The Constant Craftsman

Back again with some good old fashioned nudity in the news.

Check this out - less than a year ago someone filed a complaint against some dude from the Portland area who takes part in a very peculiar practice.

Apparently he likes to be one with nature and feel the breeze on his bare skin while (and this is the hum dinger) gardening. I can think of hundreds of things to do naked that would bring about that “one with nature” feel and although gardening is very nature-like, all I can think of is dirt in places it shouldn’t be, not to mention worms, bugs, and the occasional sharp rock or prickly bush. So no thanks, I’ll pass. But if the Wild Bill Hickok wannabe wants to play in the dirt nude, that’s fine with me, just so long he has a big ass fence surrounding him…with a dome on top. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go wash up, though the kind of dirty I’m feeling may never wipe clean.

Craftsman trim is probably one of the most defining aspects of an Arts and Crafts home. Below are several sites that display some excellent examples of trim from the Arts and Crafts period.

The folks at Heart of Oak Workshop in Irvine, California are a talented bunch. They specialize in custom doors, built-ins, cabinetry, trim, and furniture. Their trim page has plenty of great examples of their work and just might provide the much needed inspiration for that adventurous DIYer out there.

Then there is an entry from the Humphrey House blog that describes the installation of some Craftsman style trim in a 95-year-old Bungalow. This a very well-written blog, by the way, that I highly recommend.

Finally, Twentieth Century Fires, located in the UK, has some original Arts and Crafts fireplace mantels that date back to 1900. They’d only set you back anywhere between 2 and 4 thousand U.S. dollars plus shipping (if they even provide that service to U.S. residents). Not cheap, but worth taking a look.

During the mid to late 19th century artist, author, poet and social critic, John Ruskin, known for his essays on art and architecture had this to say about historical buildings:

“Old buildings are not ours. They belong, partly to those who built them, and partly to the generations of mankind who are to follow us. The dead still have their right to them: That which they labored for… we have no right to obliterate.

What we ourselves have built, we are at liberty to throw down. But what other men gave their strength, and wealth and life to accomplish, their right over it does not pass away with their death.”

This caters to the notion of old homes having a sort of inner spirit. And I’d say that for those of us who happen to live in an older home, it becomes our duty to restore that spirit if the home has fallen into disrepair. It is only through careful restoration that a badly worn home can truly be revived.

Strangely enough, Ruskin didn’t buy into philosophy of restoring homes. In fact he was all about preservation as opposed to restoration. It was his belief that the owner should do whatever necessary to maintain the integrity of the architecture with proper maintenance and upkeep and said that restoration was the most total destruction a building could suffer. “A destruction out of which no remnants can be gathered.” He went on to say that …”it is impossible, as impossible as to raise the dead, to restore anything that has ever been great or beautiful in architecture.”

I can see where he’s coming from especially in terms of those confused souls who gut an old home and restore it without holding true to the home’s original roots, essentially disregarding its history and smothering its spirit. People who do this think they’re doing a service to the home when actually I find they’re doing quite the opposite. Time and again I’ve watched episodes of home renovation programs on HGTV where the homeowner takes a beautiful old home, transforms it into a modern day nightmare and stands smiling at what I would describe to be disfigured architecture.

That being said, I don’t entirely agree with Ruskin’s opinion on restoration of architecture. I believe at times it’s necessary to preserve our architectural history and if done correctly can be like polishing an old, tarnished brass lamp and realizing its hidden beauty.

I believe in architectural zen. A balance between holding true to the home’s original character and at the same time instilling a sense of modernity and convenience that represents modern day living.

The Seven Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin can be downloaded for free from Google Book Search

On the back cover of the latest issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine there is a photo and brief description of the Poetry House, an architectural sculpture commissioned by artist Bruce Johnson himself after waiting two decades to fulfill his dream of creating a sacred space that blends harmoniously with nature. The Poetry House was modeled after a traditional Japanese tea house and got its name from a poem written by Elizabeth Herron that Bruce read sometime after he had begun to build his masterpiece. That led Bruce to contact Elizabeth and ask her to participate in the project with him. She agreed and wrote The Poet’s House, which is now transcribed within the walls of the small sacred building.

I love the fact that this building was created by an artist and what that says about the style of architecture that comes from Japan and that came to define the Arts and Crafts era within the United States. Unfortunately, our society has in many ways turned their back on Craftsman ideals both in our homes and our lives, whereas in Japan the type of architectural beauty found in the Poetry House is still alive and flourishing throughout the country.

Check out Bruce’s website Form and Energy to see more photos of the poetry house.

Just to go a bit further into the argument to harvest rain - although hard numbers on how it can positively impact the environment would help make a stronger case, I think the following videos and links provide some pretty solid first hand evidence that it can make a difference environmentally.

Basically, we’re using water faster than Mother Nature can replenish it naturally. So we’re depleting our aquifers and a lesser proportion of water is being returned to them. Typically the water is discharged into rivers and streams carrying with it various levels of pollution, rather than recharging the aquifer it came from.

Anyone questioning the practice of rain harvesting first needs to have a solid understanding of the hydrologic cycle or more simply put, the water cycle. I prefer simple explanations so the Groundwater Foundation’s Groundwater and the Water Cycle article for kids works for me, but they also have a more detailed adult section as well.

Then there is this excerpt from Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA), an NSF science and technology center that really gets at the question, “Why should we conserve water?”

Excessive use of water has the following adverse effects on our society, economy, and environment:

· More dams must be built, destroying wilderness areas and reducing streamflow.
· The water infrastructure requires increased maintenance for pipes, sewers, and treatment facilities.
· Agricultural uses can contribute to erosion, salinity and increased desertification.
· Water bodies such as rivers, wetlands, and bays are degraded from the high levels of water extracted and from the polluted runoff that feeds into them.

And here’s a video of Dr. Kent Butler from University of Texas explaining the benefits of rainwater harvesting:

Finally, a couple links (here and here) on Garden Rant (one of the best garden blogs out there by the way) that focus on the use of rain barrels and their effectiveness. The first includes a large number of first hand testimonials worth reading.

I’ll be digging even deeper into the rain collection issue and will attempt to post some research on the topic in the near future.

Oh, WAIT! Can’t forget this video that breaks down the basics of groundwater…man, this is how all education should be delivered…reminds me of Schoolhouse Rock from back when I was a kid.

Over seven billion gallons per day. That’s how much the EPA estimates is used nationwide on landscape irrigation. Now, no matter how you spin that, it’s far too much water. And the scary thing is most people don’t even think about it. I’ve got a friend who has a large, lush green lawn and I asked him what he did to make it look so nice.

“Man, I just get home, turn the water on and let it run most of the night,” he said.

“How often do you do that?” I asked.

“Mmm…’bout every day.”

All I could think was, “Every day? C’mon, man. That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?”

If you break that seven billion figure down into family use what you’ll find is that of the 400 gallons of water a family of four can use per day, almost a third of it is used outdoors. And of that water, over half is used to water lawns and gardens. The other half goes toward other outdoor uses such as washing cars, cleaning driveways and pool maintenance.

So what’s the big deal? Well, not only is too much water being used, but some experts say that more than half of the water that is used for residential landscape irrigation is wasted on things such as overwatering, evaporation and wind, and inefficient irrigation design. So you have far too many people out there watering their lawns too often and too long and spraying water all over pavement and other areas that waste the water supply.

It’s sad, really, but not hopeless and harvesting the natural form of the one thing we often waste can not only help preserve our water but also save us a few bucks as well. Rainwater collection can be incredibly easy (and doesn’t have to look like you live next to a toxic waste dump - see above photo) - rain falls on your roof, runs down your gutter and into your rain barrel. The barrel includes a spigot that you connect a hose to and by way of gravity you water your plants using the water you collected. It can get a bit more complicated if you implement a more advanced system that incorporates pumps, flow controls and such, but it doesn’t have to be. So here you have it - three easy steps to begin harvesting rain:

1. Buy a rain collection barrel (and a downspout attachment).

2. Place it beneath a downspout.

3. Wait for rain (or do a rain dance if it’s not filling as quick as you’d like)

4. (Optional) Buy a pump (electric or battery powered), allowing you to water your lawn from the rain barrel.

Wanna know how much you could potentially collect using a rain barrel? Rainbarrelguide does the math for us. Still wondering if you should invest in the practice of harvesting rain? Do the math yourself…it’s elementary.

Far from traditional, this 6-sided luxury home has Craftsman style touches both inside and out. Sylvain Côté, owner of Absolute Remodeling in South Salem, New York moved into this home with his family in March 2006 and spent nearly two years on extensive renovation. One look at the photos makes it clear that the hard work payed off. Just last year it was awarded Professional Remodeler magazine Best of the Best Award in 2007.

A few of the renovation highlights include the addition of a third story along with a cupola, the stone chimney that was extended through all three floors stretching a total of 48 feet and each level of the house having a different type of re-milled wood flooring - hickory, chestnut and pine. Sylvain also pushed many “green” elements into the new home design including solar panels and a cooling system that utilizes the cupola.

Well done, Sylvain. This is nothing short of fabulous.

Oh, and the kitchen…well, just take a look. Very cool. A few too many track lights for my taste, but everything else is spot on.