When I start the design process for the houses that I build I begin by “doodling”.

But first, before I put pen to paper, I go visit the site where the house will one day set. I listen to the client’s description of their wants and needs. I envision the house as it is seen from the road and how it will be seen upon approach by future guests. I take in the views and pay attention to the path of the sun and the direction of the wind. And, so much more.

Upon returning home, while the experience is still fresh in my mind I take out a piece of paper and just start “doodling” recalling the site that I had just visited and reflecting on the homes and cabins that had impressed me over the years.

As you can see, my main focus in these first sketches is almost entirely on elevations… on building a home that is attractive from the outside. Floor-plans, how the rooms are laid out, often fall into place as a home is built.

If I were allowed just one criticism of the current construction world… architects, builders, plan books, future homeowners, and kit-home suppliers, is the overemphasis on floor-plans and the lack of attention to the elevations.

Originally posted 2015-07-03 13:52:43.

“We need to put a roof over the garage door.”

“I’ve got a hood off of an old Ford truck.”

“Perfect.”

One of the many advantages of building your own home is that you gain the skills, tools, and confidence to go on to build other things… like this client did when he went on to build his own garage after undertaking the completion of his log cabin.

And, when a person takes it to the next level, and builds a handmade house, they learn to “think out of the box” and explore unique possibilities… like using a salvaged truck hood for a little roof.

How cool is that?

Originally posted 2015-06-27 15:35:58.

Who wouldn’t want a stone walk-out basement with arched entries?

Of course there is one minor fault which distracts me from fully enjoying all this workmanship. Allow me to ruin it for you… lol…

Whenever I build a stone arch I do my best to always start my arches on larger stones… the worst way to build an arch is by starting the arch on stones of the same size as those used in creating the arch… it visually ruins the effect by creating a run-on effect.

Originally posted 2015-06-20 14:00:38.

Here’s the other side of this incredibly nice home.

Who wouldn’t want a place as sweet as this?

But once again, there are a few details that make me cringe, that make me drop this cabin’s grade from an A to a B.

Originally posted 2015-06-19 19:31:27.

At first glance this cabin appears to be drop-dead gorgeous. Don’t you think?

But something is wrong here. Something falls short of it’s true potential… can you see it?

Let me give you a hint… it has something to do with the chimney… in fact it’s two things about that stone and brick creation.

No, it’s not the brick topping of the chimney. That is a fairly common feature on old houses and cabins in this part of Virginia.

Times up.

The first problem is that the mason have shouldered the chimney higher up (the shoulder being the area where the chimney transitions narrower, in this case where it went from stone to brick). This transition should have occurred where the logs ended and the gable end siding began. The result of shouldering the chimney this low gives the impression that the chimney has somehow dropped a few feet into the soil… it has lost some of it’s prominence… it’s power has been drained… it’s majesty, degraded.

And then there is that one odd stone… located in the middle of chimney that appears diamond-shaped. The mason put it there to be decorative and to demonstrate how artistic he was. To me, and maybe I’m just being too picky, it’s a visual distraction. No single stone should stand out from the others… unless of course, it is the cornerstone.

Originally posted 2015-06-19 14:13:03.

You likely won’t see another photo like this one.

Here is the one of the few examples I’ve ever seen of a log cabin having been built on a brick foundation. Keep in mind that this is a new home making use of an old log cabin, so this combination of materials is vintage 1980’s (not 1880’s)

Keep in mind that I like brick. And, I like brick and stone used together… I feel that they compliment each other. But, try as I might, the use of brick under a cabin just doesn’t look right to me.

What do you think? Am I being too picky?

Originally posted 2015-06-18 22:27:37.

I really like the stone foundation found under this timber-frame addition.

The stones are massive… appropriately sized for this project. All are locally sourced sandstone (a nice feature). There is a nice blending of varying shades to be seen between each individual stone, which creates eye-pleasing contrast, and invites further inspection. And, there is a nice horizontal pattern going on with enough “fluidity” in the pattern to keep it from becoming rigid and “blocky”.

Throw in a few arches for a finishing touch… and life is good.

Originally posted 2015-06-18 12:34:24.

The mixture of stone, and log, and timber-frame is an unbeatable combination.

It’s so good it’s almost overwhelming.

I guess there is nothing wrong with being overwhelmed with the home one lives in is it?

Notice here the technique we adapted for completing the walls in the timber-frame area. Instead of using stress skin panels, attached to the outside of the frame, here we elected to fill in between the timbers with modern “stick framing”.

On this frame, only about two inches of depth would be seen of the timbers on the inside… the rest of these huge framing members would be buried within the wall.

Originally posted 2015-06-18 12:11:34.

There was a tall timber-frame addition off of the back of this log home, built using timbers that were sawn from larger, salvaged beams from an old factory.

The scale of this home… the “tallness”… was visually striking.

Originally posted 2015-06-18 11:50:54.

This was a Charles McRaven log home restoration project.

Out front are a couple of the men I worked with, now over 30 years ago.

I did learn a great deal during that period of my life.

Originally posted 2015-06-17 15:48:16.