Category: Blog

Green is everywhere!! Isn’t that grand! It is great to see magazine articles, new products and the entire buzz about being Green! So, for me it is surprising to talk to people that still think Green Building is all about bamboo flooring, concrete counter tops and solar panels. I recently had the opportunity to talk with a quality green builder about his clients. He said that he has to be really careful about how he presents his ideas about building green for fear of scaring them into thinking that it will be too expensive and lose the client. He asked me if I had experienced the same problem. I told him that our clients get a basic education about the importance of the design and the science behind proper building techniques. This helps people understand that with proper planning and design and a reputable green builder, they will get a green home before spending any money on all the bells and whistles.

The design is critical. The home must fit the site and the home must fit the owner to avoid wasting energy. The energy that you first think about is what you buy from the power company. If the home is oriented with the broad side of the home facing East and West, then there is more solar gain and heat absorption. The simple fix is to reorient the home. In a subdivision where streets are planned to run East to West, then you will have the broad sides of your homes facing North and South, resulting in less solar gain. Proper shading of windows with awnings, covered patios and vegetation will also make a big difference.

Also consider how your home is designed from the inside. Volume ceilings are dramatic, but are expensive to heat and cool. Create night time and day time zones in your home. This way you can program your thermostats to heat and cool mainly the sides of the home you are occupying.

The other kind of energy that is commonly not considered is your personal energy you may waste in a home that is not designed specifically for you. A home that is too big is too vast to be comfortable on a human scale. You can lose touch with your family members and spend more time than necessary cleaning and traveling through your home. A home with spaces not suitable for your specific lifestyle are forced to fit into some other use, and spaces that you need do not exist.

In the interest of learning more about designing and building Green homes with out spending all your “Green”; this summer for your reading enjoyment we will highlight features of designing and building green. Watch for our June Newsletter about the value of proper insulation and what it has to do with keeping your home dry!!

By Carter Shackelford, C.P.B.D.

We have all heard the saying “Time is Money”, and yet too few of us ever put an actual dollar value on our own time. For architects and designers, time is best spent “on the boards” creating the homes and buildings of their clients. Builders need to be on their jobsites, verifying workmanship, checking material stocks, and keeping their job on schedule. And of course, homeowners have their own full time jobs and families to attend to.

And yet, all of these participants in the building process at one point or another will have to deal with the City, County, or municipality that they’re building in for permits, inspections, clearances, variances, and all of the minutiae that will be required before and after their construction project begins.

This is why many homeowners and builders are turning to Permitting and Construction Management Services that specialize in reducing the time, expense, and aggravation of satisfying the City and keeping your project moving forward.

Permitting Services: Saving you and your Clients valuable time

Different projects require different numbers of plan sets to be submitted, some require the stamp of a registered architect, certified designer or licensed engineer, and supporting documents like surveys and topography maps are increasingly becoming mandatory for even the smallest of projects. And with the relatively new McMansion Ordinance (formally known as Subchapter F: Residential Design and Compatibility Standards) now wreaking havoc on designers, builders, developers and homeowners alike, the time has come for everyone in the design /build industry to look to companies that can handle this vital step in the process for them.

Americans use CPA’s or tax prep firms every year to prepare their taxes because they’ve found that hiring a professional who deals with the IRS on a day-to-day basis saves them time and money (and stress). If you are a homeowner or builder, do you really have time to take off of work and fill out pages of complicated forms, then wait a couple hours in line at the City, only to learn that you are missing something and will have to come back another day and start all over again?

In most cases, the answer is no. But despite this fact, people do it everyday and take themselves away from the part of their jobs where they can help themselves or their companies make the most money. Hiring a permit service specialist can eliminate this negative impact on your “Time is Money” equation and streamline your path to permitting and building your project.

Construction Expediting & Management Services: Getting you back on schedule

Quality Construction Expediting and Management is the most vital and yet, most commonly overlooked component of a successful building process. Having someone on your team that knows and understands the complexities of construction scheduling, as well as the players, the politics, and the hierarchy down at the City can speed up approvals and get you out of jams that could otherwise shut down a job.

On one job I recently conducted Expediting and Management Services for, there were plans that needed to be reviewed by a Watershed Protection official and an Austin Water Utility official, then corrected by a civil engineer, then reproduced at a print shop, then redelivered to Watershed Protection and Austin Water Utility. I got word that the plans were approved, drove downtown to pick up the plans, and dropped them off at another location for City of Austin approval. After that, the engineer needed to be reminded to go down to the City and make his approved formal changes to the Master “red stamped” Plans. Then, the inspector was notified that he could come back out and sign-off on the once troublesome portion of the job, and we got everything back on schedule.

The contractor already had his hands full with other elements of that job, plus the three other projects he was concurrently building, and by leaving this to me, he admitted that we saved him weeks of time and incalculable amounts of money. Plus, by freeing his time and mind of this issue, he was able to focus on the things he could continue to do to keep things moving forward.

Custom Design Services can provide you with BOTH of these services

Construction is a budget and time sensitive business. Builders and homeowners alike know that nothing eats up your budget like delays, do-overs, and excessive overhead costs. For homeowners, a good construction manager can be your liaison between you and the contractor (keeping you from entering into all-to-common disputes and arguments) and be your eyes and ears on the jobsite. Similarly, if your construction company cannot afford to hire another full time construction supervisor, but feel like you are being stretched too thin to do it all yourself, consider using our Construction Management & Expediting services as you need them to help get over those sticky spots during the job and keep things moving forward on schedule and on (or under!) budget.

We would love to talk with you more about how we can help if you are a homeowner with a current or future project, or a builder who needs to delegate some of these tedious tasks. Come by the Austin Green Living Expo, visit our new office or just give us a call!

In the 11 year history of Custom Design Services and in the accumulation of years of our experience, we are often asked by new clients to share our education and skills. In those early discussions we talk about our education and experience leading up to working for our clients through CDS and we always explain that we are not architects, but building designers. Some people have never heard of a building designer and some have specifically come to us because we are not architects.

In 1857 a group of architects formed the American Institute of Architects in order to prevent masons, carpenters and other craftsmen from calling them selves architects. News of the organization spread rapidly and only 30 years later, there were chapters in 11 other cities. In 1886, Louise Bethune became the first woman member of AIA! In 1897 Illinois began licensing their architects and it was more than 50 years before all other states were also licensing architects. Frank Lloyd Wright chose not to be licensed until he was in his 70’s and in which prior to that time he designed and built over 300 homes.

Today there are thousands of building designers, like Wright, practicing with out an architectural license. The difference between an architect and a building designer is simply….well there’s actually not much difference in residential design. We design homes and provide construction documents for permitting, bidding and construction. If the city or neighborhood requires it; certified designers can seal the plans as well. Just like architects, designers must follow all the building codes and deed restrictions. The difference is that you are likely to find a great value in the services of a building designer because the fees are generally lower. Designers are also limited to designing homes less than 30,000 square feet, but I am sure that would not be a problem for most people.

One thing to be certain of is that designers and architects alike are suitable and capable of designing beautiful, functional and sustainable homes and either has different levels of talents. The difference for homeowners will be to find the personality and talent that fits their project.

Many designers are certified! Look for the C.P.B.D. (Certified Professional Building Designer) after their name. We are tested in an intensive 20 hour nine part exam on design, code, structure, and architectural history to name a few, by NCBDC, a national, private and independent testing agency. At Custom Design Services, we are proud to have 4 certified designers on staff and we are all members of TIBD and AIBD as well.

Cammi Klier; C.P.B.D. Founder
I am the founder of CDS 11 years ago next month! I have 18 years of experience in the residential home design field and worked for both an architectural firm and a national home building company leading up to the start of CDS in 1997. My degree from Texas State University is a BS in Interior design with masters’ level course work in Landscape Architecture.

Debra Blessman; C.P.B.D. Partner
I have 28 years of experience in the residential home design field. I have worked for a home builder as well as two architectural firms in that time. At the beginning of 2007 I joined CDS as Cammi’s partner. My degree is a five year BS program in Housing and Interior Design that I received at Colorado State University.

Carter Shackelford; C.P.B.D. our resident expert on permitting
I began my career in Pasadena, CA under the watchful eyes of an A.I.A. Architect and Seismic Engineer. I recently returned to Austin, where I graduated from the University of Texas in 1997.

Rob Smith; C.P.B.D. a master of details and construction documents

My 18 yrs in the Land Development Industry gives the team at CDS a unique perspective in site planning on environmentally sensitive and difficult lots. I pay close attention to integrating your residence w/ the natural conditions of the property. I am a conservationist and I believe we should live with our environment instead of restructuring it.

You will have an opportunity to visit with us at the Austin Green Living Home Products Expo on April 18 – 20. Please come by our booth and say Hi, we would love to meet you!

I would like to express sincere gratitude for all those who have enjoyed reading and given us such wonderful feedback about our newsletter. We love to hear from you! Since 2006, I have been the sole writer, but in the coming months you will hear from our other designers and their specific expertise.

In the words of my partner, Debra; “I really think the level of personal service we give is the most critical and striking difference. I really want people to understand about the importance of the orientation of their home and how they are going to live in it and how they will use that home, or why it will be a problem that they want to have vaulted ceilings thru-out the entire house or why they can’t put an HVAC unit under the stairs……and it just goes on from there. It’s not just a design; it’s kind of an enclosed ecosystem! Yes, it should be pleasing to the eye and follow design theories but most importantly it must function for the inhabitants and be a place they love to be in and grow in.”

Using daylight is one of the most delightful ways to light your home. Natural light is a better quality of light and gives you the ability to see true color, the light is broad rather than focused, and its FREE! It is also changing throughout the day which has a relaxing quality.

The first thing to know about daylighting is to know your sun angles. At the Spring and Fall Equinox (March 21, September 21) the solar noon angle is 60 degrees. The Winter Solstice (December 21), the solar noon angle is 37 degrees and the Summer Solstice (June 21), the solar noon angle is 83 degrees. Keep in mind that when the sun in our region is high noon, the angle from 90 degrees is toward the South. This is why the light from the North is so nice; there is never any direct sunlight.

In our region, it is about the time of the Spring Equinox when we begin to need cooling in our homes. So it stands to reason that if we can cover our South facing windows at a 60 degree angle, we can keep out unwanted sun when it is warm, but invite it in when it is cold. Consider that the lower your window is to the floor, the longer the overhang or window cover should be.

For the East side windows, protect those rooms you desire to keep the morning sun out of, but let it shine into a breakfast room or master bathroom! The West side needs to be covered well by covered patios or deep window overhangs. Trees and hills help on this side too. The North side will never get direct sunlight, so let the light in!

Doing these things can keep the direct sunlight out of your home where it is not wanted, but let indirect natural light in. Here are some ways to use windows to let in more natural light. Use high windows along the top of a wall, especially if you desire light on a West wall, or if there is an unwanted view. Clerestory windows are a great way to capture indirect light, especially when the direct light bounces off of a wall first before entering your space. On North walls, use wide windows to not only let in the light, but also the outdoors making your rooms feel more spacious.

In interior rooms, use a partial wall from an adjoining exterior room to let the light filter in. Open floor plans are great ways to distribute light with out walls, but creating partial walls to help divide spaces can let the light in where it is wanted. Also consider tubular skylights which reflect the light inside the tube creating a bright, but natural light source.

Lastly, when designing your home, remember to properly orient your home to allow desirable natural light into the rooms where you want it most like the living rooms and bedrooms. The long side of your home should face North and South, leaving the shorter sides and less surface area to be exposed to the East and West. If you are currently living in a home where undesirable light is keeping your blinds closed, consider building a roof overhang to let only the best daylight in!

Happy New Year, dear friends and thank you for enjoying my newsletter over the past year. It has been great to hear your feedback about my articles, thank you for that too. I have written about many topics, some not having to do with Green building but Green living. I believe these 2 go hand in hand.

It is great to see what is currently happening with people “Living Green”. Green is everywhere; it is the “in” thing. This is good, even if for some it is just a fad. You see it everywhere, more organic choices in more grocery stores, more awareness and knowledge about alternative treatments for what ails you, and more ways to recycle and buy recycled products. For example, not only are organic food choices good for your body, they are also good for our ground water because fewer chemicals are being used on our crops. And it is good for industry; it has non organic growers and producers wondering “Hmmm…how can I get in on this?”. Creating Green living practices for yourself and setting an example for others puts more demand on the supply of natural and organic products.

For some of us, the beginning of living Green was recycling, some were interested in building their home Green and others wanted to provide a more natural lifestyle for their families. For some it was a way of life they already had, then when it hit the news they said “Hey, I already do that!” and went out to learn more. Help others get their start in living Green!!

Here are a few tips on recycling right! Did you know that these things cannot be put in your recycling bin?
– Paper clips and staples can jam a recycled paper machine and ruin a whole batch of recycled paper. Make sure you are careful that you remove these from your paper before it is recycled.
– Anything that has a waxy coating like paper milk containers, juice boxes and paper gift bags cannot be recycled. These papers cannot absorb water and cannot be made into a pulp to be recycled.
– Only #1 and #2 plastic bottles can be recycled at the curb, and throw all caps and lids in the garbage.
– Box board cannot be recycled at the curb. Box board is thin card board from cereal boxes and the like. But don’t throw it away, collect it in a paper grocery sack and take it to a recycling center like Ecology-Action.

You can recycle at the curb:
– cans like soup and pet food cans.
– corrugated boxes, but they need to be flattened and tied with a string.
Here is a great poster from Austin Energy that you can post next to your recycling area at your home. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/downloads/recycling-info.pdf

If you would like to recycle more, Ecology-Action takes many items that cannot be recycled at the curb. It is simple and you can find out more at their website, http://www.ecology-action.org

Stay Tuned… for an upcoming newsletter about Day-lighting your home. How can you get the most out of the Sun’s power for lighting?

Also, watch for an upcoming newsletter about plug load.  For most residences, our typical energy use is for heating and cooling, lighting and anything that is plugged in to our outlets. Our appliances alone can account for about 40% of our total energy use; one big one is computers that stay on 24/7. What is your plug load?

Please help me do a little survey:
Do you know where your electric meter is? Can you read it? Here is how.

Try this:
Look at your meter with the following things in use, then turned off. Email your results to us at info@cdshomedesign.com
Computer and monitor
TV
Microwave
One incandescent light in a typical room (if you use only compact fluorescents, good for you and omit this one from the survey!!)