AIA North Carolina Convention

I just returned from the AIA North Carolina Convention that was held in Asheville. Here are a few of the highlights

There was an interesting seminar on the restoration of the Thomas Wolfe House followed by a tour of the house. Thomas Wolfe last lived in the house in 1916 so the interior is typical of that period. The Wolfe family lived in the house until it was sold to the city of Asheville and turned into a museum.

I can not imagine cooking for a boarding house full of people in that kitchen!

Regional Director Jim Rains and his posse of flower children worked the crowd soliciting donations for the AIA North Carolina Political Action Committee. I don't know if AIA National President, George Miller contributed.

On Saturday afternoon I went on a tour of the Asheville River Arts District and saw these funky stools made from old gears.

I had never seen a rain barrel quite like this one.

The highlight of the convention was the design award's gala that was held at the Biltmore House. What a treat...and the award winning projects were great, too.

My Slice of Heaven

This is my first blog-off challenge and the topic of writing about my "Slice of Heaven" was easy because I am one of the lucky ones who lives in paradise. This is the view from my back terrace overlooking the inter-coastal waterway. I live on Lady's Island which is just across the river from Beaufort, South Carolina. I never tire of the view..there is something about a long view that is very relaxing. One of the best things about being on the marsh is the abundant bird population. We see Herons, Egrets,  and Wood Storks in the marsh. There is a Osprey that preens it feathers every morning in a snag that I can see from our bedroom. Hooded Mergansers arrive in December and were renamed Christmas Ducks by our girls when they were young.

We hear owls every morning and have seen a Great Horned Owl in a tall pine tree and a Screech Owl on our terrace after he collided with our sliding doors. Fortunately he was just stunned and soon flew away.

The kitchen looks out to the river on the West and into a courtyard on the East. I see a different group of birds in the courtyard. The two most exciting to spot are Painted Buntings and Pileated Woodpeckers. We keeps several birdbaths and they are usually full of Cardinals.

One day when we were out kayaking a manatee swam by us...really cool! Michael, my husband fishes behind our house. A few years ago he found a sweet spot and would leave the house asking how many fish I wanted him to bring home for dinner!

The marsh and river views are always changing and can be very dramatic. We watch rain storms approach down the river. You are probably thinking that it is difficult for me to leave my house and go to work... once again, I am lucky. Our office is on the same piece of property as our house but in a different building. The view below is from the office.

Even though I live in paradise, it is on a flat barrier island and is in a small town. So when I leave my slice of heaven I either go to the mountains or to a city. I grew up in Tennessee, so I have to get my mountain fix and enjoy those long views especially when backpacking!

We have a lush, semi-tropical landscape with huge Live Oak trees draping Spanish Moss but there is very little fall color. The marsh changes from bright green to gold and there is an occasional tree here in there sporting some color. So a trip to the mountains in the fall is a real treat.

My priorities when traveling are great architecture, great art and great food!

Components of Closed Crawl Spaces

Until around 75 years ago, houses in the Coastal South were built out of solid lumber components of stud walls, diagonal sheathing, wood siding, and the interior was finished with plaster. When the walls got wet they were able to dry because there was no insulation and plentiful leaks to let air circulate in and out of the walls. There was not a problem with mold because solid lumber is not eaten by mold. Without air-conditioning, high ceilings, porches and cross ventilation contributed to making the house bearable in a hot, humid climate. This sounds like a good system except thermal comfort is almost impossible to achieve in a leaky, un-insulated structure .

Amen Street Light Fixtures

A few weeks ago we went out to lunch at Amen Street Resturant http://www.amenstreet.com in Charleston. I highly recommend eating there for the great fresh fish and local produce. We were quite taken with the light fixtures that were made out of oyster shells. They are made locally by Lowcountry Lighting Originals http://www.lowcountryoriginals.net/. They will make custom sizes and finishes.