Architect -Contractor Issues
aztec123
10 years ago
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kirkhall
10 years agoUser
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Crosspost - Interviewing Architects (Sochi?)
Comments (5)Thanks for this mtn, very interesting. I bet it was exhausting interviewing them all. From what you describe it certainly sounds like option 3 is the best fit for your project. We have chosen our architect, we meet with him again tomorrow in fact. I have seen a couple of houses he has done, and I'm confident in the choice. We are building in another province, which complicates things considerably. We really needed someone who excels in modern design, has managed work in this area and has good contacts with local builders. It is tough finding good builders in that area, particularly a builder with experience building modern structures, and this architect has a couple of good ones he has worked with in the past. This was critical for us. Tomorrow is the first "fun" meeting with him, we'll go over our critical needs list, desirable wants, some of our inspiration pics, etc. Good luck as you move forward with the project, I'm really looking forward to following your progress!...See MoreRepair or replace? - KitchenAid Architect Dishwasher KUDS02FRSS0
Comments (1)Purple, you probably can fix your machine for a small expense. *The door counterbalance can be repaired with part #8194001. See the link for further discussion. The repair parts should be around $20. *The water feed tube in held in place with stainless steel clips fitted to the tub ceiling. You'll want to remove the cutlery trays, adjust the upper rack to its lower position for clearance, then you can reach up into the tub and firmly press the feed tube into the clips. The clips are to the left & right of the sprayer. If the clips don't hold the plastic tube securely, gently bend them inward. *What kind of detergent are you using? The new non phosphate stuff causes all sorts of trouble. Finish Powerball or Quantum tablets give really good results. Try them. Make sure you are using rinse aid as well. Selecting the high temperature option improves results with the new detergents. Here is a link that might be useful: Door link repair...See MoreArchitectRunnerGuy does it again!
Comments (32)Fun project for a fun couple. Turned out we have a coupla of other common interests that have nothing to do with building or design that we talked and laughed about. A little tough with a 1400SF program given all the requirements especially the gourmet (large) kitchen as cooking is a serious hobby for them. I'm hoping Mrs. ARG and I will be invited to the first big meal served!.....LOL! When programs are probably too small to accommodate all the needs/wants I try to set it up with easy expansion options like here with the noted 4' expansion. We've had other communications since and the MBR wing might be expanded too. I've done this before as an illustration as to the thinking process to those who write "I need a program to design my house"......no you don't. Not really when starting. Computers are great for later and fine tuning, like for the 3D stuff, but best to start with ideas that are unencumbered by how long a wall is or the width of a hall or the size of a window or the depth of a kitchen cabinet (I love the latter as in one program all the EXACT sizes of the cabinets are on the "first draft" drawings!! And I draw these at a relatively small scale, usually 1/16" or 1/20" equals a foot so it's easier to keep the "big idea" in mind. The drawings below are about 5 1/2" across. There were probably 50-60 of these overlays but here's one of the first ones, just freehanded out but to a scale so I can keep tabs on the house size: And then a little later overlay: I liked the stair running parallel to the homes' cross circulation which I normally like to do but here it was impacting not only house size but my idea for easy roof framing to accommodate the attic storage likely needed in a very small house and that works best with attic stairs running parallel to the roof framing. So I abandoned that idea (and VERY reluctantly....it hurt.... but my design Profs. at Va. Tech always stressed to not be afraid to give up on what at one time seemed like a great idea. ) and went here: Still 226SF over budget so I cut down the 58' length to 54' but noted it as a possible option on the final. At this point I'm basically there with just freehanded bumwad overlays but I needed to go ahead and get it in a form anyone else besides myself can understand so therefore the drawings at the top of the thread. Maybe my skill set is different in that it only took me 45 years to be able to do this but I still beleive for those doing this for the first time, a pencil and paper is best for getting a "big idea" quickly and fluidly out of one's head and onto paper. Let's worry about the kitchen cabinet dimensions and window sizes later. But as I said and I'll say it again, a fun and challenging project for a fun couple. We're not done yet but I'm enjoying it!...See MoreRecommend an architect in Maryland for < $400,000 build
Comments (13)@Architectrunnerguy Fair enough. Don't take it personally. As a recently retired software professional I know that if you step back from a mutable profession for even a short length of time you fall behind. I wouldn't even hire myself to do software development anymore, so yes, I may be generalizing, but I do make that a consideration. As for the Web presence, yes, it means a lot in this day and age. The phone company doesn't deliver to me a big yellow book like they used to, so unless a company can live on word-of-mouth they simply don't exist anymore, and truthfully, it makes me suspect their ability to keep up. Again, no disrespect. Just being honest. Heck, if a business is not on the Web my Garmin GPS can't even find it on its own unless I know and tell it the specific address. @David Cary "Well, to be fair, I built starting about 4 years ago and was well under $200 a sqft. And that is with a compex structure, super tight, HW throughout, $45k in appliances, 10/9 ft ceilings. So I don't agree completely. ... Listen - many people here quote very high prices for things compared to what I see and have done. " I concur. The appliances (kitchen and dryer) I'm planning come out to about $7,000 and my foundation is a simple rectangle. Give me a couple of OLED TVs, a nice stereo and a view of the water (all of which I already have) and I'm a happy camper. I don't need cherry wood cabinets, Brazilian walnut floors, a Sub Zero refrigerator, or a $6,000 Kohler toilet. Heck, I wouldn't even be doing this if I thought it would make financial sense to rehab the current 90-year-old house. So yes, after looking at Houzz for years, it seems that most people have way more wants or needs than I do and maybe those differences aren't always taken into consideration. And like I said, I don't care about resale because I'm never selling and neither is my beneficiary. "Recession this time might be different than 2008 (it will be different). We may have high commodity prices, relatively high interest rate combined with slow (or negative) growth and higher unemployment. But who knows?" Well, as I said earlier, I'm retired. And I don't necessarily need to worry about interest rates because I'll only finance if it makes financial sense. I agree the recession may be different this time. I've been trading markets for over 30 years and have literally read over 250 books on economics, finance and trading, so I have a pretty good knowledge of economic history. This looks like 1980 stagflation, except CDs are paying 1% instead of 10-15%. And Powell can't pull a Volcker and push the prime rate even above today's fake inflation rate, much less the real 1980 formula rate, which is currently 16%. And we may even see negative GDP this quarter. So I think it will be worse. But I've studied and lived through enough recessions and crashes to know that people will, by panic or necessity, stop spending, which means that house building commodities that are no longer in short supply, like lumber, will have to come way down and housing starts will decrease. The last recession (2008) knocked house prices back down to the levels of 8 years earlier and housing starts down 80%. The 2001 recession knocked housing starts down 23%, but prices didn't decrease, however unlike today, inflation was low and the Fed was lowering interest rates, not raising them. The 1979 recession saw housing starts decrease by 60%, but prices continued to rise because of the massive inflation. However, unlike today, a 3-month CD was earning up to 17%, so it cushioned most of the blow. As you say, who knows? But I'm betting on the cost of building to come down. Meanwhile, I live well within my income, have no debt, am diversified into mostly stable investments (Treasuries, cash, Dividend Aristocrats, low-beta funds) and actually a new house might save me more after the initial layout and even the additional property tax, because it wouldn't be nickel-and-diming me to death like this old sucker. So unless the world collapses, I should be OK. ....See MoreUser
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