Solar Panels vs HOAFriday, November 13, 2009 Architecture, be it commercial, residential, large, or small, is subject to a seemingly infinite amount of regulation. The regulations span from the pragmatic health, safety, and welfare regulations of the international building codes to the most ambiguous, subjective usually enforced by home owner associations(HOA) and community architectural review boards(CARB). Such groups range in their oversight and authority, but are in place to guarantee that the overall aesthetic and perceived value of a community is maintained.
One item that many communities have banned for years are solar panels, be they for hot water or electricity generation. Today, the fastest growing economy in this down market seems to be the "green" economy, and domestic solar may very well be the Prius of tomorrow. Even with solar powered homes leading the headlines of just about every real estate section, many homeowners are finding that their HOA and CARB prevent them from installing solar. Many groups have even forced homeowners to remove systems that where installed without community approval. The authority to enforce restrictions on solar installations is quietly being taken way from HOAs and CARBs. To bolster their tax incentive programs for homeowners to invest in renewables, many states have enacted laws that prevent HOAs and CARBs from having the power to prevent citizens from installing solar panels. Such legislation was introduced on a federal level in 2007 but seems to have died in committee. It is my understanding that the new, house-passed Energy and Climate Bill includes a provision which would have the same effect. R. Michael Cross Design Group was proud to assist a client in Maryland this last week after he received a request from his CARB stating he had to remove his newly installed solar panels. Luckily, in the State of Maryland, Bill 117 denies HOAs and CARBs this authority. DC Kitchen Reno ImagesFriday, October 2, 2009 CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY It is not common for us to have images of a private residential job upon completion (that don't have the painters elbow in the frame or cardboard on the floor) so we are very excited to have received this set from the contractor, AllenBuilt, Inc.
R. Michael Cross Design Group Website LaunchWednesday, August 19, 2009R. Michael Cross Design Group has launched its official website. The launch of the website celebrates 2 years in business and over 40 projects completed. The website features some of their most recently projects, both residential and commercial, all which have been completed using the state-of-the-art Building Information Modeling software called REVIT. The website will be updated frequently, so be sure to check back in with us! R. Michael Cross Design Group is an architecture firm founded by principal architect R. Michael Cross. With licenses in Virginia, DC, and Maryland as well as LEED Professional Accreditation, R. Michael Cross looks to serve the region with sustainable design in both the residential and commercial sectors. Check it out @ http://www.rmichaelcross.com
R. Michael Cross Featured Architect on NCARB.orgSaturday, August 1, 2009We are excited that principal architect R. Michael Cross has been chosen as the first in a series of architects to be profiled on the National Council of Architectural Registration Board website. As a young, board certified architect practicing in a tri-state region, R. Michael Cross is profiled for aspiring and emerging architects to better understand the path toward licensure and the benefits that board certification holds. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards is committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public through effective regulation and exemplary service.When people think about the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards—or NCARB, as they are better known, they often think about the programs that they administer. Programs like the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) and the Intern Development Program (IDP) are a big part of what they do.
First project blog launchedTuesday, July 14, 2009With the overwhelming support and interest surrounding Richmond’s First LEED Registered Home, R. Michael Cross Design Group has launched a blog and twitter feed that will chronicle the project as it progresses. The blog is largely narrated by project designer Evan Mackenzie, who brings energy and clarity to construction processes that may otherwise be uninteresting to the average reader. To follow the Augusta Project Blog, click here: augustablog.rmichaelcross.com R. Michael Cross commissioned to design Richmond’s First LEED Registered HomeMonday, March 30, 2009Under the direction of architect R. Michael Cross, LEED AP, Hollyport Ventures LLC is rehabilitating a home at 4600 Augusta Ave. in the City if Richmond. On March 30, 2009, the “Augusta Project” became the first application for residential certification of a Richmond property under the LEED® for Homes program sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program is an initiative to promote the transformation of the mainstream homebuilding industry toward more sustainable practices. The Augusta Project, a 1938 structure, was built many years before most of the practices promoted by the LEED for Homes program were created, therefore posing many challenges. The goal of the Augusta Project is to renovate this home to meet the Gold certification level of the LEED for Homes program. By doing so, it will demonstrate that high levels of sustainable design are achievable in simple home additions and are accessible to the average homeowner. Key features of this project will include use of a geothermal heating, cooling and hot water system, passive solar elements, superior insulation, improved water management, efficient lighting fixtures, and other innovative design elements. To qualify for certification, a home must be built following the guidelines set forth by the LEED for Homes program and meet stringent performance and design criteria in eight specific categories. Michael Cross commented, “Even in the current real estate climate, we need to design for the future to ensure our homes are as energy efficient and environmentally responsible as possible. The history of this particular house makes it an outstanding showcase for the way current technologies can be used to upgrade the existing housing stock to the highest levels of performance.” Construction is expected to be complete by Fall 2009. In addition to architect R. Michael Cross, LEED AP, the design team will include Marty Felps, president, Delta Temp, providers of geothermal heating and cooling, John Gray, president Peak 3 Construction and Keith Whipple, waterstreetstudio, landscape architecture. Sean Shanley of EarthCraft Virginia will oversee compliance with the requirements of the LEED for Homes program. In addition to planning to meet the LEED for Homes certification, Augusta aims to be an EarthCraft House and meet the EPA sponsored Energy Star, Indoor airPlus and WaterSense requirements. New Office in the Superior Production Exchange BuildingSunday, March 1, 2009
R. Michael Cross Design Group has emerged from the basement of the principal architects own home to occupy a small space in the Superior Production Exchange building. The space, not much larger than that which they had previously, exhibits the firms ability to design efficiently and economically.
Based in The Superior Building, a 36,000 square foot warehouse in Richmond's historic Shockoe Bottom, the Superior Production Exchange represents a unique coalition of 18 individual businesses in the city's media production industry. Joining forces, they hope to attract, maintain, and capitalize on energy and creative ambitions from where we live - in the greater Richmond region.
The assembled companies of the Superior Production Exchange boast national level creative and technical talents putting their skills to work right here. Potomac Orthodontics Office Renovation CompleteFriday, January 2, 2009Already having helped orthodontist Dr. Mehdy Rad, DMD when he encountered a permit issue with his College Park, MD office, he called us to help with a larger project, a gut renovation of his Potomac, MD office. He had acquired the practice from an orthodontist who had been in the space for some time and while it had all the latest equipment when Dr. Rad took it over, the space itself needed a facelift. We performed an extensive analysis of his current work flow at both locations and as well as studied the ideal workflow of a stereotypical orthodontics office. The result was a diagram which we worked to fit into slightly awkward "T" shaped space. Dr. Rad sees dozens of patients a day, so our goal was to produce a space design generated directly by the workflow in order to maximize his team’s efficiency. The result is a dramatically different space, which allows him to be just a few steps away from every area of the office. We also achieved his request of opening up the office both to show its size and to provide transparency for the adults and their children. We maintained privacy only at the required areas and rethought traditional equipment placement in order to showcase his cutting edge technology. Dr. Rad is a specialist in Orthodontics, specifically for Adult and Child braces, Invisalign, and iBraces. Dr. Rad has many years of experience with state of the art technology to provide beautiful, precision orthodontics for Adults and Children. His practice is one of the very first Orthodontic practices in Potomac and in College Park.
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