Gravitas Blog

The Merced is a project that comes to us out of our archives.  This 1,784 Square foot home with 3 bedrooms and two baths, has the traditional lines of its Texas neighborhood, infused with a contemporary stone and truss entry.  The wide open porches almost double the living space for entertaining and relaxing and offer great views of the prairie surrounding the original lot.  The screened in section extends its usability into the evenings.  Sometimes traditions are better left honored, and this home has done a good job doing just that.  The Owner’s Suite is located conveniently on the main level, with two additional bedrooms upstairs, and a large loft overlooking the Gathering Room, which could be turned into a great office space or play area.

We have construction drawings ready for purchase off the shelf, or we can work with you or your client to customize any of our homes.  Don’t forget to check out our other Plan of the Month homes

Solimpeks Corp has unveiled a hybrid solar panel, Volther hybrid photovoltaic-solar thermal collector, that incorporates both Photovoltaic technology, as well as providing domestic hot water.

Typically, one of the larger impediments to efficient energy harnessing from a PV system, is the fact that as the panel heats up, the efficiency drops off.  By tying the two systems together, the domestic hot water collector acts as a cooling device for the PV portion of the panel, not only limiting the footprint of a dual system, but also improving the performance of the PV portion.

Traditional PV systems loose efficiency at the rate of 1/2% per degree of temperature increase.  Research and Develompent at Solimpeks claims that PV efficiency has been tested as high as 28%, while producing 104-160 degree water.  By stabilizing the panel at 113 degrees, approximately 20% more electrical output is produced, as when compared to a traditional PV system with the same peak output.

According to the company, tests by independent organizations have shown that an average single family residence in Northern Europe would need 270 square feet to meet their hot water and electrical demands.

Solimpeks Volther offers two different models, emphasizing either hot water collection, or electrical energy production.  The PV utilizes monocrystalline silicon cells, and the hot water portion uses copper tubing.

The first system was installed in May, 2010 in England, and the company sells directly to the US market from Turkey.

MarkWagner<>Gravitas

Gravitas is a Custom Home design company.  That’s what we do, or at least, that’s a majority of what we do.  One of the immensely satisfying aspects of our job, is to work with a family, tease out their wants and needs in a new home, balance those needs with the reality of their budget, site constraints, or Home Owners Association, and arrive at a unique solution for that particular family.  Sometimes reinventing the wheel isn’t always necessary.  We might have worked out a particularly successful kitchen arrangement in a previous home.  Or maybe they found us through our web site, and one of our homes caught their eye.  They want our “Sages”, plan, with some modifications.  This happens all of the time, and that’s what those plans are there for, to inspire our clients, or prospective clients.

Sometimes, though, we meet with a couple, and in their scrap book for their dream home they have found a plan from an architect, or building company that they just love.  They want “That” home, with some modifications.  That’s when we have the discussion about intellectual property rights.  We are in the creation business.  So is our competition. US copyright law has given everyone a tool with which to protect their investment in time, and secure the right to use a design, work of art, book, or any unique published creation.  We go through great lengths respecting the copyright that others have over their work.  We’ve lost projects, because we have told our prospective clients that we can’t copy someone else’s design.  We either need to purchase the right to use it, or come up with something new.

This is where a lot of the commentary in the industry lies.  How much do you need to change a plan to make it unique, or at least to not infringe on the copyright holder?  Let me preface this, and everything else before, and after with a disclaimer.  I am not a lawyer.  I don’t pretend to be one, nor do I want to be one.  I am just a person that has had to  work with intellectual property rights since I first started down the architecture path many years ago.  The words in this entry are purely my own opinion, and you should seek the counsel of someone versed in your specific needs, as necessary. .

The rule of thumb in the industry that I was taught was that it’s acceptable to use another persons idea, as long as I changed the design by 17%..  I think this is rather comical. What constitutes 17%?  I certainly don’t know if moving a bathroom, and enlarging the floor plan is adequate.  I can’t track 17% changes to something, and if we were concerned about just meeting that number, we would not be doing our clients any justice.  If you think you so close that you need to know what 17% is, you are way too close.

We have a program called “Plan of the Month”.  This is where we take one of our past projects and offer it as a “standard” plan.  These are our unique creations based on specific client parameters, so we may use them in any manner we see fit.  We have outlined what rights we have reserved for Gravitas in the contract with our clients, as well as on our title block, so all parties are aware of what is happening.

Recently we issued out one of our plans in this manner.  Later, after reviewing an issue of Log Home Living, we noticed that there was a plan very similar to one we had created.  Immediately, we went to our files, to see what had happened.  As a general rule, the first thing we do is make sure that we didn’t step on any toes, and take something that wasn’t ours.  We always respect where an idea comes from in the design process, but you can’t always control where a client is inspired.  It turns out that there were some plan sketches in the file that the owner provided, and they looked too close to the published plan for comfort.  We didn’t infringe on copyright with our process, but the owner brought something into the system that wasn’t acceptable and put us in a predicament.  We notified the company that had published the plan, and let them know we had just become aware of the problem, and had removed it from use in our plan book.  Luckily we are on good terms with them, and they could see we took the necessary steps to stop the infringement that had been caused.

The courts use a determination of “substantial similarity.”¹) when figuring out if there is an infringement case.  This is a subjective determination but that is the nature of design.  It comes down to if an ordinary observer, after discounting disparities in the design, would find the two designs to be substantially similar²).  For us, it comes down to a gut check; if we feel two designs look close to each other, they are, and we address the problem.

We work with contractors or log, timber, or modular manufacturers that have stock plans.  They often wish to have their plan used with a prospective client, but with some changes.  In this instance, that company is the copyright holder, and so it works out well.  Where there is a problem, is when a client brings in a plan from a log home manufacturer (for instance), and they want to go elsewhere for their log materials but use that plan.  We have a simple answer.  Either license the right to use the plan from the original creator, or let’s start from scratch.

Going through our design process and creating a unique design for the specific needs of a client ends up with a home that is better tailored to the individual.  We say that you shouldn’t modify your living habits to match a particular stock plan, but that you should modify your building design to match your particular living habits.  A fully custom home is not always in the needs of our clients though.  These are times when a stock plan would be useful.  Some copyright holders offer their plans for use on a licensing basis for a small fee. This would allow you to use the plan as a template to make your changes. At Gravitas we currently license our plans for $.25/SF. We have relationships with many contractors, developers and manufactures and they highlight our plans on their web sites as “The Gravitas Series”, or in some other manner acknowledging the source of the material. This allows them to show our plans and then license them for use with individual clients if they want to use their own in-house designers without any copyright infringement.

MarkWagner<>Gravitas

1. Howard v. Sterchi, 974 F.2d 1272, 1276 (11th Cir. 1992 [↩]
2. Shine, 382 F. Supp. 2d at 614 (quoting Folio Impressions, Inc. v. Byer Cal., 937 F.2d 759, 765 (2d Cir. 1991 [↩]

We recently had the pleasure of visiting one of our smaller structures as it is going through its final steps before completion.  Derek Hurd of Gravitas worked with a couple from Texas that were permanently relocating to Boise, Idaho.  They asked Derek to design for them a small accessory dwelling unit (ADU), behind the home they had owned for a few years, but rented out.  They had decided to move permanently to Boise, and the small building would serve as a writing loft for the couple.  They gave Derek a little direction to go by asking him to be inspired by Japanese Tea houses.  The couple referred to the ADU as the “Writing Shed”.  At Gravitas, we called it a “Zen-in-Law”.  Either way, it got the point across, a small out-building, dedicated to the more contemplative things.

The owners came across our company through a mutual friend.  We’re always appreciative when past clients, and future friends can pass along our name to those in need of thoughtful design.  After the owners diligently investigated us, and our web presence, they called, and discussed their needs with Derek.  What ensued was the typical package of sketches being sent, and descriptions of likes, and dislikes.  Derek then integrated all of the ideas, and came up with a  contemporary little writing studio.

We are only a few days away from the final punch list, and we hope to get photographs of the finished work in a few weeks.  Good timing to enjoy the cool Boise evenings.  I’ll be sure to include them in a future post.

Here we can see the little house in all of its glory.  One of Derek’s soft spots is for the faithful ‘butterfly roof’.  It’s simplicity in design ins contrasted with its complexity of construction.  We were treated to some interesting stories of its construction by the crew from Green Remodeling, who did a terrific job helping to realize the owner’s dreams, and Derek’s vision.  One of the wonderful things about this sort of roof, is the fact that all of the wall studs, and all of the roof rafters are unique in length.  This, in addition to the compound angle makes a standard out of the box approach to construction unsuccessful.  Thankfully, Kenji Wright, John King, and Josh Bogle were able to accommodate the design, and deal with the mathematics of the framing.

As with any remodel, or addition, staging the construction of the project can present some challenges.  The site is located at the back of the lot, perched 30 feet above the road.  Luckily there was a vacant lot behind the building (behind the fencing we see to the right).  Through this lot, they were able to bring in the concrete for the foundation, and the floor, as well as the other building materials.  Utilities had to be trenched out to the front of the house.

Siding is T-111 no groove panel, with 1×2” cedar battens at 16” on center.  All earth tones on the finishes help to reinforce the timber feeling, and blend in with the surrounding landscape.  One of the not so surprising ramifications of a ‘butterfly roof’ is the tremendous water collection that it affords.  In this case, the runoff is channeled to a small spillway, that deflects the force of the water as it hits the ground.  The rain is then allowed to gently seep into the soil.  That’s the theory at least.  I’ll check in next spring, and see how things are going.

A fish-eye perspective of Kenji finishing taping before the final finish is put on the loft floor.  The open loft looks down into the common area, with a kitchenette, and writing bench below the window.

Family friend “Woody” stands at the ready to greet any new arrivals.   The owners’ other pooch, a Corgi, is behind the scenes, making sure that everything is built according to plan.  The deck makes a nice perch to view the rest of the yard, and the use of canted beams eliminates the columns breaking up the natural flow, and the site lines.

The landscape walls are made of lava rock, and they turned an aggressively sloping back yard into a series of terraces.  This created much more usable space for the family to enjoy the Boise summers on, and it helps mitigate the runoff, allowing it to soak into the soil, and not run unhindered towards the house, and deck below.  Again, this will be interesting to revisit, after the owner has had an opportunity to enjoy the home for a season or two.

The Laramie

We could tell that this was a special little home from the beginning.  We’ve adopted it into our “Plan of the Month” series that we offer.  We have renamed it to protect the innocent to the “Laramie”.  We haven’t updated our plans list on the site yet, but if you are interested, here is a link to the plan information. We are currently working on the animation for the building, so check back with us next week, and it should be wrapped up.

–Click on the image to download additional content–

I think Derek did an outstanding job on this little home.  It provides the owners with a little get-away retreat, as well as a working office to write from.  It has a sleeping loft, kitchen, full bath, and an area to stretch out in.  There is not much more you can ask for.

Mark Wagner<>Gravitas

The following is from a newsletter from our engineer Brian Sielaff of Tamarack Grove Engineering. Brian has been engineering our projects since the beginning and specializes in structural engineering for residential projects as well as engineering for log and timber frame homes.  Enjoy:

The common goal on any log home/timber frame design and construction is to have a client’s experience that is built on trust and understanding. From the very beginning, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made with building a structure. Often referred to as the ‘process’, one must decide on several key items such as budgets, the style of the home, floor plan layouts, total square footages, which manufacturing company to use and then finally who the general building contractor will be. One often overlooked decision in this process is the need for structural engineering design and review.

Structural engineering of your log home/timber frame structure ensures that all building elements of your final construction permit documents are:

1) Well coordinated

2) Have been properly sized for all structural components such as roof framing members (girders, joists, outriggers, ridge beams), floor framing members (girders, joists, ledgers), headers, decks, columns, foundations and retaining walls

3) Ensures that all connections and details are adequately designed using the correct building codes, loads and load paths, and

4) Verifies the building lateral loads (out-of-plane wind or earthquake loads) have been taken into account and are properly resisted.

Often the question is asked, “When is structural engineering required for my log home/timber frame structure?” Based upon where you are building your structure, some of the local building departments and/or local governing jurisdictions will require some form of professional structural engineering construction documents and calculations that are to be stamped and signed by a licensed professional engineer. These documents would include your foundation plan, floor framing plans, roof framing plan, building sections, structural details, general structural notes and structural engineering calculations. Several factors that would require or cause recommendation for structural engineering include, but are not limited to:

1) You are building within a high snow load area

2) You are located within a high wind or earthquake zone

CA FL

3) The complexity of your final floor plans and building elevations (i.e. how each floor level stacks up, is there a prow, are there a lot of exterior windows or opening placements, the column/post spacings, beam/girder spans, is there a daylight basement, etc.)

4) The local governing building jurisdiction requires sealed and signed drawings and engineering for issuance of building permits?

REQUIRED FOR ISSUANCE OF PERMIT

5) The defining site requirements in which you are building your log home/timber frame structure on (i.e. is the building pad site flat or sloped, are you building into a hillside or next to water and what are the native soil bearing types that would dictate the foundation design).

6) How complex the building connections, framing layouts and required detailing are? Do you rely on the general contractor to ‘figure it out’ in the field or do you provide a well coordinated, detailed set of construction documents?

7) How experienced is the designer, drafter or architect in sizing correctly all aspects of the structural framing components to resist all vertical/gravity and lateral load transfer?

A structural engineer can also work with your local jurisdiction to help streamline the ‘process’ and obtain your building permit in a timely fashion, this then allows you, your log home/timber frame company and your general building contractor to begin work. A structural engineer can also be available through the construction process to help answer or clarify any questions that can arise from the construction phase.

Whether it is required or not, it is highly recommended to consult with a licensed professional structural engineer on any log home/timber frame structure that you are building. The common goal for any structural engineer is to safeguard life, health, property and public welfare through the design and implementation process. When put into perspective with what typical structural engineering fees are in relation to the overall cost of your project, you will find that these fees are typically less than 1% of your overall construction budget. For the quality assurance that you are given knowing your structure is designed and coordinated properly by a structural engineer, it provides the additional assurance for your insurance in protecting your life long investment.

-Brian J. Sielaff, P.E., Managing Member, Tamarack Grove Engineering, PLLC

Specializing in Structural Engineering

(Please feel free to contact our office for any questions or comments that you might have related to this article, we can be reached at the following information noted below.)

3170 Overland Rd., Ste. B

Boise, ID 83705

208.345.8941 PHONE, 208.345.8946 FAX, 208.871.0616 MOBILE

brian.sielaff@tamarackgrove.com EMAIL

www.tamarackgrove.com WEBSITE

The Clearwater will be built in Lenore, Idaho, overlooking the Clearwater River.  At three levels, with 2,681 SF, it can accommodate a growing family, or the empty nester.  The view of the river from the rear is accentuated with a full height gable, and two, wide porches.  The upper level has a small loft area that will be used as an office.

The plan utilizes wide plank siding to take advantage of high R-value insulation, and a tight building envelope.  Hand stacked trusses on the wings, and parallel chord trusses over the central portion help to create a vaulted affect on the interior, while keeping costs under control.  Timber accents throughout the home help tie it all together.

Download our full plan book which has all of our published Plan of the Month Plans. Gravitas Design Series Plan Book  Sign up for our plan of the month to be delivered to your inbox here: Gravitas Sign up.

A home we designed for a homeowner in Park City. The site was located in a equestrian development so the home was designed to fit in as if it were part of a larger barn complex. There is an indoor endless pool and a large guest suite over the garage. This home is within sight of the ski runs so of course there is a large ski prep area in the back of the garage to keep the skis in shape for the slopes.

Log Home Design For Park City, UtahLog Home Plan for Park City, Utah

Download our full plan book which has all of our published Plan of the Month Plans. Gravitas Design Series Plan Book  Sign up for our plan of the month to be delivered to your inbox here: Gravitas Sign up.

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I just returned from a pleasant trip to the east coast to attend the Log & Timber Home Show in Chantilly, Virginia. We were invited to the show by Chad Clark of Handcrafted Log Homes and met a lot of great log and timber frame suppliers as well as individual clients. There was a lot of positive energy, and it seems that the worst is behind us economically.

The latest in the Gravitas Design Series: The Cache B

 The Cache B makes a cute little get away cabin or an efficient retirement home. This home has just the right amount of room in a compact design.  This is a modification of The Cache plan which didn’t have dormers or the upper bedroom, just an open loft but it did have a full daylight basement that added about 1200 SF. An example of how we work with clients through changes of existing plans to better suit their unique requremens and site conditions.  If you want to use this, or any of our plans free of copyright infringement, we have affordable and easy licensing options whether or not you use our full design services.

Many of you save out these floor plans for use with clients or they go in the “someday dream home” folder. Here is a link to our Gravitas Plan Book that we update about quarterly with the new “plan of the month” plans. Please honor copyright ownership and contact us about licensing and use if you move forward in design with another designer or if you want to discuss their use for marketing or on your website. This link is “live” so to get the most current plans you will want to download from the same link every 3-4 months.

The Cache B - Dovetail Log Home by Gravitas

Download our full custom plan book which has all of our published Plan of the Month Plans:

Gravitas Design Series Plan Book 

Sign up for our plan of the month to be delivered to your inbox here:

Gravitas Sign up.

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The latest in the Gravitas Design Series: The Santee

The Santee is a custom home we designed for a couple about to retire to the Owyhee Desert for some quiet and peaceful living. This home has a open floor plan with a Main Level Owner’s Suite. The Upper Level accomodates the guests and open area for a home office. Sunsets from the lookout will be unbeatable over the desert. This space will also be a fun hideout for the Grandkids. If you want to use this, or any of our plans free of copyright infringement, we have affordable and easy licensing options whether or not you use our full design services.

The Santee - Modern Home Plan by Gravitas

The Santee - Modern Home Plan by Gravitas

Download our full custom plan book which has all of our published Plan of the Month Plans:

Gravitas Design Series Plan Book 

Sign up for our plan of the month to be delivered to your inbox here:

Gravitas Sign up.

Thanks for looking.

The latest in the Gravitas Design Series: The Carson

The Carson is a hybrid log home that has a dovetail core with interior log walls and standard framed wings. The integration of multiple materials using the dovetail log, board & batten, and  shake shingle siding adds to the rustic charm of this home. This home has a formal Living Room off of a grand Entry and an informal Living Room near the Kitchen/Dining and Family Entry. The Owner’s Suite has a unique stepped storage hall that gives access to a private loft that would serve as a retreat or home office. The Upper Level features two bedrooms with built in beds in the dormers and full bath. This home would be easily adaptable to have more bedrooms on the Lower Level with an appropriately sloping site. If you want to use this, or any of our plans free of copyright infringement, we have affordable and easy licensing options whether or not you use our full design services.

The Carson Log Home Plan by Gravitas

The Carson Log Home Plan by Gravitas

Download our full custom plan book which has all of our published Plan of the Month Plans:

Gravitas Design Series Plan Book 

Sign up for our plan of the month to be delivered to your inbox here:

Gravitas Sign up.

Thanks for looking.