Tip of the week - 4/22/07

When selecting finish lumber for a project, look for quarter sawn lumber. Unlike plain sawn lumber which has a tendency to twist, cup, and wear unevenly; quarter sawn logs are first divided lengthwise into four pie shape wedges, then each piece of lumber is cut perpendicular to the grain to allow better more even wear, as well as more even grain patterns and reduced shrinkage and swelling.

Do I need an Architect?

When building a new house or simply adding on an extra bedroom, you have a couple options. You can hire only a builder (or contractor) to do the work, or you can hire an architect to design and coordinate the entire process. When hiring a builder, you would likely pick details and plans from a prearranged list of options. In many cases this will result in a perfectly fine home. Hiring an architect provides you with a much deeper level of customization geared solely towards you and your family’s needs. Do you need a covered outdoor space to entertain? Do you enjoy waking up with the morning sun? Do you want an extra large bedroom for the twins? An architect’s job is to collaborate with you and translate these needs into a design for your house. He or she then follows through with the design and acts as your representative during construction, ensuring that everything is built to the highest standards. It is true that not everyone needs an architect, but if you dream of a house that will make a statement about yourself or perfectly suits you and your family’s habits and favorite activities, then an architect is the best person to help you accomplish those goals.

Billy

Birth of the CONima BLOG

It's a firm!!!

Welcome to the CONima blog, gateway to the CONima universe. As a point of introduction, CONima began as a simple idea; the combination of construction and image, a constructed image, CONima. It was a way to exemplify architecture to the world, and to simply (as well as confusingly) explain what it is that I did as a person in architecture first, and at the present time what this firm does. It is repeated in many places, but CONima is the realization of identity through the built form, a constructed image of how you wish to be perceived.

Architecture separates itself from everyday construction by its ability to express something greater than simple enclosure...and that is enough rambling for a newborn.

Learn the basics at http://www.conima.com
more to come...

Eric