Stuff We Like: March 31 2011

On Off Light Switch by Tobias Wong

This product is perfect for hipsters with old houses. The On Off Light Switch works wirelessly to control a light up to 100 feet away. This wireless switches is a nice solution for those of us with quirky old houses that put light switches in the most inconvenient places, or for those of us who just want to be able to control the light wherever you're at! You can find it locally at: http://www.ifdaustin.com/

Alyson Fox

Her work is elemental, soft and wide-ranging. Alyson Fox is a photographer, illustrator and sculptor based in Austin Texas. You can see more of her work at: http://www.alysonfox.com/

Rooftop Architecture Film Series at Arthouse

The Rooftop Architecture Film Series proposes a dialogue between the new architecture of Arthouse and the built environments of the past and present through film. These documentaries investigate not only celebrated architects and their projects, but also the people who activate their buildings. For more information go to:

http://www.arthousetexas.org/article/film-and-video-screenings/

Tijuana Sessions 3 by Nortec Collective

This five-person Tijuana collective’s latest release is another seamless blend of norteño and various electronic styles. The group formed by the different individual projects that create Nortec music. Viva Mexico!!! You can listen to their music at: http://www.myspace.com/nortec

Cement Tiles by Mission Tile

This company carries an array of beautiful/colorful handcrafted tiles. Mission Tile has kept their tile making traditions since the 1900’s, following and improving the original techniques developed in XVIII century Italy. They have 100s of available styles and you can even make custom designs and colors. You can purchase their products locally at: http://www.architerra.com/

This blog was curated by Francisco X. Arredondo. Senior Project Manager at Dick Clark. 

Product Corner: Pivot doors make the grand entrance

We have used large pivot doors in our work for the last decade and while the hinge door will never be unseated as the most common, the pivot door can achieve effects that are not attainable otherwise. The pivot for the door can be off-center or centered; either one creates a unique, custom look. Homeowners appreciate the ability to easily create and open a large opening and keep the door open to usher breezes through the house. Pivot doors also let traffic continuously flow into and out of the house during a party or even on weekend afternoons when kids and pets may be wandering to and fro.

The hardware to achieve this is used in commercial applications and is commonly seen in mall retail store entrances because it holds the door in the open position. The pivots can support a weight of nearly 1000 pounds giving the designers the freedom to use solid and substantial materials, while ensuring the door’s longevity and functioning.

Here are 3 different types of pivot hardware that will match your style, fit your budget and exceed your expectations.

Everything is bigger in Texas:

If you are looking for the perfect hardware for your big ass pivot door look no further. Dorma hardware will answer the call. The BTS80 EMB Series also has a great hold open safety feature.

Heavy Duty Pivot Hardware from Dorma ($650). Available at www.epivots.com.

The Minimalist:

Rack and Pinion Pivot Hardware Set, ideal for normal size, off-center pivot doors where a hidden door application is desired. The door can be set flush with the surrounding surfaces and still operate.

Rack and Pinion Pivot Hardware from Hardware Source ($208). Available at www.hardwaresource.com.

Budget conscious:

Offset pivot hardware can be inexpensive and easy to use; also several hardware stores carry this product, so you have a lot of choices when it comes to pricing.  This product should work great as long as you keep your design simple and the width of your door under control.

Offset Pivot Door Hardware from C.R. Laurence ($395). Available at www.dkhardware.com.

The Underground World of McMansion: The Basement

We often get asked why we don’t typically have basements in Texas, but places like Missouri have them.  As a general rule, a concrete foundation should be approximately 12” below the frostline to prevent the ground from freezing below your foundation and lifting the foundation upwards due to expansion.  In Austin, the frostline is about 4-6” deep but in Missouri, the frost line can be as deep as 3 feet.  In cold locations then, a basement is an extension of space that was required to dig the foundation.

This doesn’t mean you can’t have a basement in Austin. If you live in one of the urban neighborhoods, one reason for a basement is that basement square footage is not counted as Buildable Area under the “McMansion Ordinance”.  

In the new version of the City of Austin Land Development Code, several unconditioned spaces, such as covered patios and garages, count against the Buildable Area maximum, so people are choosing to go underground to increase their Buildable Area without increasing the scale of the building above grade. Because of this, basements have become popular in Austin.

For a basement to qualify, it has to meet the following two criteria from the City of Austin Land Development Code (3.3.3):


1. The habitable portion does not extend beyond the first-story footprint and


    a. Below natural or finished grade, whichever is lower; and


    b. Surrounded by natural grade for at least 50% of its perimeter wall area, if the
        habitable portion is required to be below natural grade under paragraph 1.a.


2. The finished floor of the first story is not more than three feet above the average elevation at the intersections of the minimum front yard setback line and the side property lines.

The code relevant to new residential construction in Austin is the 2009 International Residential Code. In this code there are quite a few considerations affecting basements. Basements need a second exit such as an operable window or second door into a window well or another method of exiting.  The second means of egress needs to be a minimum 5.7 square feet with a sill no more than 44” above the floor.

In Austin, which is in climate zone 8, the Residential Code requires either insulating the walls or the floor between the basement and first level.  We suggest using rigid insulation board outside the walls; a thickness of 2” for an R-10 value, is required by code, as well as insulating the ceiling, mainly for acoustical separation. The building code also requires a minimum head height of 7’-0” for a basement.

Clarkidex | Dick Clark Architecture by the Numbers

Number of years since the office’s founding in a small house near Deep Eddy, off Lake Austin Boulevard: 32

Number of total projects completed: 950

In honor of SXSW 2011, the number of projects completed in downtown Austin, within a 4 block radius of our office in the Warehouse District: 32

Number of famous people/ entertainers / icons named Dick Clark: 2

Number of currently licensed “architects”: 6

Number of currently licensed LEED APs: 6

Number of movie appearances by our Dick Clark: 1 (if you know which movie, send us a message for a prize)

Dick Clark Architecture’s ranking among top architecture firm billings (from 2009) in the 2011 Austin Business Journal Book of Lists: 11, 17^th in interior design billings

Number of dogs owned by employees of Dick Clark Architecture, who are loved and treated like their children: 11

Number of pivot doors on the personal homes or condos of employees: 7 (just kidding, we wish, but we’re architects so the real answer is 0)

Number of feet to the closest place to get a drink once you walk out the front door of our office: 25

Number of feet to the closest Dick Clark Architecture project: 25

Number of pounds of steel in the Oasis Texas retail and restaurant development: 2,000,000

Number of anticipated SXSW 2011 free shows: too many to count!

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