Form Takes Shape

We're really cooking now. Almost literally with that foam scoop. What a smell? Anyway, we've been working really hard and really efficiently ever since this quarter started on the 5th. Last Friday our SIPS Panels arrived and we unloaded them. It didn't take as long as I thought it would have but it was a task. It probably didn't help that I started a weight lifting program just two days before and I was as sore as can be when we started. Oh well, you live and learn. So it took about 2.5 hours to unload those and then of all things it started to snow. I couldn't believe it. It snowed for a while too. It never really built up that much but there was a pretty significant amount that actually stuck to the ground. Saturday was probably the most productive day we have had out on the site. We had athletes from Tech's basketball and baseball teams helping and what a help they were, particularly their height played a major role when we were putting the SIPS panels in place. The walls went up very quickly. When inside, I could really get a sense of the quality of space, especially in the middle section with these two boxes framing your view into the landscape. From the exterior, the form is very bold, in fact it might have been too bold for a certain councilman. Let me talk about that a little. On Monday, our teacher informed us of an issue that a representative of the neighborhood we are building in was bringing up legal issues involving the lot size and frontage of our property. We kind of thought that the issue would pass because its not like someone would sue Habitat for Humanity. Or would they? Plus, we had done the research for the proper setbacks and variations for this code since the width of our lot doesn't allow for the 50' frontage. But the very next day we were shut down and things got a little crazy then. We discussed it at our meeting that night and we figured out that maybe their issue really wasn't this legal matter but what they were really concerned about was the project as a whole, its form and aesthetics, etc. and how it might affect property values of the neighbors. So we decided to bring our model to the meeting that Habitat had with the councilman and neighbors of the area. At around 3 o'clock we were back at it putting roof panels up on the pier side, which each one is a task getting up there but we work together well when we have to do those. My guess is that the councilman did not understand the project's vision and what it was overall but hopefully that matter is behind us now but it did expose us a little to the legal aspect of architecture. Since then, we've been putting up the roof panels, we finished with the pier side today and we've been cutting out the windows. The views that we have framed up are really poetic, in my opinion. Tomorrow will be another big day. We'll be working with the Delta Chi fraternity on putting the panels up on the utility side of the house.

Quarter's End

So the quarter ends Tuesday and in my opinion I think as a class we are in pretty good shape. Our progress on site and in the studio are picking up speed. Now we have divided certain tasks amongst ourselves and the organizational structure really seems like its going to work as we have basically every major aspect of the house accounted for. I am a point to person for colors, windows and bathrooms. We've been working on the top priority things first and solving these issues so that when materials arrive we will know exactly how to install them and we won't fall behind schedule. Also we've been figuring out the particulars so that we can order components and not have to wait until they arrive to go on to the next step. Things are looking up.

The End of the Beginning

Its been a while since my last entry and a lot has happened since then. After our dirt was put in place we got Tim Kennedy, a local plumber to help us dig out a line for the plumbing. It was amazing to see how he just knew right off the bat what size pieces he was going to need. I thought it was going to be a lot more of a science to it but its really just locating the pipes in the wall, going deep enough in the dirt and maintaining a downwards slope to the back of the house. Getting all that in place under the slab portion of our house went fairly quickly. After that, we put re-bar in place, laid down the vapor barrier and the wire mesh and finished our front formwork. The nexy day, Thursday the 7th, we received our building permit and the inspector okayed for concrete to be poured and the 8th, we witnessed a milestone event as the first permanent construction in the form of the slab was poured. I was really excited because this foundation part is one that I have been a big part of with the design and now it is there. The finishers were tremendously skilled. The older gentleman was like an artist when it came to smoothing the concrete down. You could tell that it was all from experience. Our piers were poured the same day. We had to wheelbarrow concrete to the rear ones and shovel it in but it really didn't take too long. Our brackets for the girders were also set into place. In between then and our sub-floor being ordered and delivered, we primarily focused on design issues. We have been looking at front and back porch iterations and a "datum line" which wraps around the house above the doors and windows and ties it all together. My main focus has been the latter and it has involved drawing multiple elevations and wall sections. Saturday, the 16th, we worked on putting the girders on top of the piers and since then we've been working on the sub-floor construction, lining up the joists and nailing down the decking. So pretty soon, the foundation will be complete and this phase of construction can be checked off the list.

That's a lot of dirt!

Things are really starting to roll along with the house now. I think its safe to say that the code discrepancies are pretty much resolved. This past Saturday we had our ground-breaking ceremony and I think its really starting to settle within the family that this is really happening. As Ms. Evans stated that she felt so blessed that all of this was happening for her and her family, I too feel blessed that I have a part in the experience and that we are making a difference. The Tech Chapter of Habitat came out, along with some members of the faculty and representatives of companies that are providing assistance. I thought Dean Jacobs spoke very well and I'm glad that there is recognition for the project not only because of what we are doing as students but people go out everyday giving of themselves to help others who may not be as fortunate. We got a lot of work done as well. Site clean-up was the major task, particularly for the backyard, and we cleared it up very nicely thanks to the help of members of Tech's chapter of Habitat. Sunday, we took shifts in cutting and bending re-bar at the shop in accordance to the shop drawings that Daniel and I produced. Changes were made to the dimensions of a few pieces and that is going to affect all of the other ones but that is all I'm going to say about that because I know we will find a way to handle it. Today was also a very productive day. We managed to fill in the entire slab portion of the house with dirt to be at the appropriate level. It basically took 6 full truck loads and a whole lot of shoveling but a job well done. Daniel and Shannon were the primary ones handling the tamper because the dirt needed to be compacted but I gave it a shot as well and that machine is very difficult to maneuver. I was impressed that they were able to run it for so long.

The Earth only rotated ONCE!

Its hard to believe how in a time period of 24 hours, that things can change so drastically. It really is just like the world has been turned upside down. At least mine anyway. Just yesterday, I wrote about how exciting it was to be constructing and working on-site and how productive our team has been, and then just like that I was made aware of problems that could potentially force us to do everything over again. Among these, which is probably the biggest one, is the fact that our slab has been located too close to the property line and doesn't allow the proper setback distance. If this holds up, we are in for a lot more work because its not as easy as merely picking up the formwork and shifting it over 2'. Everything had been stringed accurately, braced and staked back, connected to one another, so this, to say the least, can turn out to be a very inconvenient task. Another major issue deals with the inspector saying that our group was not to have constructed any sort of structure, whether permanent or not, without a building permit, which we were under the impression that as long as we were preparing the site for dirtwork and building temporary structure, that we were cleared to do so. Just as long as we hadn't poured concrete, we would be okay, but the inspector has stated that we face a $250 fine for building without a permit. Another hindrance involves the fact that our pier side of our house has not been accepted as the code is being interpreted that all exterior walls have to basically be continuous through the ground and directly on a foundation wall. This can pull us back to changing our design decision to where we will need to design a different system. All of this comes on the verge of trying to schedule our ground-breaking ceremony on Saturday, arranging for dirtwork to be spread within the week among many other pending events. All I can say right now is we have some things to figure out. One positive thing that I will reflect on and end with is that given the current circumstances, I am really impressed and glad that we, as a class, are not panicking the way I would imagine any normal person would.

We're really doing this!!!

Now this project is getting exciting. Ever since we got back from Christmas Break, we have been working ON-SITE. There has been a lot to do as well. We've been clearing out a ton of brush and bringing it to the front of the site for the city to pick it up. There's something about carrying 60 pound logs over and over again that makes you feel so good. And I'm not being sarcastic. I can tell I'm going to get in a lot better shape, strength-wise working on this project and that's exciting in and of itself. But its something about actually being out there that makes you feel like you're being so much more productive. I can tell this is going to be a great experience because its so hands-on and you really learn a lot not only from Habitat volunteers but from your peers as well. So, other than site clean-up, a major focus of ours has been the formwork for the concrete slab portion of the house. Stringing the limits proved to be a fairly difficult task as significant adjustments had to be made but I understand that you're not going to get everything right the first time. Its a lot of trial and error, especially for us students where most of us haven't done this sort of thing before, but you learn from your mistakes. Once we got the strings right, which felt really good because the dimensions were perfect, we continued with driving stakes and nailing 2x12s to define the limits of the slab. Towards the back corner we used plywood instead because it was more efficient since the wall is almost 4' high. This weekend, in my eyes was very productive and each day it hits me more and more that we're actually doing this. And even, though right now what we're doing is temporary construction, we are step-by-step getting closer and closer towards improving the quality of life for a hard-working family.

Establishing a Strong Foundation

From the beginning of this quarter in late November, our class of 11 students, has been working on a design which we will be constructing very soon for a family in need in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. We began with 4 strategies (ways to think about what this house can be) and over the past 3 weeks we have narrowed it down to 1 strategy, 1 scheme. We are currently in development of this plan and I have to say, after being very skeptical at first, we have come a long way and I am excited as what I see has endless possibilities and enormous potential. We have been undergoing the process of creating building permit drawings which we are to submit this Friday. My main particular contribution towards this endeavor has been with regards to the foundation of the building. My partner, Daniel, and I have fairly extensively researched the codes for the structure and drawn 8 details along with a foundation/floor framing plan for the city to review along with the other drawings that my class is producing which include floor plans, building sections, elevations, mechanical/electrical plans, wall sections, etc. So one can see that the foundation drawings are a huge responsibility because they need to be correct or else this house will not stand. Metaphorically, it is also interesting because as we are working on these drawings, we're also creating the foundation of the TEAM. A project like this is truly a collective effort and in order to succeed, positive relationships between each individual must be maintained. Communication is the key. Of course there have been discrepancies, but in my opinion I think we have been doing well in this department and as long as there is respect for the ideas of others, we will have this strong foundation.