Williams County has a lot to offer!

So my work is much more public now and I thought it would be good to revisit how Williams County fits into the midwest.  I am consulting with the Northwest Ohio Rail Commission (NWORC).  This group is charged by the Williams County Commissioners with collecting information on the potential for using the County's existing rail infrastructure, industry, and workforce potential as a marketing tool to bring new jobs and development to the County.

Many local leaders refer to Williams County as "the best kept secret in the Midwest" due to our great connectivity to highways, rail, and ports - both air and sea (via the Great Lakes).  Further, Williams County is within a days drive of approximately 1/8 (one-eighth) of the nation's population.  Sounds great!  Show me...

Residential Project #2: Program & Design

When the Existing Conditions are finished, the next step is knowing what to do with the space.  The "Program" for the Project is the desired rooms, arrangement, sizes, etc.  The trick is fitting the Program in the existing space with as much efficiency and finesse as possible.  The less addition the better, since addition costs more than renovation.

In this case, the client wants a range of modifications that, simply put, rearranges and expands the existing house.  The resulting project, however, greatly expands on the flexibility of the house, takes advantage of the extraordinary views, and makes the house much more interesting.

Residential Project #1: Getting Started

I am pleased to say that I have a residential project currently underway.

Several people have commented on the time and effort that goes into an architectural project.  One memorable comment: "I had no idea it took so much to get a project done."  So, as I get this project started, I thought it would be good to document the process that I go through - at least for a residential renovation/addition.

Existing Conditions Plan

Step #1 - Existing Conditions
For renovations and additions, existing conditions are critical.  The biggest problem that might creap up is that the planning doesn't fit.  No matter what type of project, there are small, medium, or large parts of the plan that have space constraints: kitchen cabinets, toilets, beds (single, double, queen, king), and the list goes on.  Just about every project has at least one of these important features, not to mention the tight planning dimensions that creap up in a renovation project: corridors, door swings, existing window placement, etc.