Todd Hallett, AIA, President of TK Design & Associates, Inc. (tkhomedesign.com) has been designing award winning homes for over 20 years. He spent 15 of those years working for a $50 million production building company. Todd designed all of their homes but also worked in every other aspect of the company including purchasing, development, land acquisition, product development, and operations, and was President of the company for three years. Equipped with his vast building experience and fueled by his love for architecture he left to form an architecture firm that is second to none in working cohesively with Builders. Todd specializes in Lean Design and works, alongside Scott Sedam of TrueNorth Development, in the trenches with builders, suppliers, and trade contractors. His Lean Design blog appears weekly at Housingzone.com. Todd welcomes your feedback at thallett@tkhomedesign.com[3] or 248.446.1960.
Typically I like to save my drama for my mama – not this time. This time I packed it all into this 2,800-square-foot Lean-designed home. This cost-efficient home is easy to build, value engineered, and developed on Lean standards.
The plan is miserly in terms of the massing. There are no unnecessary foundation and plan jogs to inflate cost....
Danger Will Robinson! Danger! The IBS plan review sessions are starting to get booked up.
Professional Builder is hosting House Review Live with six different leading Architects and Designers (including yours truly) from across the country to help you review your existing plans and elevations. So bring your best plans, worst plans, any plans...
When it comes to trusses "Piggyback" is a four letter word. Piggyback trusses are little trusses that sit upon larger trusses to allow the roof configuration to reach a certain height/span. In general a piggyback system is very expensive and time consuming to put together. Piggyback systems can cost anywhere from $800 to $1500 per house depending...
As many of you know by now Professional Builder is holding three days of plan reviews by some of the top designers and architects in the country during the International Builders Show. I am honored to be part of that group and very much look forward to the event. Here are some juicy insider tips to help you take advantage of the opportunity:...
One of the benefits of working with builders and customers all over the country is that I get a real grasp of what is happening with design trends. For the longest time it seemed everyone wanted a second floor Laundry Room. The logic was that all if all of the bedrooms (including the Owner's) are upstairs then that is where the Laundry should be....
Happy New Year! IBS 2012 is going to be great. Unlike recent years past there is a distinct feeling of optimism going into this event. A lot of builders are looking at this year as an opportunity for growth. If you haven't already considered using Lean as a platform for this growth - do. It will allow you to maximize profits and optimize the...
I love the easy ones! Scott Sedam and I were implementing a Lean Plan Workout recently and a very simple cost saving opportunity presented itself. Eliminate the tire stop in the garage. A tire stop is an area of raised curb in the garage designed to remind drivers to stop once they are in their garage. The argument is that if they really need this...
Designing a new elevation series is a lot of fun. It is an opportunity to define your brand and create homes that will speak to buyers emotionally. Here are three things to look out for when your elevations are in the sketch phase:
Massing and fenestration - Make sure that your windows and doors relate well to the area of the home they are tied...
My psychiatrist told me I'm going crazy. I told him, "If you don't mind, I'd like a second opinion." He said, "All right. You're ugly too!"
When it comes to TJIs we should take a cue from Rodney Dangerfield and get a second opinion or at least a second look at our joist layout. We send our plans out to the lumber company. The lumber...
Construction drawings are complex and getting them right involves a whole lot of moving parts. From working with builder and trades countrywide I have uncovered the five most common areas where mistakes are made:
1. Plan Dimensioning - One of the biggest causes of premature gray hair amongst framers is poor dimensioning. I suggest that you ensure...
