side of the cellar but was left loose around each stud cavity so they could be insulated. After the plastic sheeting you need to apply insulation to the walls and ceiling. We used rigid insulation, a hard foam with foil on the front and back. It comes in 8 x 8 foot sheets and is cut to the size of each stud cavity. We prefer rigid insulation because it has a greater insulation value per inch. Remember, the better you insulate your wine cellar, the better your cooling system runs.  Since this room had a concrete floor, the floor itself did not need to be insulated and only needed an application of water based concrete sealant with low VOC. Finally, during this stage of construction we determined where the electrical outlets and ceiling lights would be placed.

The next phase of our project was focused more on design and aesthetics. Our client wanted the cellar to be constructed mostly for storage and desired minimal display with a little room for walking and a small counter to open a bottle of wine. This was all preplanned and the materials had arrived during phase one of construction. The walls, floor, racking and lighting were a simple 4-day process. Our clients choose redwood paneling for the interior walls, which we placed over the insulation. Redwood paneling is a moisture resistant product that is both practical and visually appealing.We installed the raised floor and wine racks, which were made of heart redwood to match the wall panels. We completed the wine cellar with a few display lights and the project was complete. Remember, you can transform any room or space into a wine cellar. The best part is that you get to customize it. You can keep it simple and build for volume or make it a more inviting space with personal details specific to your taste.

The possibilities are endless.

—by Jake Austad

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Editor’s Note: Different jurisdictions will have different permitting requirements and require different amounts of paperwork to be completed before a project such as this can be completed. In some areas a permit for construction can be received in a matter of hours with plans hand drawn on grid paper. In other jursdictions (such as here in Humboldt County California) it is not uncommon for a complete plot plan and very detailed, professionally prepared plans to be required before a permit to begin construction will be issued. —Michael

wine cellar, custom, design, construction

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When the quote range on your job runs from $3,000 to $75,000 you’re in trouble. I actually got an email from an individual with that big of a spread for one, single job. He was using the spread to justify his amusement at how architects price jobs based on a percentage of the cost of construction.

He saw the spread of the bids he had received for his job as making his point. I saw something completely different in his example.

First, I saw a bid spread of 400%, which means total chaos. Either there were no construction documents what-so-ever, or they were little better than napkin drawings. Often the cause of such chaotic bidding is a complete lack of construction documents. The customer walks each bidder around the job site pointing here and there, explaining “exactly what they want.” Unfortunately, those explanations often vary wildly from one bidder to the next, so each bidder leaves with a different idea about the scope of work.

Second, I saw a customer who wanted to appear more knowledgeable about the building industry than they really were, which blinded them to the warning flags the bid spread should have sent up.

If all bidders are getting the exact same information about the scope of work, the normal spread in a group of bids should be around 25%. Most of this spread represents differences in each company’s overhead costs, and an assessment of risk involved in doing the job, which the estimator builds into the price. A smaller fraction will be made up of differences in the desired profit margin and crew efficiency. The actual underlying costs remain pretty much the same for all bidders. Pay scales run within the same range, and in most communities the bidders will all be buying their materials from the same suppliers.

So what do you do if you have your job bid and the results are wild? Take a good look at your job. Ask yourself these three questions and consider the solutions:

• Do you have as set of construction documents? If not, this may be a sign that you need to spend the extra money to have some drawn up by a professional. Depending on the size and complexity of the job, you might also consider hiring a professional to manage your job and advocate for you. A construction manager can sometimes save you far more than they cost.
• Did everyone get the same information? If you didn’t have a set of drawings and specifications to hand all your bidders, did you work off of an outline? Unstructured “walk around tours” are nice and all, but you have to make sure you show the same things, and make the same points, to each bidder.
• Did you use the bidding process as an opportunity to gain information about your job? This is a really common practice. And it’s a mistake! Collect information first. Decide exactly what you want done. Pay to have construction documents drawn up if need be. Then get bids on those documents.

Once you’ve identified and corrected the problem(s), you’ll have to go through another round of bidding. Responses from the first set of contractors is likely to be mixed. Working up a bid is a lot of work. It therefore costs money for the contractor to do each and every one. So some will happily come and re-bid the job, others will decline. Be prepared. (This is one instance where a construction manager can be a big help.)

But I can guarantee, if you utilize the tools above, the results will be well worth the time, effort, and money in the quality of bids you receive, and therefore in the quality of building professionals you end up working with.