After years of thinking about it, and months of wondering about it, and hours and hours of working on it - we're going to BUILD IT!
I am renewing my commitment to this blog and will be documenting the design, build and decision making process of building a new modern, energy efficient (understatement alert) home.
Last year, we tried to buy a modernist home that was on the market in Raleigh. It was "close" to what we wanted but not exactly. It was too contemporary (and not modern enough), too big, and not very efficient. On the plus side - it had a SHOP for Henry and a go kart track (which I think would have been more used than the pool I want, but who knows....) Anywho - after a long and drawn out process, we didn't get it - and that's okay - because - like I said - it was a very nice house- but not "perfect" (whatever that means...)
So - we decided to meet with several architects featured on George Smart's great website - Triangle Modernist Houses. We'd participated in several of the tours sponsored by TMH, and really enjoyed the flavor and style of the Modernist movement that is alive and well in good old Raleigh, NC.
We started the process by having us both (DH and I) write down a list of "potentials" from the voluminous information on TMH. Because each architect is profiled along with photos of his /her work, as well as many architects having had homes on the tours, we felt this was a great jumping off point. We then narrowed and compared the lists for matches. Where we had differences, we each took a second look and explained why that architect did not make the cut. There were several architects that we really liked, but... we had limited our search to mostly "design / build" firms or architects with a close relationship. Then, on the matches, we interviewed.
After narrowing it down - we ultimately had 2 first develop some designs and rough plans as well as provide rough estimates of cost. (And yes, this was a while ago - we've been at this for over a year now.) Because this is such an involved process, and because it's so important to be able to work side by side with your architect and builder, and because we'd never seen a house that we didn't like, and really, because things just CLICKED - we ultimately chose tonic design | tonic construction.
I think we've spent the better part of a year annoying the heck out of the team (Vinny Petrarca, Katherine Hogan and Maggie Kirsch), challenging them on contractor selections, costs / benefit analysis, building techniques and pushing the energy efficiency envelope - we're ready to start.
Now, if we can just get the banks to cooperate... but more on that later.
Up next - LEED Platinum or bust.... (alternate title, Go Big or Go Home....)
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