The End is Near

The goal to enclose the house by the end of this semester seemed intangible a few weeks ago, but it is becoming more and more a reality. The roof was completed yesterday afternoon and great progress was made attaching furring strips and screening. As Katharine had written in the last blog entry, the priming for the siding was completed and transported to the site on Monday. The group at the site began attaching the siding to the house yesterday. Unfortunately, not all of the priming was completely finished this past Monday. The rest of the blocking for the windows was primed yesterday, and only a couple of windows and doors are left to be primed. The remainder of the window blocking was taken to the site today for it to be installed tomorrow.

The rest of the group was busy yesterday working on windows and door panels. The wood shop in the Art + Architecture building has been flooded with students working on final projects, and it has been very difficult for us to work with large lumber in such a crowded space. Flat area is also necessary for assembling these windows and doors, and it has been difficult finding space with only three or four tables in the shop. I am also pretty sure we have hit a record for the amount of wood dust that has accumulated in the collect system. On Monday and Wednesday, we emptied the large wood dust collector three or four times, and before working on this project, I did not even know where the dust was collected. With at least twenty full trash bags, the collected wood dust will be used for mulch on the site.

Oh Happy Day!

Since we have all experienced the priming task, I know my fellow Norris House comrades (and the rest of the art and architecture building for that matter) will rejoice with me in this joyous occasion. Tomorrow begins the process we have been waiting for all semester: the siding gets nailed to the furring strips and completes what we started oh so many months ago! Day after day, we have labored over saw horses and atlantic white cedar 1 by 4, 6, or 8 inch boards, inhaling fumes and getting slightly dizzy in the process. Students and teachers have gotten used to the lingering smell entering our beloved Art and Architecture building through the west doors, kind of snickering as they walk by. The construction workers next door joke with us about being painting experts. And my favorite occurrence, which has happened not once, but multiple times: I enter a room and a friend not seeing me and in all seriousness says, "What's that smell?"

Needless to say, while I actually find the priming process rather calming, I am very excited we will place that first light gray board up on the house, giving it character and making this semester come full circle.

So I bid adieu.

Farewell, my dear Cabot's Bleaching Oil! Know that you have a special place in my heart for all the laughter you have given me. I am sure we will meet again because of your life elongating qualities for wood and lovely colors.
Love,
Katharine

Give Thanks

So far things are coming along swiftly at the site despite weather setbacks. The East and South elevations are about 95% done with the furring and the insect screen has completely blanketed the Southern elevation. All that is left is to get the window blocking paired up with the supports for the steel canopies on both of these elevations. Passersby might be curious as to why we are placing screen on the elevations. This is because our siding is somewhat like vertical board and batten siding but without the battens. We hope the screens will prevent insects from nesting between the vertical planks of Atlantic White cedar.

It is exciting to see things showing progress as we attempt to complete the exterior in time before the end of the semester. Let's hope we can manage to find a break in weather this week so that our roofers and other site work can be completed before the week finishes out. Next week is Thanksgiving and of the many topics of discussion on the worksite include our hunger for the feasts that shall occur next week. This has been able to keep us striving along with that final goal of some accomplishment. Also this gives us an opportunity to give thanks for being able to work on such a project. I am thankful for this experience to work in a design/build project. I am also thankful for having such a great team of peers, professors, contractors, as well as other professionals that have contributed to the learning process this semester.

Things are beginning to take shape, and long-awaited moments are being realized.

The house officially has three installed windows! Earlier in the day, a few of the openings underwent some prep work including trimming of the exterior rigid insulation and flashing installments. By the end of the day, three windows were in place.

House Norris is also very close to being able to wear its beautiful siding for the late fall season. Some of our team members have been working very precisely on mounting the furring strips for the siding which has been in the priming process for many hours back at the architecture building.

The site has also been seeing a few new working faces. Some electrical work was done today, and the backyard portion of the site is in the process of being graded.

It is this interaction with the other non-student participants that I feel may be somewhat overlooked. The amount we learn from them is incredible, even if it's just knowing that and why they are there with us. We may not have worked with the plumbers or electricians directly, but seeing them on site for a few days reminds us that this work is also a necessary part of the building (and design) process. Those with whom we DO interact are teaching us more that we might have expected. Albert from our general contractor, Johnson and Gallion, has really surprised us with the amount of effort put into teaching us. We are grateful for his explanations and demonstrations on both the small scale (how to set up a roof angle with the speed square or putting tape on his safety glasses when not in use to protect them from being scratched) and the larger scale (how to install a door or window). Oftentimes we find ourselves in awe of these professionals' skills (like using a circular saw with just one hand!). This more practical learning, I think, is just as important and enjoyable.

One, Two buckle my shoe....

On Monday we met with Brian from Goddard and Carter to discuss a few issues that relate to the intricate cornering details of roofing on the dormer. Perhaps one of the most important details to include is where the dormer roof meets with the pitched roof of the house. We do not want any potential water penetration so these areas are what we identify as weak points within the envelope of the roof.

It might seem more appealing to have smaller, minimal edge conditions while detailing but sometimes those little details can also be the largest problem to solve. Our first issue is in preventing any water running off from the upper roof area penetrating underneath the roofing on the dormer. This requires a layering of sheet metal as well as shop drawings that prescribe custom folds and bends to form a valley to ensure proper drainage and runoff. The second issue is preventing water from penetrating behind the vertical metal siding on the sides of the dormers. We have valley flashing wrapping up behind the vertical pieces to prevent any penetration to the roof decking below. Both of these issues surmount to the third issue of where both conditions converge in the inner corner.

The pictures above display a sample mock-up of how one sheet will layer on top of the other in order to allow for proper drainage. We thank Brian for coming in to clarify with us this crucial detail as well as addressing other issues relating to detailing the roof. Communication throughout the whole design process with contractors and sub contractors is crucial in making sure that both parties are on the same table when it comes to detailing. Brian's mock-up also clarifies the sequencing of placing the roofing material as some of it acts as flashing for other parts of the dormer.

Let's hope that through these sorts of quick, yet highly informative meetings we can successfully ensure proper installation of materials on the house as well as respect our original design intents. After all isn't a major role of an architect to be a problem solver on both the micro as well as the macro scale?

rain, rain, go away.

Unfortunately the weather seems to be getting the best of team Norris. We had another day a rain today which meant that we were unable to continue with the unfinished business on site. Fortunately there was plenty of work to get done in the computer lab and in the woodshop. We also were able to tend to some general housekeeping details that have been piling up while we have been on site.

The windows and doors are coming along slowly but surely. A large group of us spend most of today in the woodshop preparing wood for the blocking and framing portions of the windows. The glass for the windows was delivered yesterday, Tuesday the 2nd, and we all look foreword to the day we can see all the pieces come together in all their beauty. One thing we are nervous about however is getting the glass panels to the site. They are quite large and heavy and, as we all know, glass is…well…glass.

Having spent the entire day in the woodshop I have discovered that although our woodshop in the art and architecture building on campus is more than adequate for most of what the students need, it can sometimes become very cramped and crowded when you are trying to build large scale objects for an actual building rather than a small scale model. I feel that if the university plans for more design-build projects in the future, an investment in a larger workspace dedicated solely to the design-build program is necessary.

While most focused on the windows and doors, a few headed to the computer lab to work on certain details of the Norris House, and to finalize the job site sign that includes the names of all our sponsors. Allie Ross, who has experience with LEED documentation, took today to organize and read over our LEED folders. She believes that she may have found an extra point that we can acquire- great news as we need as many as possible to reach our goal of LEED Platinum.
Although we were able to get a lot done today while in the art and architecture building, we hope that the weather cooperates with us on Friday so we can get out to the site and complete a few things before the weekend. The forecast calls for afternoon showers, so keep your fingers crossed that the weather will shift in our favor.
Peace.Love.Norris….

Happy November!

After a week of rain, it was back to work for Team Norris. Down at the wood shop, the better half of Team Norris was busy priming the siding and putting the last touches on the windows. Out on site, the other half of Team Norris installed insulation under the house and began the cistern enclosure. Here, the gang learned a lesson in one of the downfalls in prefabrication. The cistern was previously build by students last semester, but plans and drawings of the design have changed since them. Although we appreciate prefabrication in all of its glory, much of today was spent taking apart prefabricated panels, re-fabricating them, and then installing them correctly. Because so much time was spent redoing the panels of the cistern, we didn’t get to finish. But that’s ok because we can finish on Wednesday and it is going to look awesome, like always. In other news, the plumber and the electrician were also on site to discuss some details in their line of work. We look forward to finishing up the cistern and installing some siding and windows in the new few weeks!

LEED Prefabrication

While the New Norris House is committed to achieving LEED platinum certification, we have carefully examined every opportunity to earn LEED points. This process of identifying possible points typically begins even before the design of the building. For the New Norris House, we realized that many points could be achieved through off-site prefabrication.

There are many advantages to using prefabricated construction. First, it is generally less destructive to the site and requires less room for staging materials. As far as energy efficiency, there is typically better quality control, which leads to a tighter, more efficient envelope. Prefabrication also encloses the interior faster than traditional methods of building, reducing the time that materials, finishes and products are exposed to rain, sleet, and snow.

We have witnessed the advantages of using prefabricated construction first hand while working on the New Norris House. In one day, the house was brought from the factory at Clayton Homes and dropped onto the foundations with its moisture barrier in place. However, we have also seen how using this method of construction can be inconsistent with its original intent. One such shortcoming of prefabrication was seen during the installation of the home's dormer which was prefabricated by the students at the College of Architecture and Design.

For such a small component of the house, the dormer took a considerable amount of time and resources to install. Using seven people and a Sky Lift, we spent four hours installing a component of the house that had already consumed numerous man-hours in prefabrication and had been transported to the site. In reality, it would have taken about the same amount of time to build it on-site using conventional methods of construction as it did to merely install it. Another advantage of building it on-site is that we would have been able to adjust for certain construction tolerances that were overlooked while building it in a laboratory setting.

We have seen the advantages and the disadvantages of prefabricated construction while working on the New Norris House. While building small, unique components, prefab construction loses many of the efficiencies that it touts. However, its full potential can be realized at any scale when using repetitive systems.

Finished with one on to the other...

All the block are laid, the drainage is installed, and the back fill is in progress. After an exhausting couple of days of digging out clay the long, snake lie pipes are resting in a gravel bed. We had to slope the drains at an 1/8":12" (about 1% slope). This proved to be a fun challenge for the trenching. We had to dig far enough down at the front of the house in order to get the top of the drain far enough down to be effective against a rising water table. If the water table get to high and freezes it can actually uplift the foundation. Those drains are a very important part of this house. Chris led a team that applied the glue, water protection, and protection board to the house and retaining wall. The retaining wall needs the water protection mostly to reduce efflorescents on the interior of the wall.
In other news the plumber and electrician should be on site early next week, and we should be getting the eaves attached and the skylight framing up for the roofer to do his magic. Once the plummer gets the pipes in we can get the cistern slab poured and start our framing on that. The grader will be out soon to get the back of the site in order. All in all, the house is coming together and hopefully we can see a final product within the next couple of months.

Can you dig it?

Arya, now a professional ditch digger

The footing drain is an important aspect of the house. It wraps around the outside of the foundation to direct rainwater away from the house. The easiest way to install it is to dig out the footings and use formwork to allow a gap for the pipe to run. But since this method would consume a lot of extra materials, we decided an alternative. The footings were dug to their precise size, and the ground was used as a form to shape them. This way we did not use a lot of unnecessary wood to make the forms. Now a trench next to the footings needs to be dug by hand in order to install the drain. We didn’t realize how much work it would be until we started. The ground is mostly hard clay, and we have to dig a decent ways outward in order to dig the depth we need downward. The physical labor is intense, but if we get a good number of people to pitch in we will get it done in time. In the real world it would probably be more efficient to form the footings and install the drain in the beginning, but since this is something we can do ourselves we don’t have to worry about the labor costs of digging the trench.

On another note, the project as a whole is coming along nicely. The masonry team finished laying the long retaining wall next to the house, and once the capstones are laid we will be done with all of our block laying duties. At least for now until more of the site work gets started. Maxi and I have started cutting the rigid insulation that is applied to the interior of the foundation walls. This will insure a good R-value for the house to save on electric costs. A lot of the team members were busy on Friday with volunteering for the South Quad convention. It is an event organized through AIAS where architecture schools in the south east quadrant of the US get together to share ideas and experience different schools and cities. Starting on Monday the house will have the full attention of all the members again.

Dropping the house

Thanks to our fine friends at Clayton, the house has officially dropped. To this point, it had been precariously supported by a combination of temporary CMU spacers and a steel substructure, hovering approximately 16 inches above the sill plate of the foundation walls. This rather unique construction process allowed the masonry team ample room to lay the second half of the foundation and the interior piers once the two modules had been delivered.

The actual "dropping" of the house was more of an oscillating settling than a sudden fall, thanks to the coordination of the Clayton team underneath the house. Three installation experts used a set of 6 hydraulic jacks, 3 at the North end and 3 at the South end, to "see-saw" the entire structure down to the sill plate, approximately 4 inches at a time. While it was great to see the house finally settle onto our laboriously constructed foundations, I would be remiss if I didn't admit an overriding sentiment of trepidation concerning the ultimate fate of the CMU walls underneath the full weight of the house. Fortunately, everything seems to be holding!

This process of prefabrication and coordinated delivery has resulted in some interesting conversations about the potential for this particular method of construction. While I won't get into the many trajectories we've discussed, one pertinent issue that we've all had to grapple with is the scale of coordination within this project. In typical construction, various phases are more flexible in the overall timeline of the project, yet in the New Norris House we are constantly investigating logistical issues of phasing in order to ensure that every bolt, block, and beam are delivered and installed in an efficient order that (1) won't bog down the construction schedule (2) won't clutter the site with an "on-deck circle" of prefabricated components waiting to be installed and (3) takes advantage of the rapidity of assembly to ensure an exacting standard of quality that is hopefully reflected in the final efficiency of the home.

Save the Earth

This evening I attended the City Council Meeting in Norris with a couple of my fellow team members. They were kind enough to let us give a presentation updating them on all of our continuing progress as their newest neighbors. It’s wonderful to have the communities support and interest in all of our endeavors.

At this meeting I presented a synopsis of our endeavors in achieving LEED certification. This is an important system because it consolidates all our environmentally conscious efforts to be measured against pre-established standards. Right now, we are anticipated to obtain 97 points under the LEED for Homes rating system which will give us a LEED Platinum rating, which is the highest level available (go us!). To help us achieve our goal, we are attempting to obtain close to the highest number of points possible in several categories including Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, and Energy and Atmosphere. The majority of these points come from our pre-established design goals including limited material waste, re-use of rainwater, and efficient landscaping. Building in the Norris community also helps us attain points for the Locations and Linkages portion of the system. We get credit for building on a previously developed lot, having easy access to already established community resources, as well as for being half a mile from a publicly accessible park. While the LEED system itself is a great way to suggest goals for those looking into environmentally friendly building, it is important to concentrate on the ideals that underlie the system rather than getting bogged down with the paperwork and requirements associated with it.

Time Lapse: Clayton Onsite Installation

A short time-lapse film condensing the two day installation process by Clayton Homes on-site in Norrs, Tennessee.

Ready, Set, GO!

Well the last few weeks have definitely been a race to get the foundation ready for the big delivery as well as preparing the dormer for attachement. With both those accomplished last week and this week we are now moving on to bigger things.On site, the foundation and piers are now nearing completion with intentions of pouring the bond beam on the rest of the foundation tomorrow morning. This includes finishing up pouring the Perlite as the foundation insulation and getting things ready for the house drop next week!

Back at headquarters, Jimmy has been working on the window frames and tackling the monster of a frame that shall eventually flood northern light into the lofted area. Meanwhile, Katharine and myself have been putting together a temporary door for extra security until we get the final doors built. (You'll just have to wait and see what surprise is in store with this temporary door.) Arya and Michele broke in the new StopSaw working on the furring strips for the gabled ends of the house, though no one seems to want to test out the brakes on the system-I wouldn't blame them either. Plus the four of us have been continually working on priming more and more siding for the house. As Patrick noted, the feat of installing the siding is going to be just as time consuming, but the end results will be worth it.

With fall break encroaching on us tomorrow and Friday we all are assuring ourselves that our efforts will not go unnoticed while we are gone. I am sure we all will be rejuvenated and ready to kick it into high gear for the race to the end of the semester.

143: TEN-FOUR!

October 4th was a busy work day for the Norris House team. The class was split into a few groups in order to accomplish the multitude of tasks that need to be completed in the near future. Jimmy maintained his hard work ethic and powered through more windows and began working on the temporary doors that will keep all the creepsters out of the house while it is still under construction. He also began work on a beast of a window that allows for a clear view from the loft area towards the wooded area behind the house. The reason said window is a beast: it is a crazy trapezoidal shape and must be constructed within an inch of perfection so that it will fit into the already installed dormer. I believe in jimmy’s precision. go jim jim go!

My correspondent at 143 Oak Road, Andy Pittman, informed me of the Masonry group’s progress, and it seems that they are nearing completion on the foundation walls. Today they were able to lay both piers in the center of the house and finish the wall that faces the street. Apparently there was a lot of measuring of the block today in order to make sure everything was fine and level.

The rest of us left back at the architecture building were tasked with playing Dad on Christmas morning. We had the pleasure of putting together the new tools that we will soon be bringing to the site. We also returned to staining the never ending stack of siding. We are looking foreword to the day when instead of sitting there painting the siding for hours, we are actually nailing it to the side of the house.... for hours.

All in all we are working hard to stay on schedule. Thursday and Friday are fall break for us at UT so we are making that extra push now so we can enjoy a couple days off.

...GO!

It was a fantastic day in Norrisland. The weather was almost as beautiful as our freshly delivered house. The day started off with a little bump in the road (literally). The transportation of the dormer was rough, but after a quick pit stop and a very slow climb to Norris, we finally delivered the beast. When we first arrived, the Clayton men were hard at work. After a morning of prepping, it was the moment of truth for Team Dormer. Wall-by-wall and nail-by-nail, the dormer was guided into place. Placing the dormer might have been an extremely long and tedious task, but seeing that sucker hanging from the crane is a moment to be held dear in all of our hearts forever. It was great to finally see everything falling into place (not literally...it was more of a slow glide). It has been a very productive week and we all look forward to continuing this progress!

Ready.. Set..

Today was the last day of preparation before THE BIG DAY OF HOUSE DELIVERY (Clayton will be delivering the house on Thursday).

The dormer team has done it! After a lot of hard work and endurance through some small glitches in the system, the dormer is complete and ready for transplantation. Tomorrow evening, this group of fine craftsmen/women will deliver their masterpiece to its new resting place in Norris.

The masonry team has also arrived at its goal. 2 1/2 walls have been laid, and today the bond beam was reinforced and poured. Highlight of our day: because of our efficiency, we had some time before the concrete truck arrived, so we took the opportunity to visit the nearby Norris Dam. The weather was great, and the dam and its natural surroundings are incredibly beautiful! Everyone should go see it! In the visitors center, Andy Pittman and I had the opportunity to talk with a very nice lady that worked there. Turns out, she and her husband live in the Town of Norris, and he served as Mayor for several years. It was clear that they really love the way of life there when she told us that "Norris really is the best kept secret in all America!" We were also happy to hear that she and her husband are looking forward to coming to see the house.

Once the house is delivered to the site, our work continues. Next steps: the other two foundation walls will be laid, and the dormer will be placed onto the roof. I think we're all really looking forward to see all of this coming together.

Rain, rain go away...

Originally, the house was supposed to arrive from the Clayton factory today to be pieced together onsite. However, weather delays have slowed down on-site production, holding off delivery, and today was no different. We have been waiting for fall to show up around here, and it has- in true Knoxville fashion- with a 68 degree high, gray storm clouds and rainy drizzle.

A little chill and rain could not hold us back though! A few members of the masonry team trekked out to Norris once the rain died down and tied off rebar in preparation for the pouring of the bond beam. This was initially to be done today, but drying cement and rain do not mix. Instead, it has been moved to Wednesday, which should give adequate drying time before the house is placed on-site on Friday.

Back at the woodshop, production on the dormer, windows, and skylight continued.

Arya, Michele, Patrick, Maxi, and Allie Ross fastened together the roof of the dormer, and are excited to bolt the three sides to it and each other on Wednesday before it is carried off to Clayton. (Any volunteers on helping us carry those pieces to the loading dock?)

Jimmy headed up the windows team, finishing the last of his meticulously made window frames and starting on the stops with the help of Chris and Katharine. They made sure the part of the window the inhabitant can see is smooth to the touch and beautiful to look at. Thank goodness for the belt sander!

In the computer lab, Tyler prepared for his meeting tomorrow with the roofer, preparing the model of the flashing and coordinating drawings, while Andy put his graphic design skills to work on a job site sign. This sign will serve as an informational tool for the Norris community, describing the goals of the project and listing those who have worked on it.

It was a very productive day for the house. We had thought we might not have enough to do, but not a single person left until the 5:30 bell. Just goes to show what we have all been thinking- there will always be something to do on the Norris House!

Week Six in Review

What a week it's been. At the A+A, Monday and Wednesday consisted of cutting down the stationary windows' Atlantic white cedar to size, sheathing the dormer walls, and mastering the bolt connections for the dormer. Wednesday's excitement included the first [and second] window assembly after the corner dado/rebate joints were cut [pictures and videos to come]. Also, the dormer team's diligent efforts brought them close to completion, and Friday morning Arya, Michelle, and Patrick made final preparations for its site delivery next week.

Believe it or not, even despite all of the mile markers passed at the A+A the most progress this week was made on site. Thursday and Friday blended together, consisting of a stellar performance by the masonry crew in laying two walls in two days, and exemplary brawn by the rest of the class in moving blocks, mortar, gravel, and pouring perlite CMU insulation. It was a physical workout for sure, though shown by Allie-Ross and Katharine's new 'gravel shoveling ab workout routine', everyone made the best of it.

Thursday morning at 7:45 AM, we started with four wall footings and three pallets of cinder blocks. By 4:45 PM Friday, the foundation of a house was more than 50% completed. It was fitting that we finished the day with the whole team on site. Though it was easy to become distracted by each of our individual tasks, upon stepping back and looking at the class working as a whole, it became apparent that bigger things than construction were happening in Norris. Our class has become quite the well-oiled machine.

In a short amount of time, large amounts of preparation and anticipation [weeks for some and years for others] have come to culmination. In just a matter of days, the house will be on site, foundation work will conclude, and the house will drop. This is an incredibly exciting time for the Norris class. But to quote the 'Carpenters' duo, "We've Only Just Begun."

The night before the dawn

Today was the last day of preparation. The dormer is going together with a great effort from the other part of the class, and the foundation team is ready for action. Tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. we are leaving for Norris (143 Oak Rd) to begin laying the first two foundation walls. The North and West walls (above picture of excavation) are to be layed first to allow for the truck to bring in the house. Therefore, Thursday and Friday will be crunch time for the masons of the class. The good part is that the rest of the class will be helping as "laborers" which basically means keeping the masonry kids from getting behind. Hopefully we will be able to finish and have the house delivered with no quarrels. If we can stay on schedule, the latter part of the foundation walls should be able to go up realatively quickly and the house will be set down and attached.
Finally, this project is a reality!

The Mason's Challenge

The rain over the weekend presented some unique obstacles for the rough grading of the site, pushing back the schedule a few days. While the masonry team eagerly awaits our debut laying block in Norris, we have continued training under the close supervision of JC Neumann sharpening our skills day after day. We have come a long way since our first day, struggling to spread mortar using a trowel which fit awkwardly in our hands as some foreign object. As time passed, the trowel became as an extension of our bodies, spreading mortar quickly and evenly.

Day after day, we build up a new wall and dismantle it, improving its aesthetics each and every time. While we gained confidence in the appearance of our work, Mr. Neumann had another lesson in mind for us today. The delays in the schedule have put us in a tight spot, crunching the time that the masonry group has to lay up the first two walls of the foundation. In order to help improve our speed, Mr. Neumann presented us with this challenge: He would single handedly lay one course of block in the same amount of time that it took all six of us students to lay the same amount of block. We quickly accepted the challenge.
The clock began ticking as we feverishly began laying block after block, making sure that it was plumb and true, cutting the mortar, and continuing to the next block. As we laid the closer block, Mr. Neumann announced our time: 15 minutes - shaving ten minutes off of our normal speed. Mr. Neumann realized that he had his work cut out for him in order to beat our time. He, however, had 50 years of masonry experience on his side that made him ready for the challenge. As he started, all of us students simply watched in utter amazement as each block that he laid seemed to magically just fall into place with no effort. Even his glasses were slowing him down, so he laid them aside - going completely by touch. His final time was 16 minutes and 38 seconds. We were astonished that he could lay almost the same amount of block by himself as we did with six people. He taught us a very valuable lesson in speed and it will be put to the test this Thursday (9/23), as we begin to lay the foundation.

Visit to Clayton

After the rain all night Thursday, the excavation on-site was postponed until Monday. Meanwhile, the masonry group spent Friday continuing their work of laying block. They will begin laying the foundation next week after the excavation of the site. The rest of us have been working hard in the Art+Architecture Building's shop fabricating window frames and the framing of the dormer. The west and south walls of the dormer were cut and constructed. Work on that will continue next week and then will be delivered to the site to be connected to the prefabricated shell by Clayton.

After hearing about the masonry group's visit to Clayton in Bean Station, TN on Wednesday afternoon, the rest of us were excited for our visit on Friday. We finally met Brad, our Clayton contact, who has been extremely helpful throughout this process. With out bright green visitor hardhats on, Brad took us on the floor of the factory to see the process of the construction. After working with the AutoCAD drawings of the house, it was incredible to see the framing while it was in the wiring stage of the construction process. In conjunction with that, they were putting in the insulation and gypsum board as well.

We were able to walk around and inside the house to see the different details and were amazed at the efficiency of everyone working at Clayton. We also saw Samuel with a complete set of the drawings running around answering any questions. We were also informed that everyone stayed until 9:30 on Thursday night completing the scheduled work for that day. It was remarkable to see everyone's hard work in person.

Excavation Begins

Excavation of the site began yesterday. This is such a big step not only because it signifies our on-site construction is underway but also because it commences our LEED efforts to keep the site sustainable. The orange band seen in the pictures is the silt barrier which has been installed to keep the top soil from leaving the site. As simple as it seems, this band is very important for keeping erosion to a minimum as construction progresses. We were happy to receive an email from Bruce, our LEED Green Rater from NRG, saying our efforts were looking good so far!

Save the Mortar!

Excavation of the site starts tomorrow, and the masonry team will be ready to begin laying the foundation next week. The team includes Maxi, Derek, Andy, Chris, Matt, and myself. Over the past few weeks we have been practicing laying CMU block walls at the Lincoln Park Trade School, under the teachings of JC Neumann. The first few days were hard, knowing it would be our responsibility to build something that supports an entire house. As each week has passed, our masonry abilities have improved and the reality of building a house has set in. Luckily Mr. Neumann will be on site with us to make sure all our walls are true and plumb.

It has been difficult working outside the building, as so much has been happening with the other teams. It will be good when the house arrives and we will all be working on the site in unison. There will be a lot of mixing of groups to help out and make sure everything gets finished on time. It will be nice to be able to participate in all aspects of the house, rather than just the foundation. Time is of the essence, and it will be important to budget it wisely (including a time between 2-4 for Sonic’s happy hour!).

Construction Begins

The prefabricated shell of the Norris House, which is being built by Clayton Homes' Norris Plant in Bean Station, TN, started its week long trek on the production line today. The masonry group, as well as Joan, Sam, and Samuel, were fortunate enough to watch some of the fascinating work taking place on the factory floor. Brad, our contact and constant reference at Clayton, took us on a tour through the various stages and processes that were all occurring simultaneously.

Here's a list of everything (including elements we are building ourselves) that are currently being prefabricated for the site installation:

-Floor and decking (including electrical and plumbing)
-Window frames
-Hinged roof joists
-Exterior walls
-Dormer
-Cistern enclosure
-Skylight frames

Seeing the house start down the construction line at Clayton was a truly unique experience, because for most of us it is the first project we have designed that has proceeded to construction.

Clayton will be delivering the house in two halves, to be joined on site, as a result of our unique site condition (too small to get a crane). In order for that installation to be successful, the masonry team (myself included) will have to lay the CMU block foundation in respective halves next week, piecing the house together as it lands. J.C. Newman, the master mason who has taken us under his wing the past few weeks, will be on site to ensure everything goes according to plan (and to show off his expert trowel work when necessary).

Here's a link to a recent press release from UT about the New Norris House, and pictures will be posted as soon as I get the camera back from Samuel.

Busy Builders

Today was a big day for the Norris house. It seemed like a lot of things that we have been working towards in the past couple of weeks have progressed into the construction stage. Downstairs in the wood shop Jimmy started assembling the first window frame for the house. The dormer team (Arya, Michele, and Samuel) made their first cuts for the dormer’s construction after a couple weeks of building study models and revising drawings. It will be so neat to see both of these things become real in the next week or so! Upstairs, Chris and Patrick were busy getting together a rendering of the exterior of the Norris House so we can show off its design as we move toward on-site construction.

I think all of the students involved with the Norris House are beginning to realize how important the scheduling and organization of the different construction-related tasks are. There are always so many different duties at hand- materials deliveries, drawing completions, as well as communication with involved outside parties. It definitely takes a bit of juggling and a serious commitment for things to run smoothly!

Final Preperations

The stage has been set and we are making final preparations now for construction to begin. Today Professor French and I delivered the last of our materials to Clayton (structural wood floor, tile, and Simpson joist hangers) and the project will go online at their manufacturing facility next Wednesday. The entire process will only take 4-5 days, before on-site delivery takes place on September the 27th.

Back on campus siding is being primed. Dormer, window, and door details are being resolved. Materials are being ordered and the off-site fabrication in the UT wood-shop is about to begin.

Our masonry team (Andy, Andy, Maxi, Derek, Chris, and Matt) has learned the basics of laying concrete block walls and once footings are poured their skills will be put to the test.

This feels like the calm before the storm, but perhaps it is actually the eye of the storm at this point. Either way, as the next few weeks unfold the project will take an enormous steps towards its final realization.

First post and an empty site

This is a test post to our new blog. In the future we will post photos of construction process, announcements concerning upcoming events, as well as other interesting information!