It's Alive!

We are up and running with The Living Machine website-- check it out when you get a chance. www.thelivingmachine.com features modern designs with eco-friendly features. I think they are completely perfect for a weekend house, either on the beach or in the mountains. A weekend space is often free from some of the functions of a primary residence-- storage, playrooms, great rooms all take on a new role when part of a vacation home, and in a lot of ways, allows the architect to be more imaginative than the standard two-story colonial. James and Nick really took readily available building materials and designed some truly innovative homes. Alice Bergida-Bleier from Long Island Village Realty asked Bouler Design Group to represent some of the houses to her firm as possible offerings on Long Island. And of course, Mary King is ready to go in the Hudson Valley.
On a related note, I am excited to see an article today in The New York Times about weekend houses and the need to unplug. As we inch forward with our own renovations to Potic Cottage, our weekend shack, I cling to its bare bones nature. No internet, no television, no phone (do cell phones count?). Our big excitement is watching the bird feeders. Don't laugh--come visit and you'll find yourself exclaiming, "Look, a golden finch!" It's addictive. So it's important to us to retain that quiet, modest context while providing enough sleeping space for guests. From what I hear, today Nick came up with a new idea for the front facade and that completed construction drawings are on the horizon. Then all I've got to do is find the deed and get a permit.