Waiting ....

There was a big turn in events last month with my derelict neighbour selling his house to a builder.  This is good news but it has also stalled the project while I wait for the new owner to take possession and assist with the shared foundation upgrades.  I have also taken the opportunity to offer him to buy my place.  As much as this reno was a dream if has taken up a big chuck of my life and with now being engaged I am looking for an out.  Yes, I asked Val to marry my Thanksgiving weekend!  So now we have a wedding to plan however we set the date for December 2015 which I think is wise.

As for this place it would be nice for a finished house to be our first place together however that is a romantic notion that will be very difficult to realize.  I have decided to meet with an agent for some reassurance that we are doing the right thing here.  Many friends and family are advising me otherwise....I liken this to the the marathon I trained for a ran.  Many did not understand why I would undertake such a thing however it was an experience that I will never forget.

Will this process be similar to that one....perhaps I need to approach it with the same discipline and commitment.....

We are legal... we have our permits

I received the news at the end of this week that my permits have been processed. It took a long time and it is getting cold with an uninsulated half of the house. I am hoping things move quickly from here or at least towards insulation.

Below are a couple of renderings that were useful to visualize the new spaces. I have not be satisfied with the loft as the the bathroom cuts too much into the space. However, my sister and Val vehemenantly asert that an ensuite is necessary. So there in lies the design problem. This morning I worked through an option that changes the tub to a shower and takes the sink out of the bathroom enclosure so that the volume is minimized....I will post this when it is worked out and signed off by the client. It must have been the week off suite layouts at work that has brushed up on my interior sensibilities.

a new course

Shortly after my last post I was laid-off work.  This came as quite a blow personally as well as to the project as the bank would no longer lend the money I was counting on if I did not have an income.

I was determined to make some changes with my house and with time on my hands I started to demolish the decrepit front bedroom ceiling.  I was opening up a world of 100 year old dust and ask.  It felt good to remove that dirt.  My friend's brother Sam is a licensed carpenter and I made a quick plan to simply frame a ceiling using floor joists if a floor was ever to be built.  Not far into this process I began to realize my folly as it was not as simple as I thought and much of the finishes would need to be repaired as a result and due to their age and shape they were not worth it.  Also, I would be left with the same strange configuration of rooms.  "Fail to plan or plan to fail"  This was ironic as I had just spent a year planning ...perhaps I was getting tired of it.

I then took the time to think through a small alteration including a second loft and bathroom.  I had many sleepless nights living in a half deconstructed house and I realized just how emotionally attached we are to the places we inhabit.  Thank goodness for my girlfriend Val who was such a support.

Below are a series of drawings and rendering which show the front house opened up into a Living/Dining Room and a small bedroom and bathroom in the loft space.  On Friday my application for a building permit was finally accepted as they were asking me for additional information and they were very slow processing. I do hope that the processing is indeed the 5 days fast-track though I am not holding my breath.  I have begun to line up contractors and I am afraid of losing them and not getting them back before the cold.

mechanical work

After a bit of hunting we have found a mechanical consultant who fits our budget. It will be tough to keep to this budget so we are being rigorous about it. It feels good to keep to this budget as it seems to give some assurance about being on budget at the end which is always the major concern.
This process is feeling very much like my marathon training experience...there is the length or the process, there is the disciple required and meeting budget each step of the way feels like meeting the splits that a marathoner sets out for themselves to run each kilometer with a certain pace. Similarly in thus process to pass each step on budget.

turning the corner

So far it has been a struggle to find the time to advance the drawings. Picking up the project now and again on evenings and weekend has been both a blessing and a burden. On one hand I am after looking at the project fresh and on the other I forget where I left off.
With spring here to say I see the urgency to finish the permit drawings and I have adjusted my work mode for this. This is the design management part of a project that is so important...taking those small but necessary little steps of faith based on what you know at that time, making decisions and trusting where it will lead. After all this is practice right ?!

inspiration in Philadelphia

Sometimes it takes distance from a project to see things from a different perspective. While on vacation I was impressed by the permanence and and beauty of all the front steps of the historic houses. Surely these steps have been there for ages and nobody has grown tired of them nor do they look tired in themselves. I had yet to think of the entry to this house in such a way.

There have been some big changes from when I last wrote.  We have said good-bye to our beloved dormers  and vestibule and said hello to more light and views.  It took a long time but the design is much better now.  I learned a first hand lesson of what it means to be held back by tradition and history and we now seem to be applying the modern ideas of functionality along with its aesthetic.  As we are bound by the area that was approved with the original design I have had to pull in parts of the second floor to allow for a functional third level room.  I quite like how this has led to some interesting recessed windows which only helps the flatness of our boxes. We are a little nervous that these changes are too drastic for the approvals that we already have but we are taking our chances and I am working hard to get permit drawings together.  Gotta go!