Getting close to finishing construction of a large testing facility. I had my handy GoPro with me and thought I would try it out and show a quick project walk-through. It is always fun to see a project come together!

Project Update – Testing Facility from michael huber architects on Vimeo.

The interior is getting closer to being finished! Still a lot of exterior work left but Spring is around the corner…hopefully. Matt and I stopped by the project site to check in and filmed a bit of the progress. Take a look!

We are having fun with designing and building a custom sliding door for our Clients at the Bald Eagle Lake Residence. (Check out previous posts to see the progress on the home) This door consists of a steel frame that will be sandwiched by different colored pieces of glass. Should be cool when it is completed!

Custom Sliding Door Part 1 from michael huber architects on Vimeo.

We have been fortunate to have developed several projects for the Salvation Army. Here is a quick video update on the status of a bunkhouse building for one of their Northern Minnesota camps. What is unique about this project is that we needed to also have the building function as a storm shelter. We do get severe weather and possible tornado’s or high winds and this will be the safe haven for the entire camp. Take a look!

We get to create some fun things! A Client asked us to design a mailbox to go along with the home we designed for them. This video shows a bit of that process. Take a look!

It was awesome to be part of the Design Team and help the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization create a new educational and office facility. This past weekend was the Grand Opening. I gave building tours, ate cookies, and meet a ton of great people. Below is a video put together of the event by John Akre of the Minneapolis Television Network. We appreciate him taking the time to document the day!

And if you want to see some of the landscape features in action, check out this video by MWMO showing that ‘Green is Not an Afterthought’.

Here is another update of a fun residential project we are working on. Things are moving fast because winter is coming and the contractor wants to get it enclosed. Take a look!

The Environmental Landscape Management crew are working hard to provide a ‘level playing field’ for our kids. Regrading work and the building of stone retaining walls are underway. Here is a quick video showing some of the progress.

Backyard Construction from michael huber architects on Vimeo.

We feel real lucky to have a wooded back yard but like most people building a new home, the landscape work gets reduced for the greater good of the Architecture! Unfortunately, that is not always a good decision -setting and structure need to work with and enhance each other… and be functional for your needs. Though beautiful, our yard had a big crown in it that made it unusable for playing games. We decided to flatten a portion to make it more usable and to add a retaining wall around the fire pit -which will remain at its current elevation. The video below is a crew removing two trees… on a very windy day. Check back to see the final result.

We wanted to post a quick update on this project and show a few of the ‘test’ concepts. This initial effort was to incorporate the entire Client wishlist and see how this small home could be transformed. The tough part, which we all knew, was getting feedback and reality checks from contractors, banks and realtors. The problem with this project is not the house, it’s the site. A third of the property would need to be excavated and hauled out of a city setting just for a new garage. That is a big chunk of any budget.

The other challenge is that this project was looked at as a development opportunity and could the neighborhood actually support this financial investment? Now comes the tough part for the Client – evaluating all of the feedback, adjusting priorities and deciding which way to go… Stay tuned!

This is Part 1 of a series where we take a 1920’s era house and transform it into modern and fresh home for an old friend… not that we are old! Follow along (subscribe!) as we face many design, budget and construction decisions as well as navigate through the process of remodeling in an urban setting.