Aging In Place

Just musing....something to think about
When we have children we do not send them off to a 24hr a day, child proofed care facility where all of their fundamental needs will be met by strangers, while we go about our lives as usual dropping in every once in a while (especially holiday’s and special occasions) just to say hi and make sure all is well... In our society that would be what we refer to a “deadbeat.” We instead make many small changes to begin adapting to life with the little creature, making personal sacrifices in both our private and public lives for them, staying in more often, eating a bit better (and earlier and perhaps often) child proofing the home, adjusting sleep cycles, making different decisions about the cars we drive and the areas we live in.... the list goes on and on and it all adds up to a revolution of one’s own life and it is great... We consider it our responsibility; we accept it and we begin weaving our reality around it. However, why is the same not true of our elders? Why is it that we do not feel this same sense of responsibility? Why is it socially acceptable to negate responsibility and send them off to care facilities? Why are small changes implemented over time in the home and public and private selves to accommodate them? Because we are too busy? Because we have no idea what we are doing and they would be better cared for someplace else by someone else? Because we were not financially or mentally prepared for it? These all sound like they would be quite applicable in negating our responsibility to our children as well. As do all of the other justifications I’ve heard as to why people deal with the elderly in this manner. I could go on speculating all day as to why we collectively shed this responsibility, but perhaps it is best you think about it for a while yourself and draw your own conclusions.

Work Tables for Evanston Print and Paper

Work tables constructed from reclaimed doors and newel posts for Evanston Print & Paper. They will be the work tables in their new Screen Printing Studio once outfitted with some casters and a nice two part epoxy work top. Any one interested in printing should stop in and check out Evanston Print & Paper, Eileen and Vanessa have a really good thing going on here and they are a pleasure to work with. Check them out online at http://www.evanstonprintandpaper.com/ or better yet stop in and check out the space for yourself.

Custom Condensation Gutters

Condensation gutters or "mini gutters" as we like to call them, installed to work as an evaporation channel to allow the condensing moisture to evaporate instead of ruining the drywall below. The silver aluminum is the skylight itself, the white is the flashing and drip edge we bent into shape, and the gutter itself is hidden atop the pine 1x2 pictured.

I need to go visit this house now that it is completed and I will take some photos to update now that it has all been painted.

The T & C Chairs

Little Bob-o managing the assembly process.

Designed and constructed for my brother Tom and his wonderful fiance Chasity as a christmas present.... (I think they gave me socks and boxers.) crafted from reclaimed cypress from a hundred year old mushroom farm. (thanks for the great material Rory)

Detail of the burned insignia

Paired as a love seat.

They have weathered nicely over the course of the summer, I will be returning them to the shop soon for a final sand and protective clear coat, when I do I will add some updated pics of them in their final finish.

The West Loop Fireplace complete

Bold and beautiful. A perfect pairing with the west loop condo it calls home. The cast concrete and steel complement the aesthetic of this loft while the mirrored cherry panel is just what was needed to invite the fireplace into the kitchen.

The West Loop Fireplace

Granite top to match kitchen counters.

making the pour

detail of rebar and mesh hung within the formwork

Formwork for the mantel face

Some process photos forming the fireplace

a few more pics

The Nicol Bath Project comes to a close

detail of the soap nook in tub surround

Overview of tub surround

Baltic birch plywood was used to create the illusion of butcher block construction.

Overview of the wash wall.

Finally wrapped up this beautiful bathroom... very nice Mark Nicol.... Very Nice.

more progress

progress

From process

From process

From process

From process

From process

From process

From process

Stimulating

All this talk of bailouts and stimulus packages has me thinking... We are about to witness a shift in paradigms. As we watch the auto and housing industry's tank we should relax and be thankful. It is a sign of progress. They will fail because they need to fail. We have over manufactured both at much too low of quality with the wrong ideals behind them. They are intended to be disposable, they are the anti-classics of our time. This may be fine if designed with a cradle to grave mentality in which when the object is disposed of all materials are reclaimed and re instituted. Sadly, they are not. We will see new companies with new ideas, new morals, a new world view. They will be better than we can imagine and the progress in the industry will be astounding. We will see homes and buildings with longer lives, generating energy on-site decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and reducing the security threat inherent in the grid. Our need to travel will decrease and we will see city's revert to villages as people realize there is no longer a need to gather in such numbers. They will choose very particularly the tight knit group they will surround themselves with in the physical world. We will work much less as technology has evolved to a point where we no longer need everyone making things, we should not fear collapse we should celebrate victory and reward our selves with higher pay, for less work, and health care for all. The only thing we are accomplishing by trying to keep everyone working is overproducing inferior goods and services. Let us instead focus on what we "need" on a global scale and restructure from the ground up. We are seeing the signs of reaching a point where we can no longer make changes to what exists to continue on, to continue on we will need to adapt or perish allowing new forms of business to fill the vacuum. Remember we are the powdered wig wearers of the future.