Cassilhaus

Well Well Well

Headed to the site this morning expecting to witness the start of floor framing in the guest pod and found a cacaphony of activity on three different fronts.   The well drilling rig was going full steam and a small stream of water was cascading by the driveway.   The grading crew was working on a huge retaining wall east of the carport storage. Those guys are magicians making those intricate puzzles come together.

 

Steel has given over to wood as the first floor framing members appeared on the site. Dwayne and Steve are our two master carpenters and they had a beautiful day to start their work.  It is a very complicated framing plan with so many changes of level and the need to accommodate a sophisticated mechanical system--not to mention a shortage of right angels.

It is starting to look like a house!  I got my first responses about the blog and my dear friend Mona from LA who visited us last year before we started building sent some photos entitled "Love over Cassilhaus" This fabulous old beech is toward the western edge of our property.  Mona is an internationally know photographer who shows in top galleries around the world.  Thanks to all who have sent their feedback about the blog.  Keep the comments coming as I figure this out.

Steel Steel Steel

Big day today.  We started with an early job site meeting. From left this is Kevin from Custom Steel, Leon, Myron, Ellen, and Anna.  They are installing 1st floor steel today.  There is that tension when the tape measures come out to measure the steel and then the span where it is supposed to go.  Everything looks great and fits like a dream.  Check out the "Steel" photo album in the sidebar for more photos.

I walked down to the trail below the stream buffer to shoot some photos of the completed structure.  I can't believe it is finally becoming reality.

Before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.  Then when you criticize them, you will be a mile away and have their shoes.

                                                          --Jack Handy

Windows on Duke Forest

The view from the top of the foundation wall out over Duke Forest takes your breath away. And this is only the first floor! There are 97 windows in the house--not counting the glass doors.  I counted this morning and the lion's share are unique sizes.  The ramifications of designing completely non-rectilinear forms are becoming increasingly clear.  Trapezoidal windows look cool.  The plan sheet for windows and doors is a work of art unto itself.  Thanks Anna.

The closer you get to the edge, the better the view.                 --David Napp

Who Knew?

Who knew you could spend a whole day picking out exterior door trim hardware?  After reviewing a 15 page window and door quote with a gozillion options we find out that there are two-count em-options for the Pella door hardware and they are both butt ugly.  To make matters worse there is only 1 3rd party manufacturer on the planet that makes Pella compatible hardware.  Enter Rocky Mountain Hardware in Hailey, Idaho! Fabulous and fabulously expensive if not exactly heavy on contemporary options. Incredibly knowledgeable salespeople (Thanks Jubal!). Just pick one out I assumed.  A few questions--Dummy, multi-point entry, multi-point passage, or multi-point patio? 38 different lever options, 9 escutcheon plate options, Silicon or white bronze?, Light, medium, dark, rust, or brushed patina?  Left, Right, Left Hand Reverse, or Right Hand Reverse Handing, Backset mechanism for associated door, Door Thickness, American or Profile Cylinder Lock, and Center to Center Dimension Lever to Cylinder.  Just jot these items down and we will send out your hardware--and let us know if you have any special finish requests.

Time Capsule

The foundation was going in and Ellen and I wanted to put something in the concrete walls to celebrate our families.  We had a fun morning running around the house deciding what to put in our little time capsule.  The most fun was actually finding what we were going to use as a capsule.  I found a 1967 silver cigarette box golf "trophy" of my mothers and it was perfect.   We proceeded to fill it with a zip drive full of family photos, some actual photographic prints, coins from our travels around the world, a music CD, wedding momentos, a leaf from our current yard, a candle, some "passion" tea, a tweaker, my parent's 50th wedding anniversary announcment, etc. etc.   We watched while it was placed in the wall . In just one week we went from dirt through footers and foundations walls.  It is so hard for me to wrap my brain around all these guys working on this all day and its for US!  For so long these have been lines on a page and now it is real.