In a post published last year, I wrote about creative use of reclaimed wood. While most content on this site is about home remodeling, retail stores and other businesses can (and do!) the same. A good example is a local branch of Port & Manor that opened in San Rafael, California, not long ago. Before […]
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Amsterdam Architects Build Full-sized Canal House With 3D Printer
Leave it to those Amsterdammers! Famous for their red light district, Old Dutch Masters, and gorgeous canal houses, one is now being built with a 3D printer. A few weeks ago, Annemarie Coevert of the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad reported how DUS architects designed the world’s first building being constructed with a 3D printer. Visitors […]
Rem Koolhaas Back In Baghdad By The Bay
For several weeks, I have had page C2 of the SF Chronicle sitting on my desk. Its City Insider column announced on March 18 that “Dutch superstar architect Rem Koolhaas is getting another crack at San Francisco.” While I never like to see the word “crack” mentioned anywhere near the topic of construction, I suppose this […]
Curved Ipe Deck – Photos & Tips
Summer is getting closer, and decks are wonderful places to spend time outdoors. We have built many of them, mostly using redwood or cedar, and sometimes using composite material or hardwood. Just a few years ago, we crafted a curved ipe deck that became a true labor of love and one of our flagship projects. […]
Building Spirit at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Last September, I visited Tassajara Zenshinji and hot springs, located in California’s Carmel Valley. (more…)
Finishing A Birch Door With GF Arm-R-Seal Urethane Topcoat
One of my desk tops is actually a solid core door. It spans across two filing cabinets, making for a nice, long work surface. The top has an attractive birch veneer skin which I never bothered to seal. I figured I would get around to it some day, and that day finally arrived. In addition, […]
“Skipping the Architect: Wise or Otherwise?”
That is the title of a recent article in The New York Times that caught my eye. I interact with architects and engineers on most projects my company is hired for, so I have first-hand experience with the benefits and sometimes disappointments of working with design pros. I believe it comes down to just a […]
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