FabCab

The Butterfly House

Chelsea — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:16:06 +0000

Nestled in the woods on the edge of the bluff above Quartermaster Harbor, the Butterfly House on Vashon Island has been a long time in the making. Although the clients have owned this 9 acre undeveloped lot for a few years, they were having difficulty finding an affordable house design they loved. They learned about FabCab through friends, and they decided to have FabCab design a custom home for them.

The Butterfly House combines FabCab’s timberframe and SIPs structural system with a floor plan unique to the client’s needs, with a separate bedroom wing, flexible space to accommodate guests, and open living spaces that blur the line between indoors and out. A large screened porch assures maximum enjoyment outside, even when bug season is at its peak!

The Butterfly House is about to be submitted for a construction permit, with construction slated to begin this coming spring.

“The aesthetics of FabCab with its really modern look and exposed timberframe construction really resonated with us. My husband and I both loved it immediately. We were suddenly very excited about the possibility of having found an affordable and beautiful home for our property. Evermore thanks to Emory and Chelsea and all the others who are literally making this long standing dream of ours come to fruition.” – Sara and Jed

Rainscreens: Walls with Integrity

Don — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:14:19 +0000

The Challenge
Light wood framing is a great building system; it’s fast and efficient to construct, and adaptable when needs change. But it’s not impermeable. At some point in a building’s life, moisture is bound to get behind siding and into the walls; it may be from an extraordinary weather event or the deterioration of a caulk joint. As originally developed, light wood framing could handle this too; each component was designed to shed water to the exterior. And when weather or age did allow water in, there was enough air infiltration within the walls that moisture was able to evaporate without causing damage. This is similar to the way masonry walls handle moisture: when it rains, water gets absorbed in the masonry; when the sun comes out, the water evaporates.

That equation changed starting in the 1970s when energy efficiency became an important factor and new building materials and methods came on the market. A “tighter” insulated assembly is a great boon to the comfort and utility costs of homeowners; new materials reduced construction costs.

An unintended consequence was that using materials of varying degrees of water absorption in a tight assembly could trap moisture inside walls, leading to rot and mold in the wood components. This was a problem especially with new materials such as “synthetic stucco,” which relied on an impermeable coating on the outside face for waterproofing. When that coating failed at any point, water could get in but not back out. That coating failed reliably, as it was also exposed to the elements. An epidemic of building envelope failures followed, giving rise to a whole industry dedicated to repairs of the damage.

The Response
The building industry has reaffirmed the wisdom of providing what the building code calls a “weather-resistive barrier” behind the finish siding. It’s a second line of defense, protected by finish siding from the solar exposure that would cause it to deteriorate, against water from the exterior. Whether the weather-resistive barrier is building paper or Tyvek, it is integrated with flashing at openings in the wall and installed to shed water back to the exterior.

As in a masonry wall, water also dissipates through evaporation as well as runoff. To ensure that both processes can proceed, architects and builders have begun to adopt a siding assembly called a rainscreen. In a rainscreen assembly, the siding is held off the weather-resistive barrier with vertical spacers, providing drainage/ventilation passages with screened openings at top and bottom. The passages allow water to drain and encourage it to evaporate.

Flashing is an integral part of the system, accommodating interruptions of the weather-resistive barrier at window and door openings as well as transitions in siding materials. Every joint and transition in materials needs to lap in the right direction, to shed water back to the exterior.

The finish siding then functions to protect the weather-resistive barrier, or drainage plane, against the wind and sun. Water intrusion behind the finish siding are anticipated and handled. Some designers even leave space between siding components to promote water evaporation.

Our Practice
At FabCab, our exterior walls incorporate rainscreens. We go further, using structural insulated panels (“SIPs”) instead of stud walls to eliminate the wall cavities where moisture can be trapped. SIPs walls and rainscreens are just two methods we employ to ensure that your FabCab will successfully resist the elements over the long term.

FabCab Winter Incentives

FabCab — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:54:13 +0000

We’re excited to announce winter incentives. Our timberframe and structural panel suppliers are offering winter discounts and FabCab is passing along the savings to you! In addition, we are offering a free iPad2 to clients. To qualify, FabCab Home Package orders must be placed by February 1, 2012. Please contact us for additional details.

FabCab coming to Camano Island

FabCab — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:40:11 +0000

Camano Island will soon have a completed FabCab perched on the banks of Puget Sound! This two-story 2-bedroom custom FabCab is currently under construction and was designed to be a Certified Built-Green Home and withstand the climate of Puget Sound.

FabCab homes are designed as a pre-cut kit of parts, which result in very little onsite waste & very high energy efficiency. The FabCab design team adapted its kit of parts system to work with the existing foundation of the previous cabin on the site. The design was a breakthrough for the site, and the structure’s layout allows sweeping views of the water.

The clients, Linda Evans, a Certified Green Realtor with Windermere Real Estate’s Camano Island office, and her husband, John Cavanaugh, asked FabCab to design the home on its exising footprint and hired Jim Hall of James Hall and Associates, a Certified Built-Green contractor from Camano Island, to erect it. The former house was deconstructed vs. demolished, and an estimated 90% of it was either reused by other people or recycled. The Evans/Cavanaugh home will also feature a storm water management system that will incorporate a “living wall” of plants that will be watered from a hidden cistern behind the wall that has captured runoff from the roof gutters.

Additional green strategies include:

The pre-cut FabCab structural components reduce waste at the site and speed up the construction process, also minimizing the impact on neighbors.
The components provide increased energy efficiency over standard construction.
Highly-reflectant “cool” roofing of partially-recycled and fully-recyclable materials enhance roof durability and reduce both building cooling loads and the heat island effect.
Reusing the foundation reduces waste, thus minimizing the amount of new materials and embodied energy necessary to build the structure.
Improved air quality through the use of materials that do not off-gas such as no- or low-VOC paints, stains and glues, no carpeting in the home that holds dust, animal dander, etc. and a heat recovery ventilator that provides fresh air exchanges while minimizing heat loss.
High energy efficiency through the use of SIPs panels (structural insulated panels) that provide a higher R-Value insulation than traditional stick-built homes and windows with a low U-Value that provide superior insulation over standard windows.
Water Sense(R) plumbing fixtures that are an average of 20% more water efficient than standard plumbing fixtures.

Linda and John look forward to many years to come in their new cabin, knowing that it optimizes the enjoyment of the site while minimizing the impact on their Puget Sound site.

New SFO Terminal (T2) = Good Design

MParente — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:33:49 +0000

(photo courtesy of SFO)
Written by Maura Parente, FabCab Marketing and Design

After recently flying out of San Francisco Airport’s new domestic terminal, the first LEED Gold certified terminal in the country, I acknowledged an unusual movement my mouth seemed to be making, considering I was at an airport…I was smiling.

SFO is notorious for long security lines and it was a pleasant surprise to arrive at the newly opened Terminal 2, or T2, and not be daunted by a sea of travelers. T2 was designed to efficiently and comfortably move people and only houses two airlines – Virgin America and American Airlines.

After passing through security, I was ushered into a space that incited the smile. I had happened upon giant jellyfish-esque pieces of string art swaying from the ceiling. They were whimsical and embodied the adventurous attitude of San Francisco. Other than the colorful jellyfish, the terminal is white and has a new-agey feel. Long clerestory windows pulled in natural light, flooding the space and my smile continued even when I passed the bathrooms. Universal Design can apply to elements other than spaces and when I saw the signage for the bathrooms, I liked what I saw – large, clear, directional signage that was FUN and attractive.

The terminal’s principal architect, Arthur Gensler got many things right and succeeded in fusing clean inspirational architecture and funky art from local to international artists. After looking into the project more, I came across the project design brief, which was equally as impressive. The brief was a collaborative effort by SFO/Turner/Gensler and discussed innovative concepts such as:

Creating an emphasis on service, hospitality and comfort
“De-stressing travel in a pat-down world”
Providing world-renowned local food
Completing a multi-modal hub connected to public transportation
Removing complexity by designing spaces to be intuitive and naturally lit

A variety of seating and lounge areas are innate to the architecture and Silicon Valley’s influence is apparent in the computer cafe areas and standing bars. I also ran into countless eco-conscious practices (such as refillable water bottle stations and compost areas) and relished the atmosphere that encapsulated San Francisco’s diverse charm.

Not surprisingly, I’m looking forward to my next trip to T2.

Emory Baldwin Featured in AIArchitect

FabCab — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:15:02 +0000

FabCab’s principal architect and owner, Emory Baldwin, was recently interviewed by John Gendall with AIArchitect. Emory recalled the impetus for his work and for launching FabCab, as well as the rapidly growing necessity for building homes “right the first time.” Baldwin also spoke about research and the senior care industry. “Institutional senior living facilities often accelerate the end,” says Baldwin. “AARP has done surveys that show that 90 percent of people want to grow old in their own houses. There is a place for institutionalized care, of course, but it doesn’t have to be for everyone the way the industry is pushing it,” he adds. “This is not what I wanted to do, because it didn’t seem like a great solution for people.”

To read the full article please visit AIArchitect FabCab Offers Universally Designed Pre-Fab

Craft and Craftsmanship

Chelsea — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:21:10 +0000

I come from a long line of craftsmen. My father remodeled old houses while we grew up in them- tearing them down to their studs and rebuilding them with traditional details, including beautiful wood molding that he milled himself in his shop in our “Michigan basement.” My mother is a seamstress in her spare time. When she walks into expensive clothing stores, she surreptitiously turns the clothes inside out and looks at how they’re constructed. Later she can reproduce them at home. My paternal grandfather designed turbine engines for Chrysler. My maternal great grandfather was a tailor, professionally. Its no wonder I’m drawn to the details in architecture.

I have been with FabCab since January, but I have been working in architecture for ten years now. I have a background in residential design, prefab and sustainability. The “HOW?” and “WHY?” of construction have always intrigued me. And I often find myself contemplating craftsmanship in architecture.

Awhile back I attended a thought-provoking discussion put on by the Seattle AIA’s Design Committee. It was their first in a series called Futurecraft, which aims to “investigate the future and understanding of craftsmanship.” This particular discussion focused on the role of the hand in craftsmanship and began with a presentation by Shaun Peterson, a Native American artist working in many mediums. He spoke about his experience with wood carving, specifically the Welcome Figure which now stands in Tacoma. He learned his woodcarving craft as an apprentice, first taking care of a master carver’s tools and then building his own tools. His tools not only helped him create the sculpture, but through their abilities and limitations they also shaped the design of the sculpture. For example, a traditional canoe bailer looks like a bowl made of wood. But there is a pointed rise in the center of the bowl- if you imagine taking a vertical section through the bowl, the inside shape would be something like a W. This results from the type of chisel with a long handle that used to carve the bailer. It made flattening the inside bottom of the bailer difficult, and since this was a utilitarian bailer, it was left in this honest form.

Peterson also spoke of his struggle with the tradition and history imbued in a craft and its application to today’s available materials. Traditionally, Pacific Northwest tribes would carve large wooden figures out of massive fallen trees. Today, it is more difficult to find deadwood like this that is large enough and not overly checked. Peterson’s Welcome Figure is made of a single piece of wood which was sliced down the center to remove the checked heartwood. A steel plate was laminated into the center of the figure, and steel tubes are fitted into her legs to better stabilize the sculpture. Some traditionalists frown upon this as being “unauthentic,” other craftsmen see this as using the materials we have at hand today.

Leonard Garfield is the director of activities at the Museum of History and Industry. He spoke briefly about the culture of craftsmanship in Seattle. Specifically, he spoke of traditional boat builders and sail makers, and how their skills and craftsmanship were used in the first airplanes built by Boeing. Although on an industrial scale, each plane was constructed by hand by a series of craftsmen- very different than the Ford assembly line construction method. He made an excellent point that craft can be looked at as a process rather than a product.

The final presentation was made by Rick Sundberg, a design principal at Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen until opening his own firm in 2010. He spoke of craft in architecture, focusing on the rigor inherent in the process of design and construction.

Through all of these presentations and the following discussion, the big question was “what defines craft?” The moderator, Rob Corser AIA, made an excellent point (and I’m paraphrasing from my notes) that craft is like pornography: its very hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but you know it when you see it.

Is craft inherently historic? Does it run the risk of being overly nostalgic? Is there a certain ingenuity to craft that requires the traditional methods to continue to evolve? What about our modern-day tools, such as the computer? Can something that was designed on a computer be considered a craft?

Personally, I agree with the statement that craft is a process rather than a product. There is an inherent beauty and struggle present in the finished piece that articulates the human element in its design. In a sense, a well crafted piece, be it a wood figure or an airplane or a house, has a sense of soul.

Seattle is steeped in the tradition of craft, and you can see it in the Pacific Northwest style of architecture. Google “Pacific Northwest Architecture” and look at the images that come up- they’re full of warm wood and glass, shed roofs with large overhangs, striking views that celebrate “place,” and above all, buildings that reveal the process of their construction with exposed fasteners and honest materials.

I feel like this is what we are striving for at FabCab as well: homes with “soul.” I have been working on construction details for the past few weeks, reconsidering how a window is framed, what it looks like and feels like from the inside and out, and how it is constructed. There is an amazing amount of craftsmanship that goes into the design of a home even before it is built. Most often, when done well, the finished design belies this struggle- it looks effortless. I believe this is when architecture and construction is elevated beyond a typical tract house- it is a highly skilled craft. It is honest, modern yet appreciative of its traditional precedents, and beautiful. I hope to bring a sense of craftsmanship to each detail and every I consider.

Ed Roberts Campus Opening

FabCab — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:59:19 +0000

Written by Joshua Rucker, FabCab Accessibility Consultant, San Francisco

“Shouldn’t every structure be built with such spirit and innovation?” I asked myself as I left the grand opening for the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, CA. The Ed Roberts Campus will be known by many as “that building that serves people with disabilities.” However, it’s much more than that. I would argue it’s more of an example of how good design can bring a community together, is the culmination of a forward thinking design process, and what the built environment should emulate. Call it accessible design, human-centered design, universal design, accessibility, whatever. I call it good design. Maybe even the word ‘design’ itself. It’s what to me architects, developers, engineers, contractors, people involved in the construction of physical environments have as a responsibility to fulfill and at least strive for as they imprint their work on a community.

The Ed Roberts Campus mission is to ensure that people with disabilities can live independently and without discrimination and commemorates the life of Edward Roberts, an early leader in the independent living movement. The building was designed by Bay Area Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects. Throughout the building there are architectural elements that incorporate Universal Design principles. Such elements include:

An inviting helical ramp that provides access to the second level
Comforting natural light throughout all the spaces of the building
Push plates/buttons in the elevator located near the floor for foot operation
Handrails seamlessly located along corridor walls
A fountain that provides an acoustical cue for people with visual impairments

Such a building is inspiring and reminds us as communities made up of people of all abilities, ages, cultures, etc., that we should be able to gather naturally in a built space without any environmental barriers. The design of the Ed Roberts Campus isn’t so much the wave of the future, it’s what design should be, and what FabCab is all about.

Cottages For Retirees

Don — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:30:26 +0000

About this project
Universally-designed rowhouse cottages to be constructed on infill site in community popular with retirees.

Port Townsend, WA is finally growing, a dream of its nineteenth-century founders that was deferred for a century. The twist is that the small Olympic Peninsula city with the waterfront Victorian downtown is growing not because of lumbering and shipping, but for its friendliness to people of retirement age. Port Townsend has become a retirement community popular with active retirees and community-minded seniors.

The challenge for active seniors has been to find dwellings that allow them to focus on their interests and activities, not on maintenance and mortgages. Liz Berman has a dream of providing such dwellings.

Liz has engaged FabCab to design five rowhouse cottages in accordance with Universal Design principles. The project will be built on an infill site within walking distance of a grocery store, public transportation and health-care facilites. The cottages face a right-of-way platted by those nineteenth-century founders but never opened as a street. The right-of-way has been designated by the city as a walking trail, ensuring even better walkability for the site in the future.

Aimed to draw active seniors, the cottages will each provide essential living spaces on the ground floor. A flexible loft will provide additional space for storage, guest accommodations or a home office. A shared garden courtyard common garden shed, storage and parking court encourage and facilitate a sense of community and mutual support.

Client Testimonial
“FabCab has enthusiastically embraced my vision in a very professional manner. I appreciate the interactive approach, where my ideas are treated respectfully, while at the same time, the architects provide professionalism, leadership, creativity and expertise. I appreciate that they recognize and respond to my need for staying within a budget. They are a pleasure to work with!”
-Liz

Vitruvius, Rykwert and FabCab

Don — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:42:16 +0000

The frontispiece to Laugier's Essai of 1753

Introduction
I am new at FabCab but not to architecture. I have been licensed as an architect for twenty years, and try to take a holistic approach: it all matters, from big societal issues to construction detailing. I found FabCab’s values and designs appealing from the start, and have been thinking about why that might be.

A work of architecture must consider and resolve many competing issues and values. Architects strive for their work to resolve and uphold these multiple values simultaneously. This is not new; the manifold nature of what a work of architecture has to address has been apparent for millennia. The Roman architect Vitruvius laid out a set of values in his treatise the Ten Books on Architecture, still an inspiration to architects. The three values he identified, the “Vitruvian” values, are most often still expressed in English as translated by the 17th C. English architect Inigo Jones: “Commodity, Firmness and Delight.”

Jones’ terms bear some explaining these days:

Commodity: which is to say, accommodating and useful.

Firmness: that is, structural and building envelope integrity – a building must resist gravity and the weather.

Delight: a work of architecture is delightful when it is beautiful and a pleasant space to dwell in. Delight is dependent in part on the success of the other values; one won’t delight for long in a building that isn’t accommodating or stout.

FabCab and the Vitruvian Values
FabCab incorporates often-overlooked aspects of design into an attractive, not-so-big package. Emory’s FabCab designs represent an excellent realization of the Vitruvian values, including contemporary elaborations and extensions of those values:

Commodity: FabCab has defined the needs of the user in an admirably broad way, recognizing that all of us have different physical dimensions and abilities, and also that our needs and abilities change over time. This sensibility and design done in accord with this sensibility have come to be known as Universal Design. FabCab is a leader in Universal Design.

Firmness: FabCab’s building system, incorporating timber-frame and SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels), is stout and durable. Nowadays, Firmness must also incorporate the values of sustainability. A FabCab does this as well: The timber frame is an ideal application for reclaimed wood beams from demolished buildings, and SIPs is a low-impact, efficient wall system with a high insulation value. A FabCab can also accommodate photovoltaics or a green roof. It can be erected as urban infill on a vacant lot or as an accessory dwelling unit, both efficient uses of land that promote livability, walkability and therefore sustainability.

Delight: when the first FabCab was shown at the Seattle Home Show in 2010, it delighted a good many people. I believe that their delight stemmed not only from the accommodating Universal Design and the stoutness of the timber frame, but also from the sense that this simple form brings to mind an archetypal place of refuge. Joseph Rykwert, in his book On Adam’s House in Paradise: The Idea of the Primitive Hut in Architectural History, discusses the deep cultural attachment that humans have had through the ages to simple, enfolding and iconic building forms. A FabCab is by no means primitive, but it shelters and enfolds us in a simple, beautiful and delightful way.