Hello…I’m back.

As you can tell…I’ve really been slacking on this whole blogging thing for quite some time. However, it seems like a good time to get back into the rhythm. Spring has made a few appearances, which means things should be picking up for both me, 701 Shelby, and various developments and happenings throughout the city. Spring is always a great reminder of the beauty and value in a place and a pleasant reminder why I am in Indy and all of the great things happening in the city.

Because it’s spring, it’s time for landscaping to happen at 701 Shelby. We have gone through various landscape iterations, with help from a few different people. A friend of mine, James Poisel, happens to be a landscape architect and has graciously lent his help on the project. Below is the current plan, minus a few very minor modifications (click on the link for a better quality image of the plan):

701 Shelby_Landscape Plan_040313

As you can see from the plan, there is a strong emphasis on native plantings and minimizing the use of turf. We all know the problems and issues that grass lawns create, and this house has always been about living the right way, living responsibly. The landscape is a direct reflection of this mantra, with a series of low maintenance, local trees, grasses, flowering plants, and plenty of space for raised vegetable garden beds.

Keep a watch on the blog for updated photos as the work begins. The landscape will really tie everything together and demonstrate the home’s strong intention to marry interior with exterior, house and landscape.

Also, there will be some updates in the near future on some changes in plans with the lot in Fountain Square…as some issues were encountered…though I still plan on building in the neighborhood…no doubt about that.

Thanks for following the blog and look for some more regularity being brought back to it!

Interior Shots

I thought I would share a few interior photos of how the space is shaping up. While it’s still not quite 100% yet, you can really get a good sense for the quality of the spaces.

As you can tell in the photos, one of the biggest drivers for the the space was access to natural light. While we couldn’t break the budget on windows and daylighting, we understand the role daylight plays in creating inviting interior environments.

We will share more interior photos after the finishing touches are put on and also will share exterior as landscaping begins to happen in the spring.

Console Table

After installation of the plywood second floor, we were left with a number of extra pre-cut 1′x4′ boards. As a result, I came up with the idea to produce a simple television console table. The table’s design is intended to be simple in nature, with the introduction of only two additional materials, scrap 2x4s for the legs and a sheet of pegboard for the sliding door panels.

The design speaks to simplicity in form, materiality, and finish (left unfinished), utilizing off-the-shelf products to produce a piece that complements the design of the home.

Check it out:

The piece was fabricated with the help of my friend and industrial designer Chris Stuart. Chris runs Luur, a design-build operation in town. He is a fantastic designer and we are lucky to have such a talent. Definitely check out his work.

Let There Be Light

Finally we have electricity in the house!

Open Loft

The lighting in the house is somewhat unique.  We went with recessed LED can lights throughout most of the house and the cool thing about the lighting is the use of the Verve Living System.  I’ve mentioned this system in previous posts but for those of you who aren’t familiar, essentially it is a lighting control system which allows for the introduction of wireless switches throughout the house.  All of the fixtures are fed through 10 channel controllers which the wireless switches communicate with.  The system gives you the flexibility to reprogram switches as often as you like, and also provides a master switch which allows for creating scene settings and then saving them.  Additionally, as a part of the switch design, all of the lights are dimmable down to 5%.

10 Channel Controller

Downstairs Bath

30k House – Competition Entry

Last week a Ben McGhee and I wrapped up an entry for a design competition focusing on $30,000 single occupant home.  Let me know what you guys think.  Ben did a post on his blog.  Check it out:

30K House – Competition Submission

1X20: 20 design studies for an urban infill lot

We are hosting a gallery show in conjunction with the American Institute of Architect’s Home Tour.  It will open at the Harrison Center as part of First Friday in September.  Check it out.

Also, we are still accepting submissions for potential entries for the show until the end of July.  If you are interested and have a great idea and vision for the site, submit it!

“The goal of this project is to explore the intrinsic differences between designers and how they approach creative challenges. We’re seeking 20 designers to collaborate with us to create designs for an urban lot in downtown Indianapolis. We do not own this lot, and we’re not seeking legitimate proposals for things to do with it – the site is just a representation of a common problem in an urban area. Rather, by asking all of the designers to approach precisely the same problem using the same format, we seek to draw a contrast between the designs themselves.”

Quick Update

I thought I would take a moment to update everyone on the current status of the house.  As most of you have noticed…there has not been a blog post for quite some time now.  This is a result of a stoppage in work on the house.

As you may or may not be aware, this project is being done through a local CDC (Community Development Corporation) in town.  Additionally, there are Neighborhood Stabilization Funds (Government Funding) as a part of the project.  As a result of this, the project really is at the mercy of both of these organizations, and we all know how quickly things move when the government is involved.

The house has been sitting…waiting…for a good period of time now on finances from both the CDC and the city to move forward with the completion of the project.

Additionally, there have been some internal changes in the parties involved and things have been getting sorted out.  We have been at the mercy of the CDC and its contractors…which, frankly, has not been a great experience.  There are errors that are slated to be corrected and the appropriate responses are now in order.

So…work should resume very soon, starting next week.  When it does, I will walk you through the remainder of the process.  It’s going to be a wild ride to the finish…as we are really pushing for the home to be done this summer…and it needs to be…for the sanity of everyone involved.

Thanks for your patience and continued following of the project.

With all of this said and done, I am still confident that the design will be a success in the end for my brother and will demonstrate the ability to produce a contemporary home at an affordable rate on an urban lot in Indianapolis.  We have had our fair share of bumps in the road that were outside of our control but we are doing the best to deal with them in the most appropriate manner.  Needless to say, this has been a very eye-opening experience toward many of the parties involved.  We have learned a great deal and many of the frustrations we have been forced to deal with should not have had to happen…but that’s the nature of working with certain organizations and contractors.  These setbacks have not, however, deflated my passion for this project or for future projects of this manner in the city.  It is my opinion that Indianapolis needs more projects like this one and, honestly, I think there is a growing market for efficient, affordable, contemporary homes in the city.

Thanks again for following the project and all the craziness involved…it’s been quite a ride and we hope we can wrap things up within the next couple months (in time for the AIA Home Tour)!!!

Interview

Yesterday we shot an interview at 701 Shelby for a couple local community-based organizations, IndyHub and the City Gallery, talking about community building and how both the City Gallery and 701 Shelby play a role in doing so.

Interview Shoot, Jonathan Frey Photography

I will post a link to the video once it is up and running.  This is to be part of a larger piece talking about the City Gallery and about community building at-large. Also, make sure to check out both of these organizations as they are great resources for young professionals who live in the city or who are looking to move into the city.

A big thanks to Jonathan Frey for doing the shoot!  Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

Stair Fabrication

Yesterday we prepped and welded the stair for the house.  As often talked about with regards to 701, there has always been a balance between off the shelf products and custom work for the house.  The stair is an instance where we felt we could create a piece that would be unique to the house and really work well with the design, layout, and interior finishes in the house.  The opportunity to custom fabricate the stair really gave us the opportunity to develop a stair that would really complement the space and become a feature in the house.

Early Stair Schematic

As you can see, the design consists of two 5″ deep steel channels as the stringers with 3′ wide, 3/8″ thick flat plate spanning between the two stringers acting as the treads.  The plates extend beyond the face of the channels 5″ to create a visible and interesting stair profile from the side view.  The design is driven by the desire to have a small profile stair that does not dominate the space it is to go in.  The risers will be left open so as you enter into the front door of the house, you see right through the stair and out a window into the backyard.  The design reinforces the open, light, semi-industrial nature of the interior of 701.

Further, the plan is to cap each of the steel treads with wood, the Purebond plywood to also be used on the second floor.  This will do a couple things for us.  One, it will tie the stair into the upstairs and be a nice transition from the concrete floor downstairs to the wood floor upstairs, and, two, it softens the industrial nature of the stair to create a nice contrast between the raw steel and softer wood.

Drew welding stair treads

Tread Welding

Drew welding

*A special thanks to Drew Garrison for all of the welding.  The stair has turned out fantastic and will really be a great addition to the house, both in terms of its design and its craft.

Stair and Railing Fabrication

We (Drew Garrison and myself) finally are moving forward on the fabrication of the stairs and railings, both of which are being fabricated out of steel.  We started drilling the holes in the square tube for the horizontal cable last night.  The hole drilling should wrap up today or tomorrow and we can then move on to welding both the stair and railings and move closer to installation.  Look for more updates as we move forward.

I’ll share a little more info on both pieces soon.

Drew drilling the holes for the cable railing

*Also, we finished the pallet ceiling in the dining space over the weekend.  It’s starting to look pretty great.