Part of a team Most projects will involve a number of consultants throughout the design and certification process: for 60k House this number has been seven (plus me). The following is an explanation of what consultants have been responsible for and when they have been involved. Cast in order of appearance: Land Surveyor The first…
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Quotes, Quips, and Words of Wisdom Compiled and edited by Laura S. Dushkes This is a great little book – beautifully presented and thought provoking. The book is more than just a collection of one-liners – it covers a vast range of thoughts about architecture. The collection of quotes come from a variety of well-renowned…
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Tuesday December 22 My Kitchen Rules Kitchens have become a centerpiece of many new homes. The advent of open-plan living has made the kitchen more visible than it historically was. Think of a separate room, tucked away behind a door, maybe even with a hatch to serve from – somewhere a housewife or servant would…
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Thursday November 19, Friday December 4 / Monday December 7, Monday January 25 Pack ’em in See the previous post about ‘Putting up the Ceiling’ for an explanation about the role that insulation plays in keeping a house warm in winter and cool in summer. For insulation to be effective it has to block all…
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Friday November 13, Thursday November 19, Friday December 11, Wednesday December 16 Give us a break Most of the lining (both wall and ceiling) in 60k House is 9mm plywood. Ply was selected because it is durable, beautiful and I mistakenly believed it would be comparable in cost to finished plasterboard. As it turns out…
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Friday November 13, Sunday November 15, Friday December 4, Tuesday December 22 Behind the walls While the walls and ceiling were still accessible, before the lining went on, both Alan the electrician and also Ian the plumber came to run their wires and pipes. This was the last chance to add taps or power points…
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Friday October 30, Tuesday November 10, Thursday December 17 / Friday December 18 What next? The order in which we have built or finished particular components has mostly been determined by what has been needed next: I promised my guests a working toilet for the birthday party in November, so the toilet had to have…
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By Alain de Botton Architecture is a BIG subject. In this book the author asks big questions, such as: what makes a house beautiful? The book makes for a beguiling read as it discusses emotions that architecture inspires in the people who inhabit them. This is a subject that is not often talked about…
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Sunday November 15, Saturday November 21 / Sunday November 22, Monday December 14, Tuesday December 22, Friday December 25 Purpose This is what it’s all about: gatherings. People, activity, friends catching up around a fire, cooking a BBQ and having fun. 60k House has been designed as a one bedroom shack but with an eye…
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The recent post ‘Bushfire Hazard Assessment FAQ’ explains the associated terminology. Here I talk about the implications the Bushfire Hazard Assessment had on the design of 60k House. Get an expert in early Before you make any decisions about where exactly to site your house it is first advisable to engage a bushfire hazard assessor.…
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