Consulting Services

The following is a list of services we can provide to help with specific challenges, whether they’re part of a larger project or you just need assistance with specific items to improve your life at home.

Design

We spend more time engaged in “undoing” work than we ever expected. Here’s what often happens: The property owner hired a company to do some work. That work is often correction of some existing problem. The first company they hire doesn’t solve the problem and sometimes makes the problem worse or creates one or more other problems. The owner hires a second company to correct the work of the first company. The home owner still doesn’t get a solution to the initial issue, they’ve paid two companies for work, they’ve spent time coordinating the work and they have more problems now than when they began. We’re typically the third or fourth party engaged.

As an owner’s advocate, our interest is in finding the best solution for your needs. We’re not tied to any particular solution or system so we can start with a clean slate. When you hire a company, they work within the limits of their experience, tools and available materials.

Often, this means the person sent to your property is going to try and fix your problem with whatever is on their truck. We routinely work with consultants like engineers and may retain a specialized consultant if it’s warranted to build a design solution and a team with the right experience, tools and materials.

Undoing is painful work because we see the frustration and cost to the owner before we’re engaged. We try to focus the project team on the best solution rather than the painful lessons learned. Sometimes we’re able to work with one of the previous companies to correct the work according to the design we’ve developed with the owner. You can find an example on our “Projects” page.

Many American houses borrow details from more than one architectural style. While this is a common practice and can be very subtle, it can also be the result of poor design which makes the house confusing. For example, the cladding, windows, entrance, garage, form and roof line compete rather than compliment one another. Even if the house is well-built, this dissonance can greatly reduce the property value.

In other cases, the style is intact though the exterior surfaces need to be updated. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce materials and methods that will add durability and decrease maintenance, which adds value to your property.

In addition to creating a design with a clear architectural style, exterior restyling may give us a chance to replace the weather barrier, flashing, windows and other critical points while the cladding and exterior trim are removed. These critical points protect the house from air and water infiltration and are in turn protected by the exterior cladding. Repairing these concealed components add tremendous value in addition to the value realized by the updated appearance.

Many homes have one or more elements on the interior that don’t match the style or character of the (rest of) the home. Common examples include kitchens, bathrooms, fireplaces, trim and doors. Even if the elements are well-built, this dissonance can draw undue attention to elements that compete with rather than compliment the rest of the home. This can reduce the value of a home.

Interior elements are relatively easy to change. We can help you evaluate your interior and develop one or more design solutions. Our goal is to create a clear and complimentary style within your home.

A new entrance can change the character of a home. It can create a “wow” factor or just be better integrated with the other elements of your home. Whether you need assistance replacing an aging/damaged entrance, creating a no-step entrance or re-imagining the front of your home, we can work with you to design an appropriate solution.

A porch may add significant character, visual interest, functional space and value to a property. Porch projects often bring their own challenges like zoning and structural issues. They also need to be thoughtfully designed so they compliment the rest of the home. Whether you need a front, side/rear or screened porch, we can help you address these challenges and work with you to design a solution that enhances your property and increases your functional space.

Exterior wood decks are among the most challenging elements of a home. They’re often built yet rarely designed to be durable and easily maintained. The way a deck is attached to a house and the way the structural elements are detailed determine whether those elements trap water and debris – this is a common problem that leads to premature rot and replacement. Attention to detail can mean you have a safer, more handsome structure that you don’t have to replace as often.

Hardscape is the term for all hard materials built in a landscape: paving, walkways, steps, walls, fences, gates, mailboxes, pergolas, arbors, trellises, pools, ponds, etc. All great houses, no matter their size, have hardscape and landscape elements that help them connect to their site. These elements should work with your home by complimenting its character. We enjoy providing design solutions for these elements because they can create outdoor spaces that help you enjoy and add value to your property.

Accessory structures and tiny houses can provide separate space on a property for living, working, practicing/playing an instrument, enjoying a hobby, exercising, yoga, meditation, etc. Accessory structures may be a pool house, outdoor kitchen, barn, stable, potting shed, work shop, folly or other space with one or more uses.

We can help you design an accessory structure that works with your existing site plan and is sympathetic to the other buildings. We can also help you design an accessory structure that stands on its own, in contrast to the other buildings, so its unique.

Tiny houses are governed by a unique set of building code provisions (that only apply to tiny houses) yet both tiny houses and accessory structures on a property should compliment the home and hardscape on the property so it all works together.

A duplex can provide a housing solution for people who wouldn’t be able to find an appropriate housing solution in a particular neighborhood. When an owner lives in one half, rental income from the other half may help her/him afford to live on a property that she/he couldn’t afford if it had a single-family home on it.

This can be a way to live on an in-town property that offers a shorter commute, better schools, access to shops and better community services. The person or family in the other half enjoys the same amenities.

A duplex can also be a solution for keeping family close yet independent in their own space. Rather than adding an in-law suite, you might consider a duplex with a smaller, separate unit for a family member. When that family member no longer needs the space, you can use it for rental income. You could also choose to move to a single-family home and retain the duplex for rental purposes.

There are various options for duplex properties. They may be side-by-side or up-down, depending on your needs. Both have advantages. Typically, the front door(s) must face the street.

Regardless of the configuration, we work to design them so they compliment the character of their neighborhood. This often means they’re not symmetrical so they may appear more like single-family homes in their neighborhood.

Challenges We Appreciate

Homes are historic for two reasons: an event significant to the community happened on the property or the home is a surviving example of a style from a particular time. In the latter case, homes that are beautiful are preserved simply for their beauty – they may be old though they’re not listed or protected properties and no significant event has taken place on the property. They’re just a lovable example of style, design and craftsmanship.

A significant part of preservation is developing a plan for proper and continuous maintenance. Once that’s established, an owner may plan for the resources and budget required for preservation. This insures the preservation will happen and the owner’s responsibilities become predictable. Whether your property is subject to an historic preservation commission or district rules or not, we’ll be happy to help you determine how to preserve your home or property.

Small and irregular lots in urban areas are often the last to be developed or redeveloped because of the zoning and construction challenges they pose. We can help you determine if a small/irregular lot can meet your needs and we help you explore what design solutions may be available. We can also assist you with any variance issues associated with the property.

Resilient construction is designed to respond to environmental threats. In severe cases, such as exposure to a tornado, the design may include a storm shelter with the understanding that the rest of the home may be lost while the shelter protects its occupants.

There’s a wide array of threats to homes: exposure to salt in coastal environments, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, high winds, wildfires, etc. We can help you develop a design solution that allows your home to better respond to its environment.

If you own a property, we can help you evaluate your options for upgrading to resist its environmental threats. If you’re considering buying a property in an area where there are environmental threats, we’d appreciate the opportunity to provide some guidance before you inspect the property.

Lake, mountain, coastal and island properties are often view-oriented – they offer a spectacular view around which the indoor and outdoor spaces of a home can be organized. These homes require a particular layout to maximize the enjoyment in the home and connect the interior spaces to the exterior amenities. They often also have issues like environmental threats that need to be considered when designing the home. We can help you develop a design solution that balances both concerns.

Large properties lend themselves to development in stages so the owner doesn’t bear the cost of development at one time. For a private property, that may mean building a house first and supporting structures later.

The site and buildings for properties of all sizes should be planned in advance to make the most of the site and create a coherent and complimentary plan. This helps avoid a site and buildings that were obviously built at different times and don’t work well together. We can help you realize a holistic vision for developing your site and buildings at stages that are convenient to you.

Neighborhood planning is more complex than multi-stage site + building planning. Neighborhood planning typically involves subdivision of property, variances, compliance with the tree ordinance. The plan has to meet the development standards of the municipality for roads, storm water detention, etc. A home owners association may need to be established.

In addition to these requirements, the size, design, proximity and orientation of the homes and supporting buildings needs to be carefully considered. They need to be complimented with attractive and durable amenities that balance the need for neighbors to bond with the occupants’ need for privacy.

We can help you develop a plan to address the complexities of creating a neighborhood and homes that residents want to sustain. If you’re interested in neighborhood development and don’t own a piece of property, we can also help you evaluate properties in the search for one with the potential to realize your vision.

Growing plants and/or raising animals on your property can be a productive hobby or business that feeds you with appreciation for creation, abundance and sustenance. Gardening (private use), farming (public consumption) and raising animals have their own requirements for equipment, resources and routines. Farming and raising domestic animals may also be regulated by your municipality’s code of ordinances.

If you’re considering gardening or farming, we can help you develop a plan for making the best use of your property. Attention to details such as best use of daylight, proximity of spaces and orientation of buildings may create opportunities by saving your time and resources. We can also help you develop designs for accessory structures to support your work.

Whether you’re raising domestic animals like chickens and horses or you’re caring for pets (daycare, boarding, rescue and foster programs are examples), we can help you develop a solution to house and care for your animals. The first step is always a review of the zoning ordinance to confirm you’re allowed to have domestic animals and any supporting accessory structures (like chicken coops, barns and play areas) that you may require.

In-Home Amenities

We can help you explore incorporating any of the amenities listed below. Please let us know in which of these you’re interested.

So few people have a plan for aging in place even though we’re all doing it – whether we want to or not. Our needs, activities, routines and abilities change as we grow older. It’s possible to plan ahead to support that evolution.

Planning to age in place gives you the opportunity to live a more fulfilled, comfortable and safe life in a home that responds to your needs. The benefits of planning and building to age in place now are conveniences you can enjoy every day. They’re a gift of health and well being to yourself.

Our population has an average size for height and weight. Much of the world, from clothing to automobiles and houses, is designed for average people. If you’re different because of a disability or your size, you may need a design solution that allows your home to respond to your particular needs.

People with mobility disabilities may need assistance getting around the house. This assistance may require lifting devices for safe and easy transfer to/from bed, wheelchairs, bathroom fixtures, seating, automobiles, etc. That may require additional structural work to support the individual and equipment that allows them to lead a more mobile and fulfilling life.

People who are well outside of the average height and weight for which many products and homes are designed may lead a very uncomfortable life full of compromise. We can help you develop a design solution that responds to your physical characteristics and abilities so you may focus on other things.

Disabilities are common. Many disabled people live happy lives that bring joy to family and friends. We’d like to help you or your loved ones lead a more fulfilling life so please let us know how we may be of assistance.

A home designed with mobility and basic accessibility standards in mind doesn’t have to look much different from other houses. It’s not full of grab bars and ramps. It just has easier transitions from one space to another, slightly wider doors and you may choose to add a vertical conveyance – a fancy term for an elevator.

Homes designed with mobility and basic accessibility standards in mind are easier to live in. They’re easier for children to navigate. They’re easier (and thus safer) to enter and leave carrying a bag, carrying groceries, carrying sports equipment, rolling a stroller, walking a dog, etc.

They tend to have spaces that open to one another so the spaces are better connected. They may help protect your mobility by reducing the risk factors for falls and in-home injuries. It’s also easier for people to age in place when their home is designed to support mobility.

Elevators are expensive and take up valuable space though you may find one worthwhile if it allows a person to travel to spaces in the home that they wouldn’t be able to safely reach otherwise. There are other solutions available to get from floor to floor like stair lifts yet their path of travel is over stairs, disrupts use of the stairs for others and requires a transfer at the top of the stairs. The expense of an elevator may be worth keeping away from the stairs if you have mobility, balance or other concerns.

We can help you plan for a future elevator if you’re not ready to install one yet want to reserve the opportunity. If you choose to install one, you may discover you can use it to protect the mobility of able persons by avoiding carrying things up and down stairs – use the elevator to move items like bags and laundry. You can find an example of an elevator retrofit on our Projects page.

Would you exercise (more) if it was more convenient? It’s important to engage in aerobic activity every day to protect your health yet it’s not always easy to find the time, especially when there’s a round-trip by car added to your exercise time.

Gyms offer a social aspect and heavy equipment like weights that should be part of your weekly routine though it’s the aerobic activity that’s most important. What if you had your own space? No waiting for a machine. You control the temperature. You can have whatever entertainment you want. You move at your pace.

Having a dedicated space in your home for in-line, low-impact aerobic activity such as rowing, biking and/or exercise on an elliptical trainer may be all you need to realize a level of good health you’ve never attained. You may also wish to have space for stretching and/or weight training.

We can help you design a space that has the structure, noise/vibration isolation, electrical capacity, lighting, entertainment, heating/cooling capacity, fresh air (ventilation) capacity, storage and bathing facilities you need. It doesn’t have to be a large space. A well-designed space that’s comfortable and easily accessible will encourage you to exercise. It’s a long-term investment in your quality of life.

Indoor pools, hot tubs and saunas require careful attention because of their weight, humidity production, plumbing needs and electrical demands. Pools and hot tubs have the potential to introduce bulk water inside your home.

An indoor pool may be used for leisure/recreation, a (cold) plunge or exercise. There are also pools and drop-in pool machines that create a current against which a person can swim for exercise in a very small pool (compared to a lap pool).

Indoor pools, hot tubs and saunas need appropriate heating/cooling capacity for the space in which they’re installed. They need appropriate ventilation and humidity control to avoid causing mold and mildew problems throughout the home. They may need sound attenuation. They also have particular safety issues, especially for the electrical systems. We can help you with the structure, building systems, access control and equipment issues related to these amenities so you can focus on enjoying your investment.

Everyone needs a home office. It doesn’t have to be a formal space like a study. It just needs to serve as a space in which you collect, respond to and organize the things you use to run your household. Ideally, it’s located very close to the door you most commonly use to enter/leave your home so it becomes part of your routine.

A home office is a collection point for your purse, keys, mail, bills, computer, printer, scanner, filing cabinets, documents, office supplies, paper recycling and other supplies you use to run your house. A home office may also be the collection point for things you frequently access like cameras and other equipment.

Keeping your office near the door you use the most helps you develop a routine of depositing things where you can deal with them rather than having them spread throughout your house – out of sight and thus out of mind. We can help you find or create a home-office space so you can get organized. It only needs to be enough space to take the worry and stress out of being disorganized so you may focus on what matters to you.

You have things that can’t be replaced. For most of us, those things are a collection of photographs, items we’ve collected and items we’ve received from family members. Those things may not have much value to others though they are truly unique. Each of those things is a part of your family’s story.

Many families don’t protect their irreplaceable items. We keep photographs in a shoe box and other items in places that offer no protection from accidental damage, theft, fire, water intrusion or any other disaster.

Though it’s possible to photograph or scan many items and make them available in the cloud, that’s not the same as seeing the original photographs and items. There’s no substitute for being able to read a family Bible, use a hand-written family recipe or use a tool that belonged to your relative generations ago. If you don’t have these, you can start collecting them now.

We can help you develop a plan to collect and protect your unique items. The solutions are often simple yet they take some planning and contributing items needs to be part of a routine. That routine can enrich the lives of generations of your family members.

There are two kinds of items stored in safes: items you access frequently and items you access infrequently. Items you access infrequently may be stored in one (large) safe concealed from visitors. Some people place this safe in their basement so there’s no additional structural work necessary to support the weight of the safe, its contents plus the weight of the equipment and men needed to install the safe. This is where we’d commonly design a vault when a safe isn’t large enough.

If you have many things you access frequently, you may wish to separate them by use. For example, you may wish to have an office safe for papers and computer backups on one floor and a separate safe in your bedroom on another floor for jewelry, time pieces and a small amount of cash. The convenience of these encourages use while separation by use makes it harder for an intruder to access all of them.

Owning a firearm is an awesome responsibility. You may also wish to secure firearms separately from other items so you may access them quickly. Securing your firearms separately also avoids an intruder or visitor (especially a child) gaining access to your firearm if one of your safes is left or forced open.

We can help you develop a solution to distribute your safes, support their weight and conceal them from visitors. We can also help you design a hidden room or space to conceal the safe protecting your contents from theft or disaster. Hidden rooms and spaces may be tied into you security and access control systems to give you additional layers of protection.

The components used by many alarm system companies are not proprietary – they’re made by third parties like Honeywell and GE. Since many alarm companies use the same components, it’s relatively easy to develop a layout of a system during the design of a project like a renovation, addition or new construction.

Heat, smoke, bulk water and carbon monoxide (CO) detection are among the most critical components of any alarm system. You may be more likely to have one of these issues than an intrusion. In any event, these components and the panic feature are the most compelling reason to consider remote monitoring and smart phone integration for your system.

An alarm system may also be a way to keep someone from leaving or leaving a door/window open. This is particularly important for properties that have a swimming pool into which a small child may fall or a property where a family member has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and may wander from the property. You may have a space like a wood shop or garage with tools and equipment dangerous to children that needs to be secured.

We can help you layout your alarm system early in the process of designing your renovation, addition or new construction so you can account for the cost in your budget. We’ll also need to determine where to install the control panel and provide power (plus back-up power) to that location. We can also help if you just want to install an alarm system and need some guidance about the design.

Controlling access on your property, at the perimeter of your house and within your house can often be accomplished by design rather than by relying exclusively on active systems or personnel. The layout and placement of elements can help keep out intruders and give you visual control of spaces so you can move around your property safely.

Although access control is typically established at the exterior walls of a house, there can be access control points within your home too. For example, there are key interior points like the connecting point(s) between public and private spaces that can also be controlled by design.

There are a number of reasons, often more than one, for access control on a property: concerns about intruders, teenagers sneaking in/out after curfew and/or keeping people inside – such as people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia who tend to wander off properties. If you entertain often and don’t always know all of your guests well, you may wish to control their access to private spaces like your office, sleeping rooms and support spaces in your home. We can help you develop a design to address your combination of access control needs.

Sound is vibration. Keeping sound from moving from one space to another requires isolating the spaces as much as is possible (and reasonable). We do this by design, material selection and use of gaskets, acoustic insulation, sealants and other means.

There are many reasons to avoid sound transmission from one space to another. Sound attenuation is particularly important in small homes where there’s little opportunity for separation of spaces – occupants can’t move to the far side of the home for a quiet environment.

We can help you plan to build sound attenuation into your new home or develop a plan to isolate one or more spaces in your existing home so you may enjoy a more quiet environment in which you choose the sounds you’ll hear. This is an increasingly common request as more people are working from home or telecommuting one or more days a week. This has helped highlight the need for better isolation to allow occupants to focus and communicate with outside parties.

Having local power generation can be a tremendous benefit during power outages resulting from equipment failures, accidents, brownouts, storms and natural disasters. Emergency power can come from an active system such as a generator running on fuel like natural gas or gasoline. Emergency power can also come from renewable sources like photovoltaic systems and windmills.

Natural gas generators can be disabled during seismic events when they’re shifted out of place or the natural gas source is interrupted. Natural gas lines may not be available on your project site either so it’s important to select your fuel sources based on more factors than just convenience and cost.

Emergency power should be integrated into the design of the electrical system, even if it’s part of a renovation. It’s rare for emergency power to supply enough power for all the electrical loads of your property because it’s cost prohibitive to buy a such a large system for occasional interruptions. If that’s the case, we can work with you to select what you want to operate during an emergency and have those loads on separate circuits.

The location of your emergency power source is also an issue, particularly if it’s a fuel-driven generator. They’re much more quiet than previous models though they still make noise, need clearance around the unit, require maintenance and produce exhaust. We can help you with the design whether it’s part of a new build or you want to install it in an existing house.

High-performance homes like net-zero and net-positive houses produce as much or more electricity than they consume. These houses may not need emergency power though it’s common for them to be connected to the power grid in case of equipment failure, damage or maintenance. These homes are low-load homes that may just need an energy storage solution like a whole-house battery to provide power when the renewable power sources aren’t generating power.

We can help you develop an emergency power plan and coordinate it with the other building systems in your home. Whether you want to provide emergency power for your existing property or new construction, we can help you design a solution that fits your needs.

There are different types of fire sprinkler systems that can be used to protect the occupants and contents of a home. They have one thing in common – they don’t work as they’re portrayed in movies and on television.

Emerging sprinkler technology is based on nautical designs that use sprinkler heads to produce a fine mist rather than drowning the fire with the heavy water flows of older sprinkler systems. The mist suffocates the fire without flooding your property. You can also use a dry pipe design that gives you time to turn off the system between the alarm and when the water starts to flow.

Recent model building codes have been written to include fire sprinkler systems in homes – they assume they’ll be installed because the cost is relatively low and the technology is relatively simple. Some lobbying groups have successfully excluded mandatory fire sprinklers from homes though you may still choose to have a system designed and installed in your home, using the model building codes as a guide.

It’s also common to need some integration into the structural system and building enclosure. This work is more challenging in existing homes so it may be more expensive than installation in a new home where the installation can be integrated with the other components in advance.

We can help you evaluate whether a fire sprinkler system makes sense for your property. You may find you get a discount on your property insurance that helps pay for the system.

Harvesting rain in cisterns and catchment systems has been a common practice in many cultures for centuries. Some western U.S. states do not allow rainwater harvesting because of their water rights regulations. Many states in the eastern U.S. allow rainwater harvesting though they may not allow that water to be used in homes for consumption or flushing toilets.

Water catchment systems that collect and store rainwater are made from relatively simple parts though they need careful design to function well and be maintained. These systems also need to be carefully located because of their scale, weight and need for gravity flow to avoid the expense of pumping water and maintaining a pump.

We can help you design a new home for optimum water catchment on a site that feeds the water to a garden, farming or other space. We can also help you integrate water catchment into an existing property. Even if you can’t use the water in your house, catching water is a great way to eliminate or significantly reduce the (treated) municipal water you use for irrigation. You may lower your bills and the stress on your community’s water resources by collecting free water!

Thank you for learning about consulting services!