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For many clients, there is nothing like the feel and look of wood and detailed wood moulding. Wood paneling's rich appearance stems from the endless patterns revealed by the wood, with each type of wood having its own characteristics. To design a room with intricate wood moulding, very often using more than one type of wood, such as oak and cherry, is like piecing together an complicated puzzle. Not only do the woods have to match and the moulding come together appropriately at various points in the room, but the architect must have a good sense of proportion for where in the room the moulding is being used. Even as to where in the house the mouldings are used, the architect must know the proper proportions - for example, using deeper moulding in the entry way or living room as opposed to the type and amount of moulding used in the bedrooms. Beams overhead must be properly sized so that the don't look out of scale, either too big or heavy or too small and delicate for the space. But the warmth that wood envokes is hard to duplicate using other materials. The house featured here, from New Canann, Ct. show the various using of wood and moulding in several different rooms, each with a distinctive style and appearance and using several different types of wood. While a much more complicated design problem for the architect as opposed to flat walls without any architectural decoration, the result can be spectacular and definitely worth the time and effort, giving the owner a space that cannot be seen in most homes.

Architect Westchester Michael McCann - AIA continuing ed credits

Attended Continuing education seminar for AIA CEU credits - hosted by Authentic Window Design and Marvin Windows. Seminar focused on window design and characteristics and how windows perform with wind, rain, air and operating force. The seminar also covered performance testing, including hurricanes and impact professional standards.
The Standards covered included material testing for temperature, UV , humidity and resistance for corrosion, especially in coastal areas like Westchester and the Hamptons where salt is an issue. Paint fading and durability were also discussed.

The presenter mentioned that any window product receiving the Hallmark Certification is an indication of the highest level of underwriters' approval. It signifies that the product has undergone an in plant third party inspection under a quality control audit. Areas of certification include for example, skylights, Florida special needs and mold. Hallmark Certification provides additional assurance of predictable performance.

Another part of the s

eminar included architectural materials standards. The presenter from Marvin Windows mentioned that some municipalities were instituting inspections for windows and doors to see that they were installed per manufacturers specifications and if they were not installed correctly, a certification of occupancy would not be issued. Building inspectors and towns are trying to prevent problems associated with improper window and door installation, such as windows/doors out of square, water leakage leading to mold problems and lack of good insulation. Therefore, the Marvin Window presenter believes that Window Installation codes are coming, making builders install windows and doors properly according to the manufacturers installation instructions. Bad installations he said can lead to mold and moisture problems.

For vinyl windows the Marvin Window presenter discussed Sill Pan flashings which direct incidental water and moisture away from the interior plane of the window so that the water drains to the exterior of the building and down to the ground. He also covered weather resistant barriers, shims and sealants. As to sealants, compatibility of adjoining materials determines what type of sealant to use, taking into account adherence and rate of expansion and contraction of materials. A good sealant will allow for at least 25 to 50 % expansion and contraction.

Architect Westchester - Fine by towns re:legalizing open building permits or obtaining Certificate of Occupancies

The fees vary greatly from town to town in Westchester when a homeowner is required to legalize an improvement that was never filed with his local building department. For example, New Rochelle charges $2000 for unfiled building permits regardless of whether or not the homeowner did the work or purchased the home with the improvement already there. Eastchester also has very stiff fees in excess of $2000. Other towns though are just happy to have the homeowner correct the situation and will charge only the regular building department fee or something like it - sometimes 2 or 3 times the fee, but only a few hundred dollars. Without having the certificate of occupancy on the improvement, the owner will have a difficult time selling the home as the title company will not want to give the prospective buyer clear title with an open CO. The real estate agent often finds out about the open CO when trying to list the house and the property card at city hall does not match what is present on the property.

Michael McCann, an architect in Westchester has spoken to over 40 real estate offices educating the staff as to the procedures regarding open CO's or unfiled building permits.

Michael McCann architect Westchester Newly Designed Home Mamaroneck on Market

A house Michael McCann designed that is under construction has recently come to the market. The home is at 1010 Cove Road, Mamaroneck, NY in the Orienta Point estates area. The listing says:




Experience the quiet serenity of Cove Road in this gorgeous family home situated on half an acre of private property in the heart of prestigious Orienta Point.Spectacular New Nantucket Colonial is sunfilled & features elegance & refined architectual details thru-out with 5 bedrm, 4.5 baths, hard wood floors, large gourmet EIK flows to wonderful family rm/Fpl. Perfect for entertaining and every ammenity for todays lifestyle.This gem is just minutes from shops,schools and a short commute to NYC.

Pictures can be seen on Weikert real estate site and the Houlihan Lawrence site. Price of the house is $2,295,000.

Architect Westchester Michael McCann Westchester Home Magazine

Westchester Home Magazine has an article in their Fall issue "10 Most Beautiful Houses in Westchester". Michael McCann's design and construction of a home in Pocantico Hills, NY was selected to me in the article.

Michael McCann, an architect practicing in Westchester, Fairfield and the Hamptons, designed a large addition on an existing house. The home had a Cotswold feel to it and Michael's addition fit seamlessly into the original house, so that it is almost impossible to tell where the old house ended and the new addition began.

Note: The actual print magazine for Westchester Home included a mistake as to the house Michael designed. It has his name next to an Adirondack style house, not the Cotswold style house in Pocantico Hills. The magazine has corrected the on line website for Westchester Home. The link for the Westchester Home Magazine issue is:
http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/Westchester-Home/Fall-2010/The-10-Most-Beautiful-Homes-in-Westchester/index.

Good Residential Architecture, architects in Westchester, Westchester architects, residential architects Westchester

The Emotional component of good Residential Architecture

Often, when planning a renovation or a new home, clients neglects to consider the idea of how the architecture relates psychologically to "human scale."

For example, a couple had lived for several years in a Bronxville home that was filled with what most people would call charm - interesting cozy nooks and spaces with lots of beautiful crown moulding. For business reasons, they sold this house and moved to a very large brand new home in Connecticut. this new residence has very substantial expansive rooms with soaring spaces including a cavernous two story entry hall, a huge master bedroom and other enormous rooms. After living in this new residence a couple of years, the owners are looking to sell. Why, when this new residence seems to be so impressive? The family reports that they missed the feeling of coziness that they had experienced in their old home. this house, while beautiful on a grand scale, made them feel like they were bouncing around in a huge box and it lacked the sense of comfortable hominess that had existed in their former residence. In other words, this current house was missing human scale. Instead of a warm, welcoming feeling, the house had rooms that almost echoed and no amount of decorating could soften the edges.

There is almost an emotional and psychological aspect to architecture, especially in residential design, which many people fail to take into account. Successful residential architectural design is actually a melding of art, functionality, and psychology. some architectural features, like huge foyers, while initially imposing, do not deliver the sensation of ease and relaxation that most people seek as a respite from the stresses of everyday life. While difficult to articulate, owners sometimes don't even understand why the perception of coziness is missing. Architecture in one's home should contribute to that sense of refuge. More and more families are seeking a space to return to that restores the spirit, away from a hectic world. Residential architecture that is devoid of detail and incorporates architectural features such as soaring open spaces is frequently out of human scale and can covey a sense of discomfort and uneasiness for the occupants.
An architect must endeavor to be more than an artist capable of understanding the methods of construction when designing a residence. an architect must also be a skilled listener, actively questioning the clients as to how they envision using the proposed space. the architect must also understand the client's lifestyle to successfully design a space where the clients and their family will experience comfortable surroundings. Even if the client is requesting a grand impressive space, the architect must be able to translate that concept into good design and still leave the client with a space where they feel a sense of contentment and have a place that can restore the spirit. Architectural details, such as scale of the doors, the height of the ceilings, the height and span of the arches and the hierarchy of moulding must be aligned in good residential design to achieve a beautiful space while giving the owners the awareness that their home is a restful sanctuary.