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MaurArmature
As often happens, Maura decided to help me at my desk this morning. But today, his assistance created a beautiful composition on top of the armatures I was exploring. Thanks, Maura. You’re a good boy.
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Designing a House, professional help (pt 4)
As you certainly noted from the previous posts, I am not an architect. But I need one in order to build the house. Even if I insist on one of my layouts, I have no idea about structural integrity, speccing systems like electricity and plumbing, how to cost out a plan, or what needs to…
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Designing a House, the barn (pt. 3)
Although the kominka burned to the ground, its 120 year old barn remains. Way back when, it hosted the family’s cows and you will find the remnants of stalls, and a 2nd story hayloft. Right now it is packed with tools, things in storage, and just plain junk. We plan to renovate it into an…
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Designing a House, some drawings (pt. 2)
With my theories and goals in mind, I was eager to draw some floorplans. I had all the measurements I took from the kominka, so I knew pretty well what sort of footprint I could work within on the site: 16 meters wide by 9.8 meters deep. South facing. After that, it was anything goes.…
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Designing a House, the theory (pt 1)
I am not an architect and that will be apparent as you read further. However, I have a lifetime of interest in architecture, from drawing plans of fanciful castles when I was a girl to studying historical architectural as a teen, and reading architecture theory as an adult. It’s a lifetime fascination. So getting to…
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Second Jab and a Typhoon
This morning, Typhoon #10 is bucketing down outside and the cats are going crazy, all of their morning calisthenics taking place in the office instead of outside. By the time yoga starts in an hour, I think they will be crashed out and sleeping. But for now, there is a great deal of scurrying and…
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The Tile Mines
Recently, Fujii-san acquired 12 tons of tile that was going to be sent to the dump by a construction company. 8 enormous bags of it that needed to be lifted by crane. Each bag is filled with completely random odds and ends from projects. There’s all kinds of stuff in there, bathroom tiles for floor…
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Time to rest
At the end of today, it was done. The kominka is nothing more than ashes and a few piles of straw and rubble. There’s more to do, of course. Those piles of hay need to be moved and the lot flattened out and readied for the next stage. But we’re all overdue for a break. …
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Quiet on a hot tin roof
The weather today was sunny and felt more blistering than the 23C the weather apps said. Everyone at 555 seemed tired. Despite that, we all worked hard and many things happened. The yumbo lifted off the large section of totan sheeting that had blown off the roof in 2019. I have been wondering how we…
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Interpretive Sumi
Abstracted and meditational drawings I made this week based on photos of the charred beams of 555 Hiratsuka.
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