Planning, Planning

Chicagoans know August. Its typically the hottest month, and much like April is with cold and rain, it can test the patience of anyone who claims this place as home with the heat and long, humid days.  It's the month that brings forth a sigh of relief from the heat in September, when cooler breezes start to blow, the sunlight becomes visibly different, and this sense of a long, slow drift into Fall sets in.

I don't know how the guys working at this place endure it, day by day.  The house, even when fully opened to the outside air, feels like an oven inside.  Even so, it continues to evolve...

Roof Hatch.  Opens from the inside of the Laundry Room, and allows access to the flat roof above. Its high-up.  High enough to be a little scary, so it won't see a lot of action. In other words, it won't be a popular access point for rooftop parties.

Steel Stairs: Now fully installed.  Railing to come next.  This was interesting to watch as it was all fabricated on-site. Its really nice to finally have a sturdy, fully functional access to the second floor.  

Below: the skylight is centered in the middle of the stair area with regard to the way the stairs begin from the first floor.  The stairs 'wrap' around the outside of the light shaft coming from above.  I'm not exactly sure what is happening with the framing of the skylight - being discussed in this pic - but it sure sounds complicated. Angles and stuff. 

Garden level walk out:  Progressing.  All work done by hand. ugh.

"Make no small plans".  For whatever reason, it is part of my nature to always choose the most complex path. As my friend Jeff remarked when looking at all this,  "Your commitment to your vision is courageous" ... hmm. That certainly sounds polite :-)

More in the Photo archives link(s).