Peter was very busy today, welding up the giant roof flashing (with fancy trim) for the top of the mansard roof of the Copper Crown. It’s just over sixteen feet long by four feet wide and will be craned into place along with a bunch o0f other pieces in a few weeks.
High fears
I was out for a drive yesterday with my dad and we drove by a sign we had done almost fifteen years ago. Each time I see the sign I am reminded of how tough this project was to assemble. We built the many pieces in the shop but the sign was so massive it had to be assembled piece by piece on site. The lift went well but as each portion was craned into place and then bolted securely I had to climb higher and higher to unhook the lifting chains. You can bet I was harnessed in safely and double checked the connections, I was totally safe - but it didn’t feel that way in the least. The toughest piece was the head of the giant rubber duck, here being craned into place. I carefully guided it into position and once the piece was secure I had to climb onto the bill and undo the chain. I had to adjust my harness so there was enough slack in the rope in order to reach the top of the head. Fifteen years later I still get the shakes when I remember how crazy that project was.
Two more tries.
For more than a month we’ve been working hard to come up with a design for a building that our client loves and yet is within the budget we have to work with. That tricky balance is always a real challenge but for some reason this project is particularly tough. After a couple of long drives today, looking at every building I saw along the 100 miles I drove, I felt I had enough ideas to give it another try. The first concept was square timber framed with large boulders around the base. It definitely looks West Coast - something our client is looking for but was a little too formal and didn’t make me smile. So while I was still in the mood I kept drawing, this time with a log structure and rocks once more. This version made me grin… maybe the client will too? :)
