Author: ken Page 4 of 11

I have been using AI to explore ideas about an auxiliary building to be used as a pottery atelier for Lorena. After several fits and starts, discussions with Brad, and advise from Lorena we have come up with the building on the right. We would need a variance from the City of Granbury to be able to build something this tall, about 10′ higher than the code currently allows for auxiliary buildings in the Historic Overlay District, but it fits the surrounding architecture and elevates the neighborhood in such a positive way that we think we have a good chance of getting the variance. It would almost certainly not include the lean-to, so we are trying to figure out a way to create the function of the lean-to as a gazebo separate from the building. This would not be built until we have the resources if it gets built at all, two or three years from now. Still, it is fun to consider and plan.

A little later this morning, Lorena and I will head down to the title company to sign the small loan we need to build our new house. We are very excited to get started. A day to celebrate!

Things are starting to move a little faster now on our house build. All of the build loan paperwork is complete and we are scheduled to close on Friday morning. The permits from the city are on the desk of the last guy who needs to sign. We have been out to the build site with Brad, our designer/builder to answer a few preference questions. We have made a few modifications to the plan (minor) to accommodate future work if we can afford it. We are excited, but actually kind of burnt out from all the moving and paper suffering. I expect the excitement and energy levels to increase some more once some dirt starts to move.

Here is the left side of the house rendering with the correct colors and materials. The AI did not get it exactly right–the door going into the main house behind the screen porch should really be a window and the two first floor windows closest to the front of the house should have transom windows at their tops, but all and all, it gives a pretty good sense of how we hope the house will appear.

I did an AI rendering of the front elevation of the house with Lorena’s proposed colors and materials. We went down to the property with our builder, Brad earlier this afternoon to talk to him about what plants/trees we want to preserve on the property and some placement requirements and ideas about the sidewalk and the approach to the house. We were surprised to see that area where the house will be built is a little bit downhill from the street on both sides and the property has a small downward slope from left to right as you face the house. Actually, because of the setting, we think it will make the house even better.