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I spent last week on vacation in Stone Harbor, NJ. Sitting on the beach and observing the results of Hurricane Sandy’s power–and the Borough’s reaction…

Your House and Your Facade: A Separation Agreement

What are those metal stars on the front of some houses? Well, they’re called star bolts, and they’re much more than just decoration. While they…

Even “Set In Stone” Isn’t Set In Stone

I recently took this picture of a slate windowsill near Broad and Morris Streets in South Philadelphia. You can see that water, cold, and pollution…

Clear Communication

It’s important to be clear in your communication. Of course mistakes get made accidentally, but it’s important to try to be careful so that your…

Prefab–Is It For Me?

1. What sort of client is looking for a prefab project? In our project’s case, the client actually led the prefab idea. The clients were…

Project Update: 1620 Reed Street – Variance Value

Exterior views: from the northeast (left) and south (right) I’ve been working on a project for a new building at the corner of Reed and…

Technical Tuesday: Concrete

Concrete is a part of nearly every building we build. At the very least, its natural resistance to decay due to water makes it a…

Zoning? Building? What?

A set of Zoning drawings showing the size of the building’s exterior, and where it sits on its site. When considering a construction project, there…

A Tale of Two Houses

About a year and a half ago, I was contacted by a couple to work on a dream project they had. They live in a…

South Philly Houses: Vampire Edition

When I work with clients, one of the most common requests is to find a way to bring more natural light into the house. In…

Adapting Buildings

I recently went on a long walk and came across this block on South 9th Street. What I find fascinating about this block (and the many…

Fink Residence: Update

Just got some new photos from Brad Test at Test Contractors, showing progress at the Fink Residence. The pictures represent about two weeks of work…

Wookiee Houses

Last week, I wrote to you about some strategies for keeping your home warm this winter. One strategy I did not mention, but is all-too-common…

The restored stone building with new breezeway.

Prefab on the Main Line

Recently, I had the opportunity to work on a residential project that involved a high-end modular home on the Main Line (Montgomery County, PA). The…

Witold Rybczynski in The Urbanite

The Urbanite is a Baltimore-based “publication dedicated to addressing the issues affecting the relationship between the city and those who live there”. As you might imagine,…