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Discussing Architecture and Building Strategies with the Contractors

We'll tour the coastal town of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and meet the contractors, Betsy and Kevin Kalman, and the other I'On developers, to discuss building strategies and techniques.
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Discussing Architecture and Building Strategies with the Contractors

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" hill is design coordinator here at Diana and you are a native of Charleston and a real. Well a real student of architectural history yes it's my great lessons of the child me too let's talk about -- your houses here is this is a brand new what does it."

" It's an example of low country vernacular architecture exactly classical but it has a lot of classical hallmarks if you two story porches are fairly deep and very tall. The idea is to shade you in the summer sun from the direct light in which brings heat the look and everything has a function exactly yet. We still want to make them tall enough so in the winter when the sun is low like it is today you can catch a lot of direct light when you want it sure --"

" And what about this very tall green house here behind the oaks and the Spanish -- this is a more modern interpretation to a more classical detailing around columns -- What we're trying to do is really not copy the past we're trying to. Teach the architects the old ways of looking at architecture so in modern designs like this it still would have fit long ago it's the tradition of now here we have a similar house with a double story porch but it's all in brick is that typical here in Charleston yes brick actually was the most common material Charleston burned to the ground several times after about 1740 just about everything became brick it's locally made and it was most available fine building material here. In I've heard it right now is as we enter the millennium as it's tough to get masons and it's tough."

" To get brick and building materials to in this building boom it's tough and right now it's about a 180 day wait on good brick so it's precluded many brick houses people listed at six months to wait what kind of brick are we using here. These are out of modern approximation of the old Charleston gray bricks Charleston gray bricks were the standard local place they're elegant and they also cost about 2000 dollars a thousand can find them. Custom made 750 so these are more affordable fortunately cocaine they're meant to have that kind of flash in them. Yes they are."

" Now I just noticed that. And on this the side you've got four windows and then what looks to be two openings that were pricked up already in the house isn't finished yet what's the story."

" Basically we're trying to do is follow the fenestration is that traditional pattern of lining up windows is one of the keys to getting the old -- you notice above those is the -- Rather than have just a blank expanse of wall in the old days they would have but it needs clearly still give the sill and Jack arch over the window to give it here's another window. It's basically just to give the pattern just."

" The constraints that I studs now this house here. Has the look of a palladian house -- does it's supposed to be seen from across the lake a little bit and you can actually see the when it's finished. In the greenery is all filled in on either side it -- sample from him silently. And even see the lack of detail in the -- the triangular. We've gone with not overlapping siding but cupola. Very flush and it's to take away detailing so that you bring attention to that. Those are the subtle nuances that will make i'on very distinctive thank you we'll see you again right now it's time for -- to visit our building site and meet our contractors. Betsy and Kevin common are the general contractors and you are not only partners in business but partners in like you're married right on. And how do you divide the partnership of the business who does what."

" I gave me office management bookkeeping money stuff insurance and marketing. Particularly on site supervision and dealing with the clients and -- it's a nice partnership. The dream house how did you get this job it's a great job. That was. Here are members of the builders hailed here and I and we -- chosen to do the job we feel very strongly about the concept behind him so much all the people down so you live here and I have as well that's correct great. And that we are looking out the corner where the dream house is under way you've already got the foundation pretty. -- parliament that we're getting there where we're starting on the first floor deck and foundation to bond hearing. Bob -- been that contractor an apartment or New England for over thirty years and Kevin. Kevin common you guys I -- ever had -- but Kevin was a Nantucket carpenter half you have to build on the vineyard -- silent. You all come from digging down eight feet to get behind the cross in here in South Carolina you don't have to worry about any of that. Now the frost line here is basically grade so we've built we dig down twelve inches below the bottom. And what we're idea what we're looking at right here is. Basically the structure for the front porch right that's correct they've got a footing on grade. With a bunch of concrete block piers. Some rebar that comes up inside here with the Simpson strap that will. Tie the footing to the band joist. Okay -- that it lagged in these polls right this house was designed by Andreas to waiting ended fact that we take close look at the elevation here on the foundation. We can see the front porch all of these with medical. Is that going to be chadsworth. Polished stone columns there fiberglass style column in the -- and in the middle. Okay and the strap is part of tying the whole thing up with the roof right. We have to create a continuous load path from the footing up to the rafters so credibility of that. We will all -- the -- assessment center and then we'll run a strap from the band joist up through the center of the column and evidence of -- header. That'll create a continuous load path all the that Iraq yet enemy thing with hurricanes and you don't want that -- at. That is -- well exactly. Now Ryley have you checked -- the -- I guess is just across these yeah there are about how they're just on crawl spaces and what they use in. -- five cinder blocks to create it. And and what sized footing do you have paternity we have a twelve but when occurred. And there won't be as collaborating just that the the soil just the soil that's been treated our clerk -- at the end of the project could bring in six little polyethylene. But not a veterinarian and of course this is where you put all your air conditioning duct work."

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