order in the garden.

    

planting a classical garden.  Designers come in all types of packages.  Some are like wild artists who throw their paint on the canvas all at once, thrilled to see what mysteries the universe will unveil.  Others are more restrained.....you may not even know they have an artistic bent lurking under such a reserved exterior.  My husband falls under the latter category.  Just to assure you that every man has the power to get creative - I want to show you what he is doing in our garden.

This 2010 picture is of our driveway along the back side of our home when we moved in.  The rhododendron bushes along the right side of the photo have been replaced in the photo above with trees and round boxwoods.  He has been working on this for about 6 months and it is still a work in progress but you can see already how much cleaner and manicured the side yard is now.  But he is not finished.  This seems to be just the beginning of a new garden designer on the verge of exploding.

 I am not sure but I think if we combined my design sensitivity with his we might end up with this Italian inspired garden shown above.  It feels a little bit like ordered chaos if there was such a thing.  Julien De Cerval spent 30 years developing this one.  The Gardens of Marqueyssac are in France. Check out this webpage for a mini 3d view of the garden... Julien worked like a maniac on this garden...hopefully, ours will continue to grow in beauty too as the years pass by!

creativity in and out of the box

Caine’s arcade -- an exceptional short film by Nirvan Mullick about a very creative little boy!

made in America

How hard would it be to create an all-american home? I am currently working on a small remodel in Lake Oswego.  The owner is also the builder.  Recently - we have been talking about how to alter the original design for the front cantilevered canopy. He has almost finished the interior work and wants to cut his costs on the entry.   

This sounds so familiar....I am thinking this is how the first settlers did it too...As their own builders, they planned it out, built a bit and then redesigned a bit along the way depending on the local materials available.  Having just finished my teaching session with 11 year olds - history is fresh on my mind. Combine that with our local elections yesterday for Mayor and I am thinking about how to create more American jobs...

Creating an all-American home has never been easy....the list of building supplies is daunting.  You can see just how long the list is below. You have to work pretty hard to find american products.  A builder in Montana, Anders Lewendal (who used to be an economist) did just that.  “Lewendal is hard at work building a home he hopes will be a blueprint for creating jobs in America. Everything from the nails, screws and bolts, to the steel, staples and bathtub is made in the United States.”

Unfortunately, you have to order products that are not local.  Some of the products will cost more, some will cost less, and some will work better.   However Lewendal says that in the end, the total cost of the American made house is only around 1 to 2 percent more than the typical home currently on the market. You can see a video from an interview that ABC news did with Lewendal last November here.

Product--Manufacturer/Supplier

State

Windows--Amsco Windows

UT

J bolts/foundation--S.C. Prototypes

MT

J bolts/foundation/stock--Pacific Steel

UT

Gorilla Duct tape--The Gorilla Glue Co

OH

4″ perforated pipe, radon

Northern Pipe Co.

ND

4″ pvc fittings

GPK

ND

pvc glue--Oatey

OH

8d ring shank nails--True Spec

CA

16d sinkers--Griptite

WI

1/2″ foundation nuts--CAT

IL

gun nails--Maze

IL

damp proofing--Mulseal/Tremco

OH

Rebar--Nucor

UT

Concrete--CMI

MT

Concrete Portland--Ash Grove

MT

Concrete aggregate--CMC. Beglade

MT

Concrete sand--CMC. Beglade

MT

Hangers, straps, H clips--Simpson Strong-Tie

CA

TJI’s--I-Level Truss Joist

OR

2×4′s and 2×6′s--RY Lumber

MT

Plywood--Potlatch

ID

2×4′s and 2×6′s--F.H. Stoltze

MT

2×4′s and 2×6′s--Idaho Forest

ID

PL 400 sub floor adhesive--Loctite

CT

MiraTEC fascia--CMI Corp

PA

treated plate--McFarland Cascade

WA

T braces/framing--Appleton Supply

WI

sill seal--Reflectix

IN

powder actuated pins--TW Ramset/Redhead

IL

foam board--Dow

IL

Spray paint--Rustoleum

IL

Spray insulation--JM Corbond

MT, TX

Screws-Por Pac

CO, CT

Wire joint--Thomas & Betts

TN

Spray paint--ACE

IL

paint--Sherwin Williams

OH

Window foam--Touch n Seal

MO

Caulking--White Lightning

OH

Plastic elect. Straps--Handy Straps

WI

meter base--Eaton/Cutler Hammer

PA

electric panel--Eaton/Cutler Hammer

PA

Breakers--Eaton/Cutler Hammer

PA

PVC pipe/fittings--Ridgeline Pipe

OR

2″ Romex connectors--Bridgeport

CT

Boxes--Allied

OH

Wire-service, romex--Southwire

GA

staples--Sturgeon Bay

WI

4/0 SER straps--Sturgeon Bay

WI

Telephone wire--3M

MN

wire connectors/crimp sleeves--Ideal

IL

wire staples--Sturgeon Bay

WI

Furnace disconnect--Eaton/Cutler Hammer

PA

recessed cans--Juno/Schneider Electric

IL

recycled glass--Livingston Landfill

MT

Furnace--Trane

TX

Cooling Coil--Trane

TX

HRV--Trane

TX

Air Cleaner--Trane

TX

Zoning/Thermostats--Trane

TX

Ductwork--Norwesco

WA

Screws--Brynolf Manufacturing

IL

PVC--Cresline-Northwest

WA

Condensate Trap--Airtec

MA

Registers/Grilles--Hart & Cooley

MI

Allthread Rod--Chicago Hardware

IL

Pipe Brackets--C&S Manufacturing

WI

Conensate Pump--Franklin Electric

IN

Unistrut--Cooper B-Line

IL

Flexible Duct--Atco

TX

Duct Sealant--Hardcast

TX

Flex Duct Straps--Source 1

OK

PVC Glue/Primer--Oatey

OH

Thermostat Wire--Honeywell

MS

Exhaust Fans--Broan

WI

Concentric Vent--Source 1

OK

Exhaust Hoods--Broan

WI

Nuts/ Washers--Perine Danforth

WA

Dryer Box--In O Vate Tech

FL

Duct Liner--Johns Manville

CO

Duct Liner Pins--Hardcast

TX

Allthread Anchors--ITW Buildex

IL

Ductstrap--Colombia Man

WA

Manual Dampers--Norwesco

WA

Sill Sealer--Reflectix, Inc.

IN

PVC Primer and Cement--Oatey

OH

PVC Pipe--Cresline-Northwest

WA

Pex Pipe--Viega

KS

Kitchen Sink--Moen

PA

Kitchen Faucet--Moen

NC

Kitchen Basket strainer--Dearborn Brass

TX

Kitchen disposer--In-Sink-Erator

WI

Bathroom Pedestal Lav--Mansfield

OH

Bathroom Lav faucet--Moen

NC

Bathroom Lav sink--Mansfield

IL

Bathroom toilets--Mansfield

IL

Bathroom toilet seats--Kohler

AR

Master Shower--Aquaglass

OR

Master shower valve--Moen

NC

Master shower trim--Moen

NC

Master soaker tub--Aquaglass

OR

Master soaker tub trim--Moen

NC

Master soaker tub valve--Moen

NC

Bathtub waste and overflow--Watco

MO

Full Bath tub/shower--Aquaglass

OR

Full Bath tub/shower trim--Moen

NC

Full Bath tub/shower valve--Moen

NC

Water Heater--Bradford White

PA

Pex Fittings--Zurn

TX

PVC Fittings--Sioux Chief

MO

Hangers/pipe insulators--Sioux Chief

MO

Roof Jack--Oatey

OH

Plumber Putty--Hercules

NJ

Wax rings--Hercules

NJ

Thread Dope--Hercules

NJ

Plumber tape--Smith/Cooper

CA

Black pipe--RJB Wholesale, Inc

WA

Black pipe fittings--Anvil International

NV

Gastite pipe and fittings--Gastite

MA

Soulder Flux--Rectorseal, 

TX

Soulder--Exeon Inc., 

IL

Copper Pipe--Cerro Flow Products Inc.,  

MO

Copper fittings--Elkhart Products Corp., 

IL

Backflow preventor/PRV--Watts, 

ME

Expansion Tank--Amtrol, 

RI

Hose bibs--Woodford, 

CO

Chattahoochee Pencil Company--Atlanta, 

GA

surfer record

unbelievable surfer today... just had to share with you -- check out the video of  Garrett McNamara, a 44 year old surfer from Hawaii riding a record 78 foot wave! Go to 


http://www.vancouversun.com/videos/sports/video.html?embedCode=Y1NzhvNDo4uw0I6ziySnMH4iRA7o7CSO

architects in schools

Last week I left off describing the class project for my 5th graders Architect’s in Schools program at Faubion Elementary.  The program runs from March through the beginning of May every year.  This is the fourth school that I have taught at over the last six years.  My goal is to try and introduce them to what architecture is all about - no easy task in such a short time.  

I have slowly been molding the curriculum each year to simplify and focus on several aspects of architecture...in particular - residential architecture.  We look at history and culture, structure and technology.  We conclude with a client workshop where each student is assigned their own project for a special client.  To make it more fun - their clients are animals.   Each animal requires different types of shelter to accommodate their typical type of habitat as well as some extraordinary human characteristics each animal possesses.

Each year the students are always surprised at how difficult this is ....how time consuming building is and how much thought is involved in creating something from nothing.   However, they always want more time and are never ready to stop.

Next year I think I may try something different for the final project.  - maybe a chicken coup or a treehouse? What do you think?

dog day afternoon

Etching 2011

It feels like a 'dog day afternoon' because all of my blogging plans have gone awry recently and I have become completely sidetracked by other design projects which have eaten up all of my art time.  This dog etching was done by a local elementary student at Forest Park where I taught the Architect’s in Schools program last spring.

This year I am teaching at Faubion Elementary in North Portland.  I am in love with my class of 5th graders.   They are at that magical age where anything is possible.   We are just finishing up some client designs for a personal residence.   These clients are very special though and quite unusual.  They are.......

-- to be continued  in next post....