Great Room Framing
February 7, 2012
When you walk into this great room, there is a pleasant transition formed by the ambulatory lower ceiling height into the double height vaulted ceiling above the Great Room. The lower ceiling heights are continued from the living room into the kitchen by the “hall” along the framed windows on the front facade of the house. Natural light pours into this hall and reaches into the Great Room providing quality ambient light. The builders have completely removed the faulty fireplace and chimney now, and are preparing for installation of a new fireplace and chimney. Progress is evident through the framing on the gazebo-type side entry to the kitchen. It’s much easier to visualize the final product at this point of construction.
New Windows/Framing a New Kitchen
January 18, 2012
Ahh yes, we all love the nostalgia of the single pained windows with the swirls and dot engrained in the glass, but for efficiency of running your HVAC systems, those windows are just as good as having an open window during the coldest and hottest days of the year. To save themselves some money on their energy bills, the client chose to upgrade to energy star rated windows by Marvin Windows. These windows have a white trim that will subtly contrast with the siding that will be a darker shade of gray. The window’s exterior header will also be re-constructed to mimic the original decorative headers that lived on the existing farm house.
Floor framing was extended out from the Great Room to provide more circulation to and from the Kitchen. This new framing sits upon the new brick piers where the existing enclosed porch once stood.
The new floor for the Kitchen on the far side of the Great Room has begun. This new floor will increase the size of the existing Kitchen and provide alternative access with an enclosed gazebo-type entry (on the far left), adding to the character and functionality of this old farm house.
Construction Con’t: Roof Completion, Porch Foundations, and a Double Height Great Room Revealed
January 5, 2012
Next, the concrete truck came and poured footings for the three porches as well as footings in the basement. This allowed the masons to get started on the brick pillars beneath the porch features. The brick pillars were incorporated to match the existing front porch pillars, as seen in the image below. It was our intention to preserve the existing style and bring it to life again.
Roof construction was completed. The wood shingles really light up in the morning sun. The remaining details to be finsihed on the facade are removing the old windows and reaplacing with new Marvin Windows (selected by the homeowner after an in-office consultation) as well as updating the siding with new primer and paint (the finished product will be gray). Lastly, updates to broken decorative trim deatils to restore what the farm house once was.
While the exterior was getting cleaned up, the second floor above the great room was removed to provide a double height space. The framing that is shown will be concealed with gypsum board, but the owners are considering salvaging large timbers to place as decorative exposed rafters over the great room. Below you can see the space before and after the removal of the floor, and the difference is incredible, especially in person!
Formwork, Sill Plates, Floor Joists, Oh My!
January 2, 2012
Roof Construction
December 22, 2011

Construction Begins
December 16, 2011
The week following demolition of the old farm house the contractors began re-constructing the roof while they still had the second floor in place (as it is to be removed later in the process to provide a double height space). The first floor removed as expansion on to the existing porch was to occur to provide more room on the interior. Steel columns were placed on the first floor to hold the second floor in place.
Demolition
December 12, 2011
Construction Documents
December 9, 2011
Once the client and designer have ironed out the programming, aesthetics and design functionality together the designer finalizes the design in a Construction Documents drawing set. There are many details included in this drawing set that had not been brought forward to the client before. Zoning, Code, Notes to the Contractor, Demolition drawings, Specifications, Interior Elevations, Detailed connections, Door and Window Schedules, electric and Plumbing are all addressed in this final set. The level of detail is imperative as these drawings will be sent to the town for Permits, answering the zoning officials questions for the proposed construction.
Once approved, the drawings are distributed to the contractor for construction. The opening pages of the construction documents set the stage for the following pages by covering the broad items of project overview, code, zoning information, site limitations as well as demolition plans & notes. The next few pages are filled with notes and specifications for materials, products and construction practices. These pages are helpful when determining material and labor costs.
The plans below are a set of working drawings that call out construction methods, materials, dimensions as well as window & door schedules. Any specific changes being made are documented here. Keys for reading the drawings and special details are also highlighted on these pages.
Elevations are helpful in showing what the home should look like after construction. Materials, products, and finishes are key here. Level heights are documented on these pages to provide important construction information as well as reflect back to building code concerns.
The sections below are incredibly useful in the construction process. They assist in showing how all the parts connect together into one cohesive structure. These sections have also been helpful in providing the owner with a spatial understanding of each room.
The details just might be one of the most important components of the construction set. This shows exactly how the structural pieces ie. walls, roof, floor, foundation, stairs and awnings get constructed. Having these details eliminates construction issues that arise in the field, providing a quick and often seamless construction getting you into your space sooner.
Schematic Design: 5th Meeting
November 4, 2011
The amount of schematic design meetings is based on the size of the job as well as the client’s needs. In this project many meeting were necessary to achieve exactly what the client was looking for. In the fifth schematic design meeting the first floor and facades were decided upon. What remained were options for the second floor, addressing the bathrooms, laundry room and closets/storage space.
Schematic Design: 4th Meeting
October 28, 2011
By the fourth meeting the architect has further developed the exterior elevations through conversation with the client and also by working from the inside plan to the exterior. We have found that these hand rendered drawings resonate with our clients and provides a better visualization with what the final outcome will look like. Colors and materiality are discussed at this point and included on the final drawings.