In plain English you might say that I have always been an “old building guy,” the builder who was always working on some old building.  I would prefer to say that I am an “adaptive re-use specialist,” which might be an inflated term, though I would like to think that[…]

When we speak of “loft residences” (also “loft apartments” and “loft condos”) we are generally referring to a certain type of adaptive re-use of an older warehouse building or industrial building for use as a multi-family residential building.  However, “loft” is also used to refer to new construction buildings that[…]

This is the Freeman House, designed by Gunnar Birkerts and completed in 1966.  A visit to this house in 1975 became a turning point for my interest in building design and construction, and has been an ongoing reference for design values.  Remarkably, my involvement with the house did not end[…]

After working a decade in substantial reconstruction of existing homes and commercial buildings I had a lot of good insights into why buildings failed or endured over time, and how the materials and structure of a building interacted with the lives and behaviors of the occupants. Working for not-for-profit housing[…]

I grew up in a growing suburban village at the end of the metro bus line, with woodlands and farms and streams nearby. My folks were delighted to live in a community of new houses and families with young children.  Of course, we loved the place as kids, and as[…]