Archive for the ‘General Category’ Category

What can you say.

Since most of my client are spread out all over the US and Canada, I rarely have the opportunity to meet them in person. With sadness one of thew few that I do see, Eric Diener, passed away Dec. 29. I saw him a few weeks before to give him some plans. He was one of those I always enjoyed working with. His integrity was exceptional. He was honest, and built very high quality homes in the Asheville. He will be missed.

Below is his obituary.

Montgomery, Ala. – Eric Edwin Diener, 39, passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 29th 2008 in Montgomery, AL.

Eric was born in Newport, RI and lived in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area for most of his life.

For the past four years he lived in Asheville with his wife and dogs.

Eric was a self-employed home builder, a passionate humanitarian and loving husband.

Deeply saddened by this loss are his wife Laura Dominkovic, his parents Thomas and Patricia (Pam) Diener of Brentwood, TN, his sister Erin Diener of Wilmington, NC, and many dear friends.

A memorial service will be held January 11, 2009, at 1:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. Weather permitting, his ashes will be spread in Graveyard Fields after the service (dress appropriately), followed by a reception at the home, 29 Spinet Street.

Memorials gifts may be donated to Save the Children (http://www.savethechildre n.org/).

To donate to a specific country, call 1-800-7283848.

Eric was dedicated to supporting countries in critical need, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, Gaza strip, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Rest in peace, my love!

I would like to announce that I am starting a sister web site www.sustainablehouseplans.com. It most likely will be a while before I actually get the site online, but I am starting to shift my time from developing plans for this site, to designing plans for the new site. I would not mention it here, but the day after I registered the site name (yesterday), I needed to give out the new link to ASU, and this is what that link will open for the present time. So, if you linked here from there, sorry, but I’m not really here. However, I do have another site, and please visit that (www.thompsonplans.com)… and keep reading. The new link (sustainablehouseplans.com) will start showing up on a new web site related to a plan I donated to The NC State Energy Office and the Appalachian State University Energy Center. It was built by a Habitat affiliate in Hickory,NC and was the first Zero Energy Home (ZEH) built in North Carolina. My new plans will not necessarily be geared for the affordable housing market, but will maintain an Arts and Crafts feel with nice porches and warm detailing.

My interest has long been designing homes that are connected with the environment. Unfortunately, in the early 1980′s that was not what many of my clients were interested in. Despite my living and working out of a passive solar house that I built in Atlanta, very few clients had any interest in investing funds for solar features. I also loved the Arts and Crafts character, and since that is what my clients wanted, that is what I did. This web site grew out of that work.

Today we live in a different world. Everyday more people are becoming aware of the shortsightedness of using fossil fuels. “Green” is now the buzz word in advertising and marketing new homes. But, for the most part, this just implies product selection, and does not necessarily address the energy consumption issues to any great extent. I am starting the new site by reworking many of the existing house plans I have, and incorporate passive and active solar functionality. My intention for these new plans is to incorporate thermal mass storage as a fundamental heat source, along with room designated for photovoltaic systems. Some will incorporate attached solar greenhouses. All plans will have 2×6 wall construction, as well as other environmentally sound construction details.

If you have linked here from another site through the www.sustainablehouseplans.com link, please look around, and if any of the plans work for you, and you are also interested in solar considerations, email me. The new plans will be specifically oriented to work with the sun.

Well, interesting and creative detailing. Not my wording below, not sure of the source.

A city councilman in Utah, Mark Easton, had a beautiful view of the east mountains, until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built a new home.

The new home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance. The new neighbor had to drop the roof line, at great expense.

Recently, Mark Easton called the city, and informed them that his new neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home. Mark didn’t like the look of these vents and asked the city to investigate. When they went to Mark’s home to see the vent view, this is what they found…

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