modFORM Tidbits is a place where modFORM shares short segments about interesting things happening around NCW and beyond. In Tidbit #3, we examine the Coleman building in South Wenatchee. Thanks for watching!

In this blog, I wanted to share a short video on YouTube I created explaining why this alley in Wentachee has half sized doors,

modFORM Tidbits is a place where modFORM shares short segments about interesting things happening around NCW and beyond. In Tidbit #1, I share some interesting infill projects on the Wenatchee side of the loop trail. Thanks for watching!

modFORM has been busy lately designing some new homes and remodeling existing ones throughout the Pacific Northwest. Take a look what modFORM is up to. Wenatchee Remodel An interior remodel to an existing 1960’s home located in Wenatchee, WA. Sumner Remodel An addition to an existing farm house located in Summer, WA. Mazama Residence A new single family residence constructed of insulated concrete forms located in Mazama, WA. RENDERING PROJECTS The Mercantile Renderings modFORM created interior renderings for the new shared workspace in downtown Wenatchee. Design and architecture by other. OVOF Housing Solutions modFORM designed and rendered several alternative housing options as a study for Our Valley Our Future Housing Solutions. Eastmont Mixed Use A rendering of a potential mixed use project in East Wenatchee CONSTRUCTION Lake Chelan Remodel An addition to an existing 1990's lake cabin located in Lake Chelan. Brewster Residence A new single family home located on the banks of the Columbia River in Brewster, WA. Number 2 Canyon Residence A new single family residence located in the foothills of the Cascades above Wenatchee, WA. Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the next modFORM LLC blog post.

Today, I would like to write about the various services I (and most Architects) provide at modFORM LLC. It can be confusing to know exactly what an architect does and why you would want to hire and architect. I would like break down each phase and clearly explain what happens during each step. In general, these are the steps and phases and architect uses to create your projct whether it is your dream home or a commercial development. Research/Feasibility/As-built drawings This stage involves a thorough data collection of the project along with the creation of conceptual drawings and massing. -Zoning & Code Analysis for proper jurisdiction. -Feasibility Study. -Site Analysis based on site observations and survey. -Budget Analysis. -As-builts (if it is a remodel project). -Program Analysis based on client questionnaire and preliminary meetings. -Conceptual site plan and conceptual diagraming and drawings of project. Schematic Design (SD) During this phase, modFORM LLC will take your program and desires for the project and produce several design schemes. -Continue conceptual development. -Create multiple schemes to review and continue to develop based on client input. Typically, there will be 3-4 rounds of meetings to present schemes and receive feedback from the client to develop the design further. -Basic floor plans will be developed to assess proper layout of program and functions. -Preliminary cost estimate. Design Development (DD) Once a scheme has been chosen during the SD phase, the design will continue to be refined and developed during the DD phase. -Develop and refine the floor plan. -Develop and refine the exterior and massing of the structure. -Select and coordinate finishes and fixtures. ie, Interior & exterior finishes, appliances, light fixtures, etc. -Start coordinating with consultants. ie, Structural engineer, Civil engineer (if required), etc. -Lock in design to prepare for construction permit submittal. Permit/Construction Documents Develop and refine drawings to prepare for construction permit submittal to the building department. -Make final decisions on finishes and fixtures. -Develop drawings for permit submittal. -Develop proper construction details. -Coordinate technical specifications. -Add proper noting and code information to drawings for permitting. -Begin to coordinate with possible contractors on next steps of construction. -Develop and refine construction documents Permit Submittal/Corrections During this phase, the proper drawings and applications will be submitted to the building department. -Provide additional information upon building department request. -Make proper corrections at building department request. (It is common to have 1-2 rounds of corrections). -Assist the client to make a final decision on general contractor if a general contractor has not already been chosen. -Coordinate with general contractor and review price estimates based on provided drawings. -Review general contractors cost estimates and schedule and confirm it is within general conformance. Construction Administration Once the building permit is obtained, there will be further coordination with modFORM LLC and the general contractor during the construction phase. -Provide additional drawings and submittals at contractor’s request. -Coordinate and answer other questions from the general contractor. -Periodically observe construction and verify it is proceeding in general according to plan. Please follow this link to the modFORM LLC website to learn more about these services. Thanks for reading, please comment below if you have any further thoughts.

In today's blog, I would like to continue the theme of sharing some inspirational books along with a few podcasts. These are great resources for anyone especially if you are an aspiring entrepreneur. E-Myth Revisited Micheal E. Gerber Image courtesy of amazon.com E-Myth is a a great book if you are thinking of starting a new business or are already running a business. Micheal Gerber offers some great advice for small business owners. The Untethered Soul Micheal A. Singer Image courtesy of amazon.com The Untethered Soul is not directly a business book however, Micheal Singer offers some great insight on the deeper parts of our soul that can translate into good business practices. Getting to Yes with Yourself William Ury Image courtesy of amazon.com William Ury writes about finding what our deepest internal desire are and how these can effect every relationship in our lives from personal to business. What Customers Crave Nicholas Crave Image courtesy of amazon.com I have just started reading this one however, there is some great insight on how to not only connect with customers on a deeper level but with everyone around us. The Business of Architecture Link to website here! This one is a great podcast for small firm architects teaching very relevant business tools to the architect community. EntreArchitect https://entrearchitect.com/podcast/ Link to website here! Similar to The Business of Architecture, EntreArchitect is a inspiring podcast offering great advice for small firm Architects. Smart Passive Income Link to website here! Smart Passive Income covers many aspects of running an online business that translate well to any business. This is one podcast that I can highly recommend to anyone looking to start a business of any kind. Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment below if you have any book or podcast suggestions.

In a recent project, I was tasked with design a very compact bathroom. Once I laid out the larger objects such as the toilet and the shower, I was left with a very challenging tight space for a sink. So, this led me to search for a nice, compact, minimal sink that would fit into a very narrow space. In today's blog post, I would like to share the some of the sinks I found. Image Courtesy of Ikea Manufacturer: Ikea Model: Lillangen Price: $80 Website Link Image Courtesy of Signature Hardware Manufacturer: Signature Hardware Model: 18" Utica Price: $359.95 Website Link Image Courtesy of Lacava Manufacturer: Lacava Model: Aquamedia #5072A Price: $420 Website Link Image Courtesy of Kingston Brass Manufacturer: Fauceture Model: Manhatten Vessel Sink EV1094 Price: $299.95 Website Link Image Courtesy of ALFI brand Manufacturer: ALFI brand Model: AB108 Price: $510 Website Link Image Courtesy of Lacava Manufacturer: Lacava Model: Open Space #SC015 Price: $580 Website Link Image Courtesy of Lacava Manufacturer: Lacava Model: Piccolo #M1013 Price: $340 Website Link Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts on small sinks in the comments below.

Continuing the theme of last week's blog post, I want to write another post highlighting an interesting old building here in Wentachee. I want to start writing these posts with a consistent format of describing a brief history of the building, What It Was, a brief description of what it is now, What It Is, and fun exercise of envisioning what the building could be, What Could It Be? So in today's post, I am going to write about the electrical switchyard located at the end of Chehalis Street near the Columbia River. What It Was I am unsure what this building was however, because of its proximity to the railroad tracks, I would guess it has something to do with the railroad industry. The building does not have much ornament so most likely it has always been part of some sort of industrial use. What It Is This brick building among all the electrical transformers and other equipment appears to be abandoned. However, it is possible it is used for some sort of storage. What Could It Be? Now for the fun part. With this building located so close to the Loop trail, there would be a great opportunity to utilize this as some sort of sport store for running or cycling or both. Or perhaps this would make a great kayak or paddle board rental spot since it is so close to the river. And of course, my favorite, this would make a great coffee shop, bakery, brewery or cafe. With its larger windows, this building would most likely have some great interior lighting as well as provide some great views of the Columbia River. Thanks for reading! Comment below if you have any ideas for what this building could be!

In today's post I would like to write about another cool old building I found hiding in one of the alleys near downtown Wenatchee. This old building, now abandoned, is located at the intersection of South Wenatchee Avenue and Kittitas Street. It appears at one time this building faced Wenatchee Ave. but some time ago, a few buildings were built in front of it. With a quick Google search, I discovered this was the original Chelan County jail. Later in its life it became a hotel, then more recently a storage facility. But now it looks very unused. Here is a little article from the Wenatchee World discussing more of the history on this building. So now for the fun part! What could this building be? The form of this building could lend itself to many uses. With the height of the building, the upper floor windows have a view just above the buildings in front of it. This could serve as a really cool restaurant with great views of the valley. Or perhaps a brewery with the brewing operation on the lower level and a bar on the upper level. Or how about a coffee roasting business? I think the nostalgia of once being an old jail could give new businesses an exciting story to build off. Perhaps "Jailhouse Brewing"? I am unsure the future of this building but, I would love to see this rehabilitated into a vibrant new business that could someday contribute to the rich nature of downtown Wenatchee. Thanks for reading! Comment down below if you have any other cool ideas for this building.

The other day, my wife and I rode our bikes on a back country road from Wenatchee to a little bakery just outside of Cashmere. Along this scenic ride tucked into the various fruit orchards are some very intriguing old barns and fruit warehouse buildings. This made me think, "How cool would be it to revive some of these old buildings into various forms of housing or or perhaps cafes or coffee shops. And funnily enough, our destination, Anjou Bakery, happens to be a perfect example of such a project. The folks at Anjou Bakery rehabbed an old barn into a cool bakery and espresso cafe. Below are just a few examples of the multitude of old barn structures scattered across NCW. There are some really great examples of modern adaptions of old agricultural buildings out in the world. Comment below and share some of your favorite examples. Thanks for reading!

Lately, I have had a few people come to me and want a project designed and drawings produced on a tight timeline. Sometimes even within a few weeks! Unfortunately, I have to turn these projects down because my schedule and current work load typically do not align with this time frame. So, I thought this would be a great opportunity to discuss time frames for designing and producing permit and construction drawings. In today's blog post, I would like to give a brief explanation of how long it takes to create drawings to obtain a permit and how long each phase of architecture takes. Keep in mind, this time frame will vary based on the size the size of architecture firm, number of employees, current workload and other various factors. In this example I will use a 4,000sf single family residence, new construction. Feasibility - 1 month. This phase really depends on site constraints and jurisdiction complications. Schematic Design - 1 month Design Development- 1 month Permit Drawings - 1 month Permit phase - Currently this phase will take about 1 - 1.5 months depending on the permitting jurisdictions workload. Total Duration from start of design to obtaining permit: 4-5 months Check out this link to learn more about the specifics of each of these phases. Construction time: 9-11 months Typically what I communicate to many of my clients is to work backwards from when you want construction to be complete and this will tell you when you should start design work. Lets use the example of above. In this example, say you would like to have your home complete before Christmas 2019. Working backwards, construction would start February 2019. Then design work should start around September of 2018. In addition to the start date, I would suggest reaching out to an architect 1-2 months before you would like to start design work to see how you can fit into their schedule. Here are a few other examples of design duration various sizes of projects: Small remodels: 2.5-3 months Larger homes: 5-6 months Small commercial projects: 5-6 months Thanks for reading, please leave a comment below if you have any questions or thoughts. Thanks!

Today's post will be about windows and one method and design process for applying windows to the facade of a home. The placement of windows is important to creating a balanced composition of a home. The following are a set of simple rules I typically use when laying out windows when designing a home. Grid I typically start with a very simple horizontal and vertical grid. This gives an organized and rational system to start with. Balance Interior to exterior I then look at balancing the interior functions with exterior window placement. Here it is important to look at the functions of the interior spaces such as capturing views inside to outside and capturing seasonal light. Vertical Alignment Here I like to align windows from top to bottom on multiple levels. This applies to the edges of windows as well as the vertical mullions. This is also important when considering the alignment of structural elements. Horizontal Alignment It is important to create a few simple datum lines to follow on all sides of a home. Typically, I pick a datum for the following: -Bottom of the window- this is typically in alignment with the base trim. -Middle datum. Typically at 36" from the floor to align with other elements such as railings. -Upper datum. Typically at the window head. This way all the windows on all sides of the house will have a balanced composition. One thing to keep in mind is there is a fine balance between all these rules. There is typically a back and forth between finding a good balance and placement for the windows on the inside then looking at the balance on the outside. It can take some time to achieve that perfect composition for windows but it is a crucial step in creating a well designed home. Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or questions and please be sure to check the modFORM LLC website!