1960 Country Home

This bank owned, Auction home in Bridgeport Texas has given me plenty of opportunities to learn and practice. After gutting the entire structure, there was foundation work, all new water, gas, sewer, electrical…….. Putting a home together has been a lot of fun, especially now that demo is done and things are starting to take shape once again. This will be my home, as I start to build my next house and workshop on my land.

Tiny House in a Barn

This is the first build of 2019, and the first build on my new land here in Texas.

Art Studio

The Art Studio Build was one that never really ended. It was built, taken down, moved, built again and finally retired. Through the process of this up and down, move around building I was able to work with materials, and learn through experience.

“Pirate Ship in the Sky” Treehouse

The Treehouse was my first real build after becoming a homeowner, with all of the creative freedoms, and consequences, that ensue. From its early days as a well intentioned way to get some pull ups in at home, to its final days sailing the warm South County breezes, three stories up in a valley of green, sail raised high, this project brought me immeasurable joy and pride. The friends I share memories with in the canopy, and the neighbors who would tell me of their own dinner table request from the kids for a fort of their own, this project stands as a self reminder to what this is all about. The joy and satisfaction of seeing something built, the use of a thing and the shared experience of a place. Nothing lasts forever, and this too is inescapably relevant when we look at building today. Trees grow old and return to the earth, wood rots, stone wears under rain and foot. It is the nature of things. I build because I love to build. To better the world, and the experiences of those in it, adds value and purpose to the thing I love, but I would build, if to build, was all.

Cabana

This was a fun build. 4x4s from the tree house, redwood decking from my neighbors back yard, and a few new 4x6s… this Cabana used up most of my wood pile at the time, and became my all time favorite place to relax. I flipped the redwood decking when I installed it on the roof, which lets you see the natural beauty of years of use. Hook the hammock up, lay back, and gaze up at the reclaimed joy of scuffs, dings, screw holes and time.

Raised Garden Box

This was a quick project after the Tree House came down. I had a pile of wood, just begging to be anything but a pile hidden on the side yard. This Garden Box became a focal point in our kitchen garden, and holds some of the best soil on the property. Peppers, Tomato, greens, onions, garlic, potatoes, squash, eggplant…. the list goes on. Such a simple project, but probably the most used thing I've ever built to date.