At Kaaterskill, the head of our architecture department is long time employee Mike Bliss. On a warm Saturday afternoon, you will find Mike on the river. When he is not reviewing code, collaborating with our structural engineer or working on design plans, he is taking in the view from the Catskill Creek where it meets…
A surveyor’s day is never the same twice. It seems like there’s always a domestic issue, a missing pin, an unclear deed or weather complications that make the job unique daily. But there is a standard set of procedures that every survey roughly follows from start to finish for the guys in the field. In…
Hiring an engineer, an architect or a land surveyor can be intimidating. Whether you are thinking about designing your own home or want to find out licensing information for firms you are considering, you want to do your research. It can be hard to find information if you don’t know what you’re looking for so…
Waterfront property is often prime real estate. Being right on the beach, lakefront or river makes for great views to wake up to every day. Of course, living next to a body of water can be a dangerous venture. Even tamer ones like a creek can be in an area that can receive significant run…
Hired as a Surveyor, Work as a Detective Hunting down legal descriptions, field work and piecing together a map to legally represent a property. The help wanted ad doesn’t include detective work in the description. But it certainly could have. Stage 1 Getting Acquainted: Meet the client, meet the property. Besides gathering contact info and…
Blueprints are synonymous with design plans and directions on how to build something. It is used in motivational speeches titled something like “What’s the blueprint of your life?” The term is a common description for the directions in IKEA products and, of course, the original use still stands; a drawing for a house. Except blueprints…
When it comes to designing a dream home, an eye catching store front or a prime real estate house, picking out the right team for the job is essential. It can be overwhelming to wade through the engineering firms. Of course a good price is always a great bargain. But quality shouldn’t be sacrificed when…
The quaint little town of Cairo, New York has been around since the 1700’s. With the first settlers arriving before the revolutionary war, Cairo has a lot of to remember. The Cairo Historical Society is a community organization dedicated to preserving the Town of Cairo’s rich historical past and providing opportunities for the public to…
It’s time to build your dream house! You’ve spent years imagining design and layout. The perfect amount of yard space, a garage just the right size. A home with enough room for entertaining, plenty of storage space, a floor plan that fits you to a tea. Then there’s style. You’ve looked at magazines, websites, photos,…
What if you never had to pay the electric bill? Or the water bill? Or the heat? If your home consumes no more energy than it puts out, the structure can maintain its own energy needs with no outside resources. This is called net-zero energy. In order to do that a building needs to minimize…
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