WANT MORE LIVING SPACE? LOWER YOUR BASEMENT!

By Doug Hanna 

It's been a couple of years since Cambridge and Somerville relaxed their zoning ordinances regarding living space in basements. It's now far easier to increase the floor-to-ceiling dimension far beyond the 7 foot mark, which defines living space, without running afoul of FAR (floor area ratio) regulations. "You can dig to China if you want to," was how a building inspector in Somerville responded when I asked how far we could lower a basement slab.

CHILD SAFETY & HIGH RISE BUILDINGS

It is the job of small children to test limits, and their parents’ job to keep them safe.

CANTILEVERED DECK - - URBAN PRIVACY

This floating, cantilevered deck furnishes a unique and private outdoor urban space in North Cambridge. We have seen the need for increased space in a limited footprint drive some unusual construction solutions, of which this deck is an extreme example. So extreme that it almost didn’t happen as it ran into engineering and zoning issues that nearly caused the owner to abandon the project.

Municipal Permits and Schedules

By Doug Hanna

After an owner has gone through the work of hiring an architect or designer, finalizing the design and then choosing a contractor, they are naturally eager to begin construction. Besides negotiating the contract, choosing materials and working out design details, there is the "small" matter of securing the correct permits to begin work. When we first started out in business, getting a building permit was a pretty straightforward affair. For smaller jobs, we could just stroll right into the building department  (now known as Inspectional Services), and walk out with a permit. Permits for jobs that were more complicated or had major structural elements might take a week or so to get approval. 

URBAN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM SOLVER

Sometimes the master carpenter is like a musician, exhibiting the technical skill to make complex moldings turn a corner, leaving a perfect joint, one too tight to get a hair or a razor into. And sometimes they are there to solve deceptively simple but stubborn problems, like a basement access that is so awkward and inconvenient that it can’t be used from year to year.

Flood Prevention with Stormwater Drainage Systems

As we see and hear about the epic flooding and destruction in Houston, it's hard to imagine what the Boston area would look like if it suffered a similar storm.  We are located on the Atlantic coast, and huge hurricanes can happen here (1938 and 1954, among others). 

Urban Living Revisited

By Doug Hanna

After four years of self-imposed exile in the far suburbs I recently moved back to the city. There is nothing better than being out in nature with the blue herons, owls, hawks and flocks of turkeys you call your neighbors, but in time the solitude and beauty of living out in the woods can be offset by long and frustrating commute and the occasional feeling of isolation. Fun fact: In the past four years, I've driven approximately 40,000 miles for my daily commute alone, taking up upwards of 1,500 hours of time or around two months of my life. 

Volatility in the Greater Boston Real Estate Market

By Doug Hanna  

The current crazy ride in the local real estate market may seem unprecedented, but it's happened before. In 1981, as new parents, my wife and I bought a triple-decker in Somerville. The day we moved in, the neighbor from across the street strolled over and greeted me as follows: "Ya paid too much for it!"  Three years later, when we sold the house for more than twice the amount we paid, I paid a visit to my neighbor, who had become a friend, and gave him the news. He just shook his head.