Ten things a GREAT Contractor will Say/Do.

1. "Joe"  here will be the Superintendent on your job.  He will be here every day at 8am.  Here is my phone number and his phone number should you have any questions or concerns.
2. Here are the copies of  licenses and insurance certificates for all the people that will be working on your house.
3. I have prepared a detailed schedule to mitigate delays and manage the team's expectations.
4. I would like to have weekly Team Meetings to review progress we have made, next steps, and any changes to the scope, budgets, shop drawings created for custom work, and schedules.
5. Let's refer to the Construction Documents.
6. Let's ask the Architect what the design intent is before we go changing things.
7. While it may appear that the Structural Engineer has over-designed this, I am sure they have researched the code and done the calculations to ensure the integrity of your house. I will call the Architect and Engineer to review alternatives that achieve the same goals but may result in a cost savings to you. 
8. I have prepared an analysis that outlines the associated costs/savings you will incur for the changes discussed. Additionally, I have prepared the Change Orders with the associated costs/savings for the approved scope changes (resulting from unforeseen conditions or client requests) for the Team's review and approval.
9. I have protected the areas that we are not going to be working in.
10. I look forward to working together with this Team.

Engaging the Contractor can occur at different times.  The interactions discussed above take part during the Construction Administration/Observation Phase. To learn more about how to work with an Architect and the different phases of a project, visit Clawson Architects web site.

House Calls--A New Bi-Monthly Column in The Alternative Press by René Clawson

I am very excited to be writing a new colunm for a hyperlocal daily online news source in our area called The Alternative Press.

My Column while appearing at this time as a Guest Column will be published on or about the 15th and 30th of every month in the Home and Garden Section and is called House Calls. My first titled article is: Finding Mr. Right an opinion about how to find the right General Contractor for your project.

Thank you for your support. 

Any ideas for future articles please let me know.

House Calls--a Professional Opinion

"Clawson Architects, how may we help you?"

"Yes, I live here in town and I need to blow out some walls add on to my house.  I had a guy that does work for me look at this and he says we can do it, I just need to get some blueprints from you."

I listen as the potential clients diagnose all the issues and explain how they propose to remedy the situation.  

While there is no doubt that there is a plethora of information available on line and in magazines, there is also the advisory team of neighbors, friends and family that have done this type of project before...rendering them relative experts.  So, I listen to learn more; it usually comes down to the fact that I really need to SEE what they are talking about.  Typically, I recommend that the potential clients go with our Initial Consult Service.

Like the medical arts, architecture is a visual, problem-solving field of study.  It requires years of study, an internship, and successful completion of board exams before it can be practiced legally.  An Initial Consult allows the patient/homeowner to procure a "Professional Opinion."  The architect will visit the site, examine the existing conditions, listen to the symptoms, observe the restrictions, constraints, opportunities and potential, and then render a professional opinion. It may confirm what the client was thinking and give them the confidence to move forward, either together with the architect or on their own. Most likely, the architect will also convey other potentials the client may not have considered or realized. 

In procuring a professional opinion, there is no reason for the architect to hold back on ideas or observations.  The client is in no way obligated to move forward with that architect, nor are they barred from seeking additional opinions. This Initial Consult has given you one-on-one time with a qualified expert who observes the situation first hand. The client receives very valuable information.  

When the caller said they wanted "blueprints" it really meant NOT my opinion. Blueprints are the result of a technology used to copy large drawings; they are produced on clear vellum or mylar and rarely used in the architectural world any more. The term blueprints has come to represent "detailed plans."  So, what they really asked for are accurate drawings depicting the existing conditions, details for the areas of work (demolition plans, dimensioned floor plans, electrical, structural and mechanical drawings and material specifications and details for their project), and a professional seal and liability insurance from an architect or engineer (certifying and insuring that the drawings and calculations are correct and that they meet state and local building codes). The drawings will serve as construction documents and the formal contract between the client and the contractor; if followed, the drawings will protect the integrity of the client's investment in their home.

I also heard the request to "add on." However, I have found on many Initial Consults that the house is really big enough already. The issues are of alignment:  the home lacks organization, storage and flow that is consistent with the client's living style, and in most cases they have 'given up'.  I am often shown a stack of images of what the client would like and 9 out of 10 times, it is a clean, bright, organized home.  While there are many people that will give you generic "blueprints" for a box on the back of your house, skilled architects will offer creative solutions to more complex problems and a holistic approach that addresses the whole home and lifestyle.  We have found that many times the solution is in the box or can be achieved by "pushing the envelope." The professional fees in these types of renovations are often returned quickly in the form of cost-savings:  reduced construction material costs and avoiding property tax and utility increases that would've resulted from a home with a larger footprint.  

So, three things before you add on:

1. Consider your lifestyle and what is working and what is not working for you...the symptoms, not the diagnosis.
   
2. "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."  William Morris
   
3. Call on a true professional for an opinion.

Hire a professional to assist you in documenting the project you would like to construct and live in and remember: this architect still makes house calls before, during and after construction.

visit Clawson Architects on facebook and the web.

   

Gutter Talk--Gutter and Downspout Maintenance

So, yesterday we had a taste of Spring here in the Northeast...and today, it is not as cold as they forecasted. This is allowing for a slow melt... a good thing. The ground and drainage systems have time to absorb the water. It gives us, the home owners a chance to run outside and check out the damage from this Winter Assault we have endured. This is your big chance before the next Winter Blast....or the Spring Rain to...

Check your gutters.

As I drive around town, I see lots of hanging gutters. The icicles were beautiful but they wreak havoc on gutters and downspouts. Many forgot to clear their gutters this fall. A task that should really take place quarterly. So go for it, make sure they are still attached to the house and that the downspouts are still connected and clear, and that they are directed away from the house. If there is some damage call the "Gutter Guys" in town and get some help. This little bit of maintenance could prevent a more drastic spring flood in your basement.

And as we dream about Spring....
Think about scheduling your Air Conditioning Maintenance...

Shelter

One only has to walk through the streets of New York City to see the homeless trying to stay warm. Sometimes its a small structure made from boxes or found objects. On Fifth Avenue you can see many on the steps of St. Thomas. This past December, I had the opportunity to attend Picture the Family, a breakfast hosted by the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Essex County (IHN). The objective was to put a face to the Homeless Families here in Essex County and to showcase how through a network of volunteers and donations different faith based organizations were making a difference in the lives of many.

Here at Clawson Architects we have the privilege of assisting our clients build their dream houses. We are blessed to have a successful practice with successful clients. This year as we begin to set our goals for giving back to the community we have selected to become a Dream Team Member...pledging to support the effort of the Interfaith Hospitality Network with a quarterly donation.

This support allows IHN to make important strides by helping to direct more families to their own dwellings along with family, job and financial counseling. To learn more and even add your support through monetary contributions or volunteering contact IHN info@IHNEssexNJ.org

Can You Afford an Architect for your Renovation?

If you are thinking of renovating, altering or adding on to an existing home, I say you can't afford not to use an Architect. Not just because I am one, but because our firm gets called in all the time to fix the projects that were done without one or with an unqualified one.

What is qualified? If you are working on your home, qualify that the Architect's experience is in residential work. The American Institute of Architects can also assist in matching you with an Architect in your area. A family member or friend that works for a "Big Time, Big Building firm" typically does not understand the scale, the details required or the zoning to do residential work and while the fees may seem like a deal...you will always get what you pay for.

Your home is quite possibly one of your most valuable assets. A good Architect is the insurance you need to protect the integrity of that investment. A good Architect creates straight forward, sophisticated solution to complex problems. The solutions can add value and can reduce project costs in excess of the entire fee. At Clawson Architects, many of our clients have realized a return on their investment that yielded far more than our fees.

As one client put it, "By simply suggesting that we relocate our front door to the other side of the house, Clawson Architects saved me $150,000...the cost of constructing an addition and the associated taxes and utilities on a larger home."

In other situations, our clients have realized a cost savings far greater than our fees just in the cost of a competitive bid based on quality, well defined details in our drawings/construction documents and our knowledge of the construction of their home. So, when your friends and builders say you don't need an Architect to renovate your home, my guess is that they have never worked with a Licensed Architect or at least not a good one.

Loving Frank and Why You Should Too.

This past week Marvin Clawson, my husband/business partner and I, attended the Traditional Building Show in Chicago. The Show is an opportunity to attend classes, workshops and tours as well as view the latest products related to Traditional Building. This was also a chance for Marvin and me to getaway which doesn't happen too often and for me to see Chicago for the first time.


When we arrived in Chicago on Wednesday, we hit the ground running, our first tour was Historic Oak Park to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio as well as about a half dozen of his residential projects and culminating in a tour of Wright's Unity Temple. It was unseasonably warm and sunny and we were able to meander the streets of Oak Park and hear all about the homes Wright was retained to design. We learned about how Mr. Wright was ahead of his time, and how the homes Wright designed are modern in appearance however, they were built during the same time as the surrounding Victorian Homes that line the streets. We learned of the 'Path of Discovery' and how Mr. Wright often hid the front door. How he brought you onto the site and how you entered the home was no accident.


A few years ago, while in Wisconsin, I had the opportunity to visit Taliesin East, and living in New York City, I have been to the Guggenheim, most recently to see the exhibit of Frank Lloyd Wrights work. Much is written about Mr. Wright, his life and family and how he often designed the furniture and its location, the rugs and the lighting fixtures. Some talk adoringly about him "controlling" everything in and about the house including how you walk to the front door while others criticize this and ask "Why are Architects such Control Freaks?"


Well my friends...we Architects can be a little Obsessive ...and as you look for an Architect, you may want to consider this trait a good one...and while I have intuitively understood why some may feel one way or the other never has it been so clear why allowing the architect to render complete services, staying involved to the end, whether designing the furnishings and furniture or guiding in the selection and placement as an independent service or in collaboration with an interior designer is very important. This will yield a much stronger end result and protect your investment in the Architects Designs. Allow me to continue and explain how.

No trip to Chicago or Tour of Frank Lloyd Wrights work by two architects would be complete without a trip to the Robie House in Hyde Park. Now 100 years old, it is being restored for the Centennial Celebration. The tour begins with an introduction to time period when Mr. Robie retained Mr. Wright to design the house. It was an opportunity for Mr. Wright to work with someone who appreciated his unique Prairie Style home, the style that Frank Lloyd Wright is credited with and hailed as the original American Architectural style. The Guide first had us go across the street to a new building designed for the University of Chicago, the Charles M. Harper Center designed by another distinguished and world-renowned architect Rafael Viñoly.

We went up on to the Terrace of this building to view the Robie House. The Guide talked about how Mr. Viñoly and the University of Chicago (the current owner of the Robie House) realized that the Robie House was special and had a place in American Architectural History. They wanted to respect what Mr. Wright had created and so, Viñoly pulled his building back from the street creating exterior terrace spaces with plantings and paid homage by emulating the long horizontal lines of the Prairie Style Wright had become known for and allowing people the opportunity to stand back off the street and view what is considered to be one of the most recognizable elevations of the Robie House. We then ventured back across the street and continued on the by now, well known "Path of Discovery." Well into the house, we stood in what is the Living Room of the Robie House. The Guide talked about the sofa and the built-in storage Wright designed and pointed out the lighting fixtures, other built in storage pieces and the art glass in the windows. The Guide continued to talk and as I gazed out thru the beautiful art glass windows it hit me..."Wright controlled all the views, " we had been told..."into, around and out of the house." Well I am sure he never dreamed that when we looked out of his window that instead of a Prairie we would look at a series of clear glass office spaces where 'control had been lost'. The offices in the spaces across the street in the Harper Center are floor to ceiling glass. You see it all, from the backs of computers with all the cables hanging out to stacks of books piled willy nilly all over. It was Sunday and an empty chair sits facing its desk and I shutter to think what the view could be if a woman with a skirt sits in that chair.


Architecture is meant to be experienced...and I was reminded of that as I walked in and around Wrights work. His drawings are cherished as works of art, as are the thousands of coffee table books and gifts bearing his art glass designs...but walking in and around his houses is something to put on your bucket list. Seeing the development of his work over a twenty year stretch with in a few days was a real treat. And...by allowing the Architect to draw more, and consider the furniture, and exact windows and locations you are allowing the "inner Control Freak" in your Architect to help you with how your space will be experienced not only by you looking out by by others looking in.


Luckily, Marvin and I are passionate about architecture so our weekend exploring Chicago and the works of Frank Lloyd Wright was an exciting and rejuvenating trip. We did have time to chill with friends (all architects/architectural historians of course) new and old and enjoy drinks at the Signature Bar atop The John Hancock Tower, because after all, it is all about the views.