101 things Katie Hutchison Studio (KHS) has learned designing homes, Part three of ten

Edgartown Dormer Renovation: Inhabit the roof with living spaces.See Part two of this series here.

21.  Maintain one person as the client contact for the duration of a project.

22.  A compound of smaller buildings is generally a better design solution than a single, larger building.

23.  Ground the building with first-floor porches, wings, and/or pergolas. (See Primer: Recipe for Architectural Charm.)

24.  Restore and re-use old, wood windows where possible. (See House Enthusiast posts about this here, here, and here.)

25.  Take advantage of a need for significant renovations to upgrade air sealing and insulation.

26.  Encourage homeowners to be decisive; don’t overwhelm them with options. (See The behavior economics of design.)

27.  Include KHS Construction Administration services for all project contracts that proceed beyond Schematic Design. (See Design Process.)

28.  Design legible massing. (See Primer: Recipe for Architectural Charm.)

29.  Frame a view; don’t over-expose it. (See Frame it to fathom it.)

30.  Inhabit the roof with living spaces. (See Edgartown Dormer Renovation, above, and dormer articles here, here, and here.)

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

101 things Katie Hutchison Studio (KHS) has learned designing homes, Part two of ten

Manchester Garage/Garden Room: Detach garages.See Part one of this series here.

11.  Design circulation through rooms, rather than halls, where possible. (See House plans that flow.)

12.  Use basements for storage and mechanical equipment, not living space (unless they're walk-out basements).

13.  Limit the number of steps from grade to the first floor. (See Entry-stoop design tips.)

14.  Listen to the story homeowners are telling with their wish list.

15.  At minimum, have a “Letter of Agreement” before beginning the design process.

16.  Detach garages. (See Manchester Garage/Garden Room, above.)

17.  Design in section and plan, simultaneously. (See Primer: Third Dimension.)

18.  Manage homeowners’ expectations.

19.  Create outdoor rooms via strategic placement of building wings, breezeways, and/or outbuildings. (See Primer: House Garden.)

20.  Design it smaller. (See Common Sense Green.)

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

101 things Katie Hutchison Studio (KHS) has learned designing homes, Part one of ten

Work with the natural site contours, not against them.Over the holidays, I gifted several books from the 101 Things I Learned series, which is created, edited and illustrated by Matthew Frederick. If you haven't heard of the series, it's worth a look. I find the books irresistible.

Inspired by Frederick's lead, I'm launching a new category with this post: 101 things KHS has learned. Here's the first of a ten-part series on what I've learned designing homes.

1.    Fully complete Pre-Design before beginning Schematic Design. (See Design Process.)

2.    Respect building/neighborhood context.

3.    When possible, work with the natural site contours, not against them. (See Common Sense Green, and West Tisbury House, above.)

4.    Protect the best part of the site from the scars of construction. (See Common Sense Green.)

5.    Balance lot coverage and open space.

6.    Orient buildings/additions to follow the sun. (See Common Sense Green.)

7.    Prepare KHS-generated existing condition drawings.

8.    Preserve historic character where possible.

9.    Clearly differentiate the main entrance from secondary entrances.

10.  Don’t be afraid to remove design blunders by others.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Upgrading energy efficiency in older homes

If you're an old-house owner in New England who has resolved to improve your home's energy efficiency this year, you may be wondering where to start. Enter Common Sense Preservation, a web portal created in partnership between the Newport Restoration Foundation, Preserve Rhode Island, Historic New England, and the Providence Revolving Fund.

Visit the site to find informative links for old-house owners in New England who value the historic character of their homes and hope to improve upon their homes' energy performance without breaking the bank.

Frequent House Enthusiast readers may recall my Saving old wood windows rather than replacing them post which touched on one aspect of "green" preservation. I've since discovered another relevant National Trust for Historic Preservation link in support of old wood-window restoration here. Check out the National Trust for Historic Preservation general weatherization guidelines here.

2011 may be the year you finally address those drafty windows, ice dams, and climbing heating bills -- all without sacrificing historic character or wads of cash. Go ahead; get started.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast