Tag: Icehouse Rehabilitation
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Screening
Still “ciphering” on the particulars of the enclosure screening south of the icehouse terrace. Four days ago I riffed whimsical on the subtleties of decision making for the privacy fence that will conceal the unsightly but essential infrastructure located behind Rosslyn’s historic carriage house). A mid morning meditation on enclosure inspired by ongoing deliberations on…
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Enclosure
A mid morning meditation on enclosure inspired by ongoing deliberations on the height and porosity of the privacy fence that will screen the mechanicals, propane tank, etc. behind the carriage barn (south of the icehouse terrace). So muchdepends upona borderenfolding,a framedefining,a hedge ora tree linescreening,veiling,a yardencompassing,a paddockor a stycontaining,a ringencircling,a cageconfining,a courtyard’ssanctuarysheltering,a harborprotecting,an embracewelcoming andnurturing…
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Lumbering Home
Hymn-along a song ofhomegrown timber,harvested within sightof the renewed icehouse.Hum, drum, and struman anthem hailinghyper local lumberloved, labored, arrayed.Felled and milled on site,then stickered and stacked,courses upon courses,a dozen years cured,between hemlock floor,and fir paneled walls,ceiling stained from fivequarter centuries.Once towering ash,elm, and poplar treesreborn as flooring,balusters, newels, railings. Canopied colossimetamorphosed intostair treads and risers,door…
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Flashing Flashback
Weather reminds us that autumn will inevitably yield to winter. Frost. Flurries. Cooold nights… Probably soon-ish, at least for short intervals. And yet the threat of colder, wetter, even snowier and icier days ahead is 100% less concerning than it was a year ago. We’d only just begun our foray into Rosslyn’s icehouse rehabilitation. And…
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Sun Puddling
Our Labrador retriever loves sun puddles. Ever since Carley was a pup, she has sought out the sunniest spots for her siestas. Sun puddling, we call it. She’ll reposition herself around the house, the icehouse, the yard throughout the day to ensure that she is snoozing in the most optimal sun puddle possible. Bliss, shear…
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Solving the Paver Puzzle
Some days at Rosslyn are more kaleidoscopic than others, textures tumbling, patterns resolving then dissolving again, protean punch-lists pushing the limits of planning and patience, and ever evolving priorities and timelines. Nothing is constant except for change… Some days, many days lately, we’ve been solving and re-solving the paver puzzle. No one ever steps in…
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Icehouse, April 11, 2020
Poking around in peripandemic photos, those early days when Susan and I had evacuated to Essex from a family vacation in Antigua, when we reignited long dormant fantasies about the icehouse, about transforming this historic utility building into a modern day work+life flex space, this golden hour gem jumped out. Three and a half years…
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Patinated Penetrations
After many months in the works — installing through-wall mechanicals, commissioning custom copper vent covers, and patinating covers — Supi installed blocking and the patinated penetrations bringing to a close yet another task from the icehouse rehab finish schedule. Clustered on the north facade within the vicinity of the mechanicals closet, these penetrations are a…
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Bird’s Eye View: Backyard
Over the last year, I’ve often relied on aerial photography to help me conceptualize icehouse rehab plans, visualize topographical integration, and plan landscape / hardscape layouts. Over the years I’ve relied upon bird’s eye view photography (thank you drone technology!) for many of Susan an my projects, so this isn’t something new. And yet, it’s…
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Stone Paving Icehouse Courtyard
The title of this post conjures a hot summer’s day along the highway, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, slooowly advancing through a construction site where hot asphalt is being laid in a stinky, tarry, gravelly layer, then rolled flat and smooth with an enormous steel drum ballasted with water, pressing the roadway into submission. Paving. We’ve…
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Framing Vintage Artifacts
After a year of icehouse rehab, it’s been rewarding to add art and artifacts to showcase in this new space. Yesterday Susan and I returned from another creative collab with Nico Sardet at Furchgott Sourdiffe, mostly transforming and framing vintage artifacts that will be displayed in the icehouse. The warmly sepia-tinged photograph above captures the…
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Mighty Muscle, Mini Machine
I’m overdue for a shoutout to Aaron Valachovic for helping out with icehouse hardscape in recent weeks. During a site visit to review autumn tree work he happened to mention that he’s done stonework before and had some availability. Wait! What? I’ve been pleased with Aaron’s work as an arborist, and his work ethic is…