#buildingmindset

[todayjanicemade]

A Building Mindset - 01 - Hello Home

Taos, New Mexico has an elevation of 6,969 feet. In the high desert climate, the winter days average 36° F, while nights dip to 12° F.

When my then-boyfriend Eric and I camped in an airstream named Judd on New Year’s Eve 2019, we were shielded from the cold by the metal container and 3 space heaters which efficiently – a little too efficiently – warmed the RV’s two tiny rooms. 

The following morning, Eric and I pried ourselves from Judd’s warmth to brave the outdoors. Determined to embrace the “camping” concept, we wanted to start our day with a campfire.

A combination of wind, wet wood, and the cold made it difficult to start the fire. After 20 minutes of striking matches, lighting kindling, watching it smolder, and trying again, we had a fire big enough to huddle next to and cook s’mores for breakfast. 

Though Eric’s gloveless hands had essentially frozen into 2 blocks of ice in the process, his feet had stayed warm the entire time – all thanks to a common kitchen accessory.

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Prior to our trip to New Mexico, Eric’s dad passed along a piece of advice: 

“Wrap aluminum foil over your socks to keep your feet warm. Looks silly, works great.” 

His dad spoke confidently, swearing by this method to keep his own feet warm during hunting trips in snowy woods.

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I thought about this anecdote last week as I looked at the pools of water that had formed on my aluminum window sills.

Prior to living in this condo, the windows in every home I’d lived in were vinyl. Water pooling on top of the interior window sill was a new problem to me. I’d wondered why the windows were built this way; a little internet sleuthing helped me discover: Before it was condominiums atop a sports bar, my building was a furniture store.

Source: Vintage Norfolk

According to a presentation titled “Maintenance and Repair of Historic Aluminum Windows” from the National Park Service, aluminum window frames were a common building practice.

“[Aluminum] windows in buildings have been around since the 1930s… numerous landmark buildings in the 1930s and 1940s prominently featured them in their design… By the 1970s, they rivaled the dominant wood window industry, particularly in commercial and institutional construction. The historic significance of early aluminum windows is now being recognized and efforts are being taken to preserve and rehabilitate them.”

In what I assume was a move to preserve the building’s history, the condo developers maintained the original aluminum windows.

Source: Zillow

While beautiful – indeed, the metal-encased 7-foot windows & the light they let in were the first thing that attracted me to this condo – the windows proved to be leaky and poor insulators.

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I’m fortunate to have had the past week-and-a-half off from work. This means I’ve spent the past week-and-a-half searching the Internet for solutions to my wet window frames and other problems (and, as an aside, reading Solutions and Other Problems). 

My research began with one question: Why is aluminum an effective barrier against the cold, wet snow (as with Eric’s makeshift bootie), but a poor material for a barrier like window frames?

My research expanded to a single, enveloping curiosity: What makes a good building – and, in particular, a good home?

I’m starting this blog up again to document the things I’m learning about the science & psychology of buildings. As a reminder to myself that writing is doing is learning, I’m calling this series “A Building Mindset” – a play off of the phrase “a growth mindset.” 

Subjects like physics, engineering, and mathematics have always daunted me. However, coupled with my interests in interior design and user experience, I’m finding that the answers to the central question of “What makes a good building?” has made STEM subjects accessible and relevant.

When I’d encountered home-related problems in the past, I’d search for quick-fix solutions. As a result, I never truly understood the what of the problem, and thus, the why behind the solution. 

In documenting what I learn, I’m hoping to cement my learning, surface new curiosities, and share my newfound interests with others.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to share what I’ve been learning about:

Thermal mass v. insulation (RE: aluminum booties v. window frames)

Green building concepts like “passive house,” “pretty good house,” and “zero energy design”

Natural building materials like rammed earth, cob, and hempcrete

The bureaucracy of building – from finding land to build on, to building your home on it

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Till next time! 

– Janice

[dubculturehi]

“Crave the result so intensely that the work is irrelevant” - Tim Grover There’s no motivation. No one is gonna give you what you want. You have a million and one excuses. Hesitation is the killer of dreams. You want that new car? GO GET IT You want that increase in income? GO GET IT You want to get healthy? LETS DO IT You want to improve your mental and physical wellness? LETS START The only thing that is stopping you from getting what you want, IS YOU. Get out of you own way, & LET’S GET THIS! #BuildingMindSet #LeadWithAloha #ChangeStartsWithYou #IAM https://www.instagram.com/p/CB3sRv-lfFc/?igshid=k8faeibgwojd

[vikipathak21]

Vikas Pathak U need to be keep learning right knowledge to achieve desired results in life Facebook: Vikaspathak IG:@vikipathak21 WhatsApp 9459834259 #vikipathak#Buildingmindset#Entrepreneur#Learningmode#Growing#learning#helpinghands https://www.instagram.com/p/B-b1lwBlLk6oyX_dMjQUjON1-rbi6VLNPdmMIw0/?igshid=zivfmy4n5dub