residential architecture

Summer Empty Nest

We are fledgling empty nesters for another week. Our oldest is in Italy studying Latin for the month of July, and we dropped off the younger two at their respective camps in northern Alabama last weekend. In truth, this is not the first time we have been childless for a couple of weeks: our kids’ camp schedules have coordinated for the last three years, but I am thinking a little differently about this summer’s child-free window.

Category: On the Boards

Handprints

Groovy. Painted on the floor of a midcentury home’s utility/rec room. I love thinking about how the parents of these teenagers came around to handing their kids a couple of cans of paint and a paintbrush and let them loose. Maybe the slab painting wasn’t sanctioned. Regardless, the lingering effect of the graffiti on the floor for me was that someone had given the kids the opportunity to shape their space. The room was clearly their own: red and blue paint on the block walls, not quite adult handprints on the walls and floor, and “cool” and groovy” painted prominently on the floor.

Category: Working with an Architect

“Do you know any contractors?”

Absolutely. I know great contractors who do amazing work. The more important question, however, is who are the contractors that would be a good fit for your project, your investment, and your family. Residential construction is personal, and there is no getting around it: your contractor becomes a part of your family for a little while. They know you and your kids, they work with your schedules, and they even feed your pets. The relationship is close, and it requires a great deal of trust.

Category: Publications and News

Tiny Dog Trot House

The Birmingham Chapter of the American Institute of Architects recently presented an exhibit at the Center for Architecture in Birmingham entitled “Living Small,” which explored the multiple ways that “tiny living” has been realized all over the world, including here in Birmingham. As an addition to the exhibit, Birmingham Home and Garden magazine collaborated with local architects to design a series of tiny houses for their Second Homes issue.

Category: Inspiration and Ideas

To Build or Not to Build

I am fairly certain that these are the questions I am asked most frequently in casual conversation. “We’ve been talking about this for a while . . .” “We’ve been looking at houses but haven’t found what we wanted . . .” “We love our street and don’t want to leave it.” Honestly, as an architect, I have the same questions and discussions with my husband. “Should we buy that house? We need to work on the master bath. What about a second story?”