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!

Today I would like to share a few books that I would recommend to other Architects or small business owners to read. This list consists of books I have read, am currently reading and are on my list to read. Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment below if you have any other recommendations! Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck Image courtesy of amazon.com How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Image courtesy of modFORM LLC Your Best Just Got Better Jason Womack Image courtesy of amazon.com The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod Image courtesy of modFORM LLC Disrupt You! Formerly Disrupt Yourself by Jay Samit Image courtesy of modFORM LLC Louder than Words: Harness the Power of Your Authentic Voice by Todd Henry Image courtesy of modFORM LLC The Achievement Habit by Bernard Roth Image courtesy of amazon.com Find the Lost Dollars by June R. Jewell and Mark C. Zweig Image courtesy of modFORM LLC

Image by modFORM LLC Creating homes and other buildings takes a team beyond just the client, architect and builder. One of the first steps first steps a client may face when creating their dream home is to acquire a blank piece of property or a piece of property with a home that needs some updating. This is where the expert real estate agent plays a very important role. Today, I want to give a shout out to a great group located here in Wenatchee, WA. They are Agent509 consisting of Jeff Hallman and Skip Hughes. These guys are a very progressive group looking to do some very exciting things here in the North Central Washington. Take a look at their website HERE and take a look at their latest video posting from today down below. https://www.facebook.com/agent509/videos/795630577301348/ Thanks for reading!

For this weeks blog post, I would like to make a slight shift and hear more from you, the reader. As a new architect in Wenatchee, I am excited to find out how I can best serve my current and potential clients. I would like to learn more about everyone in the community and the different ways people live. I can only learn so much about people and the architecture and design of Wenatchee by my observations when driving through town. However, I can learn so much more if I hear from you directly. One of the best ways I know to reach out to the online community is through questionnaires and surveys. Now this is not just for potential clients, this is for anyone interested in architecture and design. I am very curious to learn more about my local community and I thank you very much in advance for filling out this out. It is fairly short and should only take about 5 minutes to complete. Please click HERE if you would like to take the survey. Thank you very much!

Image by modFORM LLC The tools of an Architect have changed drastically over the last few decades. There was a time when we had our drafting tables along with our t-squares, pencils, triangles and erasers. I was trained with these analog tools however, I am a part of the generation that has fully adopted and embraced computers and technology to design and create beautiful architecture. As I sit here, I am attempting to write this blog post on my iPhone as I await for my Surface Pro 3 to make a Windows Update. Typically these update are quick but my computer has ran out of hard drive space and there is not even enough space to make the update. I have removed everything I can from the hard drive ,which cannot be upgraded on a Surface (see below) and I still do not have enough room. Which leads me to this weeks blog post. The search for the next portable architecture workstation. Image by modFORM LLC Before we get into the new computer, let me praise how great my Surface Pro 3 has served me. Image by modFORM LLC I purchased my Surface in the first part of 2015 after limping my Sony Vaio along for many years long after my cat tore off the keyboard keys and many other parts began to fall off. I was a little skeptical of the capabilities of the tiny tablet Surface at first. I needed to run some heavy programs including Photoshop, AutoCAD and the heaviest, REVIT. I took the leap of faith, bought the Surface, installed the program and much to my amazement, that little tablet ran those programs quite well! It definitely wasn’t going to win any speed races but, I could definitely Work very efficiently and quickly for what I needed. So if it’s so great, why do I need to upgrade? I honestly would love to continue using this computer, it’s still great and still quite speedy however, I have ran into a fun little issue, storage. I have a 128gb SSD (solid state) hard drive and it is at its maximum capacity. I’ve saved all files to a hard drive, erased every extraneous program I could however, I still am fighting for capacity. The primary programs I use continue to expand every time they update. And now Windows can no longer update and my computer has become started to slow down. So now it’s time to start researching some other possibilities. So back to the other question, what am I looking for in a computer? Here is a little list of items I am considering (I love lists!) Power - I actually do not know a whole lot about processors however, I feel I should get something that may seem overkill now so I can make this computer work well into the future. Currently I am looking at Intel Xeon quad core processors or the Intel I7's. RAM - I am looking for something in the 16gb category or above. From what I understand, Revit tends to work better and smoother with more RAM. Hard drive - Once again I am not overly knowledgeable here but, I do know an SSD or sold state hard drives are typically faster thatn traditional hard drives. However, they cost more and you typically have less storage. I need at least 500gb however, many files can also be stored on the cloud or on external hard drives. And if I can replace the hard drive (see expanadbility section below) I should be good to go. Portability- I debate about this one but, I am leaning towards maintaining portability. I could get a big stationary workstation with way more power however, I like the ability to be able to leave my office and work in other locations when I need a change of scenery. Weight- This really only applies to laptops. My Surface 3 weighs around 3 lbs and is amazing to carry around. It is so thin and lightweight that I can slip it in my bag and barely notice it. Unfortunately, if I upgrade to a portable workstation laptop I most likely won’t get the lightweightness again. I believe the lightest I have found so far is 4-5 lbs. Not that big of a deal but you notice it after lugging your computer around for the day. Expandability - This is one of the main reasons I am moving away from the surface. It is such a beautiful and sleek machine however, they the Apple model and intentionally sealed cases to not allow for replacing parts ie replacing or expanding hard drives which is why I am writing this blog post. With more traditional laptops without sealed cases, you can replace and update various components as needed. Screen - I am not too concerned about the screen as I am looking at larger external monitors. The Surface has a touchscreen which I love when I use it but, I barely use it. So I can forgo that. Ports- Many computer manufactures keep removing ports from computers. I’m sure they have many reasons however, as long as I can find something with at least 2-3 USB jacks, HDMI, headphone jack and possibly an SD card reader,than I should be good to go. So far I have narrowed my choices down to two brands. Dell and HP. Both brands have very nice portable workstations and recently, they are gearing more towards design and architecture professionals. HP is even selling some of their products with Autodesk Revit included. So more specifically these are the two workstations I have narrowed down to. Dell Precision 5520 Image courtesy of www.dell.com HP zbook Studio Image courtesy of www.hp.com After much research, these workstations that I have chosen, They are not necessarily the fastest the best or the biggest computers out there however, they are the computers that fit within my budget and have the best hardware available at this time. I hope with this blog post I can share some useful information for other architects and even architecture students. Please feel free to leave a comment below or give any suggestions for other computers that work well for you. Thanks reading!

Image by modFORM LLC Ever since I moved back to Wenatchee in August of 2017, I have taken notice of this very interesting white and blue industrial building just south of the train station in Wenatchee, WA. It is located at the intersection of South Columbia and Chehalis Street. I do not know its proper name but, I have been calling it the Coleman Oil building since that is the way it is labeled on Google maps. Currently, it appears the building is mostly vacant perhaps used as a partial storage building for the Premium Harvest company next door. I cannot seem to find much, if any, history of the building on the internet but it would appear that it was used for some sort of industrial manufacturing when it was originally built. The tall windows are usually an indication that whatever manufacturing took place inside, required a large amount of lighting. Artificial lighting wasn't the greatest at the time this building was constructed so, the best option was to provide as much natural day lighting as possible. And what better place for that than sunny Wenatchee. I am uncertain of the future of this building but, I would be very curious to see what it would take to convert this building into a cool industrial mixed use loft. Many cities all over the world take very similar industrial buildings and areas and convert them into bright and vibrant mixed used neighborhoods. One great example is Yaletown in Vancouver, BC seen in the image below. The form and layout of the Coleman Oil building merits some cool hip cafe, bar or restaurant on the ground floor with condos of apartments on the upper floors. The large open windows would provide some amazing light for the living spaces on all levels. And the building is located within great proximity to downtown, the loop trail and Pybus market. Creating a little living hub such as this would attract a great crowd of urban dwellers throughout our city to help to boost the vitality of downtown Wenatchee. Image by modFORM LLC Let me know what you think in the comments below. Would this be a great building to convert into a mixed use development? Does anyone know the history or future of this building? What are some other buildings in Wenatchee that would be cool to see renovated and converted? Thanks for reading!

Image by modFORM LLC My lovely fiance Ashley and I hike up Saddle Rock quite often. In fact, it has become one our favorite activities to do after work even during the magical and snowy evenings of winter! For those of you who are not familiar with Wenatchee, Saddle Rock is a rock formation located to the West of Wenatchee. It was named Saddle Rock because it bears resemblance to a saddle used for a horse. A couple of hikes back when we were sitting at the top of Saddle Rock, within the saddle gazing down at the city, unwinding from a productive day of work. I was observing the patterns of the busy streets below which of course at night, they really stand out with the glow of the street lamps. And something dawned on me, Orondo Avenue was intentionally placed to create a vista or a view up to Saddle Rock. It appears there was an intentional connection from the downtown civic buildings such as the courthouse up to Saddle Rock through the use of Orondo Ave. Image by modFORM LLC This image is looking from the top of Saddle Rock towards downtown. Image by modFORM LLC This image is looking from from downtown towards Saddle Rock. The old courthouse is to the right. This map image is showing the vista from downtown, up Orondo Ave, to Saddle Rock. This is quite fascinating, city planners intentionally broke the North South grid of the city to create an important path through the city. All the sudden, I feel like Wenatchee is very European replicating the diagonal streets leading towards an important monument similar to what you would see in France. This is a map showing vistas or streets in Paris breaking the traditional city pattern pointing to important monuments such as the Arc De Triomphe. Image courtesy of wikimedia.org Well, maybe Wenatchee isn't completely replicating traditional European city planning however, it is very interesting to see a small element of it used here. One other interesting observation, is both Wenatchee High School and Pioneer Middle School both align with this axis as well. And to top it off, Pioneer was also rotated to align with this axis. Growing up in Wenatchee, I never noticed the subtle design elements of urban planning such as the Orondo Ave vista. It’s great to be back in Wenatchee with a new design lens to observe the city I grew up in. It is always exciting to understand the history of a city and how it was formed especially when it is is the city you grew up in. Let me know in the comments below if you have observed any other interesting city planning elements in Wenatchee or East Wenatchee. Thanks for reading!

After thinking about the term "modern" and how it relates to architecture, I thought it fun to start a little blog series on modern design elements. In this series I would like to take a look at the elements or the kit of parts an architect typically uses when designing a modern home or building. This kit of parts can include various roof forms, wall design as it applies to textures and trim, windows, doors, spatial layout, cabinets, etc. But, before we get into today's post on roof forms, I should quickly address what "modern" currently means in the context of architecture. Every architect is going to have a different idea of what modern is. The saying goes, "if you ask one hundred architects what modern is, you are going to get one hundred different opinions." So, this is merely what my take or my definition is of modern. I will most likely dive deeper into what modern means for me and modFORM in a later blog post. So to simplify, no pun intended, modernism is about well, simplifying. It is reducing the design and architecture down to its simplist form, nothing more and nothing less. This translate into minimalist materials (no decoration) as well as simplifying the arrangement and composition of space or the layout of a house or building. It’s about understanding how one lives within their space and their daily sequences and arranging that space in a rational and organized way. It is a balance between form and function or, for the most part, allowing function to drive form. Which, as you will see throughout these blog posts, how each of these modern elements are shaped by the functions they contain. For today's post, I would like to share about modern roof forms. A roof is a very important part of a home or building as it is essentially the cap that keeps the weather out. The roof is also a very prominent part of a structure. In a lot of ways, it used to described the shape or style of the house it is covering. Below is a basic list of basic roof forms used in a modern way. One, thing to keep in mind is there is no one roof that will be appropriate in all situations. Typically, as an architect, it is best to understand the client's needs and desires of their design program along with understanding the climate in the region (is there a lot of snow?) and let the roof shape around these needs. In other words, allow form to follow function. So without further ado, here are a few roof forms: SINGLE PITCH or SHED ROOF The single pitch is traditionally the most widely used for modern design. The shed roof is a great roof for opening up a room to a grand view as well as allowing natural light to enter into a space. Click here for an example of a shed roof. The shed roof also allows for greater use of space in a stacked function. In other words, you gain more usable floor space in an upper floor or loft as compared to a gable roof. FLAT ROOF The flat roof is the other typically used roof in modern design. Typically not as widely used (however not impossible) in very rainy or snowy climates. The flat roof is more appropriate in dry and sunny dessert regions. Two great examples shown below are the parapet roof and the flat roof with long overhangs. Click here for a parapet example and here for a flat roof example. GABLE ROOF The gable roof is an interesting roof. The gable roof is possibly the most commonly recognized roof and is traditionally not as common in modern applications. However, there are two ways that modern architects use the gable roof in a more modern way. The steep gable with no overhangs seen here and the long, low pitch seen here. That is just a small list of typical roof forms used in a modern way. There are many more roof shapes, styles and forms that architects use in modern applications. Please leave a comment below if you would like to share your thoughts on any of your favorite roof styles, shapes or forms. Stay tuned for more posts on various modern design elements! Thanks for reading!

Continuing the Case Study theme introduced in last weeks post , this weeks post will be a highlight of inspiring homes and cabins designed for high desert and mountain regions. This is a fun study of what other architects have done to design for regions much like Eastern Washington. Enjoy! Project Name: New Caelifera Location: Winthrop, WA Architect: Johnston Architects Photo courtesy of Johnston Architect Project Name: 510 Cabin Location: Wofford Heights, CA Architect: Hunter Leggitt Studio Photo courtesy of Hunter Leggitt Studio Project Name: Nakai Location: Southeast Utah Architect: DesignBuildBLUFF Photo courtesy of DesignBuildBLUFF Location: Tehachapi Mountains, CA Architect: Tom Kundig Photo Courtesy of Dwell: Gentl and Hyers Project Name: iTHouse Location: Pioneertown, CA Architect: Taalman & Koch Architecture Photo courtesy of Taalman & Koch Architecture Project Name: Rimrock Ranch House Location: Rimrock Ranch Architect: Lloyd Russell Photo courtesy of Lloyd Russell Project Name: Marfa Weehouse Location: Marfa, TX Architect: Alchemy Photo courtesy of Alchemy Project Name: Barn Guest House Location: Pheonix, AZ Architect: the construction zone, ltd Photo courtesy of Construction Zone Please leave a comment below if you have any other inspiring cabins you would like to share.

Photo by modFORM LLC I grew up here in Wenatchee, WA located in sunny Eastern Washington and I am very inspired by this beautiful landscape. From the majestic Cascade Mountains to the West and the expansive wheat fields to the East, Wenatchee is centered within a pretty special place. For those of you not familiar with the region, Eastern Washington is a semi-arid climate typically labeled as high desert. Typically it is dry all year long with very minimal rain due in part by the Cascade mountain range creating a rain shadow. The summers are hot and dry sometimes reaching to 100 degrees Fahrenheit plus, down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit and lower in the winters all the while bringing dry, fluffy powdery snow. The Eastern Washington landscape has been shaped by some unique geological events including the uplift of the Cascades, to lava flows creating unique basalt cliffs and glaciers and prehistoric flooding carving out much of the regions scenic coulees. The result is a magnificent landscape with a variety of rivers, lakes, mountains and cliffs. With the dry climate and unique landscape, this creates a perfect recipe for recreational opportunities and photographic scenery. And naturally, as an architect, I look at ways that I can create architecture suited for this kind of environment. With such a beautiful and picturesque landscape, I like to design architecture that is merely a backdrop to the environment. Let the landscape come first and be the highlight and let the architecture fade back be the subtle place that fits in with the surroundings. Let the architecture be the viewing platform for nature and not the thing to be viewed. I am also using this blog as an opportunity to introduce a Case Study cabin modFORM is designing for the Wenatchee area. With this Case Study, I want to share with my audience the steps I take for my design process from searching for land, arranging the clients program into a magnificent design to choosing specifications and completing a set of drawings for construction. I'll write a blog post highlighting the important phases for the entire process. With starting a small case study cabin designed for the Eastern Washington landscape, I ask myself what is an appropriate design for the region? There are many factors that attribute to the initial design process. Below are just a few of the climatic and site factors I consider when designing for a cabin or a house located Eastern Washington. Keep in mind these all just considerations and not necessarily strict guidelines for design. SUN AZIMUTH The sun is a very important factor to consider especially in a sunny place like Wenatchee. The sun azimuth (or angle relative to the horizon) is an important factor when considering heat gain inside a house. In a hot climate, it is typically desirable to limit the amount of sun or heat entering a home during the summer months and maximize the amount of sun or heat gain during winter months. Typically a sun study for the region is very helpful to help inform the size of windows and the size of roof overhangs. This diagram below shows how the overhang blocks direct sun during the summer and allows for direct summer during the winter. SUN PATH The sun path throughout the day is something to consider as well. The position of a house and location of windows can effect the amount of light and heat entering into a house. Positioning a house directly south as in the diagram below, allows for a considerable amount of sun and heat to enter a house. This may be desirable for colder winter months but perhaps not as much during summer months. The afternoon is typically the hottest time of the day. Positioning a house rotated to the West allows for a nice amount of light and heat to enter a house right before sunset which may be desirable to maintain that passive heat for the cold winter months but not as much for the summer. WINTER & SNOW I discussed how to capture light and heat during winter months above but, another consideration during the winter for this region is snow. Snow can add a bit of weight to a roof and traditionally, homes in snowy climates were designed with steep pitched roofs to shed the snow. However, if a less steep roof is desired, a deeper, stouter roof structure can be used. Another consideration is snow shed or how and where the snow falls from the roof. Typically a roof with a larger overhang such as in the diagram below pushes the snow away from the walls of the house. In a place that receives a large amount of snow allows for snow to pile up and collect against the walls of the house creating more wear and tear on the siding. WIND Wind is more of a consideration for summer months rather than winter months. Wind is a great way to naturally cool a house. Understanding which direction the wind comes from and how topography effects airflow, are important factors when positioning a house. Using large operable windows positioned on opposite sides of a home is a good way to allow air to flow throughout cooling the house passively without the use of air conditioning. VIEWS This one is pretty simple but a very important factor in positioning a house. Something to consider is how can you position the house and windows to take advantage of the best view? Of course all the above factors also need to be considered along with other site conditions such as vegetation. In some instances, one may prefer to face trees or other site features instead. These are just a few environmental and climatic factors I consider when designing for a home in Eastern Washington. Keep in mind that there are many other factors such as topography and other site factors that may contribute to the positioning and design of a house. Stay tuned as I continue to develop this Case Study project and watch how all these factors and many others start to shape the design and development of this little Case Study cabin.

Photo by modFORM LLC Welcome and thank you for reading and following the modFORM blog. This is the first ever edition and I am excited to use this blog as a platform to share inspiring and creative content with all of you. My vision for this blog is to create fun, educational and inspiring content to share with you, the audience, so you can gain a better understanding about the Architecture and design community. I plan on posting once a week on Tuesdays however, this may change depending on when you, the readers engage with these posts the most. I hope to be able to reach a wide audience writing about many different topics related to the Architecture industry. And most importantly, I want this blog to be able to evolve and change over time as architecture will also evolve and change over time. These are just a few of the topics and types of posts I have planned to write: DESIGN I will share and write about inspiring Architecture and design. This will range anywhere from inspiring cabins to cool new modern buildings to industrial design. Photo courtesy of Crosson Architects ARCHITECTURE AND DESING IN WENATCHEE & EASTERN WASHINGTON I will write about my home town of Wenatchee, WA. I would like to create some fun posts and photograph the historic buildings around town and learn and write up about their history. I would also like to write about how agriculture has also shaped the architecture around Wenatchee. And I would like to write about the current and future design and architecture that is shaping the valley. Photo by modFORM LLC THE DESIGN PROCESS Those interested in gaining an insight on how modFORM operates. I will write about the steps that modFORM takes throughout the entire design process. I will take a case study project and document each step along the way so you can better understand the exciting steps to create a great project. Photo by modFORM LLC TOOLS FOR ARCHITECTS I will write about the tools I use in my everyday practice. I will write about inspiring books, Architectural Software and business software, Marketing tools and strategies and other technology. Photo by modFORM LLC OTHER LIFESTYLE PIECES I will also write about interesting places to visit, eat or drink! Photo by modFORM LLC Thanks again and I am honored and pleased to be able to share with all of you! Please comment below if you have any suggestions on topics you would like to hear about.