Architectural Commentary - Build it Right the First Time

One of my neighbors in our quiet little community noticed water seeping out through the cracks of her driveway slab. Actually, it wasn't so much seeping as bursting out through any crevice it could find. I checked her meter and found it spinning like a top on steroids. (A claim which the meter later denied.) I shut the valve and the bursting ceased.

The owner opted to remove the entire slab section, which was in disrepair anyway, find and fix the leak in the water line, then pour a new slab. Makes sense. 

What I found interesting was the nature of the leak. I am always fascinated at the discoveries made during the demolition phase of any project. The thought processes of the framers, plumbers, rockers, etc. at the time of construction become evident. In this case, I believe I can accurately deduce the events as they unfolded some thirty years prior and ultimately lead to the leaking pipe I am a witness to now.

• Two meters are installed in-line off the main water line to service two homes.
  
• A 'T' coupling is installed between the meters for a line to service home #1.
  
• Three 90 degree elbow couplings are used to redirect this line around the corner of the garage and to the house. Thus, in the path of the yet-to-be-installed water line for home #2.
  
• The water line for home #2 is installed coming straight out from it's meter and right over the line for home #1, then is redirected using a 90 degree elbow coupling making it parallel with the line for home #1 as they travel to their ultimate destination.
  

So far, from a let's-do-a-barely-adequate-job-and-save-a-few-pennies perspective, everything is progressing nicely. Aside from the fact that PVC pipe - which is destined to fail at some point in the future - is being installed under a concrete slab. A slab which will have no rebar.

• A supervisor comes upon the scene, assesses the plumbers work, realizes the water line for home #2 is not deep enough because it is resting on top of the line for home #1, and orders the plumber to fix it.
• Here's where it all goes wrong. The water line for home #2 is rerun from the meter under the water line for home #1. The issue now becomes how to connect two lines at different levels where once a single 90 degree coupling sufficed to redirect the line to the house.
• For some reason, at the time, some thirty years ago, the solution was to use two 90 degree couplings and two straight line couplings, at the same time making sure there was undo stress on the entire configuration. 
• Also, it became apparent later, this fix did not include the use of PVC glue on all the connections.

Thirty years later I find myself standing at the scene talking with the plumber who was brought in to do the repair. The slab is gone. The poorly installed pipe lay before us, having fulfilled its destiny of failure. The plumber is lamenting, in response to my inquiry, how ubiquitous this type of poor workmanship is even today.

"Builders put up houses so fast and with more concern about the bottom than with quality of construction. I see it everyday." he says. "The best option is to run copper line from the meter to the house. But that option is dismissed before consideration because of cost. The very least these guys could do is to avoid joints under the slab. But they don't even do that."

He tells me he only works on custom homes. He couldn't force himself to do the shoddy work required by builders of large home developments.

Personally, I am astonished by the way we as a society build for failure. We want everything as cheap as possible without concern for quality. You get what you pay for, and the cheapest price is rarely the best value. 

So, we have PVC pipe under our slabs, slabs without rebar, cracking stucco, sinking foundations, and untold hidden pre-determined failures waiting to burst.

I think we can do better. Build it right the first time.

Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright - Hollyhock House, Frank Lloyd Wright's First Los Angeles Project

Recently I accompanied my wife, Suzanne Muusers, to a coaching conference in Long Beach, CA. I found myself with time on my hands during the day, and, as anyone who appreciates the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, planned an excursion to see as many of his LA projects as possible. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that both the Ennis and Freeman homes were closed to the public - possibly permanently. I assuaged my disappointment with a visit to Hollyhock House.

Aline Barnsdall commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design Hollyhock House. It was Wright’s first Los Angeles project, built between 1919 and 1923. Wright’s approach was to design and build a home with consideration to the environment. Thus, the design incorporates a central courtyard, generous access to the outdoors, roof top terraces, and a proposed (but never completed) water system which would allow for circulation of water between a man-made lake, two outdoor ponds, and an indoor mote in front of the fireplace.

The home was to be part of a larger complex which would have served as an artists colony. Though the main house and two guests homes were built, the project was abandoned before completion of the entire complex and Aline lived there with her young daughter for only a few years. Part of Wright’s genius was his amazing attention to detail. As with all of his projects, every square inch appears to have been given consideration. Though aesthetically impressive, this detail-oriented approach most likely contributed to the project going over budget. Also contributing to the cancellation was Wright’s lack of attention as he spent most of his time on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. He left Hollyhock to Rudolph Schindler, and his son, Lloyd Wright.

In 1927, Aline Barnsdall gave Hollyhock House and eleven surrounding acres to the city of Los Angeles for use as a public art park in memory of her father, Theodore Barnsdall.

(As always, please click on images to enlarge.)



Aline requested that the design of the home incorporate her favorite flower, the Hollyhock. Wright produced a geometric graphical representation of the flower, as seen here on this monolith near the front entrance. Wright, of course, was as famous for his graphic imagery as he was for his architecture. Part of his genius was his ability to apply artful aesthetics to every aspect of life.



The front doors are believed to have been designed by Mr. Schindler. They are quite amazing both in beauty and function. Made of concrete, they are understandably quite heavy. The pivot system allows for a surprising ease of use. So much so that one can no longer use them to enter or exit, as most visitors assumed a great deal of effort must be necessary. This repeated unnecessary force caused damage to the doors upon impact with the interior walls.





Evidence of Wright's attention to detail is exibited by the lamp posts around the exterior. Close examination allows one the ability to decifer the use of commonplace fabrication techniques to achieve uncommonly artistic results.



The interior courtyard was accessed from three sides. This became the heart of the home, even though a trademark, magnificent fireplace resided within. All stairways were marked with the signature Hollyhock symbol set in concrete pillars.



The fourth side of the courtyard is defined using an elevated hallway connecting the master and daughter's bedroom's on one side to the guest room on the other. Note the circular pond in a theater-like setting. It was to be part of the water circulation system.



This sun room is an extension of the master, offering warmth on chilly days, but no egress.



A window detail off the master bedroom. Stunning.



View of the Hollywood hills from Hollyhock House.



And, of course, no trip to Long Beach would be complete without the requisite visit to The Queen Mary.











Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Custom Cabin Design - Peggy's Tree House

This client had assembled an extensive and specific list of the characteristics that would comprise her custom cabin design. She needed that list translated into an image she could frame and keep in front of her on her desk as a motivational tool. Following is a summary of those characteristics taken from dialog:

• Single level structure on a gentle slope in the woods near water
• Integration of structure into and minimal disturbance of the existing landscape
• Three bedrooms (one master, two guest)
• Master to have an office incorporated into it
• Porch is to be a focal point
• Open floor plan maximizing use of windows to offer views from every room in the house
• A view from the entry through the house to the porch and beyond
• Kitchen opens into a great room
• Fireplace
• Wood, wood, wood
• Wide plank wood floors
• Board & Batten style exterior siding (horizontal)
• Blur the distinction between interior spaces and outdoor spaces
• Cozy, small
• Sun through the trees
• Earthy green colors on the exterior
• Natural, earthy but not country
• Boulders
• TREE HOUSE!!!

Here are the initial sketches for her dream home (she was ecstatic):
(Click on images to enlarge.)









Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Custom Patio Design, Making the Most of a Small Outdoor Space

Phoenix Home & Garden is very interested in showcasing our finally finished patio in their magazine. They are impressed with the way we made the most of a small outdoor space and have, in fact, already taken some photos, and want to return for some evening sitting-around-the-fire-pit-and-watching-the-salmon-sear-on-the-grill photos. Just two years after the project commenced we can, at last, proclaim that it is virtually complete. What started as a "Honey, can you make some kinda little water feature thingy for the patio with this old, tiny desktop fountain pump?" was quickly injected with the "How can I make this project more than what it is, bigger and more time-consuming than it should be, and more expensive than we can afford?" steroids of my creative thought process. We are pleased.
Cool evenings find us mesmerized by the fire in the fire pit as it dances amongst the black bits of glass. The soothing sounds of the seven waterfalls are constant therapy. And when the desert heat settles mercilessly in the three-digit range, every evening finds us in the refreshing pool water never too far from a glass of wine. We are very pleased. And, I truly believe, our fish are the happiest in the world. We have nine in the 800 gallon pond - two Koi, four fan-tailed goldfish, and three shubunkin - and room for more. It's a lot for a 350 sf patio - pool, pond, fire pit, seating area, built-in BBQ, landscape, and all the equipment to run it. The reality is quite loyal to our original design, and all the work seems worth it. I still have the tiny desktop fountain pump. Hmmmm.
(Click on images to enlarge.)













Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Documenting the Disappearing Desert with Creative Photography

The desert in North Scottsdale can no longer fight off the inevitable. The signs of sprawl are there - literally. Where the asphalt gives way to the desert clay stands a huge, obscene, billboard-like monolith announcing lots for sale. Already, white pvc pipes stick out of the ground as far as the eye can see - seemingly almost to Four Peaks some thirteen miles beyond at the horizon. While there a few weeks ago, and having just completed a short creative photography expedition, I was greeted by two gentlemen as they stepped out of a car that, I am sure, cost one of them enough money to prove he has more money than sense. "Do you know how much these lots are going to sell for?" one of them yelled loud enough to wake any one of the nearby long-dead skeletal remains of the once proud Saguaros. "No, sorry."
Lots? That's all they see here? Lots? Unsatisfied with my response, they straightaway sought the comfort of their vehicle and sped back onto the more familiar asphalt.
Whatever man-made structures may soon occupy this raw, honest terrain, they can never match the grace, splendor, or elegance of those that have lived here for hundreds of years - saguaro, cholla, ocotillo, palo verde, prickly pear and barrel cacti, fairy duster, and the wooly daisy to name a few. I can predict, with a great deal of certainty, the characteristics these new houses will possess - enough square footage to justify a separate zip code; a large and pretentious foyer; dead spaces at the entry, in the bedrooms, baths, and the ubiquitous rarely-used second living room; cultured stone veneers; and multiple garages.
I'll have to drive a little further on my next expedition.
(Click on images to enlarge.)


This lone sentinal remains on guard.


The natural architecture of the saguaro accounts for it's longevity.


Beautiful white rock serves as a natural foundation for this saguaro.


Natural ground cover.







Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com

Architecture of Mexico - Images from Guanajuato, Mexico, Summer 2006

Guanajuato is a charming and historical town in the interior of Mexico. It rests in a valley, where, in the center of town, access is limited to foot traffic, as cars are relegated to the old tunnels criss-crossing below. Architecturally, Guanajuato is fascinating. Structures are built one on top of another, side by side. Homes and businesses intermingle up and down the callejones (alleys) which offer passage for the souls of one's shoes, but not to the rubber of one's car tires. Building codes would seem to be non-existent here. Yet, structural integrity is sound. Lawyers also seem to be pleasantly rare. Fall into a hole in the street where the sewer is under renovation, it's your fault. Aesthetically speaking, it is also every man for himself. Pick a color... any color, paint your house. It's wonderfully refreshing.
(Click on images to enlarge.)


Bascilica de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato near the city center... accross from Dominos


Callejon Casulidad

People here seem to have no ambition for perfection, a quality which adds to the character and charm of the environment. Instead, they direct their energies to the tasks involved in day-to-day survival.


Typical street leading to a tunnel (at left)




An interior courtyard


A fresh coat of paint on a home


Typical front door


A public works project


Tunnels



Guanajuato

Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com