Views From The Porch

CG&S Wins Three 2012 NARI Regional CotY Awards

2012-02-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

We here at CG&S are very happy to announce that three of our projects were selected to receive a Contractor of the Year Award in National Association of the Remodeling Industry Region 5 South Central. Wow, that's a mouthful! Now that we've won on the Regional level, the projects go on to the national competition, to take place in Grapevine, TX.

In winning these awards we are exceptionally grateful to the wonderful clients, designers, project managers, crews, craftsmen, and suppliers that come together to make all of this happen. This collaboration is what ultimately enables us to share the pretty end products like those displayed below.

Enjoy, and thanks!

Entire House $250,000–$500,000

Residential Exterior $100,000 and Over

and last but not least, Residential Kitchen Under $40,000

Stay tuned for the nationals!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-01T14:29:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!, originally uploaded by CG&S Design-Build.

We cleared off "The Big Board" to let our Texas Holiday Imagination run wild. This is what we got.

The Prairie Response to Drought

2011-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

One upside to challenging conditions such as this interminable drought is that it forces us to discover elegant, simple, and natural solutions to complex problems. Perhaps evolving crises like these will force us to create a better world. Whether the motivation is survival or practicality, it's exciting to see ideas such as utilizing endemic species for adapting Austin landscapes to what may be longer cycles of punishing summer. This response heals the land, conserves precious water, protects animal species, and increases the beauty of the environment. That's a lot of all-in-ones!

All Time Warmest Month

2011-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Texas and Oklahoma are RED all over.

It's now official: July 2011 was the hottest month ever in Texas and Oklahoma since reliable temperature records have been kept [about 130 years]. That's great news for air conditioning contractors, ice vendors, and swimming pool operators!

Not such good news however for our guys in the field, who endure this record heat every day, all day. Combined with the strenuous physical exertion inherent with construction work, this "new normal" of consistent 105 degree highs makes for a long, tough summer for our crews. That's one reason we start at 7:00 AM [right after it gets light] and try to knock off about 3:30 or 4:00, when it's only 99 or so.

Randy Gray, one of our lead carpenters, tries to keep his cool, along with a helper.

Our mason works slowly, steadily, and carefully, setting limestone pavers in the hot sun.

These guys have amazing tenacity, strength, and endurance. I need to remember what they are going through more often [as I sit in an air conditioned office typing this] and appreciate their work even more!

Stewart

Design and Build in the Community

2011-08-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

This little article in UT's Know highlights UT Architecture students' efforts to design and build structures in response to the needs of Austin's east side communities. A promising look of design and build in a community context, where residents are directly involved in creating solutions in the built world. This is people applying themselves to architecture, and not architecture being applied to people.

Our Warming Planet

2011-07-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is a very scary graph.

Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time, probably of all recorded time. We are re engineering our planet through the massive burning of fossil fuels and the resultant carbon dioxide emissions. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are at record highs, and we keep burning more oil, gas, and coal, pushing CO2 higher daily. CO2 stays in the atmosphere for 1000 years.

Architects have been concerned about our changing climate for some years now, focusing on minimizing carbon dioxide emissions, as well as maximizing energy efficiency, in the design, construction, and operation of buildings. The American Institute of Architects [AIA] has initiated the 2030 Commitment, where firms commit to designing carbon neutral buildings by the year 2030. This includes factoring in the electrical power it takes to run these buildings. 75% of all electricity generated in the U.S. goes to powering our buildings, and most of this is generated by coal burning power plants. There's your carbon in the atmosphere again.

Fresh off the NOAA website: Hot and getting hotter.

Here at CG&S we're doing our small part, designing and building projects as carbon friendly and energy efficient as we can. Of course we have to make lots of compromises, and cost is always a factor, but every LED lamp in place of an incandescent counts!

It's critical this issue takes center stage in our attention. More to follow.

Stewart

Living Structure

2011-07-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

photo by Bernard Gagnon

This bridge in the mountains of Yemen seems as if it were grown by the canyon walls it connects. At times, building seems to be more a kind of biological adaptation to environment than planned concept and execution. This form is the opposite of the mechanical, the engineered.

By stark contrast to the little footbridge, the Hoover Dam Bypass blasts straight across the Black Canyon:

Here the raw power of technology and engineering alleviates to a great degree the necessity of responding to environment. This ability creates its own type of beauty and aesthetic—this bridge is certainly one of the most awesome built things I've ever seen! It is the awe of accomplishing the impossible, to span such a massive space. The little bridge in the mountains of Yemen is impossible in it's own way, considering the rudimentary methods available to its builders. It literally looks as if it were put together, piece by piece, by hand. But its beauty comes from how it emerges from the landscape; it fits there perfectly, and imparts a sense of completion and totality.

Ever Changing Scope

2011-07-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

Going through client testimonials, I stumbled upon a closing paragraph that describes a client's changing attitude to the scope of a large renovation project:

"I still remember something you said at our very first meeting. You said that typically, in whole house remodels like ours, people have a tendency to grow the project as it progresses. Things that aren’t offensive in the old house become offensive as everything around them gets fixed. At the time, I thought that wasn’t going to happen to us. I thought I knew what I wanted. Of course, you were right. I really appreciate your having said that at the beginning. It helped me to understand why I hadn’t gotten it right at the beginning. I guess it was sort of a license to change my mind. It was a license that let us build a house we now truly love."

Support for project scope to expand increases once improvements begin, but in the unmanifested design phase, the opposite is true. Sometimes we are presented with cases of "the incredible disappearing project", where after much deliberation pieces are taken away from the design, until there's not much left. It's as if real physical change provokes the desire to correct and reform, while careful analysis on paper causes trepidation.

Perhaps this is not surprising. Schematics on paper are ultimately an abstraction, while physical divisions in space become "real". We feel more comfortable as makers, less so as planners. This is the challenge of the process, in a world where we have lost the art of making buildings as second nature. And yet we believe in bridging the gap: by connecting passionate craftsmen to creative designers, clients get to reconnect and directly participate in the art of building and fashioning their own dwelling. There are few things more exciting than obtaining "a license to build a house you truly love".

This Kitchen Needs Help!

2011-07-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a genuine 1976 kitchen. A bicentennial kitchen! Thirty five years young. The original appliances are long gone, some recessed lighting has been added, and a different tile floor put in, but otherwise it's all original.

We improve kitchens like this quite often. Let's explore why they need help.

Dated finishes like plastic laminate countertops and backsplashes, cabinets with an unflattering grain pattern and glossy yellow-brown stain, and generic ceramic tile flooring all contribute to a less than inspired kitchen experience.

Placing a cooktop against a back wall means the cook is in "time out" and has to face away from her friends and family hanging out at the bar.

Inexpensive, builder grade, face frame cabinets are the bottom dwellers of the craft. Low storage with few drawers put most things out of easy reach. "Dead" cabinet corners are really out of reach. Face frames between doors and drawers waste valuable interior storage space.

A family's "command center" is the place where mail, bills, gizmo chargers, phones, calendars, and laptops live. This does not want to happen on a kitchen countertop, but in an adjacent, shielded place.

Cabinets that stop just short of the ceiling result in almost inaccessible high shelves that catch dust and force most people to decorate them with poorly lit, questionable art objects.

Multiple kitchen doorways and circulation paths [especially in corners] disrupt work zones and chop up cabinet runs.

Narrow, deep, dark pantry cabinets without pull-outs ensure a frustrated cook when he can't see / find / grab anything behind the front row of goodies. Way in the back you'll find interesting aged foodstuffs, long forgotten.

Naked, deep refrigerators cause visual pain and block pathways, and contribute to even more clutter when odd objects are stored on top of them.

Mismatched appliances [black and white] just ain't right!

Shallow sinks are not friendly to large pots and pans.

Small windows with high sills don't exactly flood kitchens with daylight.

Large capacity trash and recycling bins at the sink are fundamental, and need a home. Not in this kitchen.

"Space Saver" combination microwave / exhaust hoods recirculate hot air into your face and create a low and deep slot above the cooktop, cramping the cook's style.

Narrow "slot" counters are useless except to create more clutter when things land and stay there.

Kitchen peninsulas trap you in the kitchen away from adjacent areas; islands don't.

This kitchen was fine 35 years ago, but the bar has been raised dramatically since then. Will we be able to fix all of these problems in this kitchen? We'll see.

What about your kitchen?

Stewart

Details

2011-07-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

We received these nice detail photos of one of our Outdoor Living Tour houses from photographer Eric Von.

Details are always a nice way to get the tactile feel of a project. In this case, the corrosion of the woven steel and the smoothness of the ipe are particularly compelling.

Butterfly Roof

2011-07-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

A Good Bath

2011-06-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

The new and improved master suite in a three-part design concept.

The existing suite was big but not well designed.

We've just begun construction on a master suite renovation in Rob Roy, one of our favorite neighborhoods. We're transforming our clients' existing master bathroom and closet into a very special three part space: a new Wardrobe, Dressing room, and Bathroom.

The new wardrobe creates a transitional space between the bedroom and the bath / dressing areas. This gives privacy, sound control, and lots of clothing storage, minimizing the need for dressers and armoirs in the bedroom. Lots of our clients want to de-clutter their bedrooms these days.

The three new spaces are organized by a single axis [center line] that runs the width of the building, terminating in a pair of large new windows. A new vaulted ceiling with continuous cove lighting runs the length of the axis also.

Although we didn't enlarge the closet, we've opened it up to feel larger, added a central island for storage, and a window seat. This makes it easy to sit and put your shoes on!

The new window openings provide better daylight and views [where privacy allows], and we're building in a much higher level of fit and finish. Our clients want the new dressing areas to have "that country club feeling", so we're outfitting them in custom built stained cherry millwork throughout.

It should be pretty spectacular when we're done. Updates to come.

Stewart

You Need Good Ideas!

2011-06-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

To make a 1940's home more livable, we're recommending converting an existing bedroom into a master suite by adding a new dressing area and bath. We also see adding a new family room, and an outdoor living room all connecting to an updated existing kitchen.

In this sketch, we're showing a new kitchen layout with a new support area to the left [formerly a sitting area, rarely used]. These "back rooms" off the kitchen are invaluable.

Stewart here again. We're done with a recent flurry of homes tours, so now it's time to get back to business!

Probably my favorite part of my job is to solve design challenges for new clients. When people come to us with a potential project, before we get into serious design, we'll pop out a quick sketch or two to show them what's possible. I love it when we get a winning idea and we achieve a "Wow, I never thought of that!" excited response.

We'll package this with a quick cost estimate so they get the full picture and can make an informed decision on what to do next.

There's no obligation on their part; we gladly provide this complimentary consultation to folks who are serious about improving their homes.

Perhaps you count yourself in this group. If so, you need good ideas too! Drop us an e-mail or give us a call. We'd love to share an "Aha!" moment with you.

Stewart

Cool House Tour 2011

2011-06-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Check us out this Sunday on the Cool House Tour! Now in its 15th year, this tour offers a rich sampling of energy efficient homes in the Austin area. We're excited to showcase one of our most complete projects to date: a two-phase, full home renovation and 2nd-story addition with a beautifully executed contemporary modernist aesthetic.

Design by Mark Lind
Project Management by Jim Venable

Celebrating a Beautiful New Kitchen

2011-05-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

The new kitchen can acccomodate a big group just fine!

We had the distinct pleasure of attending an end of project party last Friday in Shady Hollow. Our clients opened their 'new' home to the CG&S crew, and we all had a great time celebrating their new kitchen and the adjacent family and dining areas.

The project modernized, enlarged, and integrated the new kitchen with the adjacent living spaces. We introduced new finishes and lighting throughout the first floor, with new striking hickory flooring integrating the newly opened spaces.

Project Manager Jay Schaefer with our clients in their new kitchen.

Ken just loves his new pantry!

The new induction cooktop draws an enthusiatic crowd.

Interior designer Mark Evans [left] shows off.

CG&S Project Team
Stewart Davis AIA - Pricipal Architect
Mark Evans - Interior Designer
Jay Shaefer - Project Manager: Field
Dolores Davis - Project Manager: Office
Max Hambly - Project Estimator

The old kitchen needed updating and integration.

We removed this wall between the old dining area and kitchen to get better flow and openness.

Our clients are understandably proud of their new home and have reported kitchen envy amongst their friends and family!

Stewart

Haunting Yugoslavian Monuments

2011-05-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Just stumbled across these hauntingly beautiful monuments built by various Yugoslavian sculptors in 1960's and '70s. I'm not sure if I would call them beautiful if it weren't for their forlorn, abandoned, crumbling nature. They are so proud and idealistic, looking to the future with no apologies, and yet 40-50 years later they are in a state of disrepair. Perhaps this matches perfectly with the deterioration of the socialist state of Yugoslavia. In any event, these images are thought provoking on a number of levels.

Thomas McConnell Photography

2011-04-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

Thomas McConnell has a sneak peek on his blog of a project he just shot for us. This project promises to be an excellent example of the craftsman style as executed from a contemporary standpoint. Thomas shoots a lot of great work for us, and his blog and website are definitely worth a visit to see a diverse range of output as well as high level of execution. We depend on photography to both tell the story of our spaces and and provide the most compelling image of the work. Thomas' work often does both, which is transcendence of simple documentation. I often like to think about how our work really doesn't exist to the outside world until it is photographed. This is the reason we spend a great deal of care with the photography phase of the project, because in one sense it is the final translation of the needs of the client, met by the ideas and solutions of collaborative architectural process, and the beauty of execution by our construction professionals. This final translation is not true in the most important case, that of our client, but it is absolutely true for the rest of the world. This may be extended to the nature of a company's online existence. If a company is not represented online, it almost does not exist by today's standards. Which says a lot about how the internet has transformed how one perceives the world! Given this, and the fact that photography is the most important way for CG&S to talk about the work we do, underscores most powerfully the importance of image and narrative as represented through the online medium. That's why we're rather taken with photography, and see it as one of the most direct avenues towards advancing our work and key mission, which is improving people's lives through improving their homes, sustainably, and within a holistic urban environment.

Natural Light in the Kitchen

2011-04-13T15:14:00.001-07:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by CG&S Design-Build.

Beautiful daylight illuminates this space through a large, central skylight, which flares to ensure a gentle and diffuse distribution.

Craftsman Done Right

2011-04-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Today Aida and I visited a recently completed interior renovation project in Westlake Hills.

Our clients are passionate about Craftsman / Arts & Crafts architecture. When an uninsulated attic water pipe froze, burst, and then flooded the interior of their home while they were in Costa Rica, they were distraught!

The existing living room.

The existing kitchen.

But in a classic case of making lemonade out of life's lemons, our intrepid couple decided this was the perfect opportunity to create a beautiful, comfortable Craftsman home.

Enter CG&S. With the unwavering commitment for excellence from our clients behind us, we were able to fulfill their vision. The result is simply stunning, and I don't say that very often.

A new wall of windows floods the home with daylight.

The new living room.

At the new kitchen island.

A well-crafted farmhouse kitchen.

Interior stone gives character and texture.

The new master bedroom.

Natural materials make for a cozy and classy vanity.

A sculptural free-standing tub takes center stage in the master bath.

Projects of the first order like this are a result of our clients' commitment and passion, coupled with a skilled design and construction team. It cannot be done any other way.

Stewart

National Award Winner from NARI

2011-04-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Dolores receives our 2011 national CotY award.

Dolores and I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 2011 NARI national business meeting at Jersey City, NJ. The folks in the local New Jersey and New York chapters were amazing and hilarious hosts, and our hotel was directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Not bad!

NARI announces their national Contractor of the Year [CotY for short] awards every year at this event. CG&S picked up our fifth such national award for the Morgan Residence, a project that has been thoroughly discussed and illustrated in these virtual pages previously.

Included here is a brief travelog of the trip. Can't wait until next year!

Stewart

Those New Yorkers aren't shy!

Stewart and Dolores at Rockefeller Center.

Stewart took a trip to the Museum of Modern Art.

In Times Square...

Manhattan at dusk with the Brooklyn Bridge looming.

CG&S Wins 2011 NARI National Award

2011-04-04T14:45:00.001-07:00

Entire House $250,000–$500,000, a set on Flickr.

Over the weekend CG&S picked up the National Award for Entire House $250,000–$500,000 at the NARI 2011 Evening of Excellence in Jersey City. This project was also selected for the 2010 Austin AIA Homes Tour, so this national award cements it as one of our all time greats. Congratulations to Senior Project Designer Mark Lind and Production Manager Danny Scott for their excellent work on this project, and special thanks goes out to our wonderful clients who let us share it with world.

For a rundown on all the other winners, who come from all over the United States, check here.

Custom Designed Tables

2011-03-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

These tables were designed by our very own Gregory Thomas as a vital element for an outdoor living space. He detailed them extensively, and then Joey Souza of Amazonia Cabinetry crafted them beautifully. We've depended on Joey as our standby for custom cabinetry for years, but it turns out he can do quality work with whatever you throw at him! The tables were designed to conceal a musical amplifier and iPod attachment to provide easy music selection for the outdoor room. In the first image of the previous post one can just barely see the tables positioned beyond the screens.

Decorative Screen Door Inserts

2011-03-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

We recently completed a project featuring these beautiful aluminum screen-door inserts made by Susan Wallace. They were the perfect accent to finish off the project. More about this particular space soon.

Oxidized Steel: Another View

2011-03-24T13:42:00.001-07:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by CG&S Design-Build.

As one can see, the pantry is like a center point in the open space. The kitchen opens up on the other side, and the dining and office spaces are to the right.

Steel Acid Patina

2011-03-24T13:34:00.001-07:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by CG&S Design-Build.

This view shows the back side of a pantry that was clad with sheets of steel. The steel, before installation, was layered with different solutions of acid to create rich and varied patterns of oxidation. The sheets were eventually sealed to stop the reaction and lock the patterns in place. The finished product helps an otherwise banal pantry become a beautiful focal point of the home. Slate floors take color cues from this element, providing continuity throughout the floor space and up the stairs.