Renovating Without Plans? What DIY-ers Should Know!

Design intent can be tough to convey; it is comprised of any number of ideas and goals, and all of the implications of achieving them successfully.  It can be tough for owners to express what your intent is if you’re not fluent in the language of building - and why should they be?  I can’t speak the language of medicine, or astronomy, and no one is expecting me to.

Read More
Reimagining of a Habitat For Humanity Houseplan

This project is a great example of how a few simple customizations to any structure can add value, and that value is amplified when we avoid using the bulldozer as an 'easy' out to our housing needs.  The most sustainable solutions for new buildings are far and away those that involve repurposing and upcycling our existing stock of housing, and even our stock-plan builder home neighborhoods could become more interesting places if housing was allowed to evolve and grow in as unique a way as its inhabitants.

Read More
Ingenuity of the New Orleans' Camelback

Seems straightforward to many of us New Orleanians: build one story on top of another story, hold it back from the front of the home, clad it similarly to the rest of the home and voila - the silhouette of a camel's hump on a traditional Victorian home, one of New Orleans' most unique archetypes.

Read More
Before & Afters!: Adaptive Reuse Along Historic Broad Street Corridor

The grind of construction can make it easy to lose sight of the drama of the transformation taking place when renovating a historic building.  Documenting the progress made at the end of a project is really a special feeling, and reminds us why we do what we do, and validates the potential that everyone saw in a previously neglected piece of New Orleans' history.

Read More
Studio BKA's guide to interior selections

If you are feeling stuck while trying to select finish and fixture package for your renovation or new construction project, have to no fear. Material and fixture selections can feel overwhelming. "Where do I start?" "I like everything?" These are some things I hear from my clients. This step-by-step guide is a simplified and short version of the process I use to select finishes and fixtures for my clients. It can be applied to residential and commercial projects. 

Read More
What's the Big Deal with the Bid Phase?

The bidding phase, also know as the procurement phase, is sometimes forgotten as one of the most important phases in your project process. While the drawings will illustrate the scope of work. The bidding phase will help establish terms and conditions for the scope of work. This phase is necessary to help mitigate head butting down the road when conflict arises. 

Read More