Inspiration

We're about to begin construction on a second-story addition in Palo Alto.  It feels great to get to this point, when the contractor has been selected and we have a permit in hand.  It signals the beginning of having our ideas come to life, but it's also a celebration of what we've accomplished to date: design charrettes, planning review, finish selections, details, construction documents, permit procurement... and those are just the major milestones.

Along the way we generate a ton of drawings.  Some are precise, drawn in CAD and printed on large sheets; others are quick (and for me, pretty chicken-scratchy) to focus on a small aspect. 

I like to think about the project as a whole, solidify the design concept, then work myself down gradually to the smaller details and make sure that the concept is infused throughout.  Windows are pretty early in that spectrum, since they are a direct response to the owner's needs, the room layout, sun orientation, views, and glazing sizes.  Windows also have many components, and they all need to be considered as part of the architectural language as a whole.  And there are multiple possible solutions.  Thus, the stream-of-consciousness chicken-scratching.  I thoroughly enjoy this process and do it as often as I can (although you are probably wondering why my sketching abilities don't seem to improve over time).

Eventually, many are ruled out and I'm left with a handful that I know I'd be happy with.  Then we generate the exterior elevations so that the owners can ultimately decide what resonates the most for them.  And onward to the next detail.  Onward!