My Office Addition - Planning

July 1 - An Office with a View

We are finally planning our office addition! When my wife and I first considered buying the house ten years ago, we climbed up on the garage roof and fantasized about working there. The view is breathtaking! And now it is going to happen.

This is going to be the "world headquarters" of What's Working, my environmental construction consulting company, so it needs to be the best example of what is working. I want to build a signature piece that will reflect what my company is all about - a prototype green building. I want unique architecture that will blend into my mountain neighborhood; a playful space in which to work and entertain; a room big enough for presentations and meetings. Additionally, it has to be energy efficient, it has to use all resources as efficiently as possible, and it has to have clean air without toxic chemicals that are released from so many building products today.

I ruminate over what I want in my space and how it will work as a multi-purpose building. I need office space now, but what about the future? Will my company outgrow this building as I have outgrown the office in the house? What if I accept an assignment in another country? Could we rent out the house and convert the office into an apartment for our return visits?

At the same time, I have a limited budget to work with. My mortgage broker, who originally financed the house, calculates that refinancing my home in light of low interest rates and my home's appreciated value is equal to $100 per square foot of construction costs. This is enough to make my dream office a reality.

September 15, 2002

The plans are complete enough to start calling contractors for bids. I trained many of the remodelers in Boulder and figure I can get one of them to work with me on the project.

September 25, 2002 - A Budget Busting

I am shocked when I get the contract's figures back — $200 per square foot, twice my budget! The specifications freak out even those contractors I trained through the Boulder Green Remodeling program because they have never used materials such as structural insulated panels. The difference between my aspirations to "walk my talk" and reality have never been more dramatic.

I decide that it would be too expensive to use a contractor so I bite the bullet and choose to be my own general contractor. I haven't built anything significant for over a decade. Will I find good people to get the work done? Am I crazy? Despite the disconcerting voice in my head, I feel committed. Sometimes the voices of internal terror are just there to push us to reach higher and try new things.

October 23, 2002 - Using Green Products

My architect, George Watt, helps me flesh out my plans. After going through iterations of floor plans, elevations, and finish treatments, we arrive at a final design that accomplishes all of our objectives. My motivations for using green products are twofold. First, I train builders, architects, and remodelers how to build green. I have hands-on experience with many of the products I talk about, but not with all of them. Now is my chance to grain practical experience with even more of the materials, rather than simply relying on manufacturers' literature or word of mouth for information. Second, I developed the Boulder Green Points program and counsel many builders on how to comply with the program's energy efficient, resourceful, and healthy material requirements. Often I hear, "The products are too expensive," "I can't get my subs to use them," or "I can't find the products anywhere." Using green products in my own office addition will help me address these issues firsthand.