We have gone from wrapped in plastic (a quote from a David Lynch moment, by the way)to having the window package installed. Most of the red iron has been installed, all the windows are in. We met with the custom steel fabricator Mike Puzio of Puzio studio, about the steel stair. The plumbing and mechanical roughs are going into the house. They start drilling for the geothermal wells today!

Rough framing is complete, house has been wrapped, and the roof is being placed.Here are some photos to catch-up on what is happening.You can see the TPO roofing, the insulation board between the TPO and the roof decking. These white TPO roofing materials are great for eliminating the heat that typical roofs can absorb, cutting down the heat inside.

Week two of framing and the house has begun to appear. Despite the 104 degree weather, the team of framers have been diligently working. The main living level has taken shape, the 16’ wide opening to the front deck, the opening to the rear terrace and screened porch have appeared. The cantilevers over the foundation are visible. Notice the pre-placed holes for the mechanical ductwork, that will supply air to the bedroom level. The site's topsoil still is tarped, to protect the soil from those sudden summer downpours we have in Georgia. We placed the project sign, that defines what makes a LEED home~ LEED. Next week the steel beams will be placed, so we should be closer to topping off the house.

Getting the house into the ground is the hardest phase of construction. The foundation walls are complete, and the site retaining walls' footings are set for the concrete. But we are a week away from framing.Jose and Robert(Pinnacle Custom Home Builders) are standing in the future terrace level. The area that looks like an archeological dig, is actually the footings for the entry steps.

Site meeting

From the pictures, you can see everyone is smiling still. The concrete of the retaining walls are up, and water proofing has begun.Next week the rough plumbing will go in and the foundation slab will be started. We did have to put in a few more piles than we expected, but you never really know until all the dirt is removed from the areas of the foundation. We have had a few items of additional scope: utility sink,a chase for future photo-voltaics, and possible more insulation for sound issue (adjacent playground). Looking to the future we are going to start thinking about the cabinetry. We have options of a local cabinet maker and an European manufacturer(the dollar is doing well in Europe). We will see

The day we all have waited for, foundation day. It may not seem exciting, but this is when the house starts to take hold of the site. Concrete trucks line the block waiting for the pump truck to place the concrete in the form work. In the photos you will also notice a blue mountain in the front of the site. This is the site soil that is being protected from erosion, until the foundation work is completed , and the soil can be graded around the site.

So the contractor had a series of important site and foundation inspections this week. Next week they will begin forming the foundation's retaining walls. The project manager (Alex) and I have been looking ahead to the home's floor framing package, and the coordination of the duct work.
At the same time the clients and I have been finalizing the plumbing package. One would think that this plumbing package would be easy. Maintaining the budget and selecting water conserving fixtures is a great balance. The final selection include water sense toilets and shower heads that use a air technology to conserve water. The showerheads infusing the water with air in a three-to-one, air-to-water ratio.