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Free Air Conditioning
Free air conditioning sounds like a deal you can’t pass up. Actually, it requires some up-front costs to install. But after that, there is no cost to run it. I’m talking about a solar chimney. This is...
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Welcoming Holiday Entry
Bright holiday lights, greens and bows adorn this home making for a festive holiday entrance. We all know how important first impressions can be. Our opinion of something or someone is formed quickly...
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Holiday Season is Here!
I went over to a friend’s home the other day, and she had her house beautifully decorated for the Holiday Season. However, she lamented the fact that she had to use one of her bedrooms to store all of...
View ArticleControl Moisture in the Air During Construction for Better Finishes
This is a great tip about how to control the moisture content in a house while under construction.I often get questions about why floor finishes change or seem to warp after awhile. By conditioning...
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Framing words Studs, joists, rafters, i-joists
Studs? Joists? Rafters? I-Joists? When an Architect and builder sit down to discuss the plans for framing a house, they speak a common language. Sometimes I forget that the terms we use are not words...
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A Question about a Skillion Style Roof
Recently a reader asked, “I will soon be starting the process of building a 16’X27′ building with a Skillion Style Roof and no attic. I’m having trouble figuring out how to run the rafters over the 27′...
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Artwork for your walls
Chenonceau Allee, Loire Valley, France Artwork by Bill Hirsch is available for purchase on this website! Add beauty to your walls . Bill has an assortment of choices, check them out in the...
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A visit to Venice, Italy
Saverio de Bello We recently took our granddaughter, Isabella, to Venice, Italy. It was a real treat for all of us. One of the highlights came when we met up with Saverio de Bello, an artist we had met...
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One Way to Build Green: Use Reclaimed Beams
I wrote and article for Green Building and Architecture, and it is featured in the Fall 2016 Digital Edition. The article is titled: The Straight Goods on Green Building and Energy-Efficient Home...
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Sustainable and Green Building
A greenhouse and strategically placed windows make this home energy efficient Sustainable and Green are terms that are being tossed around more and more frequently, especially in the world of...
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Define space in open floor plan
Sick of Open Floor Plans? Try These 5 Tricks to Separate Your Space I find the trend toward an open floor plan is changing a bit these days,” says William J. Hirsch Jr., an architect and author of ”...
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Design to stay at home for a lifetime
I have an article featured in the April 2016 Issue of Beacon DC called, “Adapt Your Home to be Livable for Years”. Here are some tips to help you stay at home for a lifetime. Plan ahead for one floor...
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Bathroom Remodelling on a Budget
Bathroom remodelling can be done on a budget. An article by Bill Hirsch was posted by Kitchen and Bath Business Collective on March 30. The article points out Six things you can do to keep your budget...
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Book review by “Ask the Builder”
I received a nice review from Tim Carter, master builder in his newsletter this week. Thanks Tim! You can order your book here today! “More than a few months ago Bill Hirsch Jr, AIA send me his book...
View ArticleOur Word(s) Of The Week : Plinth and Casings
Our Word(s) Of The Week : Plinth and Casings This week’s word of the week is actually going to be two words: Casing and Plinth. This is because we have a video to present that features both words....
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New Old House in Latvia, a Preliminary Look at the Design
Well, we’ve been working hard on developing a design of the house in Latvia. With my clients’ kind permission, I’m going to share it with you. Today, we’ll take a preliminary look at the front of the...
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Sun Path Diagrams Help Determine a House’s Orientation
Latvia Is Almost the Land of the Midnight Sun. These sun path diagrams and sun graphs show that. One of the first things I do when designing a house is a site analysis. This is a study of the local...
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A Footing Depth and Frost Line Question
I recently received this question from a reader: Dear Mr. Hirsch, My wife and I are planning on building a house with a partial basement in North Dakota. The frost line is 48 inches deep. The footing...
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Factory-Built Housing Can Be Better than You Think
If you are like most Americans, when you hear the term “Factory-Built” or “Modular” housing, you probably think of what you see rolling down the highway with the house-wrap flapping in the breeze and...
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The Handcrafted Heritage in Latvia
Have you ever wondered why most people prefer handcrafted things more than their machine-made counterparts? It does not seem like it should be that way if people were looking for items that were...
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