building blog

This is a nicely done blog, with pretty thoughtful descriptions of some of the many decisions that have gone into their process of building a house.



I think the bit describing the architects' fee structures is interesting, and I agree with much [though not all] of it.  The writing is enjoyable, and though I certainly don't agree with every aesthetic choice here, it is a great point of reference and gives a really good idea of what it is like to build a house.

I'll definitely be looking at this again but I wouldn't want my clients to think that this experience is typical.  This person hired a design/build firm because he wanted to save money.  But that firm left a whole lot of design and specification out of their package!  He clearly had the time and inclination to do hundreds of hours of research on finish materials, hardware, appliances, fixtures, among other things.   I think the final product came out quite well, considering.  But for most people that kind of time simply isn't available, and they're just not that interested.

There are some decent resources, entertainingly presented, like this post:
making pocket doors a little less shitty

But if it weren't for the comments on his blog this person would never have run across the beauty and bounty of FSB and Sugatsune.

But a design professional doesn't just save you the hassle of slogging through all that stuff.  If you really care about the design and want your house not only to have nice appliances but also to function well and have great space and light, and have all the materials and building systems working in harmony, it honestly pays to hire a professional.

thanks again to swissmiss for the find.  [ever notice how swissmiss is always so nice?]