E-L-E-V-A-T-I-O-N

Our framers finished the eaves today, which are constructed of cedar. This is the west elevation of the house. This thing is getting pretty tall, and it looks like these details might have been somewhat scary to construct. That's why I'm a gardener.

This is a closer view, taken from the northwest corner, showing the entry porch roof and eave details.

A Room With a View

We've now walked around the loft for the first time. Joanna is especially taken by the space--and it's a good thing, as this will be her office! This wonderful room will also be a guest room when necessary, and will feature some storage space. Joanna is looking to the west in this picture, and there is a matching window on the east wall which affords a beautiful view into the long valley beyond.

And here's that lovely view to the east now! The boards that obscure the view out the window are temporary bracing, and will be removed. This is the view that one will have when sitting at the desk in the loft. Just slightly less colorful at certain times of the year. We might even get to watch some fireworks through here!

This is now the full skeleton of the house viewed from the west. This shows the finished shape, so scroll back a bit to see the architect's drawing, and you can fill in the blanks. This should all be covered soon, then on to the inside!

Gimme Shelter

This is really starting to take shape. The roof joists have been placed on the south elevation, and the trusses cover the dining porch. This photo creates the impression that the 3 joists on the left are supporting the rest of the roof. In fact, there is a very large ridge beam, supported by the structure above and below the window openings on the top (loft) level. This beam was featured in a previous post. It appears to be very heavy. We ate breakfast on it.

Here's an interesting detail of the window on the east elevation that will sit above the living room. While we had a great deal of trust and respect for the individuals involved in the design of this dwelling in the conceptual stages, each phase of construction awes us with the knowledge, creativity, and intelligence involved in putting this project together. Kudos to John, Curt, and everyone else involved!
This stage is really fun from a photography standpoint. We could continue posting cool pictures of framing and shadows ad nauseum, but we'll leave it at this! The photo below shows that there will be a flat ceiling above the dining porch, which will continue into the living area for a short distance. This is a feature that draws the gaze out toward the view, and, when going inside, adds drama to the high space in the main living area. This is a Frank Lloyd Wright kind of thing. For those of you who've visited Wright's Cedar Rock, the feeling entering the Garden Room was very inspiring to us. If you don't know Cedar Rock, Google it, or ask us to take you there!

Good Moon Risin'

Had we been sitting at the dining room table last Saturday night, at the right time, this is the view we would have had out the window to the southeast. Though we don't have a lot of experience with moon rises at the farm, we're hoping this is par for the course.

This is where you'll be entering the Yum Yum Farm house. This is the framing for the main entry porch, on the north side of the house.
This very sturdy looking beam, or collection of beams, will support roof joists, and sliding doors that will enable the dining porch to be closed off from the rest of the house. This requires a crane to hoist it into place. The beer bottle at the lower right helps to put the size of the beam in perspective. Or something like that.

Lofty Plans

Now this is getting interesting. This protruding element on top of the framing is the part of the loft that cantilevers over the living room. This is the perch from which Joanna will keep watch over Yum Yum Valley, and formulate brilliant marketing plans for all of the wonderful products from Kalona Organics. This photo looks southwest and shows the loft hovering over the bedroom and bathroom. Between the two is a small alcove that will house a custom made cabinet for our towels and linens and things.

This is the view that one will see upon reaching the top of the stairs, coming up from the basement. This is the kitchen window, looking east into the valley. The kitchen sink will be right below this window. Note the engineered lumber used as studs in this area. Comments?

This view is looking north from the dining/sleeping porch into the bedroom. Note the framing for the loft floor overhead. This will remain exposed, and will be a sort of canopy over the bed. Lighting will be mounted to the face of the loft, which is at the top of this photo.

The Next Level

We must apologize for the time we've allowed to pass since our last post. You must be on the edge of your seats, breathless with anticipation! Well, here it is--the beginnings of the main level. This view is taken from the same place where the first picture on the blog was taken, but not zoomed. We've been taking photos from this same spot, so we can do some sort of time-lapse thing when it's done. The most striking thing about the construction as it progresses is the view, and the way it is framed by the windows. The far right part of the house is the dining porch, and it provides a gorgeous vista to the east, south, and west. We can't wait to eat here!

Here's Joanna enjoying the view now! This photo is taken from the kitchen, or so.

Here's a view, soon to be obscured, to the northwest. The window on the left is the bedroom, next is the bathroom, and the last is above the landing in the stairwell (to the basement).