Phoenix Group Show Home

FINAL THOUGHTS, IMAGES AND THANKS!

2011-12-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

We thought we would leave you with some final images as we hand over the home to the Watts family – it has been a home that we have all become quite attached to as we have worked together with the highest expectations of all involved and the tightest of schedules to create something really special!

If the response to the showhome opening is any indication – I think it was mission accomplished.

A secure and welcoming entry

View to the pool

That marvelous kitchen

Cool and classical tones

The stunning Master Bath Suite

Views from the Master (above and below)

Outdoor entertaining at it’s best

That O so welcoming pool!

View from across the canal

A final thanks from Neil, Tami and Shayne to the Watts family, and to all our subcontractor friends and partners. And a special thanks to all who have followed our progress on the Phoenix Group Showhome 2011 project – Happy Holidays!

WELCOME TO THE 2011 PHOENIX GROUP SHOWHOME!

2011-12-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

The public arrives on Showhome day! The showhome vendors and subcontractors have displays set up across the road.

Tami’s scale model of the home adorns the black granite kitchen counter.

The buffet overlooking the step down into the Livingroom

Beautiful mahogany treads by “The Machine Shop” finish the Phoenix- fabricated steel stair system that leads first to the bedroom wing and then up to the Home Office and Media Room.

The public enjoys exploring the main circulation areas of the home, including the fantastic kitchen.

The light-filled master bedroom is one of the home’s highlights

One half of the bright and beautiful Master Bathroom – note the bathroom samples board on the counter to illustrate the design process in pulling a dynamic room like this together.

More highlights of the home tomorrow.

MOVE THAT BUS” DAY

2011-12-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

70 guests coming tonight at 7:30 – got to have it complete! The cleaners are here, paintings being hung; furniture still arriving....everyone is still smiling!

The grass is cut – final touchups happening around the home - we are just over 5 months and three weeks since we broke ground. Time flies when you are having fun!

Lets get comfortable around the pool

A few nice spots to settle. The aluminum trellis looks sensational!

Final touches on the waterfront side

We will be rolling this out of here on Monday. What a great team!

WATCH WHERE YOU STEP!

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

....because everywhere in the home final touches are being applied!

It was late afternoon yesterday when the concrete for the driveway arrived but the conditions were perfect for a good concrete pour – cool and slightly wet – and sometimes more than slightly......the guys were troopers last night. Note how we have protected the exterior surfaces of the home with plastic sheeting.

The finished driveway this morning – the concrete has a slightly beige tone added at the mixing plant.

While we are talking about concrete, you will have to see the beautiful finish of the polished exposed- aggregate countertop of the outdoor kitchen! This will be treated with a stone penetrator to keep it sealed. Have to see this in person.

The custom aluminum doors to the pool equipment and the boat equipment storage areas are now installed. Nice, clean and weatherproof.

The trellis system has started to arrive at the jobsite and will be moved into position on the home by hydraulic crane. We are all excited to see what this looks like on the house!

Back inside, Audiophile is running through the complex install options with the homeowner Brad. The rack across from them will contain a large power amp and two complex multi-zoned Audio/Video receivers that operate the multiple outdoor speakers, the multiple HD screens downstairs and the dynamic 3D surround sound home theatre in the next room. There will also be room for the security system and the operables for the multi-camera CCTV system.

Got some Owners Manuals to read Brad!

The 60” 3D screen is installed along with 3 Dynamics wall speakers - add a free standing subwoofer and rear mounted ceiling speakers and the sound will rival a commercial theatre.

The future is here – the touch screen remote control – an almost endless array of options and far more intuitive than you might imagine.

PUSHING FOR THE FINISH LINE

2011-11-28T15:07:00.000-05:00

Here we are opening access for the water to flow into the waterfall feature.

Music will also flow around the pool through these unique weatherproof “rock” speakers.

Colored concrete is due to arrive later today for the home’s driveway.

Back inside, Audiophile is beginning the hookup of all the home’s audio and visual systems into the rack – more on this later.

This is our first look at the beautiful interior doors with their hardware affixed. A stunning combination with the grey/beige carpet in the bedrooms.

You can start to see how the carpet and doors will transition into this amazing Master Shower – great teamwork from Tami at Icon and Sherrill at Woods.

The kitchen pantry shelving is installed – loads of easy access storage.

On my way out I noticed how nicely the plugged and seeded areas around the side of the home are coming in – you can see the grass seed pushing up through the plugs. Another week of sun and water and this area will be predominantly green – all in the space of less than three weeks.

A cost-effective alternative to sodding the entire home site.

SEVEN DAYS TO GO!

2011-11-25T11:37:00.001-05:00

We are down to the final week and all is tracking according to schedule. We are prepping and painting the aluminum pergola/Trellis elements through the weekend and will be installing those on Tuesday.

Richard from Phoenix polishes and preps the trellis for the paint shop.

A section of the trellis with primer applied.

The washer and gas-fired dryer have arrived

Five flat screens – Audiophile will be installing these along with the integrated speaker system. More on that next week.

Kyle of Ironshore Contractors begins the installation of the bamboo flooring in the Livingroom - it is a three-step process when installed correctly (when you are starting with a perfectly level floor, as we are here). First the floor must be meticulously cleaned and then a layer of Urethane Membrane is applied to the concrete floor as a moisture barrier – this is critical in ground-floor applications. That is the surface that Kyle is kneeling on in the picture. You can see him here applying the urethane-based glue to the prepared floor.

Note the clamp and strapping system used to ensure a tight fit between the floorboards

BRING ON THE BLING

2011-11-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Lots of great stuff happening!

Justin Uzzell from Cayman Free press photographs the very happy Watts family for the Showhome Supplement which we will appear in the Caymanian Compass next Wednesday. They are two weeks away from moving into their new home – in time to decorate for Christmas – what could be better?

The closet materials arrive from AL Thompson. Super products at a great price – more to come when we have everything assembled.

The fully irrigated planter box under the Master Bedroom windows are now planted – looks even better from the inside! Phoenix has fabricated in-house some really special aluminum doors for the pool equipment and boat storage openings below – this will all come together beautifully.

You have to love this sleek Thermador hood – quiet and powerful.

The Master shower is going to be very dramatic and full of light. This makes a great “before” picture – check back in for the “after”

Exotic gas-fired Tiki Torches from Home Gas will light the pool area with natural flame – and all tied in to the extensive below ground supply that fuels the AC system, the gas dryer, the kitchen range, the on-demand water heater, and the outdoor cooking units. One tank buried in the front garden supplies all these elements!

The pool area is starting to develop some character. Just wait until we add the beautiful aluminum trellis system that wraps the home (see below). We just want to pull up a deck chair!

The Phoenix crew is off painting a completed section of the trellis in another Phoenix workshop. This pergola, once installed, will require no maintenance by the owner and can be covered in climbing vines without worry about rot or repainting. This element will grace the front of the home, cover the outdoor kitchen and run down to the dock. We will be doing installs this weekend so check back for more photos.

THE START OF THE FINISH

2011-11-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

The last two weeks of completing a showhome would be stressful if it was not slightly comical! The whirlwind of finishing details would make your head spin, but with a plan and a calm production team it will all come together. The next few blogs will cover a huge variety of details as every day another feature of the home is completed – we will be blogging every couple of days for the next couple of weeks so stay in touch.

This original ceiling treatment guides the visitor from the entry foyer into the kitchen. We will either paint it or stain it – we will decide on the finish once the hardwood stair treads and the bamboo flooring is in. These were fabricated in-house by the Phoenix crew Unique.

The color goes on the Hardiplank siding. After the first coat we will fill any pockets, sand, and add two top coats to enrich the color and fully weatherproof the area. You can also see the the sod has begun to be installed in the front yard – watered daily for the next two weeks we will have a beautiful front lawn with no apparent seams!

Tami and Keith Miller discuss the installation of the main kitchen faucet – these often have a couple of mounting options to the countertop. Note the plastic protection applied to the granite counters during the final kitchen installation.

IMPRESSIVE HARDWARE

2011-11-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

The kitchen alone is going to be reason enough to visit the showhome when it opens the first weekend of December. The kitchen hardware, supplied and installed professionally by the polished team at Bon Vivant will be a professional chef’s dream! Bon Vivant carries some of the greatest names in kitchen gear, including Viking, Bosch, Gaggeneau, Best, Franke, Liebherr and Smeg. They can also supply a fill line of Thermador, which is what the Watts family specified for its dream kitchen.

Proprietor, Cynthia Hew at Bon Vivant, now at Governor’s Square but relocating to Camana Bay in time for Christmas

Cynthia supervises the installation of the Thermador products being installed at the showhome.

The luxury of a 48”Thermadore fridge! We will come back and take a closer look at these products once they are fully installed. We will also have a look at the new Bon Vivant at that time – stay tuned!

AN EYE FOR DETAIL

2011-11-08T11:13:00.001-05:00

“Commitment to Quality" has become such a generic phrase that it has been literally rendered meaningless! How often do you find a firm that is COMMITTED to quality? A firm that will refuse to leave the jobsite until you are 100% happy and ready to tell everyone that you know all about the experience? Well that is what Paint Pros is all about and that is why Phoenix uses Paint Pros. When you visit the showhome next month look at the quality of the paintwork and stain work! You really will see the difference.

Jonathan DaCosta shows me the level of detail that Paint Pros go to identify the smallest imperfections in every corner of the home, fill them (the light yellow areas) prime and sand them prior to applying the two top coats! Remember that we are using top quality lumber for all the millwork in this home and you get the picture – Jon is a detail guy’s detail guy!

“We are about developing completely devoted customers” he tells me as we walk around the home and he shows me the level of preparation that he insists on as ‘standard’. “The key is the preparation” he says “It is hard work – every one of your staff has to understand that it is not ‘finished’ until it is ‘perfect’”. It has taken time to develop the team of “Painting Professionals” that he has grown to a group of over 30. Every member of the paint team brings with them years of professional experience and that has allowed Paint Pros to establish a reputation well beyond Cayman’s borders, as they have worked Caribbean-wide on a variety of specialty projects. The crew is adept at Venetian plastering, gold leaf ceiling and wall coverings, staining, high-traffic floor coatings and other specialties – applications that take training and precision teamwork. “It sounds corny, but we really do treat each customer like they are the only one we have” adds DaCosta.

We believe him!

Paint Pros is also handling the staining of the interior doors for the showhome. It is a process that involves seven steps of sanding staining and sealing to make the doors glow. “Not too many people understand how to do this correctly” said Jonathan, “Again, it takes patience and commitment...these doors will be fantastic, this poplar is a beautiful wood to work with and these doors well be treated so that they last forever”.

Works for me!

COOL POOL

2011-11-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

Now doesn’t that look inviting! We finished the Diamondbrite finish on the pool over the weekend and filled it yesterday. All it needs now is the chemicals and it will be ready to use. Nice job Oasis Pools – on time, on budget, and it looks great! We are looking forward to the waterfall, which will be installed in the aluminum pergola and will cascade into the cutout on the left hand side of the pool.

The little water jets are programmable, as is everything in this pool, and the water volume can be preset so that you get just as much arc as you desire.

It’s so straightforward that you can program it with your eyes shut says James from Oasis! This is the gear that runs the pool – it is housed underneath the planter below the Master Bedroom (and yes, it is very quiet!)

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

2011-10-26T11:20:00.001-05:00

It is always exciting when the kitchen starts to take shape, and this week we see the start of that process with the arrival of the beautiful cabinetry components from Kitchen and Bath Solutions.

Kitchen and Bath Solutions was a fledgling firm in the summer of 2004, just waiting for a big break, and while Hurricane Ivan was no picnic, there is no doubt that the timing was pretty fortuitous for a company that had just geared up with a great product line and was raring to go.

“We compressed about ten years of experience into 18 months” laughs Matthew Adams, the K&BS owner who was at the front line during that 2005 initiation by fire. “We learned a lot about quality control, lessons which we apply regularly today” he added.

One of the areas where Matthew and K&BS have addressed quality is the acquisition of the rights to distribute the Executive Cabinetry product line out of South Carolina. (www.executivecabinetry.com)

It’s eco-friendly cabinet line is right in tune with today’s custom home buyers, who expects not only top quality products but products by companies that are sensitive to the use of renewable resources and energy conservation. Improvement of indoor air quality, through avoidance of formaldehyde producing chemicals in the home is one of the major sales features of the Executive line, as there is growing concern about the harmful effects of vapors, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), and Heavy Metals. These harmful irritants are found in traditional solvent based finishing materials whereas this whole line uses water-based solvents. For more info on the green features of these products and the potential LEEDS points to be earned click on the link below.

http://www.ecofriendlycabinets.com/#

Leon Connolly (left), the Installations Manager, and Matthew Adams (right) as they review the installation processes of the show home’s many cabinetry features.

The quality of this product is apparent immediately. With all ¾” Maple ply construction, dovetail connections, and the soft-closing hinges, it is a pleasure to contemplate using this product everyday. “We even stain-finish the insides of the open face drawers for that fully finished custom look” said Matthew.

The cabinetry scope extends throughout the home, from the kitchen and laundry room to the wet bar and entry millwork, through all the bathroom cabinetry – a comprehensive design that is consistent throughout the home.

You can look forward to seeing Matthew and

Leon

’s work by visiting the showhome, or you can visit them in mid-November at their new showroom on Kingbird Drive #39. They are on the left hand side just before you reach the Corporate Electric Building.

Look also for the new contemporary European “Bellini Cabinet Line” from K&BS and Executive, arriving soon.

This is just one of the multiple organizing drawers in the kitchen. Beautiful Maple craftsmanship.

THE “A” TEAM

2011-10-18T13:35:00.000-05:00

For those of us who have been working closely with Ian Haughton and Troy Rankin over the years it comes as no surprise when visitors again and again comment on the quality of the Showhome work, the cleanliness of the site, the extraordinary schedule and the general feel good atmosphere of the workplace.

Troy Rankin (left) and Ian Haughton – a great homebuilding team!

Ian, the Project Coordinator, has been building the “Phoenix Way” for over thirteen years and has been responsible for most of the guys on the payroll at one time or another. “We definitely have our own way of doing things here” he said of working for Phoenix. “It is the right way every time, not the easy way” he laughed when asked about keeping up the quality, the schedule and the precise project paperwork required by Phoenix management. “The real benefit is to the client at the end of the day. We do not cut corners and it really starts to show as the project comes out of the ground” he added. Ian acts as the project’s liaison with the office, coordinating the schedule, the AR and AP, billing, procurement, budget adherence and fabrication.

Troy, the Project Foreman is one who buys into the Phoenix philosophy in a major way. “I have worked for other companies who let little things slide here and there and it is just not the way I do things” he said. “It makes sense to have standards and maintain them – after a while everyone starts thinking the same way, right through the subcontractor team. Even the inexperienced client can feel the difference – I love it when they walk through the jobsite” he added. “Where it really pays off is a satisfied customer and when that customer tells their friends about the experience!”

Troy is the main man day to day in the field, coordinating subcontractors and the large team from Phoenix that is on the job. “We self-perform more aspects of the home buildout than most residential general contractors” he said. “We have an experienced in-house team of carpenters, masons, and metal fabricators – it gives us better control over the quality, the price, jobsite safety and the schedule” he explained. “When you have a Quality Assurance Program in place like we do there really is no room for error – that is why I have a full-time presence on the jobsite

THIS AND THAT (OH, AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!)

2011-10-10T14:44:00.007-05:00

Well it has been exactly four months to the day since we broke ground on (10 June, 2011) and we are very pleased with what we have been able to accomplish in this period of time. As you will see below we are now getting to the interesting stuff!

The boys from IE Caribbean are here installing the HardiePlank fiber-cement lap siding to the front of the home. Note the green board waterproofing between the product and the wall behind – we also use the stainless steel fasteners – two quality steps that many other contractors simply do not take.

This product, from the James Hardie Company is a great product for a lot of reasons other than just a great look.

Hurricane resistance: The property damage from hurricanes can be staggering. Due to its impact resistance against hail and windblown debris, fiber-cement siding has been specified by hurricane-zone building codes for building homes in hurricane-, tornado-, and wildfire-prone areas.

Fire resistance: James Hardie fiber-cement exteriors have been tested by various IAS Certified Laboratories to ASTM International standards for exceptional fire resistance, smoke index and fire spread ratings.

Moisture and Rot resistance: James Hardie Siding is warranted not to rot, warp or delaminate. What else would you use in Caymans incredibly corrosive, sun-baked environment.

Painting perils: Since James Hardie Siding is made of fiber cement; it does not undergo the same degree of expansion and contraction that hinders wood-based and vinyl sidings. Therefore, James Hardie Siding will hold onto paint three to four times longer than wood siding, reducing your overall maintenance costs, without compromising aesthetics.

Make sure that the product is installed on the right substrate with the right fasteners, then make sure you get yourself a qualified installer like IE Caribbean Ltd and get this great product professionally installed!

What a great contemporary hardwood door! Wait, it is not wood – it is a hurricane-impact--rated aluminum CGI product! No maintenance, with sleek satin-nickel Hager hinges, and Baldwin leversets. Nice.

While we are on the subject of doors, these 8 foot stain-grade poplar doors have just arrived and are going to look amazing with the chocolate colored Italian flooring. They are pre-stained with a wood conditioner for longer life before the finish stain is applied. The hardware is a contemporary Hercules square rosette by Emtek – we will get a good picture of the finished product later when it all comes together. Heck it looks good now! Let’s scoot outside for a minute and see what Phoenix is doing in the outdoor kitchen.

This is going to be great. Phoenix has built a concrete housing for all the outdoor cooking elements! You can see an undermount stainless sink at the far end, the cutout is for the big gas-fired grill that Home Gas is plumbing in from the mega tank in the front yard, and the circular hole is for “da smoker”! This is going to get a Big Green Egg ceramic smoker! We will come back to this later!

Makes you want to build a house doesn’t it?

A MOZAIC OF SKILLS

2011-10-07T14:35:00.000-05:00

Since 2000, Paula Range has been building her reputation with her firm Mozaic Creations and Builders one happy client at time. One of the few companies on-island that specializes in the installation of all forms of stone, masonry, granite, marble and tile, she thrives in an industry that has been traditionally male dominated. Learning that she started Mozaic after a stint in New York City, where she worked on Wall Street as a senior executive with Prudential Securities, we can easily see that her ability to thrive in the construction industry is as much a testament to her Management degree background as to her tenacity. Throw in a real eye for quality and a keen ability to motivate your people and you get the picture! This is not only an artisan rather than a tradesman but also a professional on the administrative side. Just our kind of partner.

Paula checks the stone for the showhome planters and deck surround as it unpacked.

Paula says “We strive to add elegance to any space, whether it is a pool, vanity, shower, kitchen, back splash or any other living area of either your house or office – inside or out! Mozaic believes that an ordinary space can undergo an elegant and stylish transformation with the kind of products we work with and the craftsmen we employ. Our work can be seen throughout the Cayman in both commercial and residential properties and our professional installers are committed to completing every project in a timely manner. We love what we do and I know that it shows in the final product”

Linsberth Hoy of Mozaic lines up and levels the stone to be applied to the pool columns while Troy Rankin of Phoenix looks on. The stone will be applied on the deck, planters and columns – this is going to look great!

TEAMWORK IS THE KEY

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

The whole home building team, including the homeowner Brad Watts, assembled for refreshments and an update to the schedule on Friday, September 30^th, as we moved into the highly detailed interior finishes phase. Having everyone present, from the cabinetry guys to the landscape team (20 companies represented), enables us to have the various firms that will be working side by side during this busy finishing push review the schedule, and to talk to each other about scope overlaps and timing. They can also communicate with the entire Phoenix management team about any concerns they have; product arrival and storage, tool security, schedule issues and subcontractor billing. Tami from Icon was also available for any questions relating to design and product issues, and to schedule work reviews with those that required them. From the General Contractor perspective it gives Phoenix another chance to make sure that all products and materials that are being procured by the subcontractors and vendors are either already on-island or due to arrive in the coming weeks. Keeping the schedule tight and all the participants happy is all about open lines of communication, respect and, where required, flexibility. We may be twenty companies, but at the end of the day we are simply the Client’s Team – and we intend to have the best roster, the best coaching and the best results.

Shayne Howe, of the Phoenix Group, addresses the assembled showhome team.

WHEN ‘QUALITY’ MEANS QUALITY!

2011-09-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

“We are a small company that’s thinks big!” says Elsmer Rankin, the owner and hands-on manager of Quality Electric since founding it in 1998. When he says that he means that he sees the big picture with the general contractor AND the client, is on top of new technology and knows his building code cold. From Phoenix’s perspective, it is rare to find a small residential electrical contractor with the sophistication, scheduling and communication skills and just plain great demeanor that Elsmer has.

“Because of our approach to the schedule, which is the tightest in the market, Rankin’s team has had to work shoulder to shoulder with the AC, plumbing, and sheetrock subs right from the get-go. His guys are team players and all of them contribute to a clean, safe and coordinated worksite” said Ian Haughton, the Phoenix Showhome Project Coordinator.

Elsmer Rankin double checking works completed by his crew

Getting Quality Electric involved early in the design stage, working with the client, Icon and Jeffery Woods from MJW Services has been a real benefit, as he understands the rationale behind many of the decisions and also is keenly aware of the client’s requirements. With the homeowner making many of his own decorative selections the team from Quality has shown great flexibility in adjusting some of the small post-design changes required in the field without any of the “change-orders” that plague other residential projects. “Hey, everyone is working together here – there will always be adjustments to make, and with the planning that went into this, they are really no big deal” Elmer added.

Quality guy. Quality company.

Quality’s Sunny pulling wire to the main electrical panels in the garage. Everything runs back to the gas-fired backup generator that will fully service the home in an outage.

DESIGN TEAM CHECKUP

2011-09-27T09:32:00.000-05:00

As we are now counting the opening in weeks rather than months it is time to see what Tami Scott from Icon and Sherrill Bushfield from Woods are doing as they eye the finish line. After a thorough review of all the finishes they have selected, and a double check that everything has been ordered and is on the way, we sat down to talk about the collaboration: “It has been great to work with Sherrill”, said Tami, “she has such extensive international project experience, a keen eye and she strives for a consistent style line throughout the home, which has always been important to me. That professionalism has made the partnership really quite easy. Combined with a client that knows what they want and are ready to trust us in areas where they need guidance, we have had a smooth transition in making selections for the home” From Sherrill’s perspective, “The clean, functional and defined style of the house makes for a perfect interior design pallet. When there is nothing to “fix” and the architect is open minded and collaborative it is a joy to help to complete the design vision of a beautiful house. It really helps when the house is great to start with” she added.

Tami (left) and Sherrill walk through the home’s finishes with Brad Watts, the homeowner. The design team has even selected fabrics for the dining room chairs and other soft furnishings in the home.

The two talked at length about the process and their common vision for the right way to approach a residential project like this. “We both like to tour the client through homes with some different styles and color pallets to gauge reaction” said Tami. “When we have a feel for what the client likes then we tend to work from the floors up, building in the layers as we move through the home.” Many cues for the rest of the home are taken from the kitchen, its style, its coloring and its texturing – “there must be a consistency in the rest of the house that ties back to the key family spaces” added Sherrill. “It is critical to bring the client’s tastes to the project – even if the client has limited experience you must find a way to identify the hot buttons, the things that create excitement for the client. If it is done right it is magic and makes the work of the architect completely come to life!” she said.

Tami and Sherrill have combined their talents to select all the home’s, flooring, surfaces, wall colors and finishes, furnishings, fabrics and window treatments.

A FEW NOTES ON DRYWALL

2011-09-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

For such a rich subject (to about ½ of 1% of the world!) we will contribute just a couple of notes. Phoenix is quite well known for the quality of its drywall work and a large reason for that is the work that goes into making sure that the studwork to which the sheetrock is attached is perfect before the hanging begins. We always make sure that we have a carpenter on hand to make small adjustments to the framing, to add additional bracing where required and to punch in any nail work that is likely to cause bumps.

The ceiling of the Master Bedroom is a five-panel shape that must be perfect! Note the protection to the windows – care and attention every step of the way.

Different types of drywall are also used in different applications within the home, with mould and moisture resistant board used in the wet areas and fire resistant board in others.

Note the transition from regular drywall above to the moisture resistant sheetrock in the wet areas of the Master Bathroom.

One of the final quality points that we insist on is the use of the No-Coat Structural Laminate Drywall Corner System on all outside drywall corners, the areas that otherwise take a beating from furniture moving, kid traffic and general wear and tear. It is the best system we have ever found and you can learn more by visiting a short and quite interesting video on the product which is linked by clicking this url: http://www.no-coat.com/.docs/pg/10389

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS

2011-09-14T11:37:00.001-05:00

The last two weeks have been inspection weeks as the various government inspectors have been through the home approving the plumbing, electrical, roof and pool rough-ins. You can see that Phoenix has also finished installing the windows and that the exterior elements of the home site are taking better shape. With approvals in place we can now move into the interior finishes phase of the home, with the drywall for the walls and ceilings already underway. Paul’s Metal Roofing is also installing soffit trims as we begin the roof finishes.

We have been using Paul’s Metal Roofing for the past few years because he is one of those hands-on owners – out to the site himself every day to monitor progress and quality.

Paul illustrates the various folds that are part of creating a quality section of standing seam roof.

The material, which locally will be either aluminum or galvalume, comes in various gauges (material thickness) from .26 ga to .40 ga with the .40 ga aluminum, which we are using here, being the highest quality. The paint type used is also very important to the life of the roof – we are using a Kynar 500, a fluoropolymer resin based paint product renowned for its durability and corrosion resistance, but be aware that other products are out there and the price and performance differences can be quite dramatic. Also be conscious that darker colors, while sometimes more dramatic, will attract more heat to the roof and will as a result break down and fade more quickly than reflective colors like white, cream or grey.

Another area where large quality differences can be apparent is in the spacing of the vertical ribs of the roof:

The local standard spacing is 16” between ribs, but if solar panels or other equipment are to be installed on the roof - who is not looking at this seriously these days - consider opting for 12” between ribs for greater structural strength. Also make sure that metals in affixed applications are compatible with the roofing material as corrosion can occur otherwise.

So you can see from this review that standing seam roofs can vary greatly in terms of quality, and therefore durability, and can not be judged upon price alone. It is important to know what specific product you are buying, exactly who is installing it and what warranties are available with the product and provider you have selected!

LOVIN’ THESE WINDOWS!

2011-08-31T16:00:00.005-05:00

You will really enjoy talking to Christian Cartagena about windows and doors! You know by now that at Phoenix we love working with guys that are really passionate about what they do and you can feel that energy when you visit Chris’s Caribbean Impact Windows & Doors showroom at Caymanian Village. Firstly, he really knows his product. Secondly, he really sweats the details, really understands the project, and (actually) handles all the steps in the process personally. I stopped by the jobsite the other day as the first windows were being installed and he was walking Brad through all the details of the manufacturing process for the CGI windows, and the meticulous process that he insists on for the waterproofing of the window openings! You have to love that!

Christian walks the homeowner through the installation process, pointing out one of the many benefits of the CGI Estate Collection windows that we are using in the Phoenix showhome.

When it comes to Hurricane Impact Windows every component is important, no matter how small, as Christian demonstrates.

Click on the links below to visit Christian as he takes your blog editor on a tour of his showroom and then, in the second clip, tells you a bit about his vibrant and growing business. Check it out!

Video: Introduction to Caribbean Impact Windows and Doors

Video: CIWD and the Phoenix Group Show Home

Each window is individually hand wrapped before being wood-crated for shipment. Chris makes sure that he is in Miami to oversee this process and make sure that the shipment is complete and in perfect condition before it sails.

MEMBRANE TALK (no, seriously)

2011-08-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

Let’s talk for a moment about two elements of a well-built house that do not often get a lot of attention. These two building steps are critical to the long life and water-tightness of a home – they are not inexpensive, but you will probably agree with us that there are better places to save money. Let’s start with the roof finish and Grace Ice and Water Shield:

Above you can see the crew applying Grace Ice and Water Shield to the roof decking. For more information about this product and why it is so much better in our Cayman climate than roofing felt, please click on the link to “Ask the Builder” below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVzF5wE3ptc

Strong and watertight, the assembly of wood decking and water shield really IS the critical element of your roof. Standing seam, shingles or any of a variety of roofing tile products, while adding protection to the roof, are largely decorative.

The second application we would like to feature is an acrylic basecoat which seals the exterior of the home’s walls

Here, the crew from IE Caribbean applies a Unibase acrylic basecoat into which they embed Corevnet reinforcement netting, forming a strong and flexible coating which weatherproofs the exterior walls of the home. This treatment also provides a smooth and uniform base the for Dryvit, marmoran, stucco or lapboard application that usually follows

Note the color change as the IE Caribbean team work their way around the home with the basecoat. This combination of Ice and Water Shield and Acrylic Base coat will help this home to stand up to Cayman’s extreme coastal conditions.

ICON IS ON THE JOB!

2011-08-20T11:00:00.005-05:00

Many people do not realize that the professional project architect is not finished with the project when the drawings are done (or should not be!) Icon’s Tami Scott is on the jobsite weekly to make sure that the building is coming out of the ground exactly as she intended in her design documents. In the Phoenix Group system the architect is another set of eyes for maintaining both accuracy and quality.

Tami meets with Phoenix, Home Gas, Kitchen and Bathroom Solutions. Mega Systems and Cayman Glass on-site for an update on their scope. One of her highest priorities is to make sure that they all fully understand the design documents before they begin and that they know that she is always there to answer any questions that they may have.

The roof cladding goes on – we will be dried in by the weekend.

Tami addresses questions pertaining to the routing of the air conditioning ducting. No-one knows the drawings better than the project architect.

Fine details regarding the placement of glass and mirrors in the bathrooms are adjusted to the homes actual measurements before fabrication begins. When you are dealing with tempered glass there is no trimming that can be done if the product comes in and is the wrong size. Tami checks and double checks to make sure that everyone has it right.

To hear Tami’s comments on the role of the architect during construction, click HERE.

Tami also invites anyone who is interested in building a home, whether now or some time in the future, to come and see her – her door is always open, and there is no cost to come in and talk about what your plans are, get a little information or even just a little advice. Just click on the Contact Us button and we will arrange to get you together for a cup of coffee.

ABOUT OUR AMAZING POOL!

2011-08-17T09:00:00.006-05:00

Oasis is installing their top-of-the-line Eco Pool Program and we can’t wait for you to see it. In earlier photos you saw the initial stages of the pool construction and below you can see what it looks like today, before James and the crew start getting it ready for the installation of equipment and the application of tile. “This is the rough shell” say James, “from here we will work all the surfaces until everything is level, smooth and ready for finishing. That’s when the fun stuff happens!”

The Phoenix Group Showhome pool will be equipped with Pentair Eco Select products. These products are designed to be the most energy-efficient swimming pool equipment on the market today! The specialty equipment package James is installing includes:

Intelliflo Ultra Energy Efficient Pumps: Standard pool pumps can consume as much energy as all other home appliances combined (that is scary : Ed.). Intelliflo pumps can cut energy use up to 90%! At $0.30/kWh, estimated savings range from $1,240 - $2,710 per year!

Intellibrite 5g Color LED Color-Changing Pool Lights – LED lights use the least amount of energy of all lighting options and they last longer, minimizing replacement cost and disposal.

IntelliChlor Salt Chlorinator – simplify your maintenance with no more odor, stinging eyes, irritated skin and bleached out swimsuits!

Automation/water features – Pick up your iphone and talk to your pool!

Now you can use your Apple ipads, iphones, or ipod Touch to control all the key functions of your pool or spa, from across the pool deck or around the globe – now available as a free download from Apple’s App Store. Once it is installed you can control everything from pool and spa temperatures, to jets, lighting, water features, remote video monitoring and more – right from your iphone.

GET THE LID ON!

2011-08-10T16:33:00.002-05:00

Well we have been lucky with the rain to date but that can’t last forever and it will be great to get the roof on and provide some much needed shade for the crew.

Above, Elliot, Troy and Steven (Left to right) complete a truss assembly before it is lifted into place.

Up she goes. Main truss sections can be pre-engineered, fabricated and delivered to site or in some cases hand built on-site. Pre-engineered trusses are available locally from the Cox Lumber and A.L.Thompson truss plants.

A good day’s work has been accomplished today as two of the main roof sections are now in place. You can see that pre-engineered trusses can greatly speed up the assembly of a roof structural system. Remember that if you want storage areas within the roof space this must be planned when the trusses are being designed!

Cayman 27 and the Daybreak crew were out at the showhome today to see what all the excitement was about. Click on the link below to watch the segment.
http://cayman27.com.ky/2011/08/11/building-a-dream-home-in-3000sq-ft

Swingin The Hammer

2011-08-03T11:18:00.001-05:00

It is interior studs time. We have carefully marked out the locations of all the interior walls on the slab and are starting to install the interior wood studs for the walls. It is a good idea to have these in place before the trusses arrive for the roof – it ensures plumb walls and a nice fit to the roof.

This is the entry to the back of the home through the garage

We are also beginning the Shotcrete process of the swimming pool:

Neil Rooney, your Blog editor, looks on as the first layer of concrete “shot” into the pool sets up. James Bussey, Oasis Pool’s intrepid owner/operator will be setting up a video camera for us this afternoon to give us a look at the building of a pool shell. This is kind of nice as otherwise you would have to come down and stand there all day! You’re welcome!!

Look for that Shotcrete vid along with some interesting info on the pool equipment in the next few days.

By the way, I am happy to tour anyone around the site that is interested in a closer look at the entire homebuilding process – just hit the “Contact Us” link at the top right and you will have me on email! If you want, you can also get an automatic update by email as new blogs are posted – just put your email in the “subscribe by email” box on the right and we will keep you in the loop.

OWNER UPDATE

2011-07-27T15:00:00.001-05:00

Brad has not been out to the home site since last Tuesday and we have made significant progress on both the second floor and the swimming pool – he is going to love this visit!

“That was not here last time I looked out the Master bedroom window!" This is going to be a nice view to wake up to! I am really impressed with the progress Phoenix has made in only six weeks – we are way ahead of where we were in the same time on my last building project!” Brad Watts

Brad looking out from the second floor Media Room. “I am getting my first idea of the massing of the home – a very exciting point in the project." It is good to fully understand the relationship of the rooms to one another now as well – I am very pleased with the feel of this home thus far!

The guys from Oasis Pools have been very busy over the past weekend. Good guys to work with as have been the whole Phoenix team to date – totally professional, always available to answer questions, explore new ideas.....this is actually enjoyable.

UP WE GO!

2011-07-22T10:33:00.003-05:00

The showhome has a small second floor, which will house a media room (Man Cave for Brad!) and an office for Trisha....she works while he plays!

The floor trusses are in for the second floor and up go the first two courses of foam block.

The home entry begins to take shape

James Bussey, from Oasis Pools supervises as the formwork starts to go in for the pool. We are quite excited by this pool - it has some terrific features that we will point out as the construction progresses.

Our first look at the home and the pool from the water side! The elevated section on the right hand side is the Master Bedroom.

Topping Off

2011-07-15T17:04:00.002-05:00

Concrete is pumped into the top course of block, completing the ground floor wall system of the home. Hurricane strapping is encased in the concrete at this stage to eventually be fastened to the roof structurals, creating a single unit out of the walls and the roof.

Final detailing ensures a neat finish to the top of the walls.

Taking Shape

2011-07-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

The outline shape of the home now becomes apparent.

Concrete is pumped into the wall cavities

Going Vertical

2011-07-07T16:42:00.012-05:00

The foam block materials arrive. We are pleased to be using this Flowers Foam Products once again for a number of reasons:

ICF have been used for many years around North America and are approved for the most stringent building codes and adverse weather conditions. Leading edge manufacturing techniques now make ICF locally affordable to mass market builders and homeowners.

For more information on Flowers Foam Products Please click on the link below:

http://www.caymanfoam.ky/

The concept for the ICF construct is simple. Flowers Foam Products connected together though webs. Once the blocks are stacked and the reinforcement steel put in place, concrete is poured through the middle of each foam block. This gives the effect of a reinforced concrete wall, cased in 5” thick Styrofoam. Essentially ICF has replaced traditional wall insulation. An ICF building is not only energy efficient but also hurricane resistant.

ADVANTAGES:

Energy Efficient
Reduce your energy costs by 15 – 20 %. Dwellings built with Flowers Foam Products exterior walls are less expensive to heat and cool. Monthly utility costs will be reduced over their lifetime, which translates into ongoing savings.

Fire Retardant
Flames do not pass through walls built with concrete as quickly as woodframe walls. During fire-resistance tests, it took flames 3 to 4 hours to pass through concrete-formed walls, compared to just 30 minutes for wood-frame walls. The Flowers Foam Products building system also has the added safety feature of certified type-2 fire-retardant EPS insulation.

Hurricane Resilient
Built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes (as proven in Ivan)

Sound Resistant
Flowers Foam Products walls significantly reduce the amount of outside noise penetration, making for a quieter interior environment.

Flexibility in Design
The versatility of the Flowers Foam Products building system allows builders to create beautifully designed structures with curves, angles and any shape imaginable. They can be completed with any number of different finishes to enhance their beauty, such as siding, brick, stucco or stone.

Improved Air Quality
Solid insulated concrete walls provide a highly effective barrier against outside air infiltration. Airtight dwellings, properly ventilated, reduce dust and allergens, such as pollen.

Healthier Buildings
The Flowers Foam Products block cavities are filled with solid concrete and the resulting wall assembly is not conducive to the growth of mold or mildew. They provide no nutritional value for pests such as termites, which can cause extensive damage in walls made of wood.

Peace and Quiet
Flowers Foam Products walls significantly reduce the amount of outside noise penetration, making for a quieter interior environment.

The first course of ICF walls are installed on the bedroom wing of the house.

Forms, called “door and window bucks” are installed for the major openings in the home.

Happy July 4th!

2011-07-04T16:27:00.010-05:00

Just another work day in the Cayman Islands though!

A vapor barrier and rebar is now laid in for what will soon be the slab for the home. Plywood perimeter forms provide the outside dimensions of the slab. With the plumbing and electrical inspections now complete it is time to call for concrete!

The garage floor is underway.

A vibrator is used to make sure that the concrete settles into all the corners. When used properly, it also ensures that air bubbles in the concrete are forced out before it dries, making the concrete much stronger and smoother.

Once the concrete is placed and vibrated Troy directs the concrete finishing crew to smooth (screed) the concrete before its final trowelling and detailing.

It is the end of a long and labour-intense day but we have an excellent result. We will keep this new slab moist for the next few days to allow a slow curing of the concrete (to minimize cracking) and then we will be able to start with the walls of the home. Great job Phoenix!

Utilities In

2011-06-28T16:19:00.002-05:00

With most of the utilities conduit already in place Home Gas comes in for their in-slab installations.

Ian Haughton of Phoenix and Dayne Brady of Home Gas discuss bringing the propane into the home. Home Gas product will be firing the AC, kitchen range, hot water heaters, dryer, bbq, fire pit and the Tiki torches in the back yard. Quite a lot of planning to do!

More to come later on these great products

The Home Gas team install the line into the home.

Digger Day

2011-06-25T16:14:00.004-05:00

Next comes the job of backfilling the building’s foundations - finer material that compacts well is used here.

A compactor is used above to compress the fill, which must be brought in and compacted in stages called “lifts”. Again, this step is critical to avoid settlement of the floor slab of the home.

Foundation Block

2011-06-20T16:09:00.003-05:00

We are already well along in constructing the foundation of the home. Many waterfront home owners are mindful of the flooding that occurred in Ivan and want to get their ground floors well up above any potential reoccurrence of that event. The stem walls and the fill required within can be a major additional cost to building the home and the final slab level should be discussed and agreed upon early in the design process. An elevated home site can also impact the way the exterior elements of the home are approached and you must plan for transitioning in and out of the home.

Concrete Day #1

2011-06-15T15:08:00.002-05:00

It is always a good day when the first concrete truck arrives!

Ian supervises the concrete going into the strip footings.

We will build up the home’s foundation walls from this concrete and steel base.

Breaking Ground!

2011-06-10T15:00:00.005-05:00

We are off to the races, and we have brought in Andres Artuch, one of the island’s finest backhoe operators, to assist us in carving out the trenches required for the home’s “strip footings”

“Drey” will follow the spray painted markings to excavate exactly the right size, depth and width for the home’s concrete footings. Site foreman Troy Rankin is seen here managing the process with a laser level.

The steel is raised above the bed of the footing to allow for coverage beneath

The footings for the entire home will be excavated and steel laid in before the first concrete arrives on site.

Vertical steel, called “starter bars”, are then tied into the footings to connect to the concrete foundation walls – You can see that the project coordinator is doing his job as the concrete block (in the background) for the foundations walls has already been delivered to the site.

If you missed out on our earlier entries, be sure to click on "Older Posts" below or browse the "Blog Archive" above-right, to go back to the beginning of the project and see the whole story.

Project Set Out

2011-05-27T14:46:00.002-05:00

We did have a couple of minor changes to make on the drawings to satisfy Building Control, but overall we are thrilled with the quality of the drawings from Icon and its MEP design team – the changes are minor and of more of a clarification nature than outright corrections. Well done Tami and the team at Icon!! This is an excellent example of why we bring the whole team to the design and planning process as early as possible.

We have been setting out the dimensions of the home on the finished pad over the few days. You can see where Ian, Troy and their crew have been painstakingly identifying all the major elements of the home; spray-painting the exact locations of walls, openings, and other elements like the septic tank, the propane tank, the pool and the generator pad. These marking will indicate where the foundations for the various building structurals will be dug.

Prepare The Site!

2011-05-20T14:40:00.001-05:00

There are about two feet of topsoil to be removed from the site and replaced with crushed rock in order to create a finished building pad. If you recall, we knew about this extra topsoil and the fill that would be required to displace it from the geotech (scroll back and watch this if you have not) at the beginning, so we were able to allow for that in our budget.

The pad must be checked for density a number of times during the filling and compacting process – this ensures that the home will not settle as the building process unfolds. When you see cracked slabs and walls in a finished home, chances are this step was either omitted or not performed correctly. It takes time, effort and money to do this correctly but it is critical to the quality of the finished product.

Utilities Into The Site

2011-04-01T16:07:00.005-05:00

Well the drawing portion of the program is largely complete, although there are still many decisions for the client and the development team to make. We have met the target number for the home, although some of the items in the budget have simply been assigned a sub-budget within which we must work when finalizing selections.

With the drawings submitted to planning we will now await any questions that the building inspectors may have regarding the design, deal with those queries, and await our building permits! In the meantime we will call in our AC, electrical and plumbing partners for a discussion on bringing the utilities from the road into the building lot. It is critical that everyone knows what everyone else is doing and that we work in a coordinated and cost-effective manner, with the least amount of disruption to the neighborhood

The design and MEP teams meet with Phoenix to examine how the utilities will be brought into the site.

Intro To Woods

2011-03-18T16:01:00.016-05:00

Of course now that we are designing mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems we will need to tell the designers what we are using for plumbing and lighting fixtures (the AC guys are already off and running!). This will tell them what the power loads will be like, where we need current and data, where the drains will be and all the critical information that will make sure there are no changes when the fixtures and fitting show up.

Keith Miller is ready to go!

We cannot stress enough how important this phase of the design is – if there is an area in the buildout where a lot of unnecessary time and money is spent it is here! Communication between the designer, the interior designer and the building team must be crystal clear, checked and double checked again.

Seems like the right time to introduce the Interior design team right?

Owned and operated by a local Caymanian family since 1961, Woods Furniture & Design has long been recognized as a leading furniture retailer in the Cayman Islands. Our 14,000+ sq. ft. showroom, the largest on the island, boasts a variety of mid to high-end home furnishings. We showcase the quality products and impeccable craftsmanship of distinguished manufacturers such as Drexel Heritage, Pearson, Lexington, Bernhardt, Bassett and many, many more.

Our commitment to quality is unsurpassed and we continually strive to be the very best at what we do. We meet each client’s individual needs and work very hard to ensure their total satisfaction with every facet of our business. Our highly skilled and experienced staff is able to support our clients in general interior design / decorating projects, space planning, window treatments / installations, wall coverings, renovations and project management.

In 1999, we added a kitchen/bath cabinetry and flooring divisions to meet increasing demand in the marketplace. A natural compliment to our traditional business, the addition of these two divisions has helped us to become a “one-stop-shop” for all your home décor needs.

Open Monday through Saturday, and able to deliver orders to our clients 6 days a week, we’re confident you’ll find everything you need at Woods Furniture & Design. Stop into Woods today and find out why we’re so much more than great furniture!

Tami meets with Sherrill Bushfield (right) at Woods to begin discussions on the interiors

Once the room layouts have been established it is time to bring in our experienced interiors team from Woods Furniture and design, who will help the client and the development team to start thinking in greater detail about ceilings, trims, accents and the all the myriad of materials that will be used throughout the home. It is your interior designer’s job to stay on top of all the trends, all the changes in lighting and plumbing technology, furnishings, flooring, wall treatments, window treatment options etc, and share all this with the team. We are delighted to have Sherrill Bushfield from Woods with whom to collaborate; she is one of the very best that we have ever worked with!

As mentioned before, it is important to have a clear understanding of the client’s finish expectations before finalizing the major details of the home as these will have a significant impact on the comprehensive budget for the home.

Decisions will have to be taken on finishes, furnishings, window coverings, kitchens and bathroom fittings – all critical to a comprehensive and elegant presentation.

Woods provides consultation on all particulars in the home and will work closely with the architect to maintain thematic elements from door to door. I you really want a polished product this is a wise investment.

Sherrill suggests a storage solution for the In-law suite.

Intro To Subcontractor Partners

2011-03-15T15:51:00.009-05:00

Ok, we are at the end of March and we have finished the architectural set and are ready to meet with all our subcontractor partners on the project – you will see all their logos on the right hand side of the blog. Many of those logos will connect back to their company websites and we strongly encourage you to visit their sites! While you are at it please visit our new Phoenix Website (inset here somehow) to read some more about this iconic cayman construction company – 30 years of first class work being celebrated in 2011!

Our Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Subcontractors will work closely with us to integrate their individual designs into the drawing set that will be submitted to Planning for approval and then Building Control for permitting. Unlike commercial applications, homes are reviewed by CPA and BCU concurrently, resulting in (in theory) a quicker processing time for residential applications. We will be using Millers Plumbing, Quality Electric, and a combination of Home Gas for the equipment and gas line installations and MegaSystems for the AC design and systems installation. Of particular interest will be Home Gas’ input, as our program will incorporate a lot of gas-fired technology in order to cut down on the electricity bill. More on all this later but we do need to meet with Dayne Brady, the Home Gas GM, to integrate his ideas into the design documents.

Dayne and Lem from Home Gas explain to Brad the various options for integrating gas into the home.

Once all the MEP and Structural drawings are completed and packaged up with Icon’s drawings we will be ready to ‘take them downtown’

Design Meeting #3

2011-02-11T15:46:00.003-05:00

Well we heard back from Brad and Trisha that hey really loved the split level design and you will see that we have transferred the plan from sketch form to CAD (Computer Assisted Design) and we now have a computer-based design from which to work for this meeting. It is the Client’s first look at the home in blueprint form. The home is still larger and likely more expensive than the program allows but before we start sizing it we want to first get a better idea of what the Watts are looking for in the way in interior and exterior finishes. We need to take that information into account when we begin making final decisions about the size of the house, the pool and other large ticket items.

You will see that we have amassed and presented a vast collection of “contemporary” images that will help us draw out the specific taste direction of the client. This way we can very quickly identify the hot buttons, or “must haves” in the project. For example, this client loves to entertain and must have an outdoor kitchen and a waterfall into the pool, but will be satisfied with a single car garage and a carport for a second vehicle – as long as the lot is designed so he can extend the garage later if he wishes. A little give and take and a whole lot of honest dialogue to get what is important into the program without breaking the budget – hard work, but better to do it now than when the drawings are finished!

Design Meeting #2

2011-02-02T15:36:00.006-05:00

Brad with Tami and Ray Boyce, Phoenix’s Senior Project Manager, who will take the early design and coordinate the preliminary costing to make sure we are on track with the budget. Ray also will identify any buildability issues and cost savings opportunities in the early design phases – great to have those builders at the design table early in the process!

Pictured above and below are a single story (split-level) design and a two-story design, both of which suit Brad and Trisha’s design criteria but each with very different feel and different set of advantages, flows, views, and budgets. We hope he likes the one we do!

So now we have two plans for Brad and Trisha to take home, study, and make notes on. It is uncommon for a client to come back and say that we completely missed the target so we always look forward to the feedback – Brad initially liked the split-level plan and this is the one that the development team also felt was more dynamic. Let’s see what happens next.

Design meeting #1

2011-01-20T15:16:00.036-05:00

Good news on the Geotech Report and a very good day for Brad and Trisha and the development team! The news is good for two reasons: the first is because we will now be able to put the client’s full budget towards the showhome from the slab up, and secondly, we will have the option of designing the entire home on one level if we so choose. If we had required pilings we may have been forced to look at a two storey home in order to minimize foundations costs!

More options = a happy design/build team

OK, so it is time for design meeting #1 – wake up Louis we are ready to get started!!

Tami, Louis and Neil will now spend the next few hours gathering information on The Watt’s lifestyle, their wish-list for home features, examining potential room sizes, room relationships, and possible combinations. The idea is to clearly understand how the family lives, what they like and dislike about their present home, what the future looks like for additional children, visitors or live-in help, entertaining etc. We will have to closely examine the site, the location of sun and shade at various times of the day, the prevailing breezes and the views to all sides of the lot.

From this information we will Icon will generate the first of a series of hand-drawn sketches as we try to get closer and closer with each sketch to the client’s vision of the perfect waterfront home. The home design must be one that meets the optimum size, the optimum quality of finishes and the look that says “this is who we are!”, making all of that still meet the budget target that we have agreed on as a team at the outset of the project. It takes collaboration, trust, communication and creativity from every member of the client/designer/builder team to make it happen.

Geotech/Pilings

2011-01-14T14:44:00.018-05:00

The first item of business, now that the lot has been selected, is to confirm what we think we already know from the developer at Grand Harbour: that the home can be built on grade without any pilings. Pilings are used when the land is not solid enough to support the weight of the house and a series of concrete columns must be poured to support the slab of the home.

The diagram above shows how a drilling rig must be retained to drill through the soil and marl into bedrock (1+2), concrete must then be pumped through the auger or drill bit (3+4), and then a steel cage dropped into the uncured concrete to provide strength. It is common for a custom home to require as many as 50 of these pilings before the construction of the home can begin. To assure that this will not be necessary we went out to the site with our structural designer Joe Coe from Lloyd Hue Structural Engineers Ltd to have a good look at the site.

Check out the short video on how the testing went here.

Meet the Design Team

2011-01-05T13:47:00.002-05:00

Ok, now we know where we are going to build, it is time to meet the design-build team that will steer the Watts through this exciting but intricate process.

Left to right: Neil Rooney - Project Developer, Tami Scott - Project Architect, Shayne Howe - Project Manager

........and the Icon design team:

Left to right: Tami Scott - Senior Architect, Amy Letourneau - Intern, Louis Mussington - Architect

A Lot to Decide On

2011-01-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

Meet the Watts Family! Mom and Dad are Brad and Trisha, daughter Mackenzie and another little daughter on the way! These folks need a great home! First we need to decide on a lot – we have it narrowed down to two though!

Sunrise - we like the beautiful grand entrance. We also liked the beautiful views of the lagoon and North Sound. We learned that family had recently purchased a piece of land two lots down from us and we were excited about eventually living near them. To top off that it is family, our daughters are very close in age. Brad liked being further away from town. Trisha didn’t like the drive. We disliked the fact that we would have to build on piles (which is a significant cost increase). We did not like the fact that a dock was not already in place.

Great view to the North Sound.

But man....those pilings........

And then there is Grand Harbour!

This is a nice lot – NW view!

We liked the fact that the lot comes filled properly (no need for piles) and has a dock already built. We like the close proximity to Hurley’s grocery store and the kids play area at Grand Harbour. Trisha particularly likes being closer to town.

The shopping and restaurants close by are great!

Mackenzie can’t take her eyes off the surf pool!

I think this family knows where they want to be!!!

Brad – “Value has always been important to me – we are getting a great parcel at a decent price. We initially considered building in Crystal Harbour. In fact, at one time, we owned a lot there. Crystal Harbour is absolutely beautiful and built around a golf course. Ultimately, we liked the larger piece of land in Grand Harbour for the approximate same price. Also, we always knew we wanted to be on a canal. We looked in Canal Point and Yacht Club. Grand Harbour just gave us more of an “at home” feeling."

From the Developer’s perspective, we are happy to be able to put that pilings money back into the house. Excellent choice Watts family!