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.