Tag:Easterday Construction
Construction Adds Jobs in February, But Unemployment at 21.8 Percent
“The nonresidential construction segment of the industry remains stubbornly resistant to improvement due to a combination of high vacancy rates and cautious lending.”
—ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu
Taken from ABC’s Construction Economic Update, March 4, 2011
Pioneer Award
Hey, I’ve received the Pioneer Award from Andrea Cook at iHEARTgreenmedia. All right, all right, hold down the Oooo’s and Ahhh’s… It is always nice to get noticed.
Andrea is a friend with whom I’ve been working on several projects, not to mention the fact that we continually cross paths in our volunteer lives. We just recently debated Lurkers on her LinkedIn Social Media page. I had previously discussed my thoughts on Lurkers here.
Andrea is very active in the community and is doing good things for Culver and Plymouth through her iHEARTculver and iHEARTplymouth sites. Check her out.
Bass Lake Shore Club BZA Hearing
We have been working with the new owners of The Shore Club to reopen the restaurant on the north end of Bass Lake. I remember going to The Shore Club for years and I’m excited that we’re involved with its rebirth!
Last Thursday evening we appeared before the Starke County BZA to request a Conditional Use Variance to allow the restaurant to reopen. It was heartwarming to hear the reminiscences from those there about past good times at The Shore Club. There was even one unsolicited audience member that we didn’t know who stood up and voiced her support!
The Variance was required because of the gap in restaurant use between the time the restaurant closed and now. The property is in a Residential District. The Variance was granted unanimously.
The new owners look forward to reopening the facility as a restaurant and banquet center. We will be doing interior remodeling and some minor exterior remodeling to bring it into line with ADA standards. The interior will be updated and modernized. There will be revisions to increase the parking for the facility as well. We are excited to be involved with this project.
Historic Renovations
We have completed many historic projects over the years. If you are considering a historic renovation project a 20% tax credit is available as an incentive to encourage you. The first step is to see if your proposed project qualifies. Here are the Secretary of The Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation:
- A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building, its site and environment.
- The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. Ther removal of historic materials, or alterations of features and spaces that characterize a property, shall be avoided.
- Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development shall not be undertaken.
- Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
- Distinctive features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
- Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture and other visual qualities, and if possible, materials.
- Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used.
- Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved.
- New additions, exterior alterations or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property.
- New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
Historic renovation is also one of the most green forms of construction. Finding a new use for a historic building may well save the structure from the landfill. Careful analysis should be conducted, though. Old is not always historic. Historic structures are notorious for construction cost overrun issues as well as operational costs that exceed those of new construction. As the project is considered, it must be determined if the project is being approached altruistically or for profit.
Outdoor Living Project I
This Fall we received the opportunity to work on a unique project. We were asked to take over a project for a poolside cabana project. The project had gone through multiple initial designs, but the original contractor was an expert in landscape masonry and not in the type of structural project this had become. We were asked to look into options to make the project work.
North Elevation
We were able to redesign the roof line to match the house as the owner originally wanted. We added a bathroom with a shower to improve the usability. We redesigned the fireplace to tie it to the structure. We improved the drainage system allowing leveling of the paving system. We added hurricane shutters to protect the interior as well as extend the useful seasons. We employed Scearce Rudisel Architects to provide drawings and verify that we were on track to meet the owners’ vision.
The original design called for sand set pavers, but because the interior of the project was enclosed on three sides, we revised the design to include a sloped concrete slab base with the floor pavers set on pedestals to level the floor. This system is similar those we have used on roof deck projects. This allowed for a flat floor, with positive drainage beneath the pavers. The cabana was to be raised one step above the existing pool deck, so we installed a trench drain to collect water from the sloped deck of the pool. The step also allowed us to create a new level edge from which to start our construction. (The pool deck had previously drained into a landscape area and the edge did not need to be perfectly level and was allowed to have variations.) The pavers themselves will be 24″ x 24″ x 1-1/2″ thick installed in a stacked bond pattern.
The outdoor kitchen has been designed with stainless steel appliances protected by a stacked block wall. The wall will create bar height seating on two sides. The bar and countertops will be Typhoon Bordeaux granite.
The exterior roof style has been designed to mirror the existing home’s roof line. To reduce the water returning to the pool deck at the front of the structure, the top section of the roof has been designed with a slight slope to the rear. Flashings will be installed to hide the slope. Gutters will be installed around the entire structure for continuity and rain chains will be installed to handle the minimal water exiting the front, while downspouts will be concealed at the rear to handle the majority of runoff. The interior ceiling shall be comprised of two crossing barrels giving added height to the interior.
Foundations and slabs are in place, steel columns have been set and the roof framing is underway. Roof sheeting should be underway yet this week. Weather has held up the fireplace mason, but we are working around that the best we can. Despite poor weather conditions, the project is beginning to take shape.
