The Trailer 1.1: The Dumpster Cometh

Last weekend saw the first load go to the landfill in the back of the truck.  Unfortunately I was not able to recycle the carpet or pad up here and a load of trim complete with nails, staples and screws was included in the trip - 420 pounds worth.

Upon my return to my de-construction task I proceeded to remove the bathroom, utility room and kitchen.  I uncovered some moldy areas in the bathroom, a stash of golf balls, a wiffle ball a pink barbie comb and some old dog food under the kitchen cabinets.  I have salvaged a few cabinets for the garage work area.  The granite tile kitchen counter required my 5lb framing mallet, and both my demo crowbars saw action.

At the completion of Saturday's effort I realized the amount of material I had generated had exceeded the capacity of the back of the truck several times over and the time had come...an alternative disposal method is now required...THE DUMPSTER.  It will be delivered Friday morning - a 30 yarder.

In the meantime I will begin taking the stove, furnace, bathtub and water heater to the recyler.  And...by the way...per a discussion with my local electrical provider I can also get credit for recycling the refrigerator.  I believe I get a rebate / utility credit and can get a few sheckles for it when I hand it to the recycling agent...will report.

For those that have never uncovered a mobile home structure I submit the photo below of the minimally engineered roof...amazing the thing has lasted for 38+ years actually.

The Trailer 1.1: The Dumpster Cometh

Last weekend saw the first load go to the landfill in the back of the truck.  Unfortunately I was not able to recycle the carpet or pad up here and a load of trim complete with nails, staples and screws was included in the trip - 420 pounds worth.

Upon my return to my de-construction task I proceeded to remove the bathroom, utility room and kitchen.  I uncovered some moldy areas in the bathroom, a stash of golf balls, a wiffle ball a pink barbie comb and some old dog food under the kitchen cabinets.  I have salvaged a few cabinets for the garage work area.  The granite tile kitchen counter required my 5lb framing mallet, and both my demo crowbars saw action.

At the completion of Saturday's effort I realized the amount of material I had generated had exceeded the capacity of the back of the truck several times over and the time had come...an alternative disposal method is now required...THE DUMPSTER.  It will be delivered Friday morning - a 30 yarder.

In the meantime I will begin taking the stove, furnace, bathtub and water heater to the recyler.  And...by the way...per a discussion with my local electrical provider I can also get credit for recycling the refrigerator.  I believe I get a rebate / utility credit and can get a few sheckles for it when I hand it to the recycling agent...will report.

For those that have never uncovered a mobile home structure I submit the photo below of the minimally engineered roof...amazing the thing has lasted for 38+ years actually.

6th Street: The Trailer 1.0

I have committed to removing a 12' x 60' (720 SF) single wide from the property we now own here in Eagle.  There are several ways to remove a trailer:
1.  D-9 Demo (A two pass run with the blade of a D-9)...fast;
2.  I could hire a trailer company to pull the skirt,
     set new tires on the frame, and haul it to the landfill -
     costs money, totally negates embodied energy and
     recycle potential;
3.   Sell it - or as a colleague in Cincinnatti suggested,
      put a "free trailer" sign on it and let someone else do
      the work (pretty good idea actually); or,
4.   De-construct and re-cycle.

I have chosen option 4, primarily because there are two steel beams on the undercarriage that I want and can re-use in the architectural work planned for the cabin and elsewhere on the site.

Admittedly there have been several unsolicited offers to rent the trailer.  It was in decent shape until I got my sawzall out over the last few weeks.  However, the siting of the trailer is in the way of what we want to do.

In looking at the site and wandering it - as I regularly do in contemplation with a fermented beverage in hand - I realized there is a space on the site that will be opened up with the trailer gone that will be very cool under the canopy of a very nice tree on the North side of the lot.  So the trailer is going to be dis-assembled.

I am investigating recycle options as I have a structure that weighs - as nearly as I can calculate - around 10,400 pounds.  I want to find all the recycling options I can...and up here in Eagle there are limited options I am finding.

METALS:  I can recycle all metals.  So electric cable, siding, screws, hardware, are all going to be re-cycled. 

DRYWALL:  I can't find a reasonably close facility to take drywall.  I called the drywall plant in gypsum.  They won't take the used stuff because they are concerned about product contamination.  The drywall appears destined for the landfill.

CARPET:  Nobody up here recycles carpet.  I am trying to find a place in Denver and have not been able to do so.  This material my wind up in the landfill.

INSULATION:  Cannot find a recycler for this material.

WOOD:  Cannot find a recycler for this material.  One problem is getting all the nails, screws and staples out of the material I am removing.  It is a time factor.

WINDOWS:  Removed and delivered to Habitat Re-Store.

APPLIANCES:  The refrigerator got powerwashed out, is sitting in the garage with four boxes of baking soda attempting to mitigate the powerful odor from the appliance.  Will attempt to get it re-cycled by the local utility.  The stove falls under the "METALS" re-cycling category as does the furnace and miscellaneous items. Will track the weight.

CABINETS:  Re-used in the Architect's garage.

So...as I work on this I am logging the materials I am removing, where they are going and approximately how much based on the eye of the architect.

More data to follow.

CG

6th Street: The Trailer 1.0

I have committed to removing a 12' x 60' (720 SF) single wide from the property we now own here in Eagle.  There are several ways to remove a trailer:
1.  D-9 Demo (A two pass run with the blade of a D-9)...fast;
2.  I could hire a trailer company to pull the skirt,
     set new tires on the frame, and haul it to the landfill -
     costs money, totally negates embodied energy and
     recycle potential;
3.   Sell it - or as a colleague in Cincinnatti suggested,
      put a "free trailer" sign on it and let someone else do
      the work (pretty good idea actually); or,
4.   De-construct and re-cycle.

I have chosen option 4, primarily because there are two steel beams on the undercarriage that I want and can re-use in the architectural work planned for the cabin and elsewhere on the site.

Admittedly there have been several unsolicited offers to rent the trailer.  It was in decent shape until I got my sawzall out over the last few weeks.  However, the siting of the trailer is in the way of what we want to do.

In looking at the site and wandering it - as I regularly do in contemplation with a fermented beverage in hand - I realized there is a space on the site that will be opened up with the trailer gone that will be very cool under the canopy of a very nice tree on the North side of the lot.  So the trailer is going to be dis-assembled.

I am investigating recycle options as I have a structure that weighs - as nearly as I can calculate - around 10,400 pounds.  I want to find all the recycling options I can...and up here in Eagle there are limited options I am finding.

METALS:  I can recycle all metals.  So electric cable, siding, screws, hardware, are all going to be re-cycled. 

DRYWALL:  I can't find a reasonably close facility to take drywall.  I called the drywall plant in gypsum.  They won't take the used stuff because they are concerned about product contamination.  The drywall appears destined for the landfill.

CARPET:  Nobody up here recycles carpet.  I am trying to find a place in Denver and have not been able to do so.  This material my wind up in the landfill.

INSULATION:  Cannot find a recycler for this material.

WOOD:  Cannot find a recycler for this material.  One problem is getting all the nails, screws and staples out of the material I am removing.  It is a time factor.

WINDOWS:  Removed and delivered to Habitat Re-Store.

APPLIANCES:  The refrigerator got powerwashed out, is sitting in the garage with four boxes of baking soda attempting to mitigate the powerful odor from the appliance.  Will attempt to get it re-cycled by the local utility.  The stove falls under the "METALS" re-cycling category as does the furnace and miscellaneous items. Will track the weight.

CABINETS:  Re-used in the Architect's garage.

So...as I work on this I am logging the materials I am removing, where they are going and approximately how much based on the eye of the architect.

More data to follow.

CG

Project Start: 6th Street

This spring my wife and I bought a lot.  For a new home.  With a cabin on it.  And with a single wide mobile home on it.  We started a project.

This project adventure started when a series of events culminated with my wife spotting the lot, we both watched it, walked it multiple times, drove by it multiple times and evaluated it against a whole series of criteria because we were looking at other lots at the time.  Criteria included site development costs (tap fees, construction of utilities, etc.), cost of the site, design review fees and criteria, and whether we liked the site.  All said and done we made an offer, it was accepted, we patiently pursued a somewhat circuitous route to the finish and here we are.

Once we closed on the lot we were unable to do anything with the mobile home until we got title, which meant it sat without any work until the title paperwork got cleared.  This is a circa 1974 +/- structure with no HUD credentials.  That means it was not certified by HUD and means there is very little demand for a structure like this on any mobile home park because of 1) age; and, 2) no HUD plate. It is 12' wide x 60' long (720 SF).  Two bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen / living space, and a small utility space for a washer/dryer. 

The cabin was built, we think, around 1947.  It is approximately 750 SF as I have measured it.  One bedroom, one bath, kitchen, utility space, and living area.  It has a log veneer with interior framing, un-insulated floors, minimally insulated walls, insulation in the attic and a crawl space below the kitchen with the water heater, furnace, and main water shutoff.

The site is in Eagle, Colorado.  It consists of a very cool corner in old Eagle platted in 1907, four lots.

There have been numerous discussions about how to use the site, what we want to do, best use of the site, views, and, of course, costs of construction.

One of my personal goals is to be a good steward of the resources available to us.  This includes being responsible stewards of the resources that come with the site including previously constructed materials existent on site, trees and landscaping, energy resources and financial resources.  So we are dealing with issues such as embodied energy, re-cycling of materials, de-construction, re-use of materials. and a focus on minimizing energy consumption.  We will get technical.

So we begin, with this post,  a story of the creation of a residence for an architect and his wife, a place of work, play, rest, good food, and space for friends to stay and enjoy and relax.  It is the story of design, development, thoughts and strategies, and ultimately the final form.  

Post 1 of .....

CG

Project Start: 6th Street

This spring my wife and I bought a lot.  For a new home.  With a cabin on it.  And with a single wide mobile home on it.  We started a project.

This project adventure started when a series of events culminated with my wife spotting the lot, we both watched it, walked it multiple times, drove by it multiple times and evaluated it against a whole series of criteria because we were looking at other lots at the time.  Criteria included site development costs (tap fees, construction of utilities, etc.), cost of the site, design review fees and criteria, and whether we liked the site.  All said and done we made an offer, it was accepted, we patiently pursued a somewhat circuitous route to the finish and here we are.

Once we closed on the lot we were unable to do anything with the mobile home until we got title, which meant it sat without any work until the title paperwork got cleared.  This is a circa 1974 +/- structure with no HUD credentials.  That means it was not certified by HUD and means there is very little demand for a structure like this on any mobile home park because of 1) age; and, 2) no HUD plate. It is 12' wide x 60' long (720 SF).  Two bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen / living space, and a small utility space for a washer/dryer. 

The cabin was built, we think, around 1947.  It is approximately 750 SF as I have measured it.  One bedroom, one bath, kitchen, utility space, and living area.  It has a log veneer with interior framing, un-insulated floors, minimally insulated walls, insulation in the attic and a crawl space below the kitchen with the water heater, furnace, and main water shutoff.

The site is in Eagle, Colorado.  It consists of a very cool corner in old Eagle platted in 1907, four lots.

There have been numerous discussions about how to use the site, what we want to do, best use of the site, views, and, of course, costs of construction.

One of my personal goals is to be a good steward of the resources available to us.  This includes being responsible stewards of the resources that come with the site including previously constructed materials existent on site, trees and landscaping, energy resources and financial resources.  So we are dealing with issues such as embodied energy, re-cycling of materials, de-construction, re-use of materials. and a focus on minimizing energy consumption.  We will get technical.

So we begin, with this post,  a story of the creation of a residence for an architect and his wife, a place of work, play, rest, good food, and space for friends to stay and enjoy and relax.  It is the story of design, development, thoughts and strategies, and ultimately the final form.  

Post 1 of .....

CG

The IGCC - Perspective from Within

The profession of architecture is evolving and we have the good fortune to be witnessing and experiencing this metamorphosis. A recent study by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has cited the directions in which the profession is changing that will affect how that profession will look 2025. One theme indicates the architect of the future will be a more networked professional teaming with others and working more closely with the contracting arena as projects are constructed. One project manager in a global consulting role is quoted as stating: “Architects have shed project management, contract administration, and cost and ultimately if they lose design coordination then you have to ask what they are there for…”


I have a unique view of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) having been involved with some smart, passionate and dedicated AIA colleagues in creating the code and being involved in it’s development through code hearings and subsequent discussions. The quote above hits home for me because this code and the practice issues we are now facing are issues that impact the future of our practice. We are effective and smart stewards of our built environment and I believe we are the profession that should be leading the collaborative effort to provide intelligent, healthy buildings that perform and in so doing conserve our finite natural resources.

As our member architect’s begin to review the IGCC and other recently revised and updated codes such as the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), it will become clear there are a number of practice issues that will be challenged by these codes.


In developing the IGCC we identified a number of challenges and concerns to traditional practice issues which I defined as points of fear. These points were important to identify in developing strategies to effectively overcome the perceived burdens of increased unfunded work scope as well as risk management of commissioning, building energy performance, life-cycle analysis, and owner education.


We know we need to address the management of risk associated with commissioning, building energy performance, building service life, and owner education issues to name just a few. We know it is tough to embrace change when we have a legal system warning us change means exposure to greater risk that is potentially detrimental to our professional health, or when it is perceived this means more work for the same or less fees, or losing our market share to others.


We also know what we do when we identify these important issues determines our character as a profession. We can either let fear determine our path or we can chose a path effectively countering these fears with smart, thoughtful and creative ways to successfully work through these concerns.

And while we are identifying real issues we face with a new practice paradigm and new and revised codes let’s also begin to shift the discussion about the IGCC and related subjects such as sustainability, green, and climate change to stewardship and resource conservation – the essence of our work and honorable pursuits.


For if the outcome of a project governed by the IGCC is a building whose proven performance reduces an owner’s net annual operating income isn’t this both a stewardship of financial resources issue as well as a resource conservation issue?


If the outcome of a project built under the IGCC is a reduction in the energy required to manufacture or ship products to that building isn’t this a resource conservation issue?


If we develop a building that uses less water to operate aren’t we effective stewards of a finite resource?

If we create healthier indoor air, a more comfortable work environment and reduced commuting time benefittng the health of the user: then I believe we can legitimately claim we are good stewards of our employee / human resources.


And if we, as architects, independently create a series of projects effectively reducing the consumption of water that results in our community not having to expand their waste water infrastructure allowing those financial resources to be re-purposed, isn’t that good financial stewardship?


Do we really want to be afraid of these outcomes?


With increased emphasis on building performance that has been created by rating systems, and a more highly educated development community I see the role of the architect encompassing these scopes of services, and doing so well. Architect’s know how to do this and generally I believe we want to create efficient, well designed healthy buildings. A little codified assistance will not hurt this cause.


In a recent series of blog discussions in one of our AIA knowledge communities a good deal of analysis was done to understand the implications of the IGCC and what it means to current practice, fees and exposure to risk. It is a smart analysis and a worthy expenditure of time. We need more of our members looking seriously at these codes so the Institute can develop strategies to assist in equipping our members to be successful at working with these new codes.


It is also important to understand that a number of our dedicated and passionate volunteer members and valued staff are actively pursuing answers to some very important issues and questions related to these practice issues.


Fee issues are vitally important. The fee versus code mandated services issue has been firmly and passionately brought to my attention and the attention of other leaders within the Institute. We get it. It is time we identify strategies to help our members successfully negotiate appropriate fees for the work required to address the increased work these new codes and practice paradigms will require of us. We operate under an anti-trust agreement and cannot collaborate or collectively set fees. We can, however, develop a collective, comprehensive understanding of changes in code development that impact fees and scope negotiations toward being more successful architectural service businesses.


Risk management is a critically important issue. When new laws and statutes are legislated and adopted, lawyers don’t whine they charge more. Why shouldn’t architects respond similarly?


We are the most qualified problem solvers in the building industry. We know how to synthesize information to develop effective, creative building solutions. We have opportunities to adopt a leadership role and work with our legal advisors and risk managers (ie: insurance groups) to define methodologies that will allow us to be successful in taking on the risks of additional project scope and responsibility.


During the development of the IGCC, the AIA convened a group of insurance executives to discuss language within the code in relation to errors and omissions coverage and related insurance products. There continues to be a dialogue with our strategic partners in the insurance industry to address the risk factors in this new practice paradigm. It is imperative that our members engage with their carriers to let them know the importance of these issues.

Contract Documents are another vitally important issue. AIA staff and another group of volunteer leaders staff has begun discussions with attorneys in the AIA’s Contract Documents department to address the need for appropriate agreement language for use in executing agreements for the work required by the advancements of the new codes.


Another tool being studied extensively is energy modeling. The new practice paradigm and codes will require more emphasis on this aspect. A key task force is studying existing energy modeling tools, techniques and metric data bases to understand what we have, what we don’t have and what we need.


I have been afforded a very unique and humbling opportunity along with a number of my colleagues as a volunteer leader in the AIA to be significantly involved in the development of an important code, the IGCC.


The phrase: “If you ain’t at the table you are on the menu” is very true in this instance. Had AIA architects not been at the table someone else would have written this code without the smart, informed and practical knowledge we were able to provide. We would have been the meal in the alternative scenario.


As AIA architects have the opportunity to positively address changes in our practice, grow and learn, and positively affect the built environment. We have the opportunity to be resources and advisors for our communities to responsibly address the stewardship and conservation of our resources. We have the opportunity to change and upgrade the tools in our practice tool sheds. A growing number of dedicated volunteer AIA members are working diligently to do just that.


I would suggest it is time to change our thought process from accusing a printed code document of being the rogue catalyst in changing our practice paradigm. Instead I believe we should recognize the seismic shift in practice a printed code document responds to. The IGCC isn’t going to go away. There are too many communities that have this code on their radar for us to deny its existence.


So, the question is this:


do we fight and argue to maintain current practice status quo because it is safe and view code revisions as a threat to an existence we perceive to be temporarily comfortable and safe or,


do we roll up our sleeves, and work hard to collectively develop new effective tools and best practices so we can be smart, successful and prosperous in a new architectural business paradigm?


I choose the latter.