Farewell Daniel Barclay

We mourn with our friends, Michael Barclay and Sue Kayton, the sudden and unexpected loss of their son Daniel. The world is a lesser place for this loss and despite its magnitude, Michael and Sue have shown the same kindness, sensitivity and grace they always have in dealing with this loss and in sharing their feelings openly with their friends. As my grandmother used to say, "may this be your last sorrow." More information about this remarkable young man can be found here.

The Cage

The man of steel made a visit to the site this week and there are now massive steel beams welded to the plates set in concrete. This is a very exciting development because with the steel beams holding up the house, we can finish framing the rest of the house and put a roof on it. Here are where the beams are attached to the foundation:




And here's what all that steel is holding up, basically, the rest of the house:






All the steel beams, welded together, create a stiff cage that acts as a roll bar for the whole house. Steel is very strong and holds up a lot of weight, but it is also flexible and can sway a bit if needed.





In addition to getting some backbone, the house also got some back and the framing extended back towards the concrete wall, forming the space for the family/media room:





Above the family/media room, the floor of the two guest bedrooms was taking shape and Fai and Alexei are stress testing the floor -- seems to be holding up well, the floor that is.




Next week: More steel, framing, and maybe some windows.

Steel Bones and Concrete Flesh

So the wall is really done this time. Here it is in its final glorious concrete shape:



Those stylish horizontal stripes were left by the edges of the forms and if you look at the wall really closely, as I do each time I hug it, you see the grain of the wood used to make the forms delicately impressed upon its surface. Basically, the wall looks like it was made from perfectly square petrified logs. There is a certain strength and beauty in this that some people simply do not appreciate (you know who you are) and since the forms were removed, these individuals, whom I shall not identify, want something, anything, to cover up this vast and intricately textured concrete river tumbling down our future back yard. It's a good thing that the stripes come out horizontal. The last thing a 10' wall needs is to look taller and more slender.

As to covering it, you can guess where I come out on that, but in the spirit of helping, I made a few suggestions. I stopped making suggestions after my perfectly reasonable idea of having some of the neighborhood hoodlums come over and tag it for us was met with icy silence. The leading contender at the moment is Stucco, but I have not given up on my infinity pool/hot tub combination with a cascading waterfall down the lower wall. As soon as our structural engineer stops rocking back and forth in the fetal position, I can ask him about adding a diving board on the roof.

So enough with the wall already. let's look at some other stuff that's been going on.

The next items that start going in will be the giant steel beams that will hold the house steady in the wind and other forces trying to send it down into Noe valley. Here are the plates and bolts that will be connected to the beams when they show up next week:






I am hoping we get to see some of those beams next week.

Another activity that has picked up speed over the last week is framing. In the wall photo above you can see the framing for the sliding door that will separate the family/media room from the mini dungeon. There has also been framing on the sides



and floors.



The 2x4 lying on the floor shows the planned wall at the boundary of the family/media room.

And now, just for the heck of it, here's another gratuitous view of the wall:



Hey, I love this stuff. And I am not the only one.

Let's hope the steel with distract me from all this beautiful concrete.

The Wall Also Rises

This week, we made it up to the top floor (Fourth if you count American style, Third if you count European style) and saw the view from that level for the first time, and let me tell you, even with a slight summer fog enveloping the City, it was pretty spectacular. Here's a composite panoramic shot that does not really do the view justice, but you get the general idea:



Here is a more clear shot of the downtown view:



and the view of the bay:



Other than taking in the view from the top floor, this week was all about The Wall. The retaining walls, or "The Wall" as we affectionately call it, has come a long way since the start of construction. Here's a quick review of where we started and where we are today. Maestro, cue the nostalgic music, please ...

Here's how we found the steep back yard with some simple brick retaining walls:



Make that steep and verdant:



Then construction began. First we gave the hill a military-style haircut:



Then we took out all the brick and the staircase:



Then we dug a couple of really really deep trenches up on the hill:



Next came lots of rebar and the wooden forms:







Add lots and lots and lots of concrete, and viola, two gigantic retaining walls:



Not bad for four months worth of actual work. Easy for me to say, I am not the one actually doing the work.

In addition to pouring the retaining walls, the fourth wall of "The Grotto" was also poured this week, turning it into an actual enclosure. I think they missed a spot, or that may just be the doorway. This view is from the back side of the wall:



This is the same wall seen from inside the garage:



Another step forward was the installation of the template for the steel beams that will keep the house from flopping around like a piece of boneless chicken (note the fire extinguisher.  Required by OSHA and very important in case all of this highly flammable concrete suddenly combusts):

With all the concrete action going on this week, there was no new framing, but I am told that with most of the concrete work done, the framing is set to accelerate. I am very excited about the steel work and look forward to seeing the giant beams going in, which should happen fairly soon now.

In the meantime, I am thinking about how many bottles of wine I can store in my brand new Grotto ... It will probably look something like this:

Then again, maybe not.

Coasting

Compared to the frenetic pace of the last three weeks, this week has been pretty calm and there has not been much visible progress. The crew has been getting ready for the massive concrete pour to finish the retaining walls and the fourth "Grotto" wall. They are also preparing the templates for the installation of the steel beams. What's holding everything up is a busy inspector who cannot get to the site until Wednesday morning to give the OK to pour. Once we are past this lull, the work should accelerate back up to its usual pace. It is also nice to be done with all the excavation and shoring work and concentrate more on the shell of the house.

While this is going on, Jenn and I are window shopping for, well, windows.