This article shares what came of the 3D model. I am proud of how it turned out.

Let me know what you think of the renderings!

Recently, a client came to us and asked to see the possibilities of a unique stair system that is clear, slim, and chic for their home. This is not a typical home either. Split level entrance with a foyer that is open from basement to 2nd floor. It is also tricky because the stair is going to be supported by nothing between first and second floors, while walking out over the foyer.

So, we got looking for ideas of glass stairs……and found this company that provides frameless glass stairways that created this amazing stairway.

So, being that Design Build Solutions, LLC is about making people happy, I get to create something like this in a 3D model to share with the homeowner what their possibilities are.

Keep watching…I’ll show you the rendering when it’s finished!

Just one quick internet search yielded this website that has some great looking murphy bed designs and options. http://www.morespaceplace.com/murphy-beds/.

Maybe you too will want to save some space in your room.

Recently, Leah Thayer, of Daily5Remodel.com ran  a story explaining how it all worked. Read Leah’s article, Remodelers Give Back … in Elizabethton, Tenn.

I’ll also point you to the camp’s Facebook page with more photos. http://www.facebook.com/doerivergorge

Happy Fall!

But what would you say if I told you remodeling could be fun? Crazy? Wait! Please hear me out.

Besides the fun I had this morning with a bath remodeling client, their contractor, the contractors client specialist, another designer, and myself, I have fun with the team of business associates and contractors and homeowners almost every day.

The good news is that working with the professional contractors, whom we are privileged to know, the fun continues throughout the building process.

I hear reports like this for small bathroom remodeling projects, kitchen additions and new home construction. Because this system is adaptable it can work on your project as well.

This is a sneak peak on a project we’re working on in Winchester, MA.  The contractor is going to have video cameras posted around the property as the remodel work is completed, but in the meantime, we’re making a movie of what will happen to this house.  This is only a sneak peak at the movie we’re creating.

This new offering is the American Fantasy Makeover.  Ok, it really isn’t new, we’ve been doing these for about a year, but now that it is out in the printed media, we’d like to repeat the opportunity for homeowners can see what their room can look like.

Because of technology, it is possible to remotely model and design your home, and show a client what could be.  The rules to the Makeover are simple:

• There is nothing to buy
• The goal is to have fun

It is important to remember that this is a Fantasy Makeover for a two reasons.  First, we do not qualify the dollar figures attached to the project, and, second, it is not structurally qualified.  Because we are limited to one room, we haven’t had the chance to ascertain the existing structure of the house.

Here is one testimonial.

Start with existing conditions

To create this series, I will share this example of a real life, and real-time, remodeling project. In other words, I will be writing this as the project unfolds.

To understand any remodeling project, we start with a 3-D model of the existing conditions.  Combined with the information that the homeowner gives us of the troubles that they’re having with their home, this model gives us a very detailed view of both function and structure of the home.

Remember the details

Someone in the field has to manually measure and sketch the appropriate areas.  Determining what is appropriate is based upon what what type of project will be performed.  For instance, an attic remodeling project will need to have

Field Sketch

the floors below them basically measured to find what structure is available.  Basically no matter what type of project will be remodeled, one must start by looking at all areas immediately adjacent to that area.

By having someone else draw the computer model, we have a built-in “checks-and-balance” system.  This creates the situation that two people are reviewing the information, and both will be intimately acquainted with the building.

This particular project had 14 pages of field measurements submitted.  Don’t forget to measure vertically – ceiling heights, floor heights, steps, window and door heights, and roof heights are important when creating a model.

Take pictures

Digital pictures are important.  Details are important, but long views help the viewer understand the context of the detail pictures.  I usually tell people that I like to see 6-8 pictures all around the exterior of the house.  Each room should have at least two pictures, and take those from one

Exist. conditions

corner of the room to the other.  Then take a picture from the corner that was just photographed.

Even when the designer is local and on site, it is good to have this documentation so that he or she can pull up the records quickly.  It is much easier to carry a flash drive of pictures, than try to remember what color, style, structure, details, etc. are present.

3D modeling

Turning the field sketches into a computerized 3D model gives great understanding of the structure.  Now, this project is ready for the program of design.

3D model - rendering

Next, we’ll see what the homeowner has in mind to improve this home.  Then we shall get into the design part of the process.

Those that are calling are looking for remodeling ideas, but they don’t want to get taken; and they definitely want to save money.  Where does one turn when looking for ideas on your home?

May I suggest that if this is you, you can turn to the American Fantasy Makeover - designed for small projects (one room at a time), and see what your kitchen remodel, living room update, or bathroom could look like!

Here’s what you can expect from the American Fantasy Makeover:

• The remodeling ideas will be in relation to your project
• This can be done remotely – we do this almost every day
• You will need to sketch and measure the layout of your room
• Send some digital pictures from all angles of the room
• We will model the layout in 3D and draw a new design that could work
• We will make a one hour presentation to you online (you’ll need access to high-speed internet and a phone)
• This presentation will not qualify the financial investment range of the project
• We will work to bring a quality local contractor to the conversation who is qualified to talk about the financial investment
• We can make changes during that meeting – on the fly
  
• Have fun!

When you need ideas, give us a call, or use the handy Remodeling Help form online.  Click on the pictures in the gray bar below to see other American Fantasy Makeover renderings.

Let me tell you that as easy as those young kids make it, it ISN’T!  I’ve seen these toys before, and often wondered how they did it – on two wheels that swivel, no less!  I fell off many times this afternoon, while my daughter and son were offering their sage advise: “Maybe if you were younger, Daddy” and “Dad, you just start by pushing off and then move your feet.”  Ah, the great wisdom of a 7 and 9 year-old!

At certain times during the falling off, try again, falling off routine, I felt like giving up.  A couple of times I did go inside and get a drink, and then went back at it again.  I was close to giving up, when I realized that I really wanted to conquer this little barrier.  I kept trying, after watching my 9-yr old son and his friend “show me how”, and I was able to finally stay upright for a few feet down the driveway.  (Yes, there are small joys in life.)

I walked inside realizing that this is similar to many adventures we take in life.  These adventures may take the form of anything from business to home remodeling.  My wife just had a similar experience yesterday, sewing invisible zippers in some dresses.  Just like I’ve had “experience” on a typical skateboard (I am NO Shaun White, mind you), many Americans have had a bit of “experience” in their own adventure.

Home improvement projects are no exception to this analogy.  While one may know how to draw a scaled sketch, cut a 2×4, or mix some drywall mud, there may be some knowledge yet to learn.  New technology arrives almost daily…just look at what pops up on the internet (another relatively new technology of itself).

Getting back up doesn’t have to be by yourself.  You may want a hand to hold – you know, like someone did for us when we learned to ride a bike.  If you’re sewing, call my wife; if it’s business, I would enjoy introducing you to a friend of mine; if it’s home improvement, I may be able to help you…or I can find someone who can.

No matter what, if you are trying to get “back up”, I would encourage you to try it again.   Comment below to share your story of getting back up, or how you are trying to get back up so we can encourage you!

While it was “tempting” to go with the first thought that came to our collective minds, the prognosis wasn’t good.  Land  space is tight, and the height from ground to door is just at four feet tall.  This means that a handicap ramp – to meet ADA guidelines – would have to be 48 feet long!  Fortunately, for this project, ADA guidelines are not required, but we must remember that these guidelines aren’t just made up either!

The worst part of the prognosis was that the ramp system was ugly – so ugly, in fact, that we didn’t even put it into the model.

By using the TEAM approach within the Design/Build system, this team was able to present the homeowner with two things: 1) the process by which the final result was found – giving peace of mind that there isn’t much left to guessing; and 2) a much better design that can REALLY fit their needs.

Now, would you believe it if you heard that their current deck system was professional designed some years ago, and the homeowners stated that they don’t like it? Mr. Homeowner stated that this deck hasn’t ever really worked for their needs afterall.

So when they were presented with this option, they were listening intently. This is not just another ugly ramp.  Because the owners were working with a professional team, they are being presented with an exterior living space that, as they so eloquently put it, “is cute.”  She continued, “I’ll buy that house!”

These homeowners chose a route that put the TEAM working for them.  They didn’t make the mistakes that many so often do.  This is a good place to refer you to the free report of the 10 Biggest Mistakes Homeowners Make while building or remodeling their home.

One final comment is that more pictures of this not so ugly ramp will be posted on our Design Build Solutions Facebook Page.  Check it out, become a fan – enjoy this process for yourself!

Exterior remodel - night view

First, let’s define Building Information Modeling.  BimWiki states that, “BIM is the virtual representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility from inception onward. As such, it serves as a shared information repository for collaboration throughout a facility’s lifecycle.” – Patrick Suermann, PE. NBIMS Testing Team Leader.

Note the comment that BimWiki user, beartoe, submitted regarding BIM.  He states, “I think any discussion of BIM (“little bim”, the desktop technology) is incomplete without a corresponding discussion of IPD (integrated Project Delivery, aka “BIG BIM”.) It is reasonable to argue that “little bim” is really just better CAD, while IPD is the change in the construction industry that will deliver the greater benefits. Because IPD requires a high degree of collaboration, communication, and pro-active project planning in a non-litigative legal setting, it may be that IPD is what really delivers the goods, even more than the desktop technology.” (emphasis mine)

Aha!  The secret is out.  But was it really a secret?  Fancy talk can muddle the mind.  BIM is just a tool – just like EKG, .com, and screw-drivers are tools.

BIM Roof framing

Certainly, EKGs are technological wonders that can help us see what is inside our body, and BIM can do the same for our dwellings, but the real secret is the team behind the technology.  Previous articles here have mentioned TEAM playing, the troubles homeowners run into when hiring a contractor, and others, for the purpose of helping homeowners find that system that “really delivers the goods.”  These articles are also geared toward contractors who are looking to “deliver the goods.”

This article is not saying that BIM should not be used for residential projects.  In fact, BIM is well worth the investment for any project, no matter the size.  However, some doctors can operate and read EKGs; others are exceptional.

Integrated Project Delivery – delivering the better project.

I call it Design/Build.

Thanks for watching! Do let me know what you think.

As a partner with my Design/Build Project, you can see the process we would typically provide for a remodeling or new custom home project.  You can see the makeover pictures here.  This will log you into the system, using the username: facebook, and password: makeover.  Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Update: The online folder has been deleted since this makeover happened some time ago.  Here are the pictures of the update we presented to the homeowner…

Oops! How GPS Led Contractors to Demolish the Wrong House | Calfinder Remodeling Blog

Technorati Tags: remodeling, design/build, gps, errors