Accessibility issues can be particularly complicated and challenging for churches. When it comes to church kitchens and accessibility, there are a surprising number of gray areas in applying building codes and permitting requirements. Here are five issues that need to be considered early in the planning of your kitchen: Volunteers are not Employees and not all that goes on in a Church Kitchen is ... Read More
Just over five years ago, the Austin City Council took emergency action to create the McMansion ordinance, a sweeping new set of regulations governing single family and duplex construction. I was concerned that homeowners would be subject to unprecedented complexity so I wrote a critique in the Good Life Magazine to share my misgivings. I won't repeat the issues here, but the article takes a ... Read More
What is this? A two-piece Hohmann and Barnard Masonry Tie! Why do I care? Keep Reading! I am sure that most people look at a stone or brick facade and think not only of how aesthetically pleasing it is but how strong and stable masonry must be. Stone and brick are great materials for the exteriors of building—they require little or no maintenance, they are very durable, and the last forever. ... Read More
"How I stopped hating the permitting process and learned to live with the codes." I've given this lecture many times in the past. This post is one of a series of articles on how to deal constructively and successfully with building codes. Recently, I've looked at on-line sites to see what advice is available for getting a project or building permit. I was amused to see some overly obvious ... Read More
"How I stopped hating the permitting process and learned to live with building permits and develoment codes." I've given a lecture with this title several times to graduate school planners and even to a law school class. This entry will begin a series of articles on how to deal constructively with the impossibly complex codes and the equally confounding permits needed to meet them. Let's start at ... Read More
