View up stairway

- Jason

Nighttime cupcakes

- Finally done with demo of main interior spaces... Even I-joists can be beautiful in the right light :) -j

Location:Fremont Ave S,Minneapolis,United States

July 20th quick update

July 8th -quick update - Start of Stair framing

July 7th -- quick project update

Previous days Demo/construction-exploration video to be uploaded soon!



-Jason

Demolish and Rebuild vs. Remodel?

Need for Action

With greenhouse gasses increasing and 48% of the greenhouse gasses coming from existing buildings distributed all over the world, a critical question is what can be done to reduce these harmful emissions. (For related information see an excellent PBS program by Ed Mazeria at http://www.pbs.org/e2/episodes/212_architecture_2030_trailer.html) We can't wait for governments and partisan politics to solve this problem. Individual actions can make a difference.

This blog shows how something can be done by an individual homeowner. It follows the conversion of a 100 year old, drafty, poorly insulated bungalow to a carbon neutral structure. This is being done while occupied, with a tight budget, and with the ambitious goal of being carbon neutral in 100 days. Is this possible? Follow the blog and find out. Tear down of the second floor roof began on June 29, 2010 and the project is currently on day 6: one dumpster full and a break for the 4th of July and rainy weather, but more to come starting Monday with improved weather on the horizon.

Bungalow Renovation Future-Phase2

A few drawings of the a second phase to renovate our bungalow.  Currently the construction is only for a small new roof & room over the breakfast area and a new stairway on the back of the house.  After finding all of the damaged and poorly built existing roof framing we are thinking of re-building the entire roof in a second, later phase2 of the project.  We would like to increase the height of the roof a few feet, but still keep it a low shed bungalow roof, very similar to the existing house but with a steeper slope for more headroom in the upstairs.  We plan make the new roof look like a 1911 bungalow with exposed cedar rafter-tails, stained bead-board trim under the eves and cedar side bracing.  The first floor will remain entirely the same and the entire renovation of the second floor roof is within the existing size of the house.  Our goal is to have the house fit right in with other bungalows on the street yet bring in amble sunlight and passive solar heat into the core of the home,

           

This phase is planned for  this fall or next spring/summer.

Bungalow Renovation Renderings

April Garden

Roof View Day 2 roof tear-off

Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia | Video on TED.com

An interesting lecture about how our built environment shapes our habitat and limits options to rehabilitate in the future:

Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia | Video on TED.com