LONG TERM OR SHORT TERM...which is the better plan?

A new standard has been delved out by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), ALL new construction and major renovation projects must meet LEED Gold certification. This new regulation has created heated debates on both sides of the issue. The reason? MONEY

It's safe to say that everyone agrees that being more efficient with one's energy consumption is advantageous in the long term, but at what price up front? This simple question is easily answered using a Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). One simply calculates the up front cost of using the more efficient system, subtracting the cost savings over a specified period of time, and if the number is negative then the more expensive up front cost system actually saves you money.

The problem with the new regulation, is that this LCCA is not being taken into account. This means that there are some projects which would cost less money in the long term by using more conventional, less efficient systems. In order for one to truly appreciate the situation, imagine if you bought a home anticipating only being in that home for 5 years. Would you spend extra money on a roofing shingle because it'll last 30 years rather than 20 years? The answer is no. It doesn't make economical sense. While the effort on this new program should be applauded for it's intentions, good intentions do not equal good methodology. Perhaps in the future our elected officials will take into consideration the whole picture before they jump on the bandwagon of the latest ideas and concepts, performing their due diligence and critically question each and every program before increasing the spending of limited tax dollars.

http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/12/101207leed_gold_required.asp

- Design is what you make it.

MONEY, HOUSING, CHILD EDUCATION: WHERE DOES ONE MOVE?

It's no secret that the suburbs within the I-95 belt in the Boston area are extremely expensive (at least in the towns everyone says are the towns you should live in). The bigger question is, does the town and school systems make for a successful education and child, or is it the influence at home that determines the child's success?

Many argue that if you can stretch your financial limits to get into one of the "elite" towns you should do that because you'll not only get superior teachers, but your child and yourself could "rub shoulders with important people". Now call me a simple Midwestern boy, but there is more to being successful than surrounding yourself with people of wealth. Just because you get into one of the so-called "elite" school systems, doesn't mean you are guaranteed a superior education for your child or that they'll go on to a successful career and life. I believe the influence that comes out of one's home plays a more significant role through parental educating and encouragement. Teachers are wonderful and educated people, however I believe the sincere acknowledgment and love shown from a parent is more motivational than anyone in a school system.

Bottom line: do the best you can, provide the best you can, and be proud of what you're able to give back to your family. Not everything is measured in dollars and cents, in many ways those items you can't buy are more valuable than the ones you can.

Here's a great article outlining the trials and tribulations of buying a home in the Boston market when a major consideration revolves around the school systems.
http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/blogs/renow/2010/12/should_you_stre.html

- Design is what you make it.

Talent, Talent, Where hast thou gone?

The construction industry is in flux to say the least. The talent pool should be rich with desperate, hungry workers...so is it? Many companies are finding these times frustrating, not only in finding new business to stay busy, but also in finding reliable valuable employees to help give the company an edge up on the competition. The dilemma seen everywhere is that the most valued, qualified people are still gainfully employed and swaying them to move companies in a time of financial flux is difficult because of the uncertainty of their new job being a permanent solution. The old adage, "last in, first out" is seen as a deterrent on switching positions.

Many employers are finding themselves in a difficult predicament to offer more lucrative, not less, benefit packages and wages in order to acquire the best talent. So while unemployment is high, finding additional employees to allow companies to keep moving forward and increasing revenue is a truly arduous task. Here is a link to a well written article describing what I just prefaced.

http://www.kimmel.com/construction/const_newsletter/Dec10_Newsletter_Web.cfm

- Design is what you make it.

Value is in the Knowledge

Typically I don't write too much strictly about dollars and cents but found this article about Real Estate Taxes with a town by town breakdown. This is very beneficial information for anyone looking at moving and purchasing a home in Massachusetts. The great mortgage gods help you to believe that your monthly payments will be the same for 30 years, while that may be accurate on your mortgage, they tend to help you ignore your real estate taxes because those will go up and that doesn't help them close the deal on your loan. Here's a link with the current tax information which could help you in deciding whether you should go to the town you love or a nearby town with a lower tax base.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/graphics/08_22_10_property_tax/

- Design is what you make it.

Importance of Contracts - Business is Business

Business partnerships are vastly different today than in years past. The old "handshake and a smile" doesn't exist as people more and more go back on their verbal contracts. Verbal contracts are difficult to prove without hard evidence which is why today it's always best to have everything in writing. Every detail needs to be spelled out so you can avoid the pitfalls that occur so often when one party "trusts" the other party to do the right thing. Once money gets involves, many people have difficulty doing what is morally or ethically the correct thing and choose to do what will financially benefit them most.

Case in point: Office dA, renown architecture firm in Boston which sees it's two partners in court battling over the firm, money, and rights to acknowledgment of various projects. The two partners have worked together building this firm to great heights for over 20 years, yet they are seeing some major problems because Nader Tehrani assumed Monica Ponce de Leon would do the right thing when he vested over control of the firm to her by allowing her to have 51% share in order to compete for projects that are only open to "Women Owned Companies".

Well....things haven't worked out quite so peacefully. You can follow the link to find out more. Remember, get EVERYTHING in writing including the small details (the things you might say are trivial).
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/12/01/partners_of_prestigious_hub_architecture_firm_at_odds/

- Design is what you make it.

Go big or stay home...Not for this guy!

Jay Shafer, the co-founder of the Small House Society and the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has authored "The Small House Book" and runs a the Tiny House blog which receives 5,000-7,000 visitors per day.

Jay says, "Living in a small house like this really entails knowing what you need to be happy and getting rid of everything else." What are your thoughts about that? Could you see yourself living in a single residence smaller than most people's living room? For more on this check out the link below, it's worth the read.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tiny_houses

- Design is what you make it.

Electric Cars: Great in theory, miserable in practice

Have you ever dreamed of driving an electric car? I think we all have had visions of the Jetsons as a reality for our lives when we were to get older. The truth however is much more complicated and disappointing though. Electric cars have been around for almost a century and yet they still are ineffective as an everyday vehicle unless you commute in the city or less than 25-30 miles one way. Typically they have a range of 100 miles before requiring a new charge. For people in cities this could work, however what happens if you want to drive from Boston to New York City? You're not going to be able to drive straight through and the recharging can take 4-8 HOURS! The argument about not having enough charging stations is a silly one at this point, what these companies need to focus their attention on is creating a more simply engine, one that requires less energy to run and thus allow the driver to travel 200-300 miles in between charges. Until this happens, it is going to be very difficult to convince the American people that electric cars are the wave of the future. For more on this check out the article below.

http://greensource.construction.com/blogs/greenbuildblog10.asp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=057e45ba-ebcf-4ab1-b945-ea734d5c61e4&plckPostId=Blog%3a057e45ba-ebcf-4ab1-b945-ea734d5c61e4Post%3ac4c3a43b-bf96-4750-b1b6-b66a245a77e7&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

- Design is what you make it.

To Rent or To Buy

Many people ask themself this same question. The truth of the matter, the answer may be chosen for you. Lenders have tightened up on mortgages making first time home buying more difficult. Interest rates are at rock bottom, however if you haven't saved up enough for the down payment you can forget about acquiring a loan. You know who wins in this scenario? Developers. Apartment building projects has risen of late as developers recognize the need for housing is still high as well as the desire to live near work and all the benefits city life offers, however without the ability to obtain lending for that first purchase one's options are rent or live on the street...not much of a choice there.

Bottom line, if you have some savings then you have a choice. If you're like so many people out there and have been hit hard the past couple of years by this economy, your savings has been depleted or may not exist at all and thus you're given one option; RENT. Many big developers have seen this and are putting together projects to fill this necessity. Check out this article addressing just this situation.

http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/articles/2010/11/13/builder_says_time_is_right_for_boston_apartments/
- Design is what you make it.

Home Decor for the Holidays

Well it's not a secret that Thanksgiving is literally around the corner and Christmas isn't far off. The holidays offer an opportunity to break out your creative inner self. There are many different ways to dress up your home for all the guests you plan to entertain at this time of year. I found this article below to be very interesting and know if you get just one idea on how to make your pad fab, then it'll have been well worth the quick read.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to all.

http://nedesignbuild.com/articles/?p=62

- Design is what you make it.

Students Living in Style

The students at Harvard University have a new location to call home thanks to the architecture firm of Kyu Sung Woo Architects. A beautiful building that can house up to 215 students is keeping with Harvard University's focus on maintaining a reflection of the oldest university in the United States traditional buildings while providing a look at the future.

It's important to blend the new with the old so we can create a timeless classical look to help us all continue to move forward with how we view architecture while appreciating those who have come before us.

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/building_types_study/universities/2010/harvard.asp?bts=CU

- Design is what you make it.

Rosy Forecast for 2011 Construction Industry - Big Win for the Economy

You'll have heard it here first, well technically second since I am linking a great article about the 2011 forecast for the construction industry. As everyone knows by now; most did not prior to this economical collapse we've been living through the past couple years, the economy is an engine that is powered by the construction industry. With the financial crisis, obtaining loans for new construction endeavors has become increasingly more difficult. It appears, according the article released by McGraw-Hill, that things could be looking more rosy come 2011.

Check out the link, I found it very enticing and hope you enjoy it too.

http://enr.construction.com/business_management/finance/2010/1029-OutlookForcast.asp

- Design is what you make it.

Less is more - A reality for today

By now the quote made famous by Mies van der Rohe is familiar to virtually everyone. It also makes more sense today than ever before. With the increase in cost for materials and down sizing of homes, the name of the game is efficiency. Figuring out how to best utilize every square inch for many involves playing the real world game of Tetris. Luckily for most, they got lots and lots of practice with that game in the 90's in order to be experts today at transforming their smaller homes and condos into well run, efficient spaces to live. Just one more example on how you can make a compact space fabulous check out this article on these diminutive kitchen ideas. - Design is what you make it.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/443/13-stylish-small-kitchens/

High Design in the Salon world

Well it seems there is a new look to a high end salon on Newbury Street. G20 Spa and Salon has installed some beautiful mosaic tile designs provided by Artaic. Check out the link to see the panels and a short video, definitely worth the time.

http://www.artaic.com/CIDB/Custom_Mosaic/project/g2o-spa-and-salon/

- Design is what you make it.

Chicago Townhouse: Contemporary, elegent, but could you raise a family here?

Regarding the Chicago townhouse designed by Alexander Gorlin: http://archrecord.construction.com/residential/hotm/archives/1006HotM/default.asp

This is a beautiful elegant home with clean lines, gorgeous finishes that work together in harmony. The spacial layout is wonderful as well. As a critic I have few flaws to point out. The one question I would pose is regarding a comment in the article about this home. The article mentions that this is an ideal bachelor pad (which I agree, truly impressive), however the article goes on to say it also would work well as a family home. With this comment I will have to disagree unless the children are close to being or in high school.

The space screams adult world. Nothing about this is child friendly, from the absence of wood (a warm familiar material to the bland neutral palette. The staircase is far from child friendly as anyone with a child will agree it's an accident waiting to happen. Each of the children bedrooms have they're own bathroom...oh the fun playing in the toilet or with the toilet paper that could be had! They've also used tile throughout which presents a "cold" institutional type of environment. For those old enough to get the reference, from another famous although fictional Chicagoan Ferris Bueller famously said, "The place is like a museum. It's very beautiful and very cold, and you're not allowed to touch anything." Sound like an ideal family home to you?

- Design is what you make it.

"Cash for Caulking" - Newest stimulus legislation

Is this new stimulus legislation that is in the works a good program or a bust like the "Cash for Clunkers"?

The full story won't be told until more details come out. Currently the Associated Builders and Contractors is opposed to it being passed because in it's current state, the work must be completed by Union works. Stay tuned for more details and once the bill goes through the Senate.

http://enr.ecnext.com/coms2/article_powo100512CashforCaulk

- Design is what you make it.

Real Estate Development during trying Economic Times

Somerville, MA was presented with the All American City Award (AAC) in 2009. In 2010, the construction of the Assembly Square area will begin. This project will improve roadways, bring a new T station to Somerville, residential units, commercial office space, additional retail space, a new movie theatre, and most importantly 500 new jobs. Congratulations to the Somerville leaders for getting this task started in such difficult economic times. Perhaps Mayor Menino of Boston can follow Somerville's lead with the even more substantial project planned for the waterfront near the Boston Aquarium. To read more about both projects please go to:

http://www.thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=3854
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/03/28/shadow_on_the_greenway/

- Design is what you make it.

Green Design: What does it mean to you?

Gone are the days where people associate green design with images of people in Birkenstocks chained to trees. Yes the movement has come a long way and I've been meeting with more and more clients that are interested in finding ways to save on their energy bills for the long-term future. Green also doesn't JUST mean energy saving. It's a lifestyle. Incorporating more and more of the surrounding environment into a design to create a work experience that is more enjoyable saves employers over the course of the year through more productivity and less sick days. Here is an article from GreenSource that incorporates a great example of making the built environment more than just a box on a site.
http://greensource.construction.com/features/solutions/2010/may/1005_faculty_of_law_building.asp

- Design is what you make it.

Reality Sets in for Homeowners

Well the reality of the housing market is impacting the reasons behind the recent escalation of home improvement projects being performed. According to the WSJ (http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109389/the-new-rules-of-remodeling) many home owners recognize the hard truth, the days of quick renovation to trade up for the bigger house next door are over. This is not necessarily a bad thing, what many homeowners are doing instead, they're building additions to accommodate the space they need and/or renovating the current space in their home to better suit their living lifestyles. This is a huge win for the design and construction world. It also acts as baby steps for the economy to recover. Once the housing market can become strong again, the economy typically gets into full swing. So keep those renovation projects going, enlarge your home with an addition, and purchase more home improvement materials so we can get back to being the prosperous nation we've so grown accustom to being.

- Design is what you make it.

Is Mayor Menino standing in the way of progress?

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/04/28/chiofaro_taking_battle_with_menino_to_the_public/

This is a difficult topic to cover. The Mayor has legitimate concerns about what impact this project would do to the city. Unfortunately the Mayor seems to have missed the mark on his concerns. Mayor Menino controls all that is constructed in the city, he has the final say. The major concern he seems to be expressing revolves around shadows and the Kennedy Greenway. The property in discussion sits on the edge of the harbor to the East of most of the Greenway. The Greenway only gets used during the late Spring, Summer, and early Fall. The other times of the year, the space is much to cool to comfortably stay for any period longer than walking through to one's destination.

In the Summer the sun is at it's apex, and while these buildings would create shadows on the Greenway during a portion of the morning as the sun rises from the horizon, at noon the sun is located to the South on it's path across the sky and thus would light the Greenway with the desired sunlight the Mayor is suggesting this project would block. Perhaps the laws of physics don't apply in the Mayor's world, but every shadow study I can conclude predicts shadows falling to the East from this project by noon and not toward the Greenway.

Sun arguments aside, can we discuss the economical impact this project could have on the state as well as the country? We're talking thousands of jobs (architects, designers, engineers, construction workers, factory workers, laborers, transportation workers, retail workers upon completion, janitorial workers, etc). What do people that have jobs usually do? They buy things, thus increasing more products being made and more workers needed to produce the products as well as transport them, and load and unload them etc. This one project due to it's scale could help to transform the effects from the recession into a period of normalcy again.

It is safe to say that should this developer secure the funding for this project the mayor has an obligation to allow this project to move forward. If he doesn't, it can only be that he's afraid of progress and doesn't care about the families in this country that are struggling to survive due to lack of jobs. Mayor Menino, please do reconsider allowing the height limitations to be high enough so this project has an opportunity to be conceived, allowing the citizens of this great country, state, and city to get economically healthy again. It is plainly obvious the benefits in this instance far outweigh the negatives.

A Busy Schedule...same great services!

2010 has been great to Kurtz Design Studio. Many new projects have come into the office with a wide variety of project types. These varied project types enable the design process to stay creative and fresh. This is because one must approach each situation differently and thus present new perspective for solutions to the problems at hand.

So far Kurtz Design Studio received the commission for a single family home in Woburn. A complete renovation of the first floor; updating and introduction of a contemporary open floor plan. Next came the task of taking on a gut rehab of a condo in South Boston, preparing the unit for sale and thus had to keep budget at the forefront of the design. Shortly thereafter, a spectacular opportunity arouse from a past client for a new construction single family home located on 56 acres in Hingham. While this project has been challenging, it has provided many great design opportunities. Currently it's still in progress but construction drawings should begin soon.

A few more additions to homes were won in Lynnfield, Weymouth, and North Reading; a hair salon in Brookline, and an interior design project for some bathrooms in Waltham. Truly been a busy year thus far, however one constant has remained...personalized service was provided to all clients and will continue to be a theme for this architecture practice. - Design is what you make it.

Recent Projects: Part 1

Well it's be a crazy month. Taken on some interesting projects. I started the year off winning a commission for a renovation of a condominium in South Boston. It's an interesting project as there are tight budget constraints and the owner is looking to sell in a market that requires modifications made. Luckily I was able to draw upon my real estate knowledge to help the owner distinguish what changes needed to be made and which ones weren't necessary allowing us to finalize a great layout and minimize costs. - Design is what you make it.