When considering whether to remodel or rebuild your home, several factors come into play: How old is the property? What other additions have been done to the home? And most importantly, how do you envision living in your dream home?
We began working with our clients in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle in the Fall of 2016, and the project morphed from what was originally a remodel into a remodel, rebuild, and addition.
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On July 13th, members of the SZ design team gathered to help build one of the projects on the boards, an addition/remodel in the Leschi neighborhood of Seattle, for their first of many SZ Blitz Builds. As a design-build team, this new tradition of having a monthly all-hands on deck day gives a chance for overall team-building.
Alfonso Gusman, the Construction Foreman at SZ Build, completely ran the show for the Blitz Build. He managed the delegation of tasks, prepped the site, and made sure it was a productive day for both teams. Shakiba Ahmadi, Architectural Intern, thought that, "It was great how everyone had responsibilities and stuck to them."
Alfonso isn't shy to being the boss of the day; he usually works with subcontractors on site. But with the design team on hand, he was also teaching everyone how to use certain tools and how things get sequenced or put together. Everyone agreed that Alfonso was an excellent hands-on leader and instructor. To this comment, Alfonso responded, "I think we make a great team."
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The latest art premiere at SZ Gallery is TENACIOUS, a group show curated by Deborah Kapoor, showcasing 19 different contemporary women artists featuring interpretations of perseverance related to the feminine. Works encompass a range of materiality including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, glass, fiber, cut paper, drawing, collage, embroidery, mixed media, bronze casting, and video installation.
The first artists’ reception on August 3rd from 5 – 8 pm will give viewers a chance to interact with the exhibit, the curator, and the artists in attendance.
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Each member of the SZ team plays a vital role in building creative environments. For Summer 2018, we brought on Shakiba Ahmadi as an architecture intern at SZ. Shakiba brings her expertise and background in computational architecture to help with simulating environments through digital means. We had an opportunity to sit down and chat with Shakiba about her background and passion for architecture; read on for our Q&A!
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This month's Moment of Inspiration comes from a workshop I recently attended on July 18th for Solarize Mercer Island, a local group part of the Spark Northwest organization. The city of Mercer Island is clearly passionate about becoming energy efficient as a city, as through this program they are making it easier for individuals to access more affordable options for making their own homes efficient.
Solarize Mercer Island is a "community-driven, neighborhood purchase campaign" sponsored by the city of Mercer Island. This city initiative includes a partnership with Sphere Solar Energy (the solar panel installer) and Spark Northwest, and the city was determined to use local vendors and support the local economy through this partnership. Once the city went through a vendor selection process and chose Sphere, they held a few workshops and so far have 7 - 8 homes contracted on Mercer Island. The goal is to have 30 houses signed up on Mercer Island.
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