Bob Vila TV Project - Ch.2 Design
Last time, I wrote about why we needed to build an addition onto my parent’s home in the suburbs of Boston, and how we came to do it on the Bob Vila television program. Today, we’ll get into everything that had to happen before we could break ground. Before beginning any project, you need to do your homework. For us, this meant designing the building, obtaining permits, and planning the work.
We began with the design. Dad had been playing around with ideas for the addition since 2002, but his drawings didn’t have the necessary polish or precision. We would require professional CAD drawings if we were to find other project participants and subcontractors.
I contacted Henry Weinberg, a friend and architect at Payette. I’ve known Henry for years, and have found him to be skilled, diligent and talented. Over the course of several weeks, Henry helped Dad turn his drawings and ideas into a set of plans that were structurally sound, and incorporated green design features.
Green/Sustainable Design
In recent years, there has been much talk about green design and construction. Green construction (also known as sustainability) originated as an outgrowth of the environmental movements of the 1970s, and also as a reaction against the energy crisis of the same period (some have suggested that the concept of “green construction” was first codified in E. F. Schumacher’s 1973 book Small is Beautiful). More specifically, green refers to non-toxic, sustainably-produced materials, energy efficiency, quality and durability, and reuse/recycling. Design features such as solar hot water, energy-efficient windows, and bamboo flooring are often considered to be “green”.
We knew what green design was, and we had a sense for how we wanted to incorporate them into our project. What we didn’t know was how to find manufacturers that would be interested in showcasing their products on our show. At Henry’s suggestion, I attended the Boston Society of Architects’ 2005 Build Boston convention. If you work in the construction industry and live in eastern New England, I highly recommend it. After walking the floor for a few hours, I had found what I needed: several prospects whose products and services were a perfect match for our addition. It was there that I met Tim Cutler of T.J.’s Plumbing & Heating, who would arrange for the donation of Viega PEX radiant tubing, and a Viessmann boiler and solar hot water array. Build Boston also yielded National Fiber, a manufacturer or recycled cellulose insulation, and GroSolar from Vermont, who donated a complete photovoltaic solar system.
Dad did his own research and found Reddi-Form, a New Jersey-based company manufacturing Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). They were also motivated participate, and agreed to supply materials for all of the exterior and basement walls. This part of the process is really fascinating, and I’ll get into it in great detail later.
With our design in hand, we set out for town hall to get ourselves permitted and approved. I anticipated needing two weeks to get everything squared away, assuming that everything would go smoothly. In my next post, we’ll discuss the danger inherent in making assumptions.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!