(Last of a three-part series. See parts 1 and 2.)  more...

(Part two of a three-part series. See Part 1.)  more...

(Part one of a three-part series. See Part 2.)

When someone who's been well-liked passes on, it's amazing how many people suddenly materialize to pay their last respects. You'd think it might be better to do this while the person was still sentient and around to appreciate it.  more...

Now and then I get discouraged seeing the sorts of houses developers are peddling these days. I get even more discouraged seeing how many people flock to buy them. Like the Victorians before us, we've bought into the idea that a huge house is a thing to be coveted. And, like the Victorians before us, we're going to find out we're wrong.  more...

Think earthquakes are just the curse of nutty Californians? Think again.

Over the centuries, severe earthquakes have occurred in surprising places throughout the United States–they just happen to have struck before the country was as populous as it is now.  more...

I often get calls from nice folks who've drawn up their own plans and want me to check them for problems. Some of these designs are wonderfully creative, yet virtually all of them are sabotaged by the same basic shortcomings: People never allow enough space for hallways, staircases, kitchens or baths.  more...

Years ago, when I was a punk architect in my 20s, I asked a well-known San Francisco Bay Area contractor what he considered the most important factor in a good remodel. I suppose I was fishing for an answer along the lines of, "Excellent design," or at the very least, "A decent set of plans."

His one-word reply: "Painting."

He went on to explain that he had a sort of fetish for excellent painting.  more...

We Americans think we're pretty hip for converting the occasional warehouse or factory into housing, but we can't hold a candle to Europe's clever new uses for old industrial relics. Whether ore bunkers or blast furnaces, the Europeans honor these structures as landmarks of a bygone era, rather than blowing them up as we do.  more...