We will be posting a series of photos documenting the construction process of this project, beginning with these photos of the new dormer framing & initial basement work, for your viewing pleasure & neighborhood edification.

Here you can see the framing going up for the new dormer.

In this interior shot, both the new dormer framing and the old roof framing is visible, giving an idea of how the new space will fit into the existing building.

Several structural concerns were addressed as part of this job, including the ridge beam connection, pictured here, as well as the addition of new, larger concrete footings for posts in the basement.

One more photo of the dormer framing from even more recently.

Moving to the basement level, this photo shows the main support beam overhead, and the rebar reinforcements ready to have concrete poured over them to form new post footings, necessary to support the new dormer above.

Another view of the soon-to-be footings, with the new post bases visible and an existing foundation wall in the background.

Looking from the street side of the basement toward the rear, piles of rubble and wood from demolition work pile up. In the background where people are standing will be the location of new stairs to the backyard.

This photo shows the demo work for aforementioned stairs to the rear yard, looking toward the front of the house from the rear. In the foreground is an existing concrete patio which was partially broken up, and in the middle ground you can see where the concrete foundation wall had to be cut into to allow for through access.

Stay tuned for an update next week as things really take shape!

Ages 0-3:
1st Place – Sebastian
2nd Place – Elsa
3rd Place – Adelaide

Ages 4-6:
1st Place – David
2nd Place – Soren
3rd Place – Miel
Honorable Mentions – Vivian, Leslie

Ages 7-10:
1st Place – Martin
2nd Place – Luc

Ages 11-105:
1st Place – Sophie
2nd Place – Todd

Big thanks to all who entered – Bernal Heights has never looked so colorful!

We’ve been living and working in Bernal for the better part of eight years years, and our firm has worked with many neighbors to enlarge, modify, or otherwise update their home-sweet-homes. Recently, we repurposed various drawings from neighborhood projects to create a snappy little kids coloring book. Here for your children’s coloring pleasure is a version that you are free to download, print-out, and color-up.

To raise the game over the Thanksgiving break, we are holding a Bernal Kids Coloring Contest. If you’d like to participate, here are the rules:

Official Bernal Heights Architectural Coloring Contest Rules:

Download the coloring book. (pdf file)
Print out the coloring book on a computer printer
Pick your favorite house(s), and color, inside or outside the lines.
On the back, write down the name and age of the person who did the coloring. Provide a way for us to reach you. (No carrier pigeons, please.)
Turn your kids’ masterpieces in at our office mail box (301 Bocana @ Cortland) no later than Monday, November 28th. We’ll hang them in our window.
Judging:
Drawings will be judged by a highly decorated and independent panel of judges based on age groups (0-3, 4-6, 7-10, 11-105) based on GENERAL LEVEL OF ARTISTIC MERIT.

Prizes:

Every entrant will receive a prize which will range from a piece of local chert all the way to a pony. Just kidding about the pony– its really all about participating right?

Questions? Need crayons?– call or visit us and we’ll hook you up.

We’re a bit late to the party on this one, but we’ve just come across an unlikely combination of durability and functionality in the novel repurposing of a tractor/trailer foot step turned flush mounted soap dish. This comes our way via Todd Lappin, a Bernal Heights industriophile who has more than his fair share of creative gems lurking beneath his “Telstar Logistics” brand. Read more about it here.