KASHAS BLOG
Building a 14-Foot Foundation Wall on Solid Ground
At the Camas Hilltop House, one of the earliest challenges was a 14-foot-high foundation wall, unusually tall for a residential project. The architectural design came from Marty, and the structural and geotechnical engineers determined how to make the tall foundation...
Should You Use Spray Foam Under a Heated Slab?
Radiant Slabs: Rigid Foam vs. Spray Foam Most radiant-heated slabs are insulated with rigid foam board. It’s the industry standard for good reason: it performs well, it’s reasonably cost-effective, and crews know how to install it. On a recent project, though, we...
Building Strong Foundations in Camas: Behind the Scenes at Our Hilltop Custom Home
This video offers a closer look at the detail, precision, and accountability we bring to every custom build. Watch now to see how Kashas Design Build lays the groundwork for a home that will stand the test of time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKDXa1V6lt0 Camas...
Trusted to Deliver on a Complex Window Replacement
Today we’re starting a unique project: replacing windows in a log home. This isn’t the kind of job where everything is standard - each opening is different, and until we pull a few windows, we don’t know exactly what we’ll find. The big challenge will be figuring out...
Eyes Bigger Than the Budget
How to keep dream-scope and budget in sync before things get out of hand I met with a client recently who came into the design process excited and full of ideas. He had a strong vision: big, creative, and genuinely interesting. As we worked through the conceptual...
Kitchen Design Mistake #4 – The Raised Eating Bar
Someone, somewhere, sometime decided that raising the countertop to create an eating bar on an island or peninsula was a good idea. Like a lot of bad design, an idea catches on and spreads like a virus. This is one of them. I think the intent is to hide the...
Sorry, Plan Drawing Guy (or Gal) Is Not An Architect
Now and then a client contacts us who has plans from an ‘architect’. Most of the time they use the term architect generically - what they really mean is they hired someone to draw plans. This person usually is not a trained architect and often has no design training...
How Contractors Price a Project
Most projects are priced by a contractor creating an estimate of the expected ‘direct costs’ of the work - labor, materials, subcontractors, and other fees like permits, dump fees, etc - then multiplying the direct costs by a markup factor. Seems pretty simple....
What is quality?
Philosophers, thinkers, artisans, and craftsmen since the dawn of history have pondered this question. Perhaps the most famous modern book on the subject is Robert Pirsig’s 1974 classic ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’. In this book, he recounts in a...