End of Summer Construction Update
Anyone in the Lowcountry knows that August means rain, rain, rain! Especially this year! So while the rain has slowed construction down some, there is still a lot of progress on some FAB houses!
Here’s the Bray’s Island cabin- we are loving seeing this one take shape!
The Camellia in Islands of Beaufort! It’s a treat working on this house- the clients and the whole team are making the process a lot of FUN!
We call this one a “Great Porch”, instead of a Great Room inside the house. With our climate, why not bring your main living space outside?? GREAT idea!
I saved the best for last- our office VR room! Before, this room was only nice when we were wearing the VR goggles and transported into one of our designs, now we can enjoy reality too! Our material samples have a very nice home in our custom, cypress cabinetry. Thanks to Powell Brothers Construction and to Charles Stevens for our beautiful venetian plaster walls.
October Construction Updates
The weather is cooling off and activity on our job sites is in full swing!
The Magnolia
First, I want to show one of our Close to Custom houses that has been recently completed in Mississippi. The owners are so happy with their dogtrot! You can see more info about the Magnolia here.
Camellia
Another Close to Custom design, the Camellia, is in the beginning stages in Islands of Beaufort. The foundation is a sealed crawl space for the house and a slab for the garage.
Lucy Creek
Our friends on Lucy Creek are renovating to improve their outdoor living space. It is going to be a fabulous spot to enjoy the view!
Cane Island
Interior trim is going in, and wow, it looks fantastic! That stair hall!
Spring Island Reno
The goal for the kitchen was to lighten and modernize, I think we’ve achieved it at the Shrimp Pond Studio house. Loving the cabinets by Sanders Woodworks!
November Construction
Phase 3 of the Kessler Residence
The Art Studio/ Guest House is pretty much finished. We enjoy working with Esposito Construction and appreciate the quality of construction they deliver. See the rest of this project here.
Brays Island Renovation
Currently, they are working on painting, carpentry, hvac and roofing. The project is about 70% complete.
Fripp Island
The house is getting very close to completion. I just love how the morning light fills the room and makes the walnut media center look so pretty.
Climate Change Risks
Katherine Kokal of the Island Packet recently reported that Beaufort County ranks number one in the United States for climate change risks.
This assessment came from the data from the Rhodium Group and was analyzed by ProPublica and the New York Times Magazine. Beaufort County tops their chart of the risk caused by compounding calamities, including heat, wet bulb (how heat and humidity collide), farm crop yields, sea level rise, and economic damage.
You might wonder what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Many people do not know that 40 percent of energy in the United States is consumed by buildings, so there is a huge opportunity for building owners to make a meaningful impact. Architects around the country are contributing to significant reductions in carbon emissions by participating in the American Institute of Architects 2030 Commitment.
The 2030 Commitment is a platform for architects, engineers, and owners to work together toward the architecture and design community’s goal of achieving a carbon neutral built environment by the year 2030. The 2030 Commitment aims to transform the practice of architecture to respond to the climate crisis in a way that is holistic, firm-wide, project-based, and data-driven. 829 companies have joined the program.
Reporting firms in 2019 recorded 3.3 billion gross square feet across more than 100 countries. That’s nearly the size of New Mexico. And they achieved a 49 percent reduction in predicted energy use intensity – the greatest reduction in the program’s history.
Even small firms can make a big impact. I can confirm that firsthand. Our small residential firm reported a 75.6% reduction last year. Most of our clients do not ask for their projects to be sustainable, so to reach the 2030 commitment goals we have a dual approach. First, focus on passive strategies such as building orientation, fenestration, and roof overhangs that minimize energy needs. Then use best practices in building science for hot humid climates with the correct detailing of drainage planes, air sealing and HVAC designs.
The second approach is harder because in our hot, humid climate we cannot reach 2030 commitment goals without on-site power generation. Many of our clients think that they want a back-up generator because of hurricanes. They usually opt for solar power when we make the case that, with the addition of a power wall of Tesla or SunVault batteries, they can store power for emergency use without a generator. With the Federal and State tax credits, and net metering, the payback is usually around 7-9 years. And that does not include the savings from not purchasing a nasty loud generator.
According to Architecture 2030, as much as 50 percent of a city’s greenhouse gas emissions can be produced by fewer than 5 percent of that city’s buildings.
One building, one project at a time really can make a difference.
April Construction progress
Here are some recent construction photos from our job sites
Brays Island Renovation
Fripp Island Beach House Construction Progress
Cane Island
This project is just getting started
Long Cove Club Renovation
BIG changes at this Long Cove Club house on Hilton Head Island! Slide to see the before and after transformation.
The front exterior was refreshed by raising the existing porch roof, replacing the existing columns with new columns, all new windows, a new front door with sidelights, cable rail on the stair rail and new landscaping.
The new stair rail, by Sean Ahern of Ahern’s Anvil is so much more elegant than the existing. And who wants the HVAC return to be the first thing you see when entering the house? Not us- relocating it definitely elevates the space.
The kitchen is much brighter and more open than before, with a huge island and beautiful cabinetry.
The old pine media center just screamed 1990’s. Here the shelving and fireplace are updated for the 21st Century. Large lift and slide doors bring lots of light in and connect the interior living to the exterior.
This is where this family is going to be spending all their time! Hilton Head Living at its finest!
New outdoor living area with roll down insect screens, new brick fireplace, new roof terrace with insane views over the marshes of Broad Creek, accessed by a new spiral stair. The pool was redone, an outdoor shower added. Replacing the existing rail with cable rail really makes a huge difference!
The team and the clients are HAPPY! Thanks to Esposito Construction and to our FAB clients! What a fun project this was!
Sometimes people think that building a new house is the only way to achieve their dream home, but we are here to tell you, that sometimes a renovation is the way to go. It can be less expensive and more sustainable to rework an existing house. This Long Cove Club renovation is proof. Check out this major renovation on Fripp Island for another example of a transformative renovation.
On the Boards in September
This month our projects on the boards include two renovation projects and the house in Seattle that we have been working on for a while.
Addition and Renovation on Lady's Island
Renovation on St. Helena's Island
The previous owner of this house watched too much HGTV - it is a DIY nightmare. My five year old granddaughter probably could do a better job than this one. Some projects were started and never finished and others looked like whatever material happened to by lying around was used. As you can see it is on a beautiful view. The interior is extremely dark and does not open up to the view.
A new house in Seattle
We have been working on this project for a few months - this is the latest iteration of it. We think it just keeps getting better and better!
Under Construction
Demolition!
We have some great projects under construction. Benjie went out today to see the house in Port Royal Plantation being demo'ed. This project started as a small remodel, but after Hurricane Matthew last year, they decided to rebuild. Benjie described the partially demolished house as looking like a cake with a slice out of it.
Factory Creek House
The Factory Creek House is progressing very nicely. Framing is complete and siding is being installed on the garage and carriage house.
Fripp Island Renovation
The owners of this Fripp Island house were able to breathe a sigh of relief after Hurricane Irma. Had we not raised the house out of the flood plain, it would have been flooded. They were also fortunate in that the impact glass windows were already installed.
Adhering to building codes decreases damage from hurricanes
Our clients on Fripp Island invested in complying to the building code by raising the first floor by about 6 feet. Flood waters were reported to have been up to 4’ under their house, which would have certainly flooded their house prior to raising it.
Have you seen the photographs of Florida neighborhoods showing houses devastated by Irma next to intact houses? The difference is the intact houses were built to the current building code. After Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992, the Florida Building Code underwent significant revisions. The success of those changes was apparent during the 2004 hurricanes of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne. Structural damage due to wind was minor in buildings built to the new code but rain entry became an issue. After the 2004 hurricane season, control of rainwater entry became a priority.
The codes adopted for use in South Carolina, the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Residential Code (IRC), incorporate the wind, rain, and flood aspects of the Florida Building Code. This includes the following:
· Keep the building from blowing away by tying the building together from the roof rafters to the foundation and designing to withstand wind shear.
· The windows and doors need to be impact rated or otherwise protected from flying objects.
· The exterior finishes should be securely fastened to the structure to resist the hurricane winds.
· Keep the rain out by flashing all windows, doors and other penetrations.
· Drain the water away from the building.
· Elevate the building above the flood plain.
· Build with material that tolerate soaking.
· Design the exterior walls to easily dry when they become wet.
It is common to hear someone lamenting, contractors add an upcharge because I live in “NAME ANY DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY”. This is not true. It costs more to build in Beaufort County because building to meet the code for hurricanes costs more.
We are fortunate that Beaufort County and our local municipalities building departments are very strict in enforcing the IBC and IRC. This is not true in all communities. We were talking with a contractor for a project on St. Simons Island, Georgia and mentioned that we would use impact glass. He said, “Well, we don’t use impact glass very often. We usually just have plywood cut to fit the windows for the building inspector and then we reuse the plywood on the next job.”
Through stringent adherence to the building codes, the destruction from hurricanes can be reduced. The goal is expressed best by City Manager Jim Scholl of Key West when he was interviewed about his experience during Irma on NPR Wednesday morning. Scholl said that he rode out the storm in city hall which is a brand new building built to the Florida Building Code and they did not have any damage to the building. They were fine. Everybody here, myself and my team felt very safe.