Let the Building Begin!  Are we in Fort Knox?

During the week of October 11, two major milestones took place.  I hit a certain birthday (ends with a zero) and construction began on the new house that Jeremy Sommer (Sommer Design Studios) designed for me and Bruce in East Beach in Norfolk, Virginia!


Bruce and I selected Jim Schneider of Schneider Custom Builders to build our home.  We took our time in interviewing three members of the East Beach Builders Guild (everyone of which are exceptional builders), and settled on Jim.  We like Jim's professional processes in regard to communication and accounting, his quality team of subcontractors, and especially the positive reviews by his peers and happy customers.  Most importantly, we like that Jim takes great pride in his work and reputation.  We are confident that Jim will do an excellent job for us. 


Once we had Jim on board as the builder, we hired David Ferko with GET Solutions (getsolutionsinc.com) to do the geotechnical engineering.  The soils are East Beach can be
tricky as Blue Mud, dredging material from the Chesapeake Bay, is frequently found on the site.  It's not really a problem, but you do need to plan accordingly.  In our case, GET advised us that pilings would not be necessary, but they wanted to keep an eye on the soils during excavation.

The work began in October for the footings with engineer David Ferko on site to analyze the soils and make sure our home would be stable for us and future generations.  David is one fussy fellow when it comes to details -- a personality trait that serves his clients well.  Not unexpectedly, Blue Mud and poor soils were found during excavation.  The poor soil had to be dug out and gravel installed to provide a solid base for the footings. This photograph shows the extent of the excavation.


Next, rebar waffle cages were installed and concrete footings poured.  You can see the work in this photo.


No lie, we have a foundation worthy of Fort Knox!!

For me and Bruce, this was a hiccup in the building process, spending more time and money than we had hoped. More importantly, we are confident we have a very solid foundation that will serve us well in the future.  We are thankful that our builder and engineer took the time to do things right.

Next up -- the fun part!  Bruce and I go selections shopping with +Jacqueline Johndrow of Romancing the Home and Kristi Leonard with Schneider Custom Builders.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Puzzle of Designing a Custom Home: He Wants, She Wants, We Want -- What's An Architect to Do?????

I've discovered that architect Jeremy
Sommer is good at challenges.  With the discipline of his classic architecture training and experience, his vision and creativity to take advantage of natural amenities with a complex design on a tight homesite, and the patience of a saint with an easy-going personality, Jeremy (Sommer Design Studio) was the perfect choice to design a custom home for me and Bruce at East Beach.


The CHALLENGES
Our homesite is located on 24th Bay Street in East Beach, about three lots back on the block.  With the right design, we hoped to capture some views of the Chesapeake Bay from the first- and second-floor front porches  -- even if just a sliver.

Across the street from our homesite is a beautiful stand of Live Oak trees on a linear park  (thank you +Mike Watkins for your masterful land plan).  The trees are illuminated at night.  As someone who works from home, I hoped that Jeremy could figure out a way that I could enjoy the view of the trees from my office. Bruce and I also wanted Jeremy to maintain the view of the trees from our kitchen and living room, too.  That's not too much to ask, right???

Add to the SHE WANTS list were a vaulted ceiling with exposed trusses, tons of light with multiple dormers, and a back screened porch and garden courtyard that would expand the open living area for entertaining and relaxation.

On the HE WANTS list, Bruce needed a spot for his office work where he wouldn't have to worry about Monica's neat streak.  Most importantly, he wanted a family and friend gathering space that would accommodate their combined family of six kids and five (almost six) grandkids. AND, Bruce wasn't ready to give up the pool table from his soon-to-be-over bachelor days, so the house would need to have a room big enough for a pool table and lounge area. (Smells like a man cave to me!)

The WE WANT list included having privacy, a rental apartment that could be used for income upon retirement (or earlier!), and bedrooms for family and guests.  Also, having room for a third car and for our little dog Beau Beau to run were important, too.

Jeremy worked tirelessly on the plan and Bruce and I couldn't be more excited!  Bruce and I LOVE the design and feel that Jeremy hit a home run in addressing the SHE WANTS, HE WANTS, and WE WANTS.  Jeremy's thoughtful design resulted in a home that will be comfortable, welcoming, and very livable for our active lifestyle.  THANK YOU JEREMY!!!    Take a look and see what you think.