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More on soft story buildings — a Q&A with structural engineer James Cranford

Brandon Donnelly

As I mentioned yesterday , I am not a structural engineer. He is Principal at Stephenson Engineering and he was nice enough to answer a few of my questions about soft story buildings (storey if you’re Canadian). However, my friend James Cranford is. BD: What is a soft (or weak) storey building?

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It’s Your Average Off-Grid Shipping Container Home—Just Set on a Tall Metal Tower

Dwell

This structure was to be very strong, be as fire resistant as possible and require as little long term exterior maintenance as possible. I did spend what seemed to be endless hours on the phone and through emails with my structural engineer figuring out how to make my ideas, concepts and drawings into a safe, functional structure.

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Construction Diary: In the Mojave Desert, a First-Time Builder Takes On a Tricky Prefab Home

Dwell

Homeowner Julie Park ordered the home’s components from the prefab company Blue Sky Building Systems, and she hired architect Andrew Goodwin to assist with structural engineering and permits. They’re based in Los Angeles, so the idea of driving two hours east to the desert on weekends seemed ideal.

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This Suburban Australian Home Isn’t Afraid of a Little (More Like a Lot) of Plywood

Dwell

The house is oriented due north and setback the minimum permitted distance from the southern boundary. "A The house is mostly closed to the south and mostly open to the north, facing a garden across a long, skinny veranda. A detached square double garage is twisted in orientation to align with a skewed northern boundary.

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A Comprehensive Guide to Adding a Second Floor to Your Existing Home

Santa Cruz Architect

Adding a second floor to your home is an effective way to expand your living space without encroaching on your yard or violating property line restrictions. Maximized Living Space By building upwards instead of outwards, you can double the square footage of your home without sacrificing valuable outdoor space.

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Raw Plywood Is One of the Only Finishes in This Prefab Home

Dwell

The design language, materiality and color selection of the home is taken from rural Ontario forms and beach house vernacular as the area mixes farms, seasonal homes and year-round residences. The home has a self-contained in-law suite that can be closed off from the rest of the house.

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Budget Breakdown: She Built a $277K Starter Home in Her Childhood Backyard

Dwell

Financially, however, it wasn’t going to work out for us to buy a home." Architect Brian Friel and Melissa Virostko, a therapist, built an ADU in the backyard of Melissa’s childhood home in Santa Cruz for their young family of four. "I We tried to maximize each space to make them feel appropriately sized," Brian says.

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