The Design is Taking Shape

We met again with Rick and Nicole this past Tuesday.  The "schematic design" phase is now coming to an end and it will soon be time to begin the "design development" phase where all the details (structural, mechanical, materials) are figured out.

Next week we have a meeting with the designer at the kitchen and cabinet firm we chose, Bryce & Doyle.  Wendy is really looking forward to meeting with her and planning out where everything will go.  Then in March they are having a demonstration of Blue Star ranges at their showroom.  We will get to see these ranges in action and learn from a professional how to use them properly.  Ryan is really going to enjoy Mac & Cheese cooked on one of these bad boys!

Below are the latest versions of the first and second floor plans as well as an exterior perspective showing what the house may look like to a person viewing it from the grove.

The House is Done!

As you can see, once we got the dirt out of the pool we decided it was better to keep it.

But seriously, I have done a poor job of keeping my blog updated.  Today I will get you caught up on our progress and hopefully going forward I will do better.  For those of you that are new to my blog check out the previous posts to see what this is all about.

My last post (in September!) let you know that we had decided on our architect.  We have now met with Rick (and Nicole) several times and the schematic design is coming along nicely.

Our first meeting with Rick was out at our lot.  We spent a good hour touring the site and trying to understand its strengths and weaknesses.  We then went to our favorite bakery in Pittsford and spent another hour or two sketching over the site plan and experimenting with different locations for the house.  It became clear during that meeting that we would need to have an engineer do a very detailed topographic survey of the site to mark all of the elevation changes and significant trees.  It was also during this meeting that Rick coined the term "the grove".  The grove is a section of our lot that has some very nice old growth trees that we hope not only to keep but make a focal point.

Following this meeting Wendy and I had some homework to do.  We spent the weekend filling out a 7 page survey that Rick uses to help him understand the wants and needs of his clients.  In addition to filling out the survey we provided him with the list of ideas that we had been compiling.  Together these documents comprise the "programming", essentially a list of constraints that when combined with the unique character of the site give the architect the "rules" that he will try to work within.

Several weeks later we met again at the bakery.  It was at this meeting that we first met Nicole.  (the other architect working on our project)  This was also the first meeting that we got "deliverables"!  Rick and Nicole presented us with three completely different options for how the house could be situated, each with two variations.  The drawings were to scale but only roughly blocked out the spaces. (living, sleeping, etc.)  The purpose of these drawings was to show how the spaces related to each other and to the site.  To help us better understand each option they prepared a scale model of our lot with clay blocks representing each possibility.

After this meeting our homework was to look over each option and variation and provide feedback about what elements we liked and did not like.  They also gave us a few sheets of tracing paper so that we could sketch our own ideas over their designs.  As Wendy and I completed this exercise we started to settle on an option that had a single open space for the kitchen, dining and living room in roughly an L shape.  We also got excited about the possibility of having the screened porch outside of the living space such that they could share a chimney and each have a fireplace.  Below is the sketch Wendy and I made that night. (can you tell why I failed out of architecture?)  It was also that night that I coined the term "the knoll".  Much like "the grove" the knoll is a feature of our site that we hope to make a focal point.  The knoll is a gently sloping area in the south east corner that levels off right before the steep hill forming the southern edge.  If cleared and planted with grass it could become a very nice little yard.

Rick and Nicole then took our feedback and began to further develop the schematic design.  At this point a direction for the design was starting to form so the next time we met all of the deliverables were more focused and only slight variations on a theme.  They provided us with a few drawings at 1/16 scale to show how the design could fit on the site.  They also provided more detailed floor plans at 1/8 scale and an updated model.  This meeting was very exciting as we began to really get a sense of how the house would be laid out.  We also got to see two perspective drawings of the inside, one looking from the dining area towards the kitchen and living room and the other from the living room looking towards the kitchen and dining area.  These were really neat as they gave us a feel for the height and character of the main spaces.

Again our task after the meeting was to provide detailed feedback.  That brings us to today.  Rick and Nicole are again iterating based on our feedback.  We could begin to see exterior elevations and rooflines in our next meeting.  With each round the design becomes more detailed, more articulated and more exciting!  We can't wait to see what the "massing" of the structure will look like.  We are probably still several iterations away from completing the schematic design phase.

Below is a sketch Rick sent us that reflects some of our most recent feedback on siting the house and the orientation of the garage.  The light green areas represent the setbacks.  As you can see the major tress are all plotted as well as the orientation of the sun. (orange shows where the summer sun rises and sets, yellow is the winter sun)  We will probably meet with Rick and Nicole again during the next two weeks.  I'll be sure to update the blog and add more images of the design.  Again, I apologize for falling behind and appreciate that some of you are still interested.

Oh, one more note ... we really did get the pool excavated ... and removed.  It actually cost less than we expected and now that surprise variable is out of the way and accounted for.  When we break ground in the spring we won't have to deal with getting rid of a swimming pool.

Close to Picking an Architect

Another week has passed and more progress has been made.  Last week I met with Rick Hauser of In Site Architecture.  I found Rick through the Not So Big House web site which has a list of architects and builders who subscribe to the Not So Big philosophy.  As I expected Rick quickly began to talk about a lot of the principles that Sarah Susanka has put forth.  Rick believes strongly that a house must relate to it's site and he puts a huge effort into locating a house on the site to take advantage of it's unique qualities.  Like Chait Studios, Rick works frequently with select builders that he trusts with his designs.  Rick also has a lot of expertise in green design and green building as well as LEED certification.  While I don't think we will end up pursuing any certifications we would like to take advantage of green design where it makes sense.

After meeting with Rick my one major concern was the style of houses that I saw in his portfolio and on his web site.  Almost all of the designs I saw had a very "modern" feel to them.  Wendy and I are both interested in a very traditional design and I wanted to make sure that Rick felt comfortable with that.  I expressed this concern in a follow up email and was quite pleased when he responded with an offer to come down and see two houses he designed that were much more traditional forms. (on a holiday weekend no less!)

So, today Wendy and Ryan and I drove down to Geneseo, NY to see the two houses.  The first one we saw is currently in the framing stage of construction and fit very nicely with the site and the large horse barn that the owners had just constructed.  As we walked through the house Rick was able to point out many unique solutions that his team had come up with to meet the home owners wants and needs.

The second house we visited was a 4,000 square foot "cottage" on Silver Lake.  Immediately we were impressed with the design and the craftsmanship with which the house was built but what we really liked was the fact that it was a "shingle style" cottage which is the style we have been leaning towards recently.  Our only concern had been Rick's ability to work in a traditional style and here before us was a gleaming example of the style that we are most interested in!

Overall it was a really fun afternoon and I think we are very close to making a decision on our architect.  It won't be long before we finally get the design process under way.

A Few Pics

It is about time I posted a few pictures of the site so here they are!  I also included an image of the site map at the bottom to help orient you.  The lot is located at the top of a private drive that is shared by four other houses.  The northeast corner of the lot is the lowest point and also where our driveway would enter.  From there much of the lot is flat before it slopes up sharply to both the east edge and the south edge making the southeast corner the highest point.

I hope that these pictures and the site map help to give you a sense of what we are starting with.  Over the next year it will change a lot.  I can't wait!

This first picture is taken from the street and shows the entrance to the private drive.  There is a bridge over a small creek and then the drive climbs uphill for about 100 yards to where our lot is.

Here is the entrance to our lot at the top of the private drive.  The brick wall on the right runs along the east edge of the property and will probably have to be cut back a bit to give us a wider entrance.  It currently reminds me of the narrow one-car garage we rented in Pittsburgh where Wendy managed to knock the mirror off our car twice!  (Red Arrow)

This image shows more of the brick wall that separates us from our neighbor to the east.  The wall runs the length of the boundary from where we enter all the way back to the shed.  (Yellow Arrow)

As you can see the lot is quite wooded.  A number of the smaller trees and brush will need to be cleared to make room for the house and to give us some room for a lawn.  (Green Arrow)

This picture is taken from the top of the slope in the northeast corner looking back down towards the brick wall.  The cleared area is where the pool used to be.  You remember, the one that was subsequently buried on our lot!  (Blue Arrow)

This picture is taken from the same high point on the east edge but instead looks down the property line towards the south.  There is a nice big fruit tree here.  (Orange Arrow)

Here is a picture of the "barn".  The structure is 15'x20' and two stories high with a nice poured concrete floor.  I doubt I'll need a sit-down mower but I will need to find something to park in there! (Purple Arrow)

This final picture shows the west edge right above the brick wall looking back towards the barn. (Pink Arrow)

Here is the site map.  The little square near the purple arrow is the shed/barn.  The shaded area is the private drive and the neighbors driveway.

First Steps

The first major steps will be setting a budget and finding the right architect. Thus my goal this week is to set up meetings with our banker and at least two architecture firms.

The budget for the house will be based mostly on how much the bank is willing to give us for the "end loan".  Financing new construction is a two part process.  The first part is the construction loan.  A construction loan is a short term loan (usually 6 months) used to pay for materials and labor while you build the house.  After each phase of construction is completed a representative from the bank will come out to confirm that the work is done and then the bank will issue a "draw" or the money necessary to pay for what has been finished.  This process of course is meant to limit the risk to the bank.  They won't just give you a check for the whole amount up front and then tell you to go build something.  Construction loans are inherently more risky than mortgages because there isn't tangible collateral.  The bank could get stuck with a lot and a foundation which would be difficult to sell to get their money back.  The nice thing about these loans is that during construction you only make interest payments and only on the money that has been dispersed to that point.

Because the construction loan must be paid off in full after the 6 months are up you need to have a mortgage lined up for that purpose.  This is the "end loan".  The two loans are often written by different  areas of the bank or even two different banks.  Because of this, the entity writing the construction loan wants a guarantee up front that you will be able to pay them off at the end of the build.  This means being approved for a mortgage equal to the amount of the construction loan. So ... knowing now approximately how much we will qualify for will determine our budget for the project.

Finding the right architect might be the most important part of this entire endeavor.  We will need someone who can bring all of our ideas together in a cohesive and beautiful manor.  Trust me, Wendy and I have LOTS of ideas but there is a reason I failed out of the architecture program at CMU!  We want someone who will listen closely but also bring a lot to the table in terms of ideas and inspirations.  We will also most likely need someone who can act as an advisor during the construction phase.  If I GC this myself I will want someone with a lot more experience that I can get guidance from.

I already have two firms picked out in the Rochester area that look interesting.  Ideally I will find another one or two that I can interview.  Interestingly, there are not a lot of architects that specialize in residential design.  I read that today only 10% of all new homes are designed by an architect.  Most are built from stock plans or are drawn up by draftsman that work for the builder.

Finally it is time to begin!  I'll let you all know how week one goes and if I accomplish either of my two goals.

First Bumps in the Road

The barn is now serving as our storage unit.

I spent much of the past weekend making trips out to the property with all of our stuff that will not fit in the apartment. (we are renting a townhouse in the city for a year while we build the house) While I was out there I got to meet one of our future neighbors. He was able to fill me in on much of the history of our lot.

Apparently his house, our lot and the lot next to us were all part of a single property at one point.  The owner, after unsuccessfully trying to sell the house and the 2.5 acres of land, split it into three lots.  My neighbor bought the lot with the house.  My other neighbor bought the smaller lot and built a house and  our lot was bought by his daughter.  She later sold the lot to the people that we bought from.

Half way through our informative conversation he says "They told you about the pool right?".  Of course no one ever mentioned a pool so I thought he must be talking about the small ditch in the center of the lot. Maybe it fills up with water when it rains? Nope! As it turns out our lot used to have a full blown in-ground swimming pool on it.  After they sold the lots the pool turned into a nasty pond and the town finally made them deal with it.

Naturally they drained the water and then used a bulldozer to push the pool shed and the pump into the hole and cover it over with dirt. I guess this means you can look forward to future posts about dealing with an abandoned swimming pool!

Also, as it turns out, the utilities that we thought were all on the property are not.  The electric is there, the gas must be brought across the driveway and the water and sewer may need to be brought all the way up from the road.

And for good measure the lot may have some natural springs on it.

I guess it is better to find this out now but the second elevator is already starting to look like a feature that may have to be cut out.

Why Build a Home?

Building a custom home has always been a dream of ours.  However, it was a dream that we did not see coming true for at least another ten or fifteen years.  When we learned that we would be moving to Rochester, NY (so Wendy could take a job at the University of Rochester) we began looking to buy an existing home.  It was only after months of looking and a little luck that we ended up with a piece of undeveloped land and the opportunity to build our own home.

Here is how it unfolded ...

Our main criteria for location was a walkable community with great public schools. (we are big proponents of public schools)  Interestingly, those two requirements are often at odds with one another. Walkable neighborhoods are most often in cities and city schools are typically not very good.  New Urbanism is slowly trying to change that but for now "white flight" is too often the reality.  Those who can afford to move to the suburbs do so, their high property values generate lots of property tax and those taxes go to building great public schools.  Those who can't afford the suburbs are left behind,  their property values go down, cities lose revenue and the schools systems deteriorate.

While the schools in the suburbs are often very good, they also tend to be spread out and un-walkable.  To get anything (coffee, dinner, paper towels) you have to get in the car and drive.

In trying to find a location that mostly met "good schools and walkable" we chose to focus on the Park Ave neighborhood in the City of Rochester and the Village of Pittsford (a suburb of Rochester)  Park Ave is a great walkable neighborhood in the city but the public school system was a bit of a risk.  There are some very good public schools in the city but you are not guaranteed that your child will attend the right ones.  The Village, while a suburb, is also quite walkable.  The Village is in fact a subsection of the Town of Pittsford.  It is a small historical district in the center of Pittsford with several restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, clothing stores, ice cream shops, etc.  Pittsford also happens to have two of the best public high schools in the country.

So, in my mind we would either find a nice house in the city and I would get involved in the school system to help insure that it continued to improve as our one year old grew to be school aged or we would find a house in The Village where the schools are a no brainer and we could still walk to get dinner.

Unfortunately, finding a house in one of those two locations proved to be more difficult than we had hoped.  My guess is that Wendy and I had too many expectations and were too unwilling to compromise.  Basically we wanted the charm, quality and character of a 100 year old house with out the problems of a 100 year old house.

Then, just when team morale was at an all time low, a piece of land came up for sale in The Village.  This was very hard for us to believe because The Village is very well developed at this point and we didn't even think a single empty lot existed there.  But it was true.  One lot of five was still left undeveloped on a private drive about a quarter mile from the center of The Village.  We quickly called our real estate agent to learn more and that weekend I drove out to Rochester by myself to look at it.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the lot is mostly wooded, quite private and almost an acre.  There was even a rather nice barn (large shed) on the property.  I told Wendy that this was the place and at the end of June we closed on the property.

So ... now we have a piece of land ... time to build a house!