MODEL BUILDING

Design LAB & Starter Home 2.0 Models

With less than a month remaining until the 2015 Design LAB student projects are put on public display at the Downtown Library, participating classrooms have started the process of constructing their final models for the dwelling projects they have been designing. Model building is something I have found that many of the Design LAB students struggle with due to a lack of experience, so a couple years ago I decided to build a model of the Starter Home 2.0 project to share with the class I was volunteering with to give the kids an example of what an architectural model might look like. While the design has evolved considerably since this model was built back in 2013, the basic idea is pretty similar to what is currently being built, so I thought it was worth posting.

GROUNDBREAKING

Starter Home 2.0 Excavation Begins

After 2+ years of planning and preparation, the Starter Home 2.0 project finally broke ground yesterday. Based on the recommendation of the surveyor and builder when verifying the current and proposed grading for the site, it was decided yesterday morning to set the first floor elevation a foot higher than was previously shown on the plot plan. Doing this allows for proper drainage away from the house and will limit the amount of dirt that needs to be hauled off site. In visiting the site yesterday afternoon, I was able to take some pictures that are posted below and meet the next door neighbor to the west of the lot for the first time, who has lived on Parkview for nearly 40 years.

RAIN DELAY

Digging Postponed Due to Weather

I was able to stop by the lot today on my way back from visiting with my Design LAB students at Nativity School, and as expected, the soaking rain prevented groundbreaking from taking place as originally anticipated. I'm building a house, not an inground swimming pool, so it was definitely the right call to delay excavation a day or two. There have been some material deliveries with the rebar and drain tile that will be used in and around the foundation arriving on site the past few days, so I took a couple pictures of those posted below. I'll be back up that way again later this afternoon and take some additional photos if work starts.

PERMIT ISSUED

ezTrak Record Details

Throughout the permit process the builder and myself have been keeping an open dialogue with the various plan reviewers to try and keep approvals moving as smoothly as possible, so we were given advanced notice that the permits were ready for issuance prior to yesterday's ezTrak website update. That said, it was still a relief to see it made official on the City of Cincinnati's online permitting website that we were approved to build. Below is a screenshot of the approvals breakdown and here is a link to the page.

WEATHER PERMITTING

Groundbreaking Scheduled Tomorrow

With all of the permits secured and loan closed, the only thing standing in the way of construction starting on the Starter Home 2.0 is weather. Digging is scheduled to begin tomorrow with footings being poured on Friday, but the forecast does not look like it wants to cooperate with that timeline. According to the Weather Channel, there is a 100% chance of rain tomorrow with temperatures falling below freezing meaning the groundbreaking for the project will most likely be pushed back to next week when the forecast calls for nicer weather. I'll start posting daily construction photos once digging starts (whenever that might be), so be on the lookout for those. 

LOAN CLOSED

Construction Loan Closing

I am happy to report that yesterday I was able to close on the Starter Home 2.0 Construction Loan as scheduled. This is the second closing I have taken part in for this project, with the first being back in 2013 when I originally purchased the property. However the process was somewhat different than the first with that closing involving a transfer of property (seller) and no loan, and this closing involving a loan, but no transfer of property. As mentioned in previous posts, Guardian Savings Bank is the lender for this project and the settlement agent that conducted the closing was Nielson & Sherry, PSC. Below is a list of the different documents signed and incorporated into the construction loan to give an idea of what all is involved in the transaction.

• HUD-1 Settlement Statement
• Mortgage
• Appraisal of Real Property
• Adjustable Rate Note
• Miscellaneous Disclosure Forms

PINS IN

Property Line Pins

Today when I was passing through Pleasant Ridge I stopped by the site and took some pictures of the property line pin markers put in place by the builder's surveyor so the corners of the house could be located for excavation next week. Below are some pictures of the lot. I was also able to meet one of the next door neighbors and give her a heads up that digging would start next week. Another positive from the visit was that I was able to learn that the house two doors down from the Starter Home 2.0 is in the process of a major renovation, which is good news for the growth and development of the neighborhood.

CLOSING TIME

Construction Loan Closing Set

Yesterday I had a call with the Construction Lender and Title Company being used for the Starter Home 2.0 project and was able to get the loan closing scheduled for Monday morning (March 23) over at Guardian Savings Bank Cherry Grove branch location. With this date set, Mike Brown Construction was able to schedule digging for the middle of next week and set-up a meeting with the surveyor to set pins today or tomorrow. I'll post some photos of the pins this weekend and will try and post daily construction photos once excavation starts.

RENDERINGS RE-POST

Starter Home 2.0 Exterior and Interior Imagery

I thought it would be worthwhile to re-post the most current project renderings in a single post since they are somewhat scattered throughout the blog. Please see images below and hopefully I will be able to start posting construction photos in the next couple weeks.

MILLENNIAL MOJO RISES

Survey Finds Younger Buyers Taking Over

The following text is taken from a Builder Online article in reference to a National Association of Realtors survey that suggests that concerns about younger buyers waiting in the wings are overblown. 

Per the NAR statement: For the second consecutive year, NAR’s study found that the largest group of recent buyers was the millennial generation, those 34 and younger, who composed 32 percent of all buyers (31 percent in 2013). Generation X, ages 35-49, was closely behind with a 27 percent share. Millennial buyers represented more than double the amount of younger boomer (ages 50-59) and older boomer (60-68) buyers (at 31 percent). The Silent Generation (ages 69-89) made up 10 percent of buyers in the past year. 

There's more.Read more >

PRM CHARETTE

Pleasant Ridge Montessori Design Charette

One of my favorite things about being an Architect at SHP Leading Design is the opportunity to work on projects in communities I have personal connections with to improve the environments for learning and living in the area. Yesterday morning I had the chance to help facilitate a design charette hosted at SHP's Cincinnati Office for a group of stakeholders (staff, students, parents and volunteers) at Pleasant Ridge Montessori (PRM) to identify challenges and opportunities associated with the school's increasing enrollment outgrowing the population the building was originally designed for. The charette proved beneficial for all those involved and provided the design team with valuable insights to start moving forward with some initial concepts.

One of the unique things I learned about PRM during the process of preparing for the design charette was that unlike other montessori schools in the Cincinnati Public School District, is that PRM is a neighborhood school (as opposed to a magnet school) that is open for all children in the Pleasant Ridge community to attend. As a result, the neighborhood pride and support for the school is exceptional. The positive reputation of the school also provides a nice bump in real estate values and rental demand for the immediate area, which you can see the Starter Home 2.0 project falls within.  

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ROOM TO RELAX

Unique Children's Study Space

Builder Magazine runs regular feature articles on different types of homes around the world, but the most recent article on this house in Australia stood out to me because it features quite possibly the coolest room I have ever seen in a home. The double-height children's study room is divided into two levels by the use of a hanging net for the kids to sit, relax and work. My only concern would be dropping a phone or smaller objects through the holes, but I love the concept of finding a way to make use of the extra volume in the space.

DRONE FUN

Parkview Aerial Photo

I was at Pleasant Ridge Montessori school this afternoon with one of my co-workers who owns a drone we use to take aerial photos of projects and he was able to snap this very cool image of Parkview Avenue while taking pictures of the school. Below is the image along with a video I took of the drone taking off. I also had the chance to fly and land the drone, which was pretty fun.

THE WAITING GAME

Metropolitan Sewer District and Loan Closing

Status Update: As of the morning of 3/11/15 as I write this post, there are two outstanding issues that are holding up the start of construction. The first is that I am still waiting on approvals from Metropolitan Sewer District with regards to the 'Request for Sewer Availability Form' I filled out and sent to them weeks ago. The second being my closing on the construction loan with Guardian Bank. I sent the lender an email yesterday for an update on where everything is at with this, since I was told that the pre-construction appraisal should have been completed by now and that was the only thing they needed to put the loan package together. I'm hopeful I can get both of these items resolved by the end of the week so that construction can start on the project next week.

VIDEO: WON’T BUY OR CAN’T BUY?

Builder Q&A with David Berson

Below is a video from BuilderOnline.com discussing if the myth about millennials being renters by choice true, and asking whether this generation views home buying differently than those that came before them? After a year of low housing starts in 2014, David Berson, chief economist with Nationwide Insurance, discusses the economic factors that bar these young buyers from entering the housing market.

FORM-BASED CODE

Form-Based Code Considered for Pleasant Ridge Business District

Form-based code is an alternative approach to zoning that many City of Cincinnati policy-makers have been bullish on in recent years. Several neighborhoods have adopted it already and Pleasant Ridge is the latest to consider it. While somewhat familiar with the concept, I don't feel like I know it well enough to have an opinion with regards to whether I'm in favor of it or not. That said, I thought I would post some introductory material on Form-Based Code below to give myself and others the opportunity to become more educated on the topic. 

From Building Cincinnati Facebook Post:

CITY COUNCIL 3/4: Adopted a motion directing the City to work with Pleasant Ridge to identify if a Form-Based Code can be implemented in the neighborhood business district and to identify the potential costs and funding sources necessary to establish it. A report from the Department of City Planning and Buildings is due before Council by April 6.

What is Form-Based Code? (Cincinnati Form Based Code)
Form-based coding represents a paradigm shift in the way that the built environment is regulated.  is shift is necessary because the conventional, use-based approach to zoning has been shown to be ineffective for regulating diverse, urban, mixed-use environments. Cincinnati is using form-based coding to help achieve the overarching goal of Plan Cincinnati, which is "thriving re-urbanization."  The formal short definition of a form based code is as follows:

Form-based codes foster predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) as the organizing principle for the code. These codes are adopted into city or county law as regulations, not mere guidelines. Form-based codes are an alternative to conventional zoning.~ Form-Based Codes Institute

Unlike conventional codes, form-based codes use the intended form and character of a place (or context) as the organizing principle or framework of the code, rather than use, and regulate a series of important elements not just to create a good individual building but to create a high-quality place.  The naming conventions in form-based codes reflect the intended physical form and hierarchy of different places. For example, instead of a zone being labeled “single-family residential,” it might be called “traditional neighborhood.” Instead of a zone being called “commercial” or “mixed use,” it might be called “neighborhood main street.”  The terms “neighborhood” and “main street” refer to the intended physical form or place, both of which may include a mix of uses and different building types that create vibrant walkable urbanism. It is also important to note that while form-based codes primarily regulate an intended physical form, they also regulate use secondarily. Form-based codes often allow a range of uses that are carefully chosen to maximize compatibility between uses and the intended physical form of the zone.  The use tables are simpli€fied and categorized by use type and are clearly defined to allow a greater degree of administrative decision-making related to particular uses.

The Rural-to-Urban Transect: The Framework for the Form-Based Code
The rural-to-urban transect is an organizing principle used in form-based coding that establishes a hierarchy of places/contexts from the most rural to the most urban. The designation of each zone along this hierarchy is determined first by the character and form, intensity of development, and type of place and secondly by the mix of uses within the area. This hierarchy of places becomes the framework/organizing principle for the entire form-based code, replacing use as the organizing principle as is used in conventional or Euclidean zoning. Transect zones are used to reinforce existing or to create new walkable mixed-use urban environments.

The Rural-to-Urban Transect is a means for considering and organizing the human habitat in a continuum of intensity that ranges from the most rural condition to the most urban. It provides a standardized method for di€fferentiating between the intentions for urban form in various areas using gradual transitions rather than harsh distinctions. The zones are primarily classified by the physical intensity of the built form, the relationship between nature and the built environment, and the complexity of uses within the zone.~ Form-Based Codes Institute

A natural transect diagram on top with the rural-to-urban transect below.  is urban-to-rural transect diagram illustrates a continuum of places from the most rural to the most urban from le! to right. Image courtesy of DPZ.

CINCY SUMMIT

CINCINNATI NEIGHBORHOOD SUMMIT 2015

Saturday I was able to attend my first Cincinnati Neighborhood Summit Event held at the Cintas Center at Xavier University. It was incredibly motivating to see so many people dedicated to making their neighborhoods a better place to live and I was able to learn a lot about development, transportation, and community health and well being. The event opened up with Mayor John Cranley briefing the audience on where we've been, and where we're going with regards to the development in Cincinnati's 52 neighborhoods, and was followed by a series of workshops. Some random takeaways from the event I found interesting.

• "Don't let the tail wag the dog" when it comes to development projects. You need a plan and a vision for what you want to do first before you go after funds.
• Construction prices are going up fast across the board, but especially for Historic Renovation projects.
• Commercial revenues/rents are the place makers. Keep them low to attract the merchants you and the community want. This will boost demand and allow for higher rents in the residential units above.

Overall, it was a great way to spend my Saturday and I look forward to taking an active role in the community development of Pleasant Ridge once I complete the Starter Home 2.0 project and move in.

PRE-CONSTRUCTION APPRAISAL

Construction Loan Update

Yesterday I received a call from a lady named Gayle who is the appraiser hired by Guardian Savings Bank to establish an as-built market value for the Starter Home 2.0 project and was asked to confirm some last-minute plan and specification items needed to complete the pre-construction appraisal required to close on the construction loan. Some of the items discussed were floor finishes, counter tops, the driveway and garage. One of the things I was curious to find out was how the appraiser would go about identifying comps for the project with the lack of new single-family home construction in Pleasant Ridge. Gayle's response was that she would look to new construction projects in Oakley as a base line and was also extremely complimentary of Mike Brown Construction's work, which bodes well for the appraisal. I'm expecting the pre-construction appraisal to be completed early next week and hoping to be able to close on the loan by the end of next week.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro

Last summer I made the decision to invest in a tablet for work and it has turned out to be one of the best purchases I have ever made as it relates to my job as an Architect. Below is a breakdown of some of my favorite applications I have put to use on a regular basis for the Starter Home 2.0 and other projects.

(1.) S Note

After compiling dozens of notebooks full of sketches and notes for the different projects I worked on, I'm happy to say 'S Note' has allowed me to keep all of those sketches and notes in one convenient location. The 'S Pen' allows for easy freehand drawing and annotating and has effectively eliminated my use of traditional notebooks.

(2.) Adobe Reader

The Adobe Reader software on the Galaxy Note Pro lets me mark-up PDF plans with annotations and comments, which comes in handy during meetings and site visits.

(3.) Skitch

Similar to the way Adobe Reader allows me to mark-up PDFs, the Skitch App allows me to mark-up photos I take on the tablet's camera. I use Skitch all the time when on construction sites and whenever I see something in public that catches my attention that I want to take note of.

(4.) Google, GMail, Drive, Etc. 

I use GMail for both my personal and work email and have a Google based Android phone, so having a tablet with the same Google interface makes email, scheduling, and file storage a relatively seamless process whether on my PC, phone or tablet.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS

60 Minutes Reports Health & Safety Violations

Lumber Liquidators has been under fire after a '60 Minutes' investigation found that their Chinese made laminate flooring had 6 to 7 times the amount of toxic formaldehyde permitted by US health and safety standards. The company's hardwood and bamboo flooring, which I am interested in using, doesn't have any issues nor does their American made laminate flooring. I am still considering using Lumber Liquidators in the Starter Home 2.0 project, but will need to see how the company's situation plays out the next few weeks before selecting flooring finishes. Below is the '60 Minutes' piece that aired this past Sunday.

NO HOMEARAMA

Homearama 2015 Canceled

It was announced last week that Cincinnati's largest and longest running annual home show 'Homearama' will be cancelled in 2015. This isn't the first time that the show has skipped a year, which was the case a few years ago during the middle of the housing recession, but the reasoning for the cancellation was what stood out to me. According to a spokesman with the show, the cancellation is a result of "increased activity in other segments of the housing market." In other words, builders are finding better opportunities in more urban developments, which prompted this editorial on urbancincy.com proposing that the Homearama event be moved from the outer ring suburbs in surrounding counties, back into Cincinnati's more urban neighborhoods, such as Walnut Hills, Obryonville and Pleasant Ridge to name a few. Assuming the floor plans and elevations are modified from the standard Homearama layout to fit a more urban context, I think this is an idea the City of Cincinnati should really consider supporting.

 

RESPONSE LETTERS

Zoning, Building, Fire and MSD Response Letters

This weekend I was able to complete a series of response letters along with backup documentation to address the various Permit Review comments I received the past few weeks from the zoning, building, fire and sewer district. I am reviewing my proposed responses with Mike Brown Construction this evening to ensure we are on the same page with regards to how we are going to address the issues identified. Once that is all coordinated, we will hand deliver the revisions back to the Permit Center for what we hope is final approval so we can get a permit in hand and start construction within the the next couple weeks.