After we left from July Trip...

Hola friends!


During the trip back, Jim spent time refining information to help Rob know the sequencing and important details in constructing the center part of the structure. On the architectural software it is referred to as the third "floor". But indeed, there is no floor to it. If you think of a cupola, and then enlarge it to 5.1 meters long, and 1.85 meters wide with the top rail 5.25 meters above the upstairs floor level (eg: about 17 feet), then you've pretty much got it. The top meter of that structure will have windows all around it. now, we won't be so sexy as to have electric openers - but rather long poles that will operate the louvered windows from the floor. There will be six windows total.

The point of this large center shaft is to form a chimney to the structure. The Sun will heat that top most roof, and when the lower and upper windows are open, a natural convection should occur making a "wind" through those lower windows all the time. By opening/closing different windows, we can control this.








Gerardo made fantastic progress on this structure, as evidenced by the pictures in this blog. The photo's begin a sequence. The first is top dead center over the kitchen bumpout wall and sets the first support for the ridge pole supporting the gable end roof there. The second is the tie in to the tower which is the other support for the ridge pole. The thid is the ridge pole going in. From this, roof "beams" are mounted and above those, roofing itself.

The fourth picture are the guys mounting a valley pole parallel to a hip roof ridge pole. If you're not familiar with terms, I think your understanding will improve over future posts. Grill me then and I'll point out how this framework is the foundation for that. This picture is perfect in seeing the vision of those upper windows. That "box" above the guys heads is the north wall of the upper box, and will contain a single window. The others will be arrayed around that. The small upper roof will be on TOP of that box.





The final picture is of the tower itself. It is just under the top wall pole that the one meter tall windows will be installed. On top of all this is an upper hipped roof with generous overhang so that rain won't go into those windows. As you can see from this ground up shot, it is rather high up there!!! That should also serve to catch breezes which will also pull air up into that tower. We'll see how it comes out in the end. We just might have to provision a ladder and upper seats to enjoy the view up there! Please let us know if you're interested in that. Jim will get started on the design to create that feature!








Now, please understand that a lot of that criss-cross stuff are temporary supports. It is this coming week that Gerardo will build big X's at strategic points - plus a stucture that all of you who visit will see every time - something called an American Beam. This is built high up on the outter Ocean view walls with a series of diagonal pieces forming a sort of criss-cross pattern that should be interesting. Painted black like the rest of the exposed steel, we think it'll be a cool look. Plus is one more part of making our casa more earthquake tolerant.









This little "picture" is a drawing of how American Beam's look. Hope this explains better than my poor words do.









I'll be revisiting the backstory blog soon, and will amend these recent blogs with that link. Just give me a bit of time to get to that.

Thanks very much for reading. Hopefully you've been able to see the physical progress as our little casa is built.

Best to you all!

Ricardo y Jeeeem

ps - Jim set up a NEW BLOG which will set about to give the history BEHIND this construction project. Part 1 thru 6 are posted; others to come over the next several weeks. Link is: http://jimdicktdacasainthebeginning.blogspot.com/