reside architecture

jake the gardener

“let’s go water the garden!”  those are the words uttered by my almost 3 year old son, jake, pretty much daily. he loves to water the garden and loves to squat down and see the fruits of our labor. a couple of months ago, my wife and i had been wanting to start a garden in our backyard but we didn’t really have space. the only space we had was an area about 9′ x 12′ behind the garage. it seemed like the most logical place but it was already home to a pile of stuff i don’t use that often so who would want to disturb that. if it’s not in your way, don’t move it always say (not really, but i’m thinking on the fly).

so about 6 weeks ago, i picked an especially warm saturday and cleared the area, turned over the soil, got a blister, and then went to the local nursery and bought 7 bags of organic soil to mix into the existing soil. i was hoping jake would like the idea and why wouldn’t he; it’s outside and it’s dirt. needless to say, he was right there when i was planting the seeds and he was putting his own seeds down. he didn’t really seem to get the concept of 2″ apart even after i repeated 6 or 7 times. at what age can they start to read a tape measure or even eyeball????

so there we were one saturday, on our hands and knees planting seeds and plants. jake was proud to show me how his pants got dirty and he also informed me that they are his “gardening pants”. we planted an herb garden consisting of basil, chives, parsley (flat leaf, not the denny’s kind), arugula, dill, thyme and a few variety of beans including edamame (which we are really excited for). we also planted some zucchini, cucmbers, and tomatoes. afterwards we faithfully watered morning and evening for a couple of weeks and slowly tapered back the watering.

within the last two weeks, we’ve really begun seeing things grow. the zuchinni has already started blossoming flowers and small zucchini, and the tomato plants are almost two feet high. it’s pretty fullfilling to see jake run to show people the garden. last night, when his uncle seth came over, we started to walk outside and jake made it very clear to me that “i will show him, don’t you show him” meaning he didn’t want me showing the garden to uncle seth. jake wanted to be the first one there and happily ran into the backyard. at dinner, jake explained to uncle seth that we planted seeds and “rugla”, or as we adults prefer to call it, arugula.

zucchini flower

at the beginning of this article i had intended to write about how to start a garden, what kinds of vegetable to grow, etc. but i somehow got off on the tangent of starting the garden with jake. there’s already a million resources on the internet for that sort of stuff anyway. maybe the point of gardening isn’t really about growing the vegetables after all. maybe it’s more about being outside, tilling the land, and sharing the experience with close family. maybe it’s about playing in the dirt for the afternoon with your son named jake. whatever motivates you or the reasons you may have, it’s time to get outdoors and start that garden…or weed it as is my case.

here is a video tour of the completed roof. we installed a new “cool roof” and solar plumbing system that will supply 90% of the hot water needs for the home. we also reinstalled a 4 kilowatt (4000 watt) photovoltaic system that will supply 60%+ of the homes electrical needs.

westbourne roof tour from david doucette on Vimeo.

i was recently interviewed by the los angeles radio station 870 krla by jessie lovelady of the  the homeshow, and i’ve included the interview below. it’s about a 22 minute interview so grab your favorite beverage and saddle up to the computer for some great information. some of the issues i discuss in the interview are my background, the difference between an architect and a designer, the design process, how much does construction really cost, and things to look for when hiring a general contractor. just click on the play button below. i always knew i had a face for radio… enjoy!

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i was going through some project pictures the other day and realized i haven’t posted the 3D computer renderings of the romaine bathroom so here you go, oh, and remember these are NOT photographs;

this month’s cool product is kohler’s karbon faucet. this is a very cool kitchen faucet that is unlike anything we have seen before. also hats off to the kohler marketing department as they have done a great job at marketing this product. they have a video on the website and you’ll see advertisements for it in the major design magazines.

i’ve chosen to highlight the karbon faucet this month because we installed it in the westbourne project. we purchased it several months ago and i’ve been curious ever since we received it. i couldn’t wait to get it installed. it’s a heavy and substantial piece of “machinery”. it has an articulating arm that allows it to pivot and swivel in several configurations. it can also fold up to a compact little unit when not in use. a bit of a novelty? maybe. but it is a nicely, thought out, designed piece. it becomes more than just another kitchen faucet and will make a statement on any countertop and in any kitchen.

the karbon faucet comes in a variety of finishes, my favorite being the titanium which no longer appears to be an option. they’ve recently added more colors including gold, bronze, and black handles. whichever style you choose, it’s sure to be a conversation piece when you have that party and everyone ends up in the kitchen, you can say “oh, have you seen my faucet?”

dennis b. from san diego, ca writes;

we are getting ready to renovate our kitchen and are searching for contractors but i don’t know where to begin other than referrals from a couple of neighbors. what are some things i should look for in selecting a contractor?

david’s response;

hi dennis, and thank you for writing in.

there are 3 very definite things you should make sure you consider when selecting a contractor for your renovation. one note is that when we are talking about contractors here, we’re really talking about “general contractors”, these are the people who run the whole job and your contract will be with them. the general contractor will in turn hire the subcontractors to complete the work, i.e. plumber, electrician, etc.

now, 3 things to look for;

1. hire only licensed contractors. i cannot emphasize this enough. do not try and save a few bucks by going with a contractor who isn’t licensed as it will surely come back and bite you in the end. if the contractor is knowledgable and reputable, they should be licensed. be sure to check out the california contractors state license board and you can check a license online http://www.cslb.ca.gov/

2. make sure the general contractor carries a general liability policy of at least $1,000,000. for whatever reason, contractors are not required in the state of california to carry a general liability policy (strange to me, yes). however, if they do not carry a general liability policy, they are supposed to tell you but i wouldn’t count on that. ask the general contractor that you are considering hiring if they carry a general liability policy and ask them for the contact name and policy number so you can call his/her insurance company to see if their policy is current.

3. check references for projects that the general contractor has previously completed that are similar in scope to yours. general contractors tend to specialize and a kitchen remodelling contractor may not be the best candidate for a second story addition (then again, they might, your homework will let you know). take the time to check references and talk to his/her past clients. most contractors would gladly provide this information to you.

those are 3 major items i would definately recommend when searching for a general contractor. they are easy to do, don’t take much time or effort, but will go a long way in your comfort level with a contractor once you find the one you like. one final word of caution: don’t necessarily go with the cheapest bid, especially if it’s significantly lower than the rest of them as they probably left something out.

good luck dennis!

here is a short video showing the master closet;

westbourne master closet from david doucette on Vimeo.

here is a tour of the master bath;

westbourne master bath from david doucette on Vimeo.