studiorenew's blog

The purpose of Iowa's Technical Advisory Network (or "TAN") is to provide technical assistance to potential grant recipients and grantees that require post-award guidance. Through this program, the State Historical Society of Iowa may make up to 24 hours of my services available to you for specific advice on your historic rehabilitation project.

For more information, please contact Kristen Vander Molen at the State Historical Society of Iowa.

I had a great time talking renovation with Michael Libbie on his daily webcast, Insight on Business.

In spite of the name, we didn't talk a whole lot about the "business" of renovation design. Rather, we spent most of the hour talking about preservation - why old buildings are worth preserving, and some examples from around Des Moines.

Join us by watching below!

Monday, January 24, I am scheduled to be a guest on Michael Libbie's "Insight on Business" webcast. We will be talking about preservation, renovation, and urban issues in relation to running a solo design business.

One of the most challenging parts of running a business as a sole practitioner is managing workflow: if there's work to be done, I have to do it. This sometimes means late nights, but it also means that when I'm not working on someone's project, I'm not getting paid!

On occasion, I have subcontracted portions of a project to tap someone's expertise in a specific area, or during times of heavy workload. I don't like doing that because it directly impacts the bottom line. However, it is critically important that client expectations be managed. If I have a design deadline, I do my darndest to meet it, even if that means getting extra help or working late.

Shell is now Weathertight

The siding is complete, shingles on, and entry porch started on the addition project. How about that!?! The entire shell was constructed before breaking through the wall on the interior, in order to keep the construction from intruding on everyday life as much as possible. With the owners gone for a few days, the contractor demoed the interior wall - the future kitchen in the addition is now open to the existing dining room!

In relative construction terms, decks are only a moderately complex undertaking. However, getting the details right is critical in two key locations: (1) attachment to the house and (2) guard rails. Mistakes in these two locations can cause damage to your house, or serious injury to people.

An experienced and knowledgeable designer can help you understand these details and communicate them clearly to your contractor.

Here's a deck I am currently building for a client. Key connections are bolted instead of screwed - many people will tell you this is "overkill", but I believe it is worth the extra few dollars in time and materials to do it right!

Deck Under Construction