According to the American Institute of Architects, home improvements are tending towards an interest in home offices, outdoor living spaces and mudrooms. Also, we were happy to hear that people are still spending more on energy efficiency improvements and environmentally-friendly materials.

LGA Studios learned more about the reasons and methods for water conservation from Matt Bakken, at a USGBC Colorado educational session. Some key points: Increased water efficiency will be required by both global shortages and impending codes. Watersense is a voluntary program sponsored by the US EPA, which promotes a cap on the flow of household plumbing devices like shower heads and toilets.

Last year, Larry Gilland became a certified Energy Rater, which enables him to perform energy modeling and analysis. Energy modeling is the process by which residential and commercial buildings can determine their performance level for energy usage. Lower energy usage will ensure that utility bills will be lower or nil and that the building is using less of the earth’s natural resources—a victory for everyone.

A home restoration differs from a remodel in that the focus is preserving the original look and feel of the home. The floor plan remains almost the same and the same architectural style is used, but repairs are made and small changes to make the building more safe and/or comfortable.

Larry Gilland has been working with a group that has been meeting for some time, with a goal of creating a co-housing community on the west side of Colorado Springs. They have chosen a piece of land that has great potential, and are looking for more interested members/investors. They meet once a month, and would love to have other like-minded people join them.

A popular practice in the market today is renovating older homes by incorporating "re-green" principles for sustainability, energy conservation and water savings. LGA Studios is all for this, and since Larry and Mary currently have a home for sale that would be perfect for this idea, Larry decided to develop some ideas that the prospective buyer could think about when they purchase the home.

About a month ago, Larry Gilland participated in the 2010 Engineering Ministry International Golf Marathon at Shining Mountain Golf Course. The golfers played 100 holes in the rain to raise money for Engineering Ministry International's (EMI) project fund. EMI sends engineers and architects to design orphanages, hospitals, churches, and water treatment devices in third world countries, usually working with a Christian ministry in country.

The client's idea for this remodel was to make the home more appealing before putting it on the market. There was only one bathroom, no master suite, and old kitchen fittings in this 1954 house. After going through a series of ideas, working with contractor Gordon Stegner of Palace Homes we uncovered the cost effective solution of expanding the house into the existing garage and then adding a new adjacent garage with attic above.

Colorado Spring's 2010 Parade of Homes includes two houses designed by LGA Studios. LGA's plans in the Parade are the the “Bristol” and the “Hamilton.” This year's Parade of Homes, hosted by the Housing & Building Association, runs from August 6th-22nd. The $10 tickets are valid for all days of the event and can be purchased at Safeway.

For the warmer half of the year, building a deck is a creative way to increase the usable area of the home and outdoor living. This particular deck is a spacious 938 square feet, serving both as family gathering and entertaining space. Loosely the plan is laid out with dining, sitting and food preparation areas (including kitchenette).

In this digital age, it is possible to work for a company in another state. The reason this blog has taken a break for the past month is that I, the blog author, have moved to Texas! My husband and I are not certain how long we will need to remain here, but for the foreseeable future I will continue to work for LGA Studios which is going strong in Colorado.

Where we last left off, LGA Studios and the Homeowners were brainstorming long term plans for this home. Next, with our client's budget and short-term needs in mind we worked on a "Bid Set" of drawings. The purpose of the "Bid Set" is to present contractors with adequate information to assemble a reasonably accurate cost estimate of construction. In this case our clients want a competitive bid, so the drawings will be sent to more than one contractor.

This is the story of a house which began life in a plan service and ended as a unique LGA creation. A plan service plan is a template which can be built as shown, or modified to suit a client's taste. Often, they can save time in determining the basic design of the house. In this case, LGA Studios was brought a plan which the client had already selected.

We just received these gorgeous images of LGA's design for the Kenton Pass & Company home on the recent remodel tour. Click the collage to see the images in more detail!

This year, LGA Studios had three homes in the Remodeled Homes Tour. There was a Victorian beauty by Pinecrest Construction Co, a sleek rancher by D.A. Johnson Inc, and the remodel below by the prominent Kenton Pass & Company. We are happy to report that at end of the project, these clients were happy campers.

LGA Studios has so many ideas which we hope to bring to fruition. This one is of a government facility with an adjacent visitor center, at a major intersection near a downtown in the Rocky Mountains. The facility would be planned as a LEED-certified facility.

Almost a month ago, the Pikes Peak Construction Specification Institute Chapter hosted the CSI Southwest Region Conference. This was a somewhat momentous occasion for LGA Studios, because many of us are involved with CSI. Larry, a CSI Director and strategic planner, did a fair amount of the organizing for the conference.

A remodel can be more challenging than starting from scratch, due to both the technical issues of unknown construction hidden behind walls and the design issues of marrying our client's dreams to the reality of an existing house. However, the most ecologically friendly house is the one which has already been built. Besides that, historical homes can have a charm which makes all the work to save them more than worthwhile.

Near Calhan airport east of Colorado Springs, our client had a great idea for their plot of land: build a neighborhood with a runway down the middle and garages for airplanes. The concept is of a commuter neighborhood for pilots.

The LGA Studios blog now has a LinkedIn group. Larry Gilland has been able to use his LinkedIn profile to aid his involvement with local organizations and to continue to spread LGA Studios' presence in the Colorado Springs community. Many other associates at LGA Studios are involved with LinkedIn as well. Come join our group!