Thank You, Tiho!

Although there have been a spattering of timely tributes to Tiho over the last few years, the truth is, I’m long overdue — *beyond* long overdue — for a proper tribute to the man who’s empowered so much of the renovation work that Susan and I have undertaken in recent years.

Susan and I first became acquainted with Tiho when we were renovating a property in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2016 or 2017. (The years blur, contributing to a reassuring sense that we’ve been collaborating with Tiho forever!) Although we’d initially been working with another Santa Fe based draftsman, he’d passed the baton to Tiho when his circumstances changed. And we’ve been relying on his creative smarts, good judgment, and gentle psychotherapy (perhaps the most critical skill in construction design and management) ever since!

Born in Bulgaria, Tihomir Dimitrov is an anomaly many times over. He’s an artistic shapeshifter, leveraging creative aptitude in diverse realms to fertilize each other. He’s an accomplished musician (@tiho.dimitrov.music). Sadly we’ll miss him performing this Friday. And he’s an accomplished building designer and architect (dimitrovdesignstudio.com). We’ve learned over the years that you can’t separate these two sides of Tiho. They cross pollinate. They inspire one another. And we’re profoundly grateful to have been the beneficiary!

I mentioned above that Tiho’s early work with us was in the capacity of an architectural draftsman. We knew then that we were receiving far more than we’d bargained for, and it’s been our profound pleasure and privilege to witness Tiho’s journey from architectural draftsman to licensed architect. Perennial shapeshifting!

Much of Tiho’s work with us has taken place in Santa Fe, but the 2020-2021 remodel+addition (reinvention?) of ADK Oasis Lakeside and the 2022-2023 historic rehabilitation of Rosslyn’s icehouse represent a remarkable capacity for him to design from afar. Each of these projects were widely different from one another, and they wildly outlie the work he’s done with us in Santa Fe. Shapeshifter!

In addition to developing a rich collegial dynamic and a deep respect for Tiho’s perspective and sensibility over the years, we’ve been fortunate to forge a friendship that continues to enrich our lives. For all of this, I thank you, Tiho.

As a minimalist sketch chronicling Tiho’s contribution in Essex and Wilssboro, I’ll gather a few brief excerpts from previous posts. If I pique your curiosity, clicking the source links will bring you to the original posts.

ADK Oasis Lakeside

While our Santa Fe collaboration dates back more than a half decade, ADK Oasis Lakeside was Tiho’s debut in Essex/Willsboro.

Enjoy these renderings [of ADK Oasis Lakeside] by our friend and architectural draftsman extraordinaire, Tiho Dimitrov.

(Source: ADK Oasis Lakeside)

Here’s the driveway approach.

Here’s the lake-facing elevation.

This was an especially challenging project given that it took place during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, the team was geographically distributed, and the scope of work and timeline were wildly ambitious. Although more reflection on that journey belongs elsewhere, it’s worth noting that this comprehensive remodel was finished on time, and it’s been a resounding success, due in no small part to the contribution of Mr. Dimitrov. Thank you, Tiho!

Rosslyn’s Icehouse

Building on Tiho’s remarkable success with ADK Oasis Lakeside, we were thrilled when he agreed to work with us on Rosslyn’s icehouse. Although historic rehabilitation is familiar territory for Susan and me, it was our first foray into this delicate design space. A year and a half ago his plans were approved by the Essex Planning Board and our engineer dovetailed expertise with Tiho to transform and aesthetic vision into a buildable plan.

Behind the scenes, Tiho Dimitrov spent the week fine-tuning construction plans in conjunction with Thomas Weber who’s responsible for engineering the structural plan. All of these committed collaborators have gotten us to the starting gate.

(Source: The Ice Hook)

Here’s what I felt as we dove into the adventure.

I’m at once optimistic and increasingly confident that our vision, nurtured into a plan by Tiho Dimitrov (architect) with structural oversight of Thomas Weber (engineer), will by late springtime have added a worthy new dimension to this timeless sanctuary.

(Source: Gable End Window in West Elevation)

Here’s what we set out to create.

These illustrative previews are an enjoyable way to fertilize the team’s imagination as they progress.

(Source: Renderings for Icehouse Rehabilitation 2022-2023)

The facade above is viewable from the public view shed, and it was guided by a need to preserve the historic view shed. The facade below is what we see from the north lawn (a recently reconfigured croquet, bocce, and volleyball lawn.)

At an exuberant benchmark in our construction chronicle, I shared the following understated but unmistakably enthusiastic observation.

Little by little this [north] side of Rosslyn’s icehouse is starting to approach Tiho’s architectural rendering.

(Source: Bathroom Window Installed)

Walking past the icehouse to the west, the facade below — invisible to the public but transformative to the interior, dramatically increasing the permeability/porosity while allowing for a seamless and intimate interior/exterior integration — reimagines the previously dark, cloistered environment as a light filled extension of Rosslyn’s handsome historic grounds.

Rendering for Icehouse Rehabilitation, West Elevation (Source: Tiho Dimitrov)

Another benchmark, and another exuberant observance.

We’re approaching the point where [the icehouse] reality resembles Tiho’s renderings. Remember that west elevation drawing Tiho created to help the team visualize where we were headed?

(Source: West Elevation Doorway Installed)

Of course, optimism only gets you so far. As we hustled toward the finish line, the wet weather — it basically rained ALL spring and summer — afflicted the finish schedule with compounding delays. And the microscopic dimensions that had posed a challenge throughout this project given the limited workspace, inefficiency of too many bodies in too few square feet, added hurtles aplenty as we endeavored to finish the interior. But, with some inevitable delays, we were pretty close to completion when Tiho flew in for a sight visit.

This weekend, a symbolic threshold…, was my opportunity to show Tiho… the results of his creative work. Although he departs tomorrow, he was at least able to get an *ALMOST* complete perspective.

(Source: Move-In Begins)

And this retrospective.

This past weekend, Susan and I hosted our friend, Tiho Dimitrov, the Santa Fe based architect with whom we’ve collaborated on several projects over the years… Tiho’s site visit to both properties was an exciting culmination, especially as we glide into the home stretch of icehouse v2.0, now almost ready for relaunch.

(Source: Tiho’s Site Visit)

Already involved in another small remodel+addition to our Santa Fe casita, my confidence in — and gratitude for — Tiho is higher than ever.

Thank you, Tiho, for your perennial willingness to accommodate our sometimes challenging guidance and requests.

(Source: Architectural Salvage: Repurposed Columns)

And thank you, Tiho, for your creative questions and your diplomatic tacks. Thank you for enduring our endless, slow-roll timelines and our overly ambitious “need it yesterday” deadlines. Thank you for your architectural and design style breadth and your geographical agility. Thank you for your patience and for your even temperament. For all of this (and everything else that I’m forgetting to mention) I thank you, Tiho.

Thank you, Tiho, for architecting us through one adventure after another!

What Makes a House a Home?

I’ll draw the curtains on this post with Tiho’s response to the question that I have put to so many.

What makes a house a home? For me, it’s my books, my guitars, and the odd pieces of art that I own. It’s the art and the books that bring a sense of me or a sense of my spirit. Combine that with the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and you have a home. It’s the imperfections of a place that make it perfect. (Source: What Makes a House a Home?)

I’m especially keen on that last sentence. Home is a place that is perfect for its imperfections. That appeals to my wabi-sabi sensibility, and to my peculiar sense of humor that is tickled by an architect, a designer, a construction project manager willing to accept, indeed to embrace, imperfection. Thank you, Tiho!