The End of Design/Build

We finished, with time and money to spare.

For the last couple days of construction, we generally split into three groups: those on the roof, those working on siding and those finishing the benches. I was on the siding crew.

We used four inch (rough cut, so not 4 inches exactly - lots of variation) pine with two inch spaces in between.

When it was time to round the corner, we had to find pieces that were similar widths so that we could line our corners up properly.

The benches were covered in six inch cedar with an 8th inch gap. It took a lot of time to get all the covering on, mostly because the bench frame pieces didn't line up perfectly and needed to be corrected.

The roof was four inch pine with a two inch spacing covered in corregated plastic. Our instructors had used these materials in a previous Community D/B class so we got to see an example beforehand. There's metal flashing around the edges.

The girls who built the table installed it. There was a little more wobble than we were comfortable with, so we added another leg to the front quickly.

The finished building:

Group shots, at the celebration.


We had a graduation ceremony at Dave Seller's Temple, where we had to walk to the receiving line (made up of our instructors, Dave, several of their old friends and some interns) through the flying sparks from a too-big fire to be handed our graduation certificates that Dave found necessary to burn the edges of. It was the perfect way to end my last day of work in Vermont.

Overall, I'm very proud of the work that was done in class. We designed and built a fairly large structure in two weeks. It looks great and we had good responses from the clients. It's very comfortable and well lit - it's cozy. It's easy to see out and is oriented well, so parents can watch their children in comfort. I made a lot of great friends who all seemed to leave in good spirits. I loved my instructors thoroughly. I am absolutely thrilled that I got to participate in this class.

First Weekend in Vermont

Saturday morning, I decided to explore. I borrowed a bike and headed two miles south into Waitsfield. The gears on the bike were terrible, so the ride wasn't entirely pleasant, but it was moderately short and there was a good reward: the biggest farmers' market I've ever seen.

I couldn't see all of the market at one time - so this picture is only a corner of the activity. There were tons of people milling about, lots of dogs. There actually weren't many veggie-vendors, but it's still acting like March here. (There were reports of snow last night.) There were plenty of local craftspeople, jarred goods, and baked treats. While I was there, I saw and spoke to three people that I knew, which is impressive for someone who has only been in town for a week.

All Saturday, the core class presented their house designs that they had been working on diligently for the last week. The project was huge and very rushed, so they organized a after-presentation celebration. Jim, one of the teachers, invited me to go along, so I did. We went out to Dave Sellers' workshop and project house.


The workshop, pictured twice above, was amazing. There were lots of tools, but also many experiments. One of my favorite elements in the workshop was a giant fireplace.

The thing was massive and made from cement. On a few or the columns, you could see what forms Dave had poured the concrete into. There were insanely twisted stairs, many levels and platforms to walk on and odd collectibles at every turn.

The photo above is one of the walkways above the studio. The cubbies on the left each had something unique in it, like a pair of shoes, a camera, a doll, a baseball and glove, an iron, or whatever else Dave must have thought was inspiring at the time.

Just up the hill was the cement experiment house, titled "The Archie Bunker."


While I'm not a huge fan of concrete, I did find the design of this house to be amazing. Again, there were tons of lofts, lookouts, peep-holes, hidden cubbies and neat tricks to the house.

This was the best photograph that I could get of an amazing wall. Why amazing? It opens up! You can see, behind the chair on the left, a track outside. The wall slides along that track, leaving the inside of the house completely outdoors. And, of course, the cement on the right is a future pool. Just down the hill is Dave's own personal golfing green, so he can stand in his living room and try to make a hole. (Not a course, by any means. Small, mowed, and oddly, home to many toy trucks.)

One thing that I think I should note is his stow-away bed:

There were other bedrooms in the house, but he kept a spare sleeping place under his dining room. The wooden "drawer" that Gorgiana is pulling out is a bed! I note this because in my Sustainable Architecture class, I wanted to put a bed under the living space. It's not entirely the same, but I've never seen that idea anywhere else. So cool.

After exploring, sausages and mushrooms were grilled and beers were drank. The lights above the table came on, laughing ensued. It was a good evening.


Sunday was slower, although I hitchiked for the first time in my life (just to the neighboring towns. Both of them. I hitched multiple times.) I also read a little bit more about Dave Sellers and his work with Patch Adams, the famous "clown-doctor." I admire the work that they are doing. I feel the need to watch the Patch Adams movie again. I do wish Sellers would design more efficiently at times, but have to remind myself that Yestermorrow, and therefore the majority of the people I meet through the school, are focused on the design-build process, not necessarily sustainable building. It's not all strawbale and cobb here...

Another Rainy Day

No pictures for you all today.

I spent the beginning and end of my day in the wood-shop working on the chicken coop. I learned how to use a planer, which can make boards thinner by shaving off small amounts at a time. Tim 1 and I were planing one side of each board for the siding - smooth on inside, rough on outside. We made a significant start on the roof.

I spent my early afternoon in the gardens preparing beds. It's odd - Vermont is definitely behind Kentucky as far as seasons go. I was taking straw off the beds so that they could warm up some - right now it's far too cold in the dirt and the straw is just insulating it. There were some tough beds today; they weren't as cared for as some of the others, full of weeds and rocks.

After dinner (sauteed chickpeas, kale, onion, garlic, potatoes and braggs. Yum) I sat in on the 3-week core class's evening lecture. David Sellers, who worked on many of the buildings on Prickly Mountain as well as structures around Warren, including the Pitcher Inn (see this entry if you don't know what I'm talking about.) He was hilarious, had random slides and spoke very quickly. It wasn't the best lecture in the world - very disconnected- but it was a good way to spend an evening. His ultimate point was one of design: build something so beautiful, nobody will ever want to take it down. Don't build for trends, no matter how excellent they may be. (At one point, he seemed to be implying that aesthetics took precidence over efficiency, which is not an idea I subscribe to. He did say, however, that the best option would be to combine the aesthetics and efficiency - I agree.)

I experienced my first "beer-thirty."