Blog Entries

How did your home fare in the Big Snow?

dkb@brenpag.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Heavy snow can really test your home’s performance. Mysterious leaks appear at windows and doors, gutters fall down, heating systems underperform… these are just a few of the problems that homeowners encounter after a major winter storm. And none of them need happen.

If you have experienced any problems with your home during the recent record snow, I urge you to discuss them with us right away. Your roofer, heating and air-conditioning firm, or handyman – regardless of t [...]

Is your home making your family sick?

dkb@brenpag.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

1 in 8 children in America suffer from asthma! One of the primary contributors is mold; and I come across severe mold problems in many of the homes I visit. Sadly, the worst cases tend to be found in homes that were built or remodeled recently -- in the last 30 years -- mostly due to a poor choice of materials, combined with poor installation details. Frequent contributors include: damp crawlspaces, rotting exterior doors, windows and trim; leaky roofs; missing or inadequate fl [...]

Adding Space without Adding Space - Part II

mike@brenpag.com — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

What is the most underutilized space in most homes? The answer is right under foot, it’s your basement. For many the basement is a damp, musty space, devoid of natural light, disconnected from the rest of the home, useful only for storage. This is unfortunate, because I see the basement as useful lower level living space, and you should too.

Water management:

Moisture is the most common problem found in basements and left unattended can lead to noxious odors, c [...]

The New Lending Reality: Strategies For Leveraging Home Equity

dkb@brenpag.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0100

With the economy in recovery, homeowner confidence is returning and we are seeing a marked increase in remodeling activity. But many homeowners are surprised to find that, even with excellent credit scores and solid incomes, financing options for a major remodeling project are much more limited now. Before the recession, lenders routinely approved loans based upon the projected value of what a home would be worth after remodeling. No more; that lending practice is dead and not likely to retur [...]

Adding Space without Adding Space

mike@brenpag.com — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0100

In the current economy, and with growing awareness of green concepts, it seems the desire for "big" houses is on the decline. This gives architects and remodelers an exciting opportunity and challenge: to make smaller houses live "large".

To me, a house should be tailored so that every square inch has purpose and usefulness in the daily life of its inhabitants. This concept is critically important in smaller homes. In the next couple of b [...]

Make your dream home come true

mike@brenpag.com — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

We have all seen countless advertisements on HGTV, for their "dream homes". It's an enticing sales pitch. A uniquely designed, fully decorated home, on a picturesque site. Who wouldn't want that?

Well, I see every home as a "dream home" waiting to be realized. Far too often we focus on the negative aspects of our homes, instead of looking for opportunity and potential. Intoxicated by television and print images, [...]

Virtual Remodeling

mike@brenpag.com — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

We experience the world in three dimensions, yet most of the drawings I produce when remodeling homes throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. are representative of only two dimensions (plans, elevations, sections, etc). This can pose a major challenge when trying to express the complexities of a design to my clients. It is difficult for most people, architects included, to fully visualize a space when looking at two dimensional drawings. Fortunately, computer aide [...]

Architectural Detail Makes a Comeback

dkb@brenpag.com — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Before World War II, even the simplest home boasted a bit of architectural detail and artfulness. But since then, the American home-building industry has been increasingly obsessed with the mantra of "faster and cheaper", compromising and minimizing architectural details almost to the point of caricature.

Thankfully, the tide is turning -- it seems that decades of stripped-down &quo [...]

Remodeling vs. Moving

dkb@brenpag.com — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

One of the most frequent questions that I get from new clients is this: Should we buy a new house or remodel our current home?

I always point out that moving - even to a home of the same value - has its own inherent expense. Between Realtors, appraisers, home inspectors, title attorneys, and professional movers, it is not unusual to spend an additional 10% of the purchase price just to make a lateral move. A family can easily spend $50,000 to $100,000 just to move to a d [...]

When Bad Things Happen to Good Homes #3

dkb@brenpag.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

#3 IN AN OCCASIONAL SERIES:

It looks like that 1960's contemporary in Chevy Chase is going to get a new roof and a new lease on life! I am very happy for the homeowners, because the roofing contractor has agreed to tear-off his new roof as well as the old roof beneath, and replace everything from scratch, to my specifications. That's the right thing to do and I applaud him for stepping-up -- particularly because it is going to be very expensive for him.

Even so, [...]

Sense of Scale

mike@brenpag.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Scale - no, I am not talking about that thing we all dread stepping onto in our bathroom or at the gym. I am talking about proportion and the spatial qualities of an object or entity in relationship to its surroundings. Scale is measurable, but more importantly it has a sensory component. When you walk into a room, how do you feel? Does something seem off? Maybe the windows are too small, the room is too narrow, and the couch blocks circulation paths. Everythi [...]

The Mystery of Design

dkb@brenpag.com — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Beginning a new design is thrilling for me; meeting my new clients, learning about the quirks of their particular house, realizing that I can help them. For me, there is always a rush that is like....well, like new love. Sure, that may be a little over the top. But only a little.

The funny thing is that even after twenty five years, I never really know where the design will take me until I'm in the thick of it. It's as though I sit down to sketch a [...]

Thinking outside of the Box

mike@brenpag.com — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Welcome to my blog. I am Michael Ullrich, AIA, an architect dedicated to residential design and remodeling in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you…

“Thinking outside of the Box”

It seems everywhere I turn; I am constantly reminded of the downturn in the current economy. Instead of talking about how bad things are, I would instead like to share a bit of optimism. [...]

When Bad Things Happen to Good Homes #2

dkb@brenpag.com — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

#2 IN AN OCCASIONAL SERIES

Well, I was up on the roof of that 1960's contemporary in Chevy Chase, MD again yesterday, and the problem is MUCH worse than I imagined. In addition to water vapor questions, we now know that the roof is actively leaking at every skylight (there are ten) and at the chimney.

In every case, the problem is faulty "flashing" - the material (aluminum, copper or bituminous membrane) used to protect joints between the main roofing mat [...]

Remodeling in Phases - Make a Master Plan First

dkb@brenpag.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

I am often asked if it makes sense to remodel a home in phases; and the answer is an unequivocal... it depends.

On one hand, there are some great deals to be had today while the remodeling market is depressed; you'll get more for your money now than you will later when the market recovers. And it always costs more to build a project in parts than it does to build it all at once. Think "economy of scale".

One the other hand, there's plenty of si [...]

When Bad Things Happen to Good Homes #1

dkb@brenpag.com — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

#1 IN AN OCCASIONAL SERIES

I was up on a client's roof in Chevy Chase the other day (this is what an architect does for relaxation) when I ran into my old nemesis - the phrase "That's how we always do it", and I was reminded yet again of the infinite ways that homes can be tragically damaged by ignorance - even by those who are well meaning.

Houses are complex; they are living, breathing organisms that stretch, shrink, vibrate, and sweat - just like people.&nb [...]

An Alternative to the Tear-Down (the New-Old House)

dkb@brenpag.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

You've seen it. In almost every older neighborhood someone is tearing-down a modest home to make way for another McMansion, insensitive to the scale of the surrounding homes, and sticking out like a sore thumb. Putting aside the social implications of this "screw the neighbors" attitude -- and forgetting about the incredible waste of resources -- these folks are just plain missing the opportunity for a much richer living environment.

Ins [...]

Initial post

peter@brenpag.com — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Peter Pagenstecher has no current blog entries

Engaging the Landscape

dkb@brenpag.com — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Our client - a single female professional - purchased an old rambler on a hillside lot overlooking the Potomac River; but the house practically ignored the landscape. It made no attempt to take advantage of the extraordinary site - in fact this house could have been in a subdivision just about anywhere.

In expanding and re-considering the design of this home, we took the opportunity to create a cottage that reaches out into the landscape and enfolds the homeowner in nature. Ample window [...]

They Don't Build Them Like That Anymore!

dkb@brenpag.com — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100

THEY DON'T BUILD THEM LIKE THAT ANYMORE!

I love that phrase. It usually escapes from a new client, when we are touring another client's just-finished renovation. Sometimes we're admiring an exquisitely crafted stair railing or mantelpiece. Or it might be a lovely paneled portal or a fabulous cast iron grille. My personal favorite was a pocket-screen-door, that disappeared into the wall, next to a front door. In each case, [...]