Archive for April, 2011

Apr
0

Podcast #28 – Rain Gardens

Podcast #28 – Rain Gardens

Most people have heard the term ‘Rain Gardens’ but don’t really understand what they are and what they do… Today we speak with a leading expert in water resource management, Civil Engineer Kurt Leuthold from Barr Engineering. Kurt and I have worked together on several projects in the past few years including the new offices for the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (beginning construction this spring) among others. A few questions discussed include:
-What is a ‘Rain Garden’?
-Describe the Rain Garden system -both large scale and small scale.
-How do you determine the size, configuration, plantings, etc.?
-How would a person get started in making a rain garden?
-With all the available water in our area, why is a rain garden important?
-We also touch on pervious pavers, rain barrels and other options for water management.

Feel free to contact Kurt Leuthold PE via email at kal@barr.com

Please subscribe to these podcasts also via iTunes. Search for the title ‘Design & Other Fun Stuff’.

Please click on the links above and you can also find information at the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District site. Looking to build one? Hedberg Landscape and Masonry Supplies has the materials.

Apr
8

Stained Concrete Fireplace Surround

We love the ‘rawness’ of concrete. It is fluid yet solid, smooth yet textured, strong yet fragile…I could go on and on. Concrete is a basic building component that has leapt from the foundation and floor slab to other creative and decorative uses. It is inexpensive and readily available.

A newspaper published a weekly article following one of our projects and the number one question from readers related to the staining of concrete. The video below shows how we used Concrete Tile Backer Board (tile underlayment) as a fireplace surround. It gives a unique look to a traditional feature and meets the fire requirements. Take a look and let us know your thoughts. Thanks!

Apr
0

DIY Design – Truss Plates

DIY Design – Truss Plates

Too much time on my hands you say…? Maybe, but rethinking everyday items and building them myself is my way of relaxing. Truss plates are available at any home improvement center -they are inexpensive, galvanized metal and have a great pattern of predrilled holes. What else could we use these for?… hmm.

When starting my own company, way back when, instead of handing out just a business card, I thought a card holder might make more of an impact and something that would be kept on a desk reminding people to ‘Hire me!’. This evolved into an expanded version to keep organized all of the cards I had received. How about a brochure display? Easy! The point is to have fun and reinvent things to become other things. Everyday utlitarian objects don’t have to come from ‘big box’ stores or be premade. Surround yourself with the uncommon. With a bit of your own creativity you will put a smile on your face! Click on the images to enlarge.

Apr
0

A Dome in Peka Peka

Ran across this documentary about architect Fritz Eisenhofer put together by Gaby Lingke. Fritz discusses his thoughts about designing and building a futuristic earth-sheltered home in New Zealand. Interesting and well-done video – check it out!

 

A Dome In Peka Peka from livlin productions on Vimeo.

Apr
0

Project Update – King Leadership Center

Project Update – King Leadership Center

Our office is just beginning a new project for beautiful Camp St Croix. This King Leadership Center will house up to 36 guests with an adjoining commons/meeting space. The specific site is on the main south campus and will anchor the ‘great lawn’ space. We will be targeting a LEED Silver or Gold certification.

We had our ‘kick-off’ meeting last week where we reviewed the Program (spaces needed) and the site challenges and opportunities. Kevin Flynn with EcoDEEP lead the LEED Scoring process to help define our baseline goals.   (Kevin and I will be recording a podcast discussing LEED soon!)  Now comes the fun part -the sketches, the creativity, the putting the puzzle together… and the other stuff- meeting with building officials, verifying code requirements, etc. Stay tuned!

Architect: Us!, Green Bldg Facilitator: EcoDEEP, Structural Eng: Mattson Macdonald Young, Mech/Elec Eng: Gausman & Moore, Civil Eng: Foth Infrastructure & Environment

Click on the images below to enlarge.

Apr
2

Making Maple Syrup

Matt from our office came in to work one day with some ‘liquid gold’ -yes, homemade maple syrup. He graciously agreed to take some ‘flip video’ footage of the process. Matt elaborates below:

Making maple syrup is a very time intensive process that can consume your waking hours for 4 to 6 weeks in early spring. It starts with tapping the trees when the day time temperatures start getting into the 40’s and 50’s, but the night time temps still dip into the 20’s. Maple syrup is produced by taking the sap ,~3% sugar content, and boiling off the water until it reaches 67% sugar content. This roughly equates to 40 gallons of sap required to get 1 gallon of syrup. Last week the sap was flowing fast enough that I had to boil 3 days out of the week to keep my 55 gallon barrel from overflowing. Each boiling takes between 10 and 12 hours and consumes a large amount of wood. However the end product is very much worth the time spent. If you ever want to try it yourself, it does not take a lot of investment to get supplies, but it will require a lot of your time! Check out Backyard Sugarin’ by Rink Mann if you are curious for more how-to information. Oh, and by the way, if anyone has good suggestions on how to clean baked-on maple syrup remains off of stainless steel, I am all ears!

Apr
0

Room Quick Change -Using Video!

Ever wanted to change the entire character of a room with the snap of your fingers, or better yet, with a remote control? Ran across this video and was mesmerized by the thought and time it must have taken to accomplish. The actual room is completely white. They used two projectors to morph the room into a variety of styles. I wish it was that easy in real life! They did an incredible job working in 3 dimensions with 2 dimensional images. Note the changes at the couch armrest or the coffee table… and how do they get the rug image projected under the table? Pretty cool! You have to check this one out.

Via Mr. Beam