parkco.net
Out There, On the Horizon
19 September 2008, 04:20 PM Filed in: parkco news
This is a “Coming
Attractions” post. Lately, I’ve been thinking about
new blog posts and that has led to new ways to use
the blog. I’d sincerely love to hear any of your
comments or requests for topics. So if I’ve mentioned
anything here that sounds interesting, or if you have
an idea for a post, please drop me an email or post a
comment.
Project Profiles: Our documentation of our work is nothing to brag about, but we’re trying to do better. It seems that photographing a project always takes more time than we allocate. This, combined with our tendency to prioritize current work over less urgent tasks, has left us with about five years worth of projects to photograph. This spring, we’re going to go on a photo blitz of our work. We’re excited about this effort. Of course, our portfolio galleries will have more projects as a result, but the images are only part of the story. One of the best aspects of our work is the story behind each project. There is always an interesting background that includes design process, construction tales, and terrific people. The before-and-after images of our addition and remodel work are fun to study. All of this would be impossible to sit down and crank out. So look for project profiles, stories about a single project, it’s history, images, and cast of characters. These should be fun to produce about once per month. I’ve thought of categorizing these as our ‘Project-O-The-Month.’ We’ll see…
Contractor selection: I’d like to share some thoughts on selecting a contractor. It is very difficult to get the appropriate fit. I find myself saying the same thing to every client regarding this topic. I’ll put it all in a post and share it here.
Justifications for hiring an architect: Of course, I’m a little biased on this issue, but I’ve spent a lot of time wrestling with whether our participation is a necessity or a luxury. I believe strongly in the value that we bring to any project. I’ll share some thoughts on this.
On the boards: Being a small firm, getting a new project is a lot like adopting a puppy. It’s cute, exciting, fun, and it might take some house training! I’d like to begin writing about our new projects as they arise. It will be fun for our new clients to share our post with their friends and family, and it will begin a process of documentation of our work that will extend through the completion of the project.
Dream Jobs: Frequently, Stacey and I will say to each other, “I wish we could design one of those…”I want to write about that. We’re about to begin a barn and cabin combination for a couple who own land two counties away. We’re very excited about this project. It’s a dream job for sure. I’d be very interested in developing blog topics about projects we'd like to do in the future.
Our 'green ethic' is something that deserves specific attention. We're dedicated to making good choices for our clients and that certainly includes making choices that protect the planet. We've got a lot to say about this one. It will be on ongoing topic for sure.
Client blogs are a lot of fun. There are several resources out there that make blogging very easy. I'd like to do a post describing how to start your own project blog. It's a remarkable undertaking to design and build a project. It is a very challenging, exciting and potentially rewarding experience. I can't express how fascinating all of these stories are. They shouldn't just fade into memory, they should be preserved and shared.
Guest posts: I would love to have friends, assoicates, and clients share their thoughts in this blog. We're not really thrilled with the idea of testimonials. I've never read one that didn't sound canned. Instead, maybe we could have clients simply share their experiences of their projects here. I'd also love to have architect friends from other regions share their thoughts on design and process. This could be interesting and ongoing.
What else? I've got a lot of ideas taking shape. I want to know your ideas too. Please email or leave a comment. I'll consider every request.
Project Profiles: Our documentation of our work is nothing to brag about, but we’re trying to do better. It seems that photographing a project always takes more time than we allocate. This, combined with our tendency to prioritize current work over less urgent tasks, has left us with about five years worth of projects to photograph. This spring, we’re going to go on a photo blitz of our work. We’re excited about this effort. Of course, our portfolio galleries will have more projects as a result, but the images are only part of the story. One of the best aspects of our work is the story behind each project. There is always an interesting background that includes design process, construction tales, and terrific people. The before-and-after images of our addition and remodel work are fun to study. All of this would be impossible to sit down and crank out. So look for project profiles, stories about a single project, it’s history, images, and cast of characters. These should be fun to produce about once per month. I’ve thought of categorizing these as our ‘Project-O-The-Month.’ We’ll see…
Contractor selection: I’d like to share some thoughts on selecting a contractor. It is very difficult to get the appropriate fit. I find myself saying the same thing to every client regarding this topic. I’ll put it all in a post and share it here.
Justifications for hiring an architect: Of course, I’m a little biased on this issue, but I’ve spent a lot of time wrestling with whether our participation is a necessity or a luxury. I believe strongly in the value that we bring to any project. I’ll share some thoughts on this.
On the boards: Being a small firm, getting a new project is a lot like adopting a puppy. It’s cute, exciting, fun, and it might take some house training! I’d like to begin writing about our new projects as they arise. It will be fun for our new clients to share our post with their friends and family, and it will begin a process of documentation of our work that will extend through the completion of the project.
Dream Jobs: Frequently, Stacey and I will say to each other, “I wish we could design one of those…”I want to write about that. We’re about to begin a barn and cabin combination for a couple who own land two counties away. We’re very excited about this project. It’s a dream job for sure. I’d be very interested in developing blog topics about projects we'd like to do in the future.
Our 'green ethic' is something that deserves specific attention. We're dedicated to making good choices for our clients and that certainly includes making choices that protect the planet. We've got a lot to say about this one. It will be on ongoing topic for sure.
Client blogs are a lot of fun. There are several resources out there that make blogging very easy. I'd like to do a post describing how to start your own project blog. It's a remarkable undertaking to design and build a project. It is a very challenging, exciting and potentially rewarding experience. I can't express how fascinating all of these stories are. They shouldn't just fade into memory, they should be preserved and shared.
Guest posts: I would love to have friends, assoicates, and clients share their thoughts in this blog. We're not really thrilled with the idea of testimonials. I've never read one that didn't sound canned. Instead, maybe we could have clients simply share their experiences of their projects here. I'd also love to have architect friends from other regions share their thoughts on design and process. This could be interesting and ongoing.
What else? I've got a lot of ideas taking shape. I want to know your ideas too. Please email or leave a comment. I'll consider every request.
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