To see images of the award winning design, click here.

It has been said that if architects could choose a world to live in, that they would choose a black and white world.  This may be true when we put graphite to paper that no other colors should exist or belong in that space when we are considering the forms and shapes of our designs.  However, designing does not end with the structure alone.  How we live in the space and what moods we want to evoke in those spaces matter.  Why are so many breakfast rooms painted yellow, and why are so many bathrooms painted blue? One color invokes a sense of energy and the other calms.  Color can be a captivating tool for shifting our attention and changing our moods.

Some interesting products have emerged in the market which stand out in one regard, their reliance on color as a medium:

Rockpanel Chameleon as the name suggests changes colors, although not a true chameleon as it doesn’t blend in with the surroundings the boards reflect a variation of colors based on the angle of light.

Philips Color Kinetics a variety of LED lighting products, now becoming popular in residential lighting for both interior and exterior applications.

Dreamwalls Color Glass by Gardner Glass Products produces glass which can be used for tiles, back splashes, room partitions and more in virtually any part of the home.

To quote artist and poet John Ruskin, “The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.”

John Fitzpatrick, AIA

Founder and President John Fitzpatrick is a residential architect in Austin, Texas, specializing in designing custom homes, remodels, and builder speculative homes throughout Texas.

Denmark Pavilion Bike Trail

John Fitzpatrick, a Texas residential architect explains how to build a roof with sustainability in mind.

Why roofs are important:

• solar protection
• weather barrier
• wind resistance
• fire barrier
• water collection
• power generation
• natural light complaints and lawsuits
• #1 source of complaints and lawsuits

Cool Roof

To save energy costs it is now important to construct a Cool Roof. A Cool Roof works by providing a surface with solar reflectance, the surface reflects the visible infrared and ultraviolet wave lengths of the sun and thermal emittance (non-reflected solar energy). Most Cool Roofs are white or other light colors. Pre-painted metal roofs, unpainted metal roofs or vegetation roofs provide the most reflectivity and radiation. The Cool Roof Rating Council publishes a measured solar reflectance and thermal emittance values of various roofing materials.

Overhangs

In addition to the aesthetic appeal, ample overhangs provide protection from solar heat gain on windows and walls. It is important for design overhangs that provide shading on the East, South and especially West facing walls from the Spring, Summer and Fall sun.

Radiant Barriers

Radiant barriers are mirror foil materials attached to the attic side of the roof rafters. They inhibit heat transfer into the attic by thermal radiation. The foil can be attached and draped to the roof rafters or factory applied to the underside of the plywood roof decking. The barrier should provide low emittance of 0.05 or less and high reflectance of 0.9 or greater.

Sealed Attics

Ventilated attics can cause moisture and humidity problems and A/C ductwork loses efficiency since attic temperatures often exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Sealed attics have become the preferred method to reduce the effects that a hot attic has on energy consumption of air conditioning equipment. Sealing an attic involves applying spray foam insulation on the underside of all roof rafters and attic walls thus creating a cooler and air tight attic space for ductwork and HVAC equipment.  Also, heat gain is reduced from recessed can lighting that penetrates into the attic. A five percent duct leakage into the attic is allowed for the sealed attic to provide the maximum efficiency. Additional reduction of attic solar heat gain can be achieved by providing continuous air space ventilation immediately below the roof decking (not in the attic).  This space would be under the entire roof and overhangs. A plastic ventilation strip is used at the overhang fascia and a ridge vent is installed at the top of the roof.

John Fitzpatrick, AIA

President of Fitzpatrick Architects, an Austin, Texas residential architecture firm for over forty years.

The crown of the column, the capital (from Latin caput) unites the column to the abacus acting as a brace between the supporting and supported structures. While nearly all capitals fall under the three major orders; Doric (convex), Corinthian (convex) and Ionic (scrolling out), the stylization of the columns varied greatly throughout regions and time periods. Some interesting stylizations of note are the Egyptian lotus, papyrus and palm capitals, the Achaemenid Persian lion and griffin, the classical and byzantine stylized foliage and the Ottinian geometric styles.

In 12th Century Europe, a trend of capitals adorned with images depicting humans, animals and mythological creatures came about. These images were predominately biblical in nature. Beginning in Burgundy, south and west France, the trend quickly spread throughout Europe. In the modern era, many homeowners chose to replicate styles of architecture of the past adorning indoor and outdoor spaces with real or engineered columns. With modern technologies, the options for capitals are limited only to one’s imagination.

]]> http://www.jfitzarchitect.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=902 0 http://www.jfitzarchitect.com/blog/?p=811 http://www.jfitzarchitect.com/blog/?p=811#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:02:39 +0000 Fitzpatrick Architects http://www.jfitzarchitect.com/blog/?p=811 After a projected downfall in the housing market, building starts increased by 15% in January.  The primary reason for the upswing is in multifamily residential units.    When it is hard to buy a house, people rent multifamily and many investors have recognized the opportunity.  Benefits to renting a multifamily unit include convenient amenities at hand and no property tax must be paid.  Renting also frees up time that homeowners normally have to devote to yard maintenance, home repairs and other upkeep.  Multifamily units are also often placed closer to city centers thus reducing the commute. Multifamily units have less urban sprawl, cover less pavement and concrete and typically reduce the carbon footprint. There are some pitfalls to renting, less privacy and space are some.  However, there are many options for multifamily that can reduce some of these pitfalls.  A duplex can allow the homeowner to live on one side of the unit and have a renter on the other, allowing the revenue from the rental help pay off the mortgage.  Townhomes can be arranged in a variety of ways including private yards for each tenant.  Multifamily units designed by Fitzpatrick Architects range from a duplex to 300 unit apartment complexes.

• Chili Winners: 1^st Place – Legend Lighting, 2^nd Place – Kelly Moore Paint, 3^rd Place – TFR
• Horseshoe Winners: 1^st Place – CRC (Concrete Raising Corporation), 2^nd Place – Factory Builder Stores – Paul Marshall, 3^rd Place – Jody Jones Team
• People’s Choice – Chili: Lighting Inc.
• Showmanship – Booths: 1^st Place – Anchor Ventana, 2^nd Place – Service Tech, 3^rd Place – Ferguson
• Chili Winner – Builder: Bill Taute

John Fitzpatrick, a residential architect in Austin, Texas served on the Home Builder Association of Greater Austin 2nd Annual 2011 Chili Cook Off committee to benefit Home PAC.

A hole in the drywall is usually considered cosmetic. Some inspectors will make a note about it for FYI but it does not affect the structural integrity of a home. The exception to that is if it is allowing moisture or insects to cause further damage to the interior or exterior.

But it can also be an indication of how well a home is maintained. A random hole that has been untouched can be suspect for further typical preventive measures not performed by the homeowner and can certainly be a negative for a potential homebuyer.

If it is in a lower area (below your knees) in a room adjoining a bathroom, it can also be a treatment “trap” hole left by a Pest Control Company. It is used to inject chemicals into an area needing treatment. Usually it is covered by a vent, not left uncovered.

When in doubt, better to be repaired than left as is. It shows pride in ownership to a potential buyer when considering your house for purchase.

Thank you for using Excel Inspections and have a great day,
Ann Runnels
Excel Inspections
www.excelinspects.com
512-259-8642