Inspiration Photos – Kitchen Remodel

Inspiration photos from our newest Kitchen remodel, which included matching some existing trim work and rock work.  See if you can tell which was original and which is new…

Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture in Austin?

Jenkins and Barkitecture?

Yes, it’s true.  Our team has decided to participate in this year’s Barkitecture competition.  There was no arm-twisting or anything.  They just thought it would be fun.  “What is Barkitecture?” you might ask.  Per the Austin Barkitecture website…

Hosted by Animal Lovers of Austin, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, and the 2nd Street District, this architectural dog-centric fundraiser showcases doghouses created by some of Austin’s best and brightest architects, designers and builders.

The big day is October 1st from 1 – 4:30pm on 2nd Street (downtown).  It is sure to be a fun day for all, pet-lovers and pets alike!

The Newest In Design Technology

In previous posts we’ve written about our fascinating new software, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, but this is a home we recently designed using this latest in CAD technology. All of the photos shown here are of the same home, as seen from different angles. This home is now under construction in The Reserve at Lake Travis.

This 8,000+ square foot project has beautiful lake views and plenty of real estate but is located almost entirely in the flood plain. Our solution was to re-use fill from the front of the project in the back and raise the home as shown. A reflecting pool in the front of the home has been designed to draw guests in and then appears to flow into a creek in the back yard.

One of the most amazing features of this home, and there are many, is the “man room”. It is a wild game trophy room complete with wet bar, dedicated bathroom, pool table, and covered balcony, located away from the main house. Another amazing feature in the planning stages is the Plexiglas hallway that looks down onto the water feature below. The “piece de resistance”, though, is the fantastic views from the glass main living area.

Here we used Revit Architecture to do the heavy lifting of the design work. Revit, which is simply the 3D, colorized version of CAD, produced by the makers of CAD software to be the next generation of CAD, allowed our design team to show these homeowners the architecture of their home in 3D, both on our plasma screen in our office in real time, and in still photo-realistic shots. We produced the drawing shown on this page with Revit; however, what is more impressive is the virtual tour, shown below.

How It Works

“People think that it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make this look good!’. That’s not what we think design is.  It’s not just what it looks like and feels like.   Design is how it works.”

- Steve Jobs

Although volumes have been written in the pursuit of defining “good design”, the above quote, taken from page 10 of the book Design Is How It Works by Jay Greene, may be the best summary of that elusive definition that I’ve found.  Makes sense – considering the source.

However, if you think about it, this quote can be reduced to that age old adage, “Form vs. Function”. That is really what he’s saying isn’t it?  Form without Function doesn’t make good design.  It may look great, but if it doesn’t work, what use is it?

Although I never thought of it in exactly those terms, that really is at the heart of the design/build philosophy of project delivery.  Unless the architect and his team of professionals seamlessly collaborate with the builder and his team of professionals, the “how it works” part remains illusive.  Frankly, the Jurassic method of employing the architect to oversee the builder is woefully inadequate.  You would think that with modern technology that method of project delivery would be as efficient as ever.  Not so.  Technology has quickly advanced construction materials and methods at a pace and breadth beyond what the architect and builder can master together, much less separately.  Add the rapid adoption rate of BIM (Building Information Modeling) to the equation, and it becomes even more apparent the need – or better yet, requirement – for better, more efficient team collaboration.

Accepting the requirement for collaborative design/build, there is no way to execute this philosophy better than within the walls of the true design/build firm.  Separately, the architect and builder will always rest on their primal need for self preservation.  In other words, at the end of the day, the architect ultimately only cares about his reputation and his business, and the same goes for the builder.  Within the true design/build firm, this basic conflict is removed as neither discipline is more important than the other, and the client is the ultimate winner.  Finally, when the designer and builder are united in matrimony, they can give birth to their twins “Form” and “Function” and ultimately, the project (home) not only looks great, but IT WORKS great also.  Ahhhh – triumph!

Autodesk® Revit® Architecture

We have a new secret weapon here at Jenkins Custom Homes: Autodesk® Revit® Architecture. According to the website: “Autodesk® Revit® Architecture building information modeling (BIM) software helps architects and designers gain a competitive advantage with tools that enable you to design freely, keep information better coordinated, and deliver more efficiently.”

For our residential designers, this means that “From conception to construction documentation, [they can] design projects within an intuitive environment.” For our clients, it means it is now possible to see – and experience (through virtual reality) – their developing home before the design is even completed! According to Jenkins Vice-President, Bethany Jenkins, “It’s pretty amazing…The design of a home can now happen faster and clients can get real time feedback.”

Beyond 3D modeling, with Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, our residential designers can produce “photo-realistic” drawings like the one seen here. This is especially helpful for our clients who are not local. We can email screen shots and drawings of their home as the design develops.

Except for the picture above, all of these are drawings of homes that are currently in the design phase or are already under construction here at Jenkins Custom Homes.