How an Architect can increase your Profits

I have finally released my DVD of me sharing some hidden secrets as to how your store or restaurant can profit more than your competition during this recession.

The video on this blog post is only the tip to the iceberg. In fact, it is hardly a quarter of the entire presentation that I have waiting for you to view. The DVD will dig much deeper with a lot more graphics, examples, and stories that actually will give you a "Kit-o-Parts" chock full of important tools needed to give your company the edge that will help you leave your competitors in the dust.

Here's just a few things that you will learn in the DVD:
* What historical events shaped the design of the profit generating storefront?
* How has technology affected the design of the profit generating storefront?
* What are some examples that successfully created an memorable experience for customers to remember and want to come back to your store (instead of your competitors) again and again?
* How does the need to design around handicapped accessibility affect the design of a profit generating storefront?
* How do the zoning laws affect the design of the profit generating storefront?
* What to look for when you are building a storefront in a landmarked district?

This and so much more are shared in detail. You can apply these precious and guarded principles to your own store or restaurant.

All of these points are shared in a FUN way by comparing designing a successful storefront with playing a game of Monopoly. How's that? Watch the DVD, you will enjoy it.

How much would a behind the scenes, information packed, DVD would be worth to your company if can help you get even the slightest edge in this recession over your competition? My clients have actually said, "...our business has increase since designing our storefront" with principles shared in this precious DVD. That is worth tens of thousands of dollars!

This DVD is just a small investment that can actually lead your company to realize tens of thousands of dollars EXTRA income this year. When you see your own storefront, you will be able to compare it with other successfule storefronts. How does your storefront compare. Here is an done-for-you way to find out. Now is the time to make whatever changes you find that need to be done and stand out over the rest. Here is a simple way to to that....

Get your own copy of the DVD, "Secrets of Successful Storefronts" for only $97.

Satisfaction guaranteed or your full money back if you find that this has absolutely nothing of value to a store or restaurant's business. Just return it within 60 days of purchase. Offer expires after November 1, 2010. So get your today by mailing a request or calling us at 212-594-2007.

Oh, by the way, that is me on the far left wearing that yellow Mexican style shirt in the wooden sign shop.

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How to Design a Windowless House

Currently, I have several residential projects on the board.

One of them is for a site in the Hill Country of Texas, just northwest of San Antonio. The clients are a man and wife. The husband is an airline pilot and the wife is a flight attendant. So, there are several occasions that they come home after flying around the world and need to sleep during the day. Because of this and because they do not trust the insulation values of the modern day glass, they do not want any windows except along the southwest side of the house. BTW, that is direction from which most of the heat gain comes.

I have been able to design a floor plan that they love. It was not too hard to do because they already had it pretty much envisioned before they hired me to draw it up. The challenge has been to create an attractive exterior design without windows.

Since they are into flight and are building this house over a cliff that allows for a beautiful panoramic view of their 10 acres and beyond, I have designed a series of facades that actually "lift" the roof off of the base. My clients want their exterior to be of local stone, stucco, light colored metal roof, and cactus landscaping. So, I introduced a ribbon of glass (not vision windows, more like applied opaque glass tiles) along the eaves of the house. It produces somewhat of an American Indian motif along the side elevations where the glass travels diagonally along the slope of the roof. If you were to walk anywhere on their property, it is very likely that you will find American Indian artifacts such as arrow heads and pottery pieces. So having this motif is a fun design feature on the house. The brown horizontal band also breaks up the massing while connects the front to the back balconies and deck.

The front right wall is still too bulky and I am playing with adding a window or two on it to break it up a bit. I have their permission to add this one window onto the front.

Although we use the computer to draw up the construction drawings, I hand sketch design drawings so I can get a better feel of the scale, materials, and textures. Later, we might render this with a computer to make it more life-like. Here are the four elevations before putting this new window on the front right wall.

This is the front elevation.

This is one of the side elevatons.


This is the rear elevation. The windows look out at an awesome view.


Here is the elevation of the other side. The black railing leads to a trail that leads to a fire pit beyond on the property.


I will keep you posted on the progress of this project. Your comments below would be very welcomed. Let me know what you think about the design.

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Jersey Shore and Dream Houses

Join me at the Jersey Shore without leaving your computer on or after August 9th, 5:30 pm EST. I will be searching Snooki and her gang at the Jersey Shore while sharing how you can have the home of your dreams in just 7 Simple Steps.

Go to this link to download the podcast to listen at your leisure... "Click Here For a Podcast at no cost to you!"

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Sustainable Home Design

You might have heard me on our weekly podcast talk about a current project that I am working on. If not, you are missing out on a priceless resource that can improve your lifestyle and your business. Go to this link to download the podcast to listen at your leisure... "Click Here For a FREE Podcast!" Be sure to click on the ituns icon while at the podcast site!

This home is an energy conscience sustainable home to be built on a 10 acre lot on a side of a 50 foot cliff in the Hill Country of Texas.

Some of the design requirements for this home is:
* It will be built with passive solar energy design systems.
* It might have solar panels and an active solar design system.
* It is not be be over-powering on the site but have a presence.
* It needs to be handicapped accessible on the first floor.
* It will have a grey water retention system. This water will be used to irrigate the nearby landscape.
* It will have a wine "cave" adjacent to the house.
* It might have wind turbines.
* Design around the existing stables to remain on the site.

We are now in the design development phase. Here are two of the many, many design sketches that have been created so far:

Here is how the back of the house can have a sweeping and partially covered terrace that looks towards an awesome panoramic scene of the beautiful rising and setting Texas sun. Not to mention the fantastic natural landscape!

This sketch shows how anticipation can build from a small scale space at the front entrance and tease the visitor with anitcipation of a much larger space beyond.

Kick off your shoes, plop down on the cushy couch, click the flat screen remote control to "on" and enjoy the warmth of the fire in the native stone fireplace that soars up through the pitched ceiling with exposed wooden beams. Just behind you is the panoramic view of the Texas Hill Country that you can admire through the 8 foot tall glazed wooden folding paneled doors.

After the design development phase is complete, we will begin the construction document phase, then the bidding/negotiating phase, and then see it built during the construction administration phase.

Here is a way to better understand what all of these "phases" mean...

Creat a home that creates experiences that match your wildest dreams. You can start planning your new home or renovation by downloading our FREE E-book titled, "Experience Architecture Journal." It will share how you can have the home of your dreams in 7 Simple Steps.

Go to this link to download you FREE copy of the E-Book at... "Click Here For a FREE Home Design E-Book!"


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How to Customize Your Own Art

Meet today's podcast guest, Don Rattner. He is an architect like me and has been creating ways for you and I to customize our own artwork for our home and office. Check out the short video to hear more about it.

Go to this link to download the podcast to listen at your leisure... "Click Here For a FREE Podcast!"

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Yikes! Mold in your basement! What do you do?

Maybe it is the same in your area; we have had a lot of rain during the last few days in the NYC area. The rain has made the air really humid in-between the times when the downpours come. During this season, you need to be aware of any mold that might be growing around your home and office.

Here is a photo of one of the areas where they found a patch that looks like black mold.



It seems to be caused by water that was allowed to enter the basement through a poorly sealed air intake grille. Here is a photo of the grille. Notice the bead of sealant that is uneven and clumped up in some areas. If you were there, you would be able to see daylight shining through gaps from the inside of the basement at this joint.


First things first: Remember, you must have the source of the moisture removed before you attach the mold – or it will just come back again. No remediation of mold is final. Mold can always find its way back to the area remediated.

The photos above are from a property that a client wanted us to see. Once we shared with our client some methods that work well at keeping moisture out of the basement and what construction materials can be used that are not proned to accept mold, we also let them know a little about mold. Since Lane Architecture + Design is not an office with any experts in mold, we obtained a lot of the information that you will see can be found almost word for word in an excellent book by a mold expert, Michael Pugliese, The Homeowner’s Guide to Mold, (Reed Construction Data, Inc., Construction Publishers & Consultants, 63 Smiths Lane, Kingston, MA 02364-0880, (781) 422-5000, Copyright 2006). Michael is also a mold remediation contractor…

Although mold can be very dangerous to our health, know the facts about mold so you don't get snookered by some of the mold remediation contractors who are not very honest. They will try to scare you into hiring them at any cost.

Here is some basic facts about mold and how it spreads:

Mold spores need a few things to grow:
• Moisture – a relative humidity of roughly 50% or higher. Some people use hygrometers in their homes to keep track of the humidity.
• Food – material it can grow on, such as wood and wood products, paper, cotton, and leather. Mold will grow on anything where there is moisture and food, such as dirt or dust.
• The right temperature – above freezing and below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer-like temperatures, between 70 - 90 degrees, are especially conducive to mold growth. Freezing does not kill mold spores; it just makes them go dormant until temperatures warm up again.


Does bleach get rid of the mold?
Certain types of mold are chlorine-resistant. People apply bleach, but the mold comes right back. In fact, it never went away. Some mold remeditators use ammonia based cleaners. Ammonia and bleach combined can cause toxic fumes and should especially be avoided if you are planning to have an expert help you get rid of it.

Here are some great questions that Michael Pugliese recommends you to ask mold remediation contractors before hiring any:

• Are you mold-certified?
• What organization provided your certification?
• Are the individuals who will actually perform the work certified?
• How long have you been in business?
• Can you provide me with at least three references?
• May I have copies of your liability and Worker’s Compensation insurance?
• Do you clean HVAC systems and air ducts?
• What methods do you use to keep mold spores from spreading?

I hope you are having a great summer and staying dry.

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Freedom Is Not Free

Hope you are having a wonderful 4th of July.

Take pause for a moment and watch this video by a mentor of mine, Mr. Ron Legrand. (His name sounds alot like "Legare'" doesn't it?).

Ron shares a story about the sacrifices that the signers of the Declaration of Independence had to risk and endure.

It will help you appreciate today even more!

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