Habitat for Humanity Outing

The Design Team at Shaw Design Associates spent the day working on the 100th Habitat for Humanity house that was built in Chatham County.  Along side us were homeowners from Governors Club, some of which are past clients of ours.  It was a great experience getting our hands dirty, and picking up a few blisters along the way.  There is nothing like a little practical experience to make us better at drawing on the computers.  In the field, things are not near as crisp and straight as they are in the field.  To see more photos, click on the title to link to the Shaw Design Associates Facebook page.

Stairs - Form and Function – A Balancing Act

Form and Function are the primary elements in all design solutions.  It is a given that we must weigh the cost of every decision we make, balancing the aesthetic values with those pertaining to cost. If we make the choice to locate a staircase in the entryway, we also make the choice to spend an increasing proportion of the overall budget on this staircase.  Form becomes much more important as the stair becomes not only functional, but beautiful as well.  The staircase shown here not only sets the tone for the home, it also provides a niche which embraces the owner’s grand piano.  The reason most staircases found in colonial style homes are straight run is due to fact that function and cost efficiency have guided the design process.  When discussing your needs for a staircase, deal with it early on in the design process.  It is a very important aspect of your home and should meet both your aesthetic and functional needs.