Lifestyle Improvement
Design for the way we liveThe Boogie Monster
When my kids were little and the house was dark or the weather turned bad – the boogie monster threat was set to code red. I then had to stand ready with a baseball bat as I opened the closet door, checked under the bed and checked all the dark recesses in my child’s view. Once the coast was clear, it was time to tuck the little one into bed and pray they fell asleep prior to their imaginations creating more scary evildoers.
Night lights in the bedroom, hall, bathroom and stairway reduces the threat from red to orange – but I quickly learned from my clients, house design opportunities can reduce this threat even further. Light plays a significant role in the perception of safety by allowing us to see the coast is clear.
Today lighting has brought the opportunity of programming and greater spread and even distribution of light at a reduced cost. Programmed scenes such as day and night with dimming features allow better placement of light. For example, up lighting the entire ceiling in a child’s bedroom evenly cast light into the entire room at the same level as a night light in the corner, thus the boogie man has nowhere to pull off a sneak attack.
With a little planning, everyone can sleep better at night knowing evildoers don’t stand a chance!
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Dink, Dink
One of the nightly rituals my kids never missed was asking for a drink of water so as to delay the inevitable process of sleep. As with most kids, as speech develops, Dink, Dink became a revised marching song from the Mel Brooks movie Spaceballs on our way to the sink. It was during this process, that I realized children aren’t considered into design.
Sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and countertops are all designed for people who pay the mortgage/rent and not the other members of the family who are along for the ride. I find it ironic that with children not being an entirely new concept, many of the elements haven’t evolved to include the little one.
Consider for a moment – built in steps or other altering devices for fixtures placed into the design of our homes. The small step my kids used was helpful, but the instability of it lead to our share of boo boo’s. With a little forward thinking and the cleverness of manufacturers – I am confident some economical alternatives can be brought into our homes.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Can I move my own piece please ?
In our breakfast room resides a large round table that many nights has served as the official gaming table. Due to the geometry of the table, as the rolling of dice commenced, even the adult players had a difficult time reaching the opposite side of the board. Children are all too eager to help, however counting skills combined with an excellent memory and a competitive spirit result in quick unfair placement of pieces. The result is the outbreak of war and a “do-over” called for another start in order for a peaceful resolve.
Lifestyle Improvement would have us consider, for an example, a built in restaurant style booth. It brings people physically closer together while providing ample space for food. Another resolve is island seating in the middle of the kitchen. Today custom kitchen design has unlimited possibilities that resolves not only functional requirements, but prevents war breaking out on game night!
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Please check your bag
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of traveling all over the world. The frequency has been irregular, however it is part of the equation. Luggage has improved significantly over the years and when it comes time to purchase another one, I find further refinements and improvements. We all do a good job matching a product to our needs, but there are other considerations.
Too many times I have witnessed people heading down the aisle with luggage never designed for the overhead. This may seem logical to some, but one thing we are all guilty of is the consideration of where to stow these pieces in our home. With everything to consider in the process of design, this is often overlooked.
Walk-in closet design provides an opportunity to place these items in a very logical place. For those of us who travel often – this is a significant time saver in not just packing, but allowing an inventory of supplies to be better managed. Lifestyle Improvement can incorporate these items into any design while providing smoother transitions between periods of travel.
please visit my website www.architechstyles.com.
Booger / Snot
Allergies today affect millions and one of the issues facing so many is the discussion of healthy buildings. As part of any general survey I perform for clients, I spend a great deal of time with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The #1 thing I can tell all who read this is check your filters.
This is not always as easy at is seems. All to often these are place on the ceiling, rooftops, attics and the list of difficult accessible places goes on. The reason is that no one wants to look at an ugly grill. Lifestyle Improvement places the location of these grills into the design. Placement oftentimes does the trick!
A grill on a door leading to the filter, placed on the wall in a utility room, etc. Once these filters are placed in a more accessible location, we might just incorporate the routine of changing filters into our schedules. The result will be a healthier environment and in many cases, allergies have been significantly reduced.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Let me see your hands!
Before any meal, my wife has us line up for inspection and it is too often the case someone is sent on a return trip to the sink to wash their hands. In all fairness, it isn’t always our fault. Kids struggle to reach the faucet handle and aren’t provided a clear view of their hands in the first place. Even more interesting is the majority of all faucets are so small, designed just large enough to place water in the sink.
Lifestyle Improvement is about selecting a faucet that accomplishes its intended purpose. A general rule I tell my clients is a faucet should be placed so as the water spills out, it hits the center of the bowl. Ergonomics are not just for the physically challenged, so controls should be easy to use for all of us. Economics are important but as I cruise the big box hardware stores the vast majority of faucets today don’t even allow fair opportunity for a passing grade during inspection.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Lions and Tigers and Bears
As I travel across the endless expanse of suburbia, all of these animals have been incorporated into landmarks and other figures of inspiration, like sports teams, bars, retail outlets and other marquis prominently displayed. Many comedians have made statements like when was the last time you saw a African Lion living in your neighborhood. If you do – then I suspect animal control and possibly search and rescue teams are patrolling as we speak.
The point is there is a disconnect in how we represent our spirit of community. Over and over again we attempt to achieve someonelse’s notion of what our community represents. Consider for a moment the inspiration found within our own community. Effective leaders, natural landmarks, historical events, or even a design that inspires all.
Here is an example: one developer held an art competition to place art pieces in the common areas of the subdivision with first place to be located at the entrance into the subdivision. The result was a community embracing the idea and directions including the name and description of the art pieces.
Lifestyle Improvement incorporates the spirit that comes from what makes our community unique, not just an attempt at duplication of what another community represents. The more we try to do this, the more we reduce what makes us a community unto ourselves.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Nothing says Audubon Society like oil
On my return trip home today, I witnessed the practice of spraying oil over top of straw as new grass seed had just been put down on the entrance drive to my subdivision. It has been listed as an Audubon Society subdivision because an approval process had been meet on the creation of “Green” space. I couldn’t figure out any reason for this process, so I asked the landscaper why this method was utilized. With so many geese present in the ponds and lakes scattered throughout the subdivision, this is done to prevent the geese from eating the seed.
Logical as this seems, the madness didn’t end there. Heavy concentrations of salt are put down during threats of frozen precipitation, non-native species of plants are heavily utilized in all common areas, and incorporated into landscape packages provided by builders. Upon receiving the Covenants and Restrictions, there was a dedicated section on how to apply to the homeowners association for any landscaping additions one cares to make. It listed by species what would be allowed and the irony is that less than 10% of them are indigenous to the region.
Lifestyle Improvement is about environmental responsibility especially when the developer opted to include an environmental strategy. Perhaps if common sense combined with the requirements of each of the plants selected is applied, the yearly cycle of replacing dead and dying areas could be eliminated. As an expanded thought – perhaps leaving as much of the natural surrounding in place and enhancing it with native species would require less human involvement.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Is it off now ?
Nothing scares people more in their home than the main electrical panel. At some point, it becomes necessary to reset a thrown circuit or turn off power to a portion of the house. If this task weren’t bad enough, most of these panels are located in the basement, utility room, garage, or other dark and dirty places we seldom go. In some cases these panels are in tough to reach places and we often times pile things in front of them to add insult to injury.
Every time I need to turn a circuit off, my oldest son stands at the top of the stairs in the basement and yells down to me when the lights come on or off based on the situation. Labeling is an obvious choice, but often these circuits are organized based on economy, rather than common sense.
When I work with an electrical engineer during the design process and electricians in the field, we work together to resolve these issues, marking things clearly and walking home owners through some basic steps to resolve most issues. Many of the fears we have can be minimized with a little education and our lifestyles can be restored as quickly as possible.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com.
Seeking refuge under my desk ?
When I was in school we practiced disaster drills and my favorite was preparation for a nuclear attack. Comic George Carlin told the colorful story of this process as the federal government’s requirement of placing us under our desk with our hands over our head in an attempt to protect us. The irony is we were vulnerable, ignorant and trusting that help would arrive while awaiting nuclear fallout, assuming we survived the initial blast if this event were to take place. While this tale is told in a very funny way, it raises a very serious question.
I ask all of my clients if they have a disaster kit in their home. With our climate providing storms in all portions of the world, combined with power outages and other forms that interrupt our daily way of life, it only makes sense to take some precautions. Water bottles, canned food, flashlights, matches, weather and information radio, etc. Added benefits included an electrical generator, and the incorporation of a storm shelter.
Lifestyle Improvement involves planning for situations that impact our daily life. It only takes once to understand the value of even the most basic supplies. At times it is a matter of surviving rescue, not just the act of rebuilding, that one should consider.
please visit my website www.architechstyle.com
Simon Says
Simon says was an electronic game I played with my sister when we were kids. As the lights went off, it was a test of memory to repeat the sequence of lighting order. Today we are required to remember so many combination codes: email, log ins, lockers, passwords, pin numbers, and a vast assault of other security questions. While these are unavoidable, many of the secret numbers we use can be avoided.
Many of the designs today incorporate open space plan design. One of the challenges is the bank of light switches that results from few walls. Often times 6, 8 or even 12 or more switches are banked together. This results in an experiment of learning what each does and where. With all we have to remember, this is a senseless activity. Now take into consideration guests and the experiment ensues again.
Lifestyle Improvement includes subtle instruction to avoid this game whenever possible. Placing labels on these switches eliminates the need for a heightened sense of skill required to perform a basic function. As our homes become more sophisticated, this should include multimedia, gaming, appliance operation, etc. All too often instructions are unclear or not provided at all and while we eventually learn the lighted pattern with practice, design should include better instruction.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
why is that light still blinking ?
From time to time our electrical service goes out and after it is restored, my programming skills are required. I have been assigned the task of restarting and resetting all of electrical devices in service in my home. The list includes the microwave, range, coffee maker, 3 alarm clocks assigned to bedrooms, security system and other devices such as DirecTV, an old VCR and computers.
Though the list isn’t as bad as it has been in the past and it is far easier to reset these devices, I still receive phone calls from neighbors and clients because of the difficulty of this task. Lifestyle Improvement is directed toward the reduction if not elimination of the service. An example would be one alarm clock I own is linked to the atomic clock via satellite, so once power is restored, it sets itself while retaining existing alarm settings. With the technology that exists today, there is no reason for this task. If so, then there needs to be clear and easy to understand instructions.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com.
Check oil light
While not the immediate threat as a check engine light, this does indicate a maintenance issue that was left neglected. Today it is easier since my Acura has a numerical system that tells me what the service issues are with my vehicle.
My lawn mower has no such device.
In all honesty it failed to start the other night and as I took it in for service, I soon found out not providing any service to it for 3 years wasn’t a good idea. The result was having to purchase another mower costing roughly $250.
Consider for a moment all of the unattended devices in your garage. Mower, snow blower, grass trimmer and perhaps even an electrical generator and ask yourself when was the last time these devices received service? When this occurs, not only do they last longer, but they have environmental consequences as well. Combined with many of your neighbors being “Green” means doing what we should. Imagine if we all incorporated this Lifestyle Improvement into our routine – not only would it contribute to the environment, but our health as well.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Muddy Shoes
All of us learn very quickly the result of leaving a trail behind us – especially when I was a child – yet this is something we are all guilty of from time to time. Most families combat this by having a place near the main entry point to place their shoes – yet very few homes incorporate into the design this basic need.
Consider a built-in bench with several slots for shoes and a mop sink to clean them off. Surfaces are also important – many stores provide metal grates as you enter to combat dirt. Not only do they provide a catch point, but they provide stability by staying in place. Having a dedicated station for shoes creates habit while serving this basic function, but also can be expanded to included coats, umbrellas, and other items being deposited in unwanted areas.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Check engine light
The check engine light in our automobile is something none of us want to see. Yet when designing a bathroom, it is the first question one should ask. My test is typically directed more toward women, for the process in starting your day involves a fairly sophisticated order of assembly. The process of everything you do at the sink needs consideration. Personal habits and the rank and order of things needs to be reflected into the design of a bathroom.
I have always said that every person who resides in a house requires a personal sink work station. The only savings in duplication comes from those who share a master bedroom, then divided by sex thereafter. Very young children require very little, however this is temporary. This quick assessment will define not just the number of bathrooms, but the total fixtures that are required.
With an expanded lifestyle improvement in the bathroom, this will translate in an improved feeling of self-confidence and readiness for what opportunities the day presents.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Shiney Stuff
When designing kitchens, the first thing my clients do is select the biggest and best appliances they have in their budget. One of the things that is a direct result is these new appliances require a new learning curve for not just, use but cooking as well. Commercial appliances are designed for speed and greater quantity, not just a stainless steel finish. With this, a new set of cookware is required along with classes to learn the expanded opportunities for an expanded menu. As a result, many of these appliances go underutilized and people spend more money than they need to do based on their lifestyle.
Consider for a minute your desire for a lifestyle improvement to include an expanded menu with a higher quality and greater production of food. Oftentimes, a realistic match to your actual cooking lifestyle may find a shifted opportunity for financial adjustment to other areas in your home.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Going up?
I have never understood the desire to have a staircase in the formal entry into a home. I have yet to visit anyone and the first place they direct me is upstairs (especially considering bedrooms of the occupants are the only rooms on the second floor). Ok – yes a split-level where the formal entry is between levels or high rise living like condo’s – but this isn’t to what I refer.
In much of Europe, staircases were your first point of entry because the living quarters were on the second floor. This was a result of security and in times gone by, livestock, carriages, and safety concerns forced this issue. It was only natural to define the staircase as social status for those who resided inside.
Today staircases are one of the few crafted elements found in most homes, so it is only natural to place this for all to see. Consider for a moment placing a higher degree of design and detail into a design element unique to the home. Interior fountains, gardens, art display, or other element that signals to a guest your individual quality. The possibilities are endless and it just might result in a better location for a staircase that should be kept private for family members.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstlyes .com
Why would I go there?
Over the years, I have reviewed many floor plans and the #1 pet peeve I have with design is all of the dead end conditions. In many applications, codes define this as path of travel and during the event of fire you are not allowed to design a path that creates a condition where people may be trapped by fire.
I will further add to this by saying that dead end conditions can be created visually as well. While in architecture school, we were taught the value of a visual objective. Something by means of a landmark to see in the distance and upon arrival, see the next destination or have a visual reference for where you are.
Homes should do this as well. A statue, artwork or window at the end of a hall, for example, accomplishes this end. Lighting is important, to not just light the path, but define the destination. Homes that incorporate this are inviting because they draw interest and create opportunity for individual expression.
Lifestyle improvement includes an attachment to the environment and the emotions which make us human – so it only makes sense to take advantage of opportunities through design.
For more information please visit my website www.architectstyles.com
I don’t want to take out the trash.
Like many people, taking out the trash is one chore both as a child and as an adult I try to find excuses not to do. Today, this has expanded to recycling and multiple pick-up days and a complicated revolving calender based on an ever growing list of holidays observed. Why is it that a garbage and recycling location aren’t part of the design?
The garage is the obvious choice and for a lucky few, a spot out back by the service alley. Garbage cans and collection hasn’t really changed since trucks began cruising our neighborhoods. Consider for a minute the routine and process for our garbage. Over packaging, short product life cycles, the endless assault of paper, and the list goes on. Design is not just about placement, but choices in what each of us throws in the trash on weekly cycle. Lifestyle improvement is also about how we interact with our environment.
Consider for a moment that being “Green” can also include how our lifestyle should change to reduce so much waste. Reductions in what we touch also reduces the requirement for square feet in our home – and this begins a domino effect toward less energy use for our planet.
For more information please visit my website www.architectstyles.com
Research?
Many of my clients have come to me and asked how do I make my home unique ? They will at this point show me all of the magazines and books of images they like. In many respects, their mind is already made up and the only task in front of me is putting together all of the pieces.
This is 180 degrees from having any opportunity to answer the question. When I was in school my professor asked us if we new the definition to the term research ? The majority of us immediately thought of the library and waited for the assignment to be given. Once we learned of the topic, I began to think of where I was going to start and it was at this point she pulled the rug out from under our feet and said the library was off limits. Like some fool, I raised my hand and asked why and she said that if she wanted a book report she would have also given us a book list.
Research is about experiment and you have to know failure is part of the equation. The further irony is that failure (more often than not) leads to a breakthrough or invention. Architecture and Design is an experiment and when clients come to me, I am more interested in who they are, how they understand and interact with their environment than what picture they show me in a book.
When it comes time to design your lifestyle improvement, forget the books and a find an architect that will assist you in defining who you are, not who you want to imitate.
For more information see my website www.architechstyles.com
Community Center ?
Scattered across the endless subdivisions exist what is perhaps the biggest selling feature to draw sales toward any given development:
The community center or clubhouse!
They offer a swimming pool, hot tub, restrooms, a large great room, perhaps even a large screen viewing room, exercise area or perhaps even a bar. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself in an up-scale development, they will add golf, gourmet kitchens, a cigar room, library, and significant upgrades to the before mentioned areas.
Should I stay or should I go ?
This is a question that many of my clients over the years have asked me. Many of them have lived in their home for 30 years or more, raised children there, and in some cases were born in the community they reside. As a result, deep emotional ties combined with the memories from the majority of their adult life exist in the home. For some, just 5 or 6 years in the same home results in hesitation and fear about relocating despite the desire, necessity or some forced situation.
The only comfort I can think of is knowing that people and the warmth they give, provide memories and deep affection, not a house. In other words, it is what we put into it – not what is in – it that matters. With that in mind, the goal and/or decision to move should be made based on a desired “Lifestyle Improvement”.
Dog’s are family members too.
I have yellow and chocolate Labrador retrievers. They are welcomed in the house and the yellow finds his place on one end of the sofa in our great room and the chocolate curled up in the recliner. The routine of walks, potty breaks and daily exercise in our back yard has created an interaction with the architecture of our home.
When I purchased my first house, I quickly discovered that there was no direct intention with respect to designing anything for a dog. It became a negotiation of figuring out places based on the routines of having a dog. As a result things were scattered about and at times I resented having a dog due to the difficulty and forced interruption in my day.
Today, I have eliminated much of the forced involvement. A dog door leading to a dog run, a place for food, water, medical supplies, treats, and other necessities is found in our utility room. When I know no one will be at home, the utility room provides warmth and shelter – yet maintains the access to the dog run while closing access to the rest of the house. By doing this I quickly learned that it is my responsibility to design spaces for all members of the family.
Please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Trips to the big box.
Every week it seems as though it is impossible to get by without a visit to the big box for more supplies. Groceries, cleaning supplies, home maintenance, up keep supplies, etc. The SUV gets filled every week and it becomes a constant negotiation to find a place for it once I arrive home.
Over the years, the trick has been to figure out how to reduce trips and time spent putting it away and then getting it out as it becomes needed. While pantry’s, storage shelves in the garage and basement are obvious choices, consider their proximity to the trunk of your car and dispersion into your home.
Design oftentimes becomes very easy because it is just simple logistics at work. Garages with close adjacency to kitchen pantry’s, utility room and perhaps a set of basement stairs save people time. A central location as much as possible to a distribution point works best for the storage necessities of our homes.
Think of it in terms of corporate sales. Companies have learned that a central warehouse to all of their stores allows them to speed up delivery, control inventory, and manage the general operation of their stores. With our lives so focused on the many purchases required for daily life, it only makes sense to incorporate an extension to the distribution chain so that our lifestyle runs as efficiently as a business.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Yard Darts
When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was yard darts. Two plastic hoops positioned several feet from one another and two people take turns throwing them and scoring points based on accuracy toward a central point in the circle. OK – yes I know they don’t sell them anymore, but where I am going with this is during the summer months, they remained outside, but where do they reside during inclement weather and winter ? Now throw in lawn mowers, gardening tools, trash and recycling bins, toys, seasonal yard supplies, the list goes on.
The problem is, in a typical 2-car garage, one car often finds itself sitting outside the driveway. To make matters even worse, governing authorities are regulating if not eliminating the ability to place a storage shed on your lot. Design should incorporate a place for all of these items. One should also allow for proportion considerations for lot size, family members, and at times hobbies, skills and lifestyles that add even more items.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Mom, where’s my glove ?
I can’t even begin to count how many times my kids misplaced something and automatically it became my wife’s job to know the location of everything. While her skills as an expert tracker are refined – much of the blame resided with us. Between bedrooms, basements, back yards and the great room, my son’s baseball glove was always on the move.
As we learned and my architectural training kicked in (thankfully before my temper kicked in), placing a sports equipment storage system in the garage next to the door in the utility room, combined with an initial bit of discipline by us, soon eliminated the need for an expert tracker.
Make sure you consider all such negotiations and diplomatic conversations, for many times a simple design solution can be found to eliminate the outbreak of war and produce a shared lifestyle improvement.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Honey, where’s the hammer?
Like most families, we had a junk drawer in the kitchen full of stuff: night light bulbs, pliers, tape measure, screw driver, leveling casters, etc. To complicate matters, household tools were also found in the basement, the garage, and upstairs in a closet. There always seemed to be an ongoing fix-it project – so the accompanying tools were left near the unfinished project – so every time it came to return to work on a project, search and destroy of required tools takes longer than the project.
To eliminate this, we found it helpful to have a work bench near the garage and/or utility room. We designed and built a 6′ wide work bench out of a closet organization system that serves a variety of task: repair on a variety of household items, folding table for clothing, a battery and light bulb station and a place for extension cords during seasonal display requirements. Additionally the work bench is adjacent to the laundry tub – so it provides a drip place for clothing and washed items, like paint brushes, grill brushes, and stained clothing staged for cleaning – drying is an additional bonus!
The key to success is a location based on family use and the discipline to keep it organized. Utilizing a prime location, we found that not only did these projects get done, but it ended the wasted time of search and destroy.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
What happenend to the front porch?
When I was a kid, we had a craftsman styled house and my grandparents had a country farmhouse with a large porch. When the weather was above 60 degrees, we were always on the porch and friends were always present. Cooking, eating, drinking and general conversation all took place on the porch. It was second only to the family room in terms of use and even this could be argued in the summer.
Today suburbia has reduced the front porch to dimensions that don’t allow for any real practical use. The design reflects the style of the house, but the function has been eliminated. Is it a wonder why people in a neighborhood don’t know each other and beyond a door or two and don’t socialize? A porch is a requirement for building a community, not just a stylized feature stuck on to give a home a home character.
As an architect, I view the porch as a vital outdoor room, not just a fashion statement. Consider that character is defined by people who provide interaction with a community instead of character being defined by the garage door opening and people waving as they drive off to another location for social interaction.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
We never go outside.
Outdoor spaces are difficult because homes are designed for the inside. I can’t remember any client ever coming to me and discussing how their outdoor needs should be incorporated into a floor plan. As a result, a deck or patio is stuck onto the project based on budget, usually after move in and occupants just make the best of the space they get.
Southern exposures are the most difficult, for the sun is difficult to control and provide the least comfort. To make matters worse, sliding glass doors typically access a deck or patio and you sometimes have to navigate a maze from the kitchen to the grill. Often left open, patio umbrellas get tossed about and the sun is an ever moving target for shade.
Consider your needs and desires as you plan your life. I have found that people will extend their lifestyle and enjoyment to the outdoors if a useful connection is provided!
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
Square feet can include the entire lot!
When people talk about square feet – the immediate thought is that of their home size. While some may know the lot size their house occupies, they don’t relate the lot as an extension of the house. They cut the grass, trim the hedge or perhaps have a garden and hanging baskets as the seasons allows, yet it is an additional chore, not another room utilized in their lifestyle.
Consider the extension of seasons by incorporating design into your project. The orientation of the house in combination with landscaping, outdoor structures, water elements and the use of all-season rooms extends the square footage of your home. It also provides opportunity for an expanded lifestyle and connection to the outdoors.
For more information please visit my website www.architechstyles.com
