Current design minus Peter's Spiral staircase.

looking around

The good thing about blogging a process is that you have a record of where you left off. I left off in a holding pattern and I feel that I am in another holding pattern as I blog. I find myself looking to the left and right for things that I have missed. In doing so, I have found some things in areas that I don't necessarily gravitate towards. Too cryptic? Here is an example - I have a running budget spreadsheet... but I do not update it or look at it nearly as much as I sit down to sketch. Updating the budget led me to have a conversation with my bank to see if it would be possible and beneficial to take a builder's line of credit. The possibility of a more robust budget lead me to an analysis of the viability of the options that I have been entertaining. Options of a third storey scheme, a two storey scheme with finished basement and a two storey schemes with unfinished and finished basements. Comparing these schemes on paper complete with rental apartment revenue, expandability, etc etc helped me to see them more clearly as well as in a new light. One of the notable examples of this was the potential for a two storey scheme to have solar panels since the full height allow by zoning would not have been used. This is something I had not thought of in a while. I am now researching the technology.

As push comes to shove and I am getting serious about the detailing I have discovered a way to align the plumbing and ductwork for future work and do so by not interfering with the existing ground floor. This is important as I have decided to renovate the first floor in a different phase.

In a holding pattern

I met with Peter thus afternoon. Chris who is my neighbour on the other side was unable to make it. It would be good to have Chris at the table and part of the mix but that doesn't seem possible at this point. 

It was good having a one on one with Peter s I shared with him some research I had done in the building code about foundations and he share with me construction issues. We are now waiting on our structural engineer to advise us....