Skip to main content

Back to the Chalkboard - Fine Homebuilding

Article Image Cypress Woodworks and Jennifer Lane

This house underwent massive renovations, but the owners decided to keep this chalkboard that they had salvaged years ago. The slate chalkboard was sourced from a local Vermont school house by one of the owners, and the chalkboard configuration is constructed out of reclaimed oak wood from a historic barn in Ohio. The chalkboard had become an integral part of their everyday lives and routines and fit perfectly into their new and refreshed home.  When photographing it, the natural light from the doorway brought out the richness of the repurposed wood.  And the written messages were not made up!  I loved getting to know the family who very warmly invited me into their busy and beautiful home.

Cypress Woodworks

Jennifer Lane Architecture and Design

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

×

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Construction disputes were slightly less contentious last year

The resolution of global construction disputes remained steady in 2016, and the average time it took to resolve those disputes declined  bit, according to the seventh annual Arcadis Global Construction Disputes Report 2017, which is subtitled “Avoiding the Same Pitfalls.” This report reflects the construction disputes that Arcadis’ team handled around the world. The report infers that the roadblocks to expeditious and less cost dispute resolution often stem from the need for better contract administration, robust documentation, and a proactive approach to risk management. “Our industry contains the best problem solvers in the world,” the report states. “But there often seems to be a lack of ability or willingness of the project participants to compromise and resolve disputes at the earliest and most inexpensive stage possible.” Roy Cooper, Senior Vice President of Arcadis Contract Solutions, attributes disputes to “human emotions that can impede settlements, as they do with phys...

Quick turnaround: Partners HealtchCare

This administrative building, the largest in Somerville, Mass., consolidates 4,500 employees from 14 locations across Boston into one place. The project’s 30-month schedule was half of the typical time frame for such a building. So the Building Team had little margin for delays or mistakes. Twice-weekly meetings that included the client, AEC firms, and consultants were guided by seven core values that served as a roadmap during the design process. Once construction began, project leaders established a risk assessment group that identified and assessed potential problems weekly.  The building creates an “all-under-one-roof” organizational concept and culture, with a training center, multipurpose auditorium (available for use by campus residents, the local community, and the Partners’ network), community hubs, and outdoor spaces that include two acres of green space and walking paths. The facility is near a new subway stop, which connects the building to Somerville’s developing mix...

Green building advocates erect icehouses on Penn. state capitol steps to make point on codes

Advocates aiming to prompt Pennsylvania legislators to update the state’s building codes erected two icehouses on the steps of the state Capitol in Harrisburg to make a point about energy efficiency. One 8-foot-by-8-foot icehouse was built to current code; the other was built to passive house energy efficiency standards. In about three weeks, the project’s designers expect that the half-ton of ice in the less efficient shed will have melted completely, while the block in the high-performance building will still be about half of its original size. Pennsylvania has not updated its energy codes since 2009. Advocates also want state lawmakers to reform the process for adopting new codes. The Senate and House passed bills this spring to revise the state’s building code adoption process. A 2011 law requires an advisory board to approve each code change with a two-thirds vote. Interesting read originally from BDC Network