Looking back, what was the most difficult part of shifting your team’s work to adapt to the architecturally different style?
The most difficult aspect of the change was transitioning from a local team to one that is 500 miles away. Thankfully, the Radziner team was always available and very professional, and the distance was overcome by maintaining open lines of communication. We used very high-end products with extended lead times that required deliberate planning, and scheduling design reviews of shop drawings that coincided with the project schedule was very important.
What steps did your team and Radizner’s office take to ensure that the design and construction process would continue smoothly?
We knew communication would be of paramount importance. We held weekly conference calls with the Radziner team to discuss the project in detail, and we used Basecamp and other networking software to plan ideas and details in real time.
What are some of the innovations applied to this project?
The sustainable landscaping was a major source of innovation in this project. We harvested many of the mature trees and native plants from within the construction site and stored them at a nursery in the Carson Valley to be replanted on the property once the project was complete. The overall architecture that Radziner’s team developed provided a very natural approach that complements the site’s surroundings.
Additionally, high-end thermally insulated steel windows—custom made by Arcadia—were used on both houses. The shop drawings for these high grade windows required extensive review, in addition to 18-week lead times for manufacturing. The weight of the windows required specialty equipment and nearly double the amount of time for installation. Finally, the panel siding was made from Anthra Zinc, which is a very rare metal that required custom builds for each panel to fit in precise locations on the exterior. Shop drawing review and extended lead times for the specialty metal made the home truly one of a kind.
