LED Lighting - the future is now

I'm sure by now everyone has heard of L.E.D. lighting as it's quickly becoming an increasingly available and popular alternative to the standard "incandescent" light bulbs of the past 100+ years.  We're seeing a lot of different types pop up and now we're even being required and/or rewarded to use them in building projects.

Without being over-technical, some of the basics of L.E.D. lighting are as such.  LED stands for "light-emitting diode" and the way it works , in the simplest of terms' is that electrical current is passed through a semiconductor die (like a filament) where it is converted to luminescence, and thus... "let there be light".  In order to be effective for space lighting, a lot of tiny LEDs need to be grouped together in one fixture to provide adequate lighting output since they're relatively weak on their own, and have thus been manufactured as such.  Although they have been used for about 50 years for lighting signage, electronic indicators, etc, they have been developed more recently to fit into our screw-in type household lighting fixtures.

The biggest advantages to LEDs over incandescent are obviously related to lifespan and energy consumption.   They can last 25-50 times longer than an incandescent and use far less energy, both of which can be realized monetarily in replacement costs and energy bills.  We're probably more familiar with the CFLs (or compact fluorescent - the "curly", helical bulbs) that have been promoted as a similarly efficient alternate to incandescent, but LED even holds a few advantages over them.  First, CFLs take a few minutes to "heat up" and achieve full brightness after being first switched on after a short period of time.  LEDs have the ability to heat up instantly and provide 100% luminescence immediately.  Also, CFLs have been known to have their internal ballasts overheat and even catch fire in rare cases, mostly from misuse, but a safety concern nonetheless.  LEDs do also produce heat due to electrical resistance, but the better quality products are equipped with a built-in heat-sink to absorb the heat and shut down the device before it becomes a danger, making them safer.  Further, CFLs can last longer than incandescent, but still pale in comparison to the longevity of LEDs.  LEDs are also available in varying color temperatures, which basically help eliminate that cold "blue" or "white" tone and can provide a warmer "yellow" light, if so desired.

If you weren't already convinced, there are 2 more credible reasons to choose LED bulbs.  One is that there are incentive programs offered for purchasing this lighting type - either by the local power utility (ComEd in Metro Chicago), the state, or sometimes even on a federal tax level.  These can be researched further at www.energystar.gov or other deeper internet research.  Also, the current building codes are written to require that 75% of light fixtures in any residential construction project be of a "high-efficacy" type, which LEDs would satisfy.  This is a state of Illinois mandate, known currently and adopted as the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code, so applies all across the state and is checked heavily by local municipal enforcement authorities.

One minor drawback to LEDs is their initial cost, which can seem quite high.  But when considering the lack of replacement cost with other types (one bulb can last longer than a standard 30-year home mortgage, depending on usage), it is a worthy investment - especially for recessed lighting and other areas where changing a bulb is a hassle (e.g. over a staircase), and considering any reimbursements as well.  They can be purchased at your typical hardware store or discount department stores, but I have found a good resource for quality products from a local wholesaler at www.goledbulbs.com, run by a local electrician.  Feel free to contact cj architects for further info!

"Its obvious that we don't know one millionth of one percent about anything"
~Thomas Alva Edison

Pulling Permits - the necessary "evil"

Often in my residential work I come across times when a homeowner or contractor questions the need for pulling a permit for their project(s).  Sometimes there is an inherent understanding of the value and necessity, but others want to bypass the process to save time and money.  I strongly advise against this side-stepping and obviously recommend and condone pulling a permit.  I do realize that hiring an architect, paying permit fees, and waiting for permits to be issued cost time and money, but in the long run making this small initial investment (when compared to the project whole) can eliminate extra time and money spent in mistakes, costly changes, code violations/citations, and even being court-ordered to pay to remove the non-permitted construction.

Regardless of the size of the project (decks, to basements, to additions, to new construction) there are code implications - in order to preserve life-safety and the well being of the end users.  Architects who prepare plans for these types of projects are (or should be) well versed in the code requirements and impact on the overall design and construction.  An architect should always be consulted to see how the desires of the project at hand will be affected by these criteria.  Not doing so could lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and negative progress to even (especially) the simplest of projects.

In some very rare cases (amongst very few municipalities) an architect's seal is not required for submitting permit applications or even drawings.  However, it is still a good idea to have a licensed architect prepare the plans so that there is some measured level of competency in their creation with regard to code compliance and even thoughtful design.  This is by no means a suggestion not to have a collaboration between all parties involved (owners, contractors, etc), but rather just to have a physical set of documents that are pulled together as a result of a committee of ideals and then reviewed and distributed for a consistent record of thoughts.  These can also be used to keep everyone informed and have confidence in "apples-to-apples" comparisons of quotes, etc.  

But most importantly, the architect-prepared plans should have the basis of code compliance to get through the permit approval relatively painlessly and with an "Approval" stamp that was earned with little intervention or sacrifice to the design.  The municipality governing plan review will know the code well or will contract an entity that does.  If there are errors in the design they will inform applicants of the deficiencies, but will not necessarily advise on how to correct them.  That's where having an equal expert in your corner will help guide the design through this phase and hopefully at that point only minor plan adjustments will be necessary.

So in summary, always pull permits when required to do so, and contact your local architect for advice, counsel, and to make use of their expertise as an advocate for you, your project, and everyone's goal of safety and sustainability.  With proper planning from the inception of the project with regard to time and cost budgeting, the permit process can fit seamlessly into your schedule and can minimize future unwarranted headaches.

Rule of Threes

Architecture is not all about pretty pictures and drawing.  A lot of the job is dedicated to providing a full range of services.  There is pre-design where an architect can be involved in the project's site selection, programming, and budgeting.  Then there are the two following phases which are most common and recognizable, especially within CJ Architects' realm of projects:  Design and Construction Documentation Phases, which include the processes of creating the structure theory and translating those ideals onto paper for contractors and municipal plan reviewers to understand in our universal "language".  The final phases are Construction Administration and Closeout, where the building is under construction and the Architect is involved with observing the Work and procuring ongoing documentation, and then the Substantial Completion, Quality Assurance, and Final Billing.

However, before the Construction phase comes the Bidding and Negotiation Phase.  In this phase, the Architect can assist project owners and clients with the contractor selection process.  The first step is usually soliciting the bids.  The client may come into the project with a list of prospective contractors, or the Architect can refer some of their own resources based on past experiences.  In some rare cases, the list of contractors can come from other sources or be pre-generated by a third-party, including contractors who pre-qualify as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises... usually for government and civic projects and some other publicly funded work.  Usually with our type and scale of work, the client usually comes along with one or two prospective contractors and we provide another one or two for consideration.

The rule of threes that this post refers to is that we always encourage clients to at least consider three contractors for bidding their projects - regardless of size or scope.  This helps establish a finite range of prices and expectations.  The project owner can compare three bids and feel confident with the conciseness of their results.  We always recommend the at-least-three-bid rule for ALL subcontractors as well, representing each trade.  A general rule of thumb is that if you use three bidders, you should select the one in the middle, but this is by no means a hard and fast rule and each individual bid should be examined closely for accuracy and thoroughness.  It is just an assumption that the one in the middle will be the most reasonable while including all aspects of the project, whereas the high bidder may just be too expensive or is adding or misunderstanding things and the low-bidder may be missing details or just undercutting the competition.  If a bid comes back on the extreme end of high OR low, it is best to contact that bidder and go over the project and their bid together to make sure you're on the same page.

Obviously we will also always recommend that a project owner have a good set of proper working drawings before soliciting all three bids.  It's never a bad idea to speak to a contractor first to get a ballpark estimate, and we actually get plenty of work and referrals form our contractors (so we don't want to bite the hand that feeds us).  However, this should just be a budgetary exercise and not a strict proposal submission.  The project scope can change so rampantly from inception through the architectural process that those numbers can be null and void once hammer and nails are really ready to be implemented.  Plus, after drawings are developed the client will be getting a more apples-to-apples comparison from their three or more contractors because they're all bidding off the same set of criteria.  Bidders will appreciate this whole process as they realize their valuable time is not being wasted - but, again, most of them would be happy to help see the project through from start to finish and that adds a lot to the comfort level in the relationship, which is another key factor in proper contractor selection.

Goings On

So this is a typical slow time of year for cj architects. What I've found is that starting right around Thanksgiving and running through the few weeks following the New Year, clients are rarely interested in pursuing new design projects or even concentrating on existing ones. It seems there is a "shut-down" in this period where most everyone (including myself, admittedly) is distracted and loses focus for a bit. The most obvious reason is the holiday lull where folks are visiting with family and friends, entertaining, short on cash, etc, etc. Also, I attribute this to the weather - the gloominess of winter and fear of the snow/ice effect on construction, commuting, and feeling good. 

Things start to pop back up right around now, early-to-mid February. I think the prospect of warmer weather and the knowledge of time-lag for the permitting and bidding processes gets potential and current clients motivated. They seem to want to get design projects underway in time for that first Spring thaw where digging and opening-up of walls can occur without much issue. I like this time of year. It starts to get crazy and gets me back into the swing of things. It's a good time to release all of those creative juices that have been stored up over the winter and it gives me a lot of confidence about the direction the year is going. 

Of course not the entire Winter season is spent thumb-twiddling. There are always usually loose-ends to tie up on existing projects, small tidbits here and there to pass the time, and the occasional under-construction project where the design is complete and construction is in full swing. I find that unlike design-time, clients will focus on projects during the heavy construction phase through the winter/holidays because there is some momentum and a light at the end of the tunnel. 

The photos above reference one such project. These are recent pictures taken of a new home construction in Schaumburg. The exterior was completed int he Fall allowing for the interior to be weather-tight for rough-in and drywall to continue over the winter in a space that will retain the adequate heating level to do so. This is a sweet project, because cj architects was virtually given carte blanche on design. The front entry opens up to an large 2-story hall/vestibule open front to back with a curved, central grand staircase. This is coupled with several other architectural features that will make this home one of the more prominent designs in the cj architects portfolio... 

It's experiences like going through homes like these in this phase that make the slow time of the year bearable.