Design Inspiration

Welcome to The Beginning!

I'm Sarah, the lead designer at difference DESIGN Lab.

I've been casting about online for a while trying to figure out what my role should be on the difference DESIGN blog, and after a certain amount time, I realized that what I was doing WAS my role on the blog.  I don't know about you, but for me it's impossible to imagine what people did before Pinterest, much less the WWW.

In this space I plan to share with you all of the beautimous stuff I find during my long and ever so lovely adventures on the web, with a few real life photos (taken by moi) thrown in for good measure.  We'll end up all over the place, since you never know where inspiration will come from.

And just like that, we're off!

Here are a few things to whet your whistle:

A machine that is just amazing. I was clapping by the end.

Wishing Paris was a bit closer so I could have a cozy nightcap at the swanky underground bar Candelaria: (Photos by David Rager)

Much more to come early next week.....  

Bottoms Up,

Sarah

In Which We Put Out A Press Release

Design Firm to Provide Affordable, Sustainable Modern Homes


Atlanta – difference DESIGN, a building and real estate consulting company, has officially launched in February of 2012. The company seeks to provide high-design modern homes at a price point much lower than is typically found for this type of construction. The homes will also be environmentally sustainable with an eye towards value engineering and low-impact building materials.


Company founder Zach Hill had this to say about the industry:


“Construction is a $1.2 trillion a year industry in which 86% of projects come in over budget and overdue. In no other industry do people spend so much and expect so little, and the consequences of these lowered expectations are grim for homeowners, the US economy, and the environment.”


The company’s current project is a modern three bedroom two and a half bathroom design called the Mark One. Drafted by award-winning Atlanta-based modern home architects DENCITY Design, the Mark One will feature a number of innovative building techniques such as utilizing intermodal containers for half of the building and cross-laminated timber (CLT) in the other half. While popular in Europe as an environmentally sound building material, the Mark One will be the first residence in the U.S. to be built with CLTs.


Staffan Svenson, the projects architect, talks about the Mark One’s design:


“When the idea of using CLT's entered the picture, it became clear how serious difference DESIGN are about putting a quality product out there. One of the most interesting parts of this design is the way the house reads as two forms that are both visually and functionally completely different. The first form, consisting of two shipping containers is carefully mapped out on the inside and complicated. The second form, the CLT form is it’s opposite: warm, airy, open and light. The two forms are then connected by a glass atrium which brings in more light and contains bridges that connect the two forms. It feels like a house without waste, where every space has been considered.


In addition to building homes, difference DESIGN also consults to builders to help them produce homes that are value-engineered, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.


“So far, the sales pitch for ‘green’ construction has been ‘pay more now, save more later’” states Zach, “Unfortunately, there is already more than enough evidence to suggest that this business model doesn’t work, and never has. difference DESIGN focuses on providing sustainable builders and homeowners with a way to be cost competitive on day one, not year five.”


The company states that the first Mark One is being built in the Reynoldstown neighborhood of Atlanta and is slated for completion by the 3rd quarter of 2012. The company has plans to continue building more homes and is currently taking orders to build the Mark One or future designs as well as consulting arrangements. For more on the Mark One visit www.differencedesignlab.com.






ABOUT DIFFERENCE DESIGN


Difference design is an Atlanta-based builder and consultant specializing in producing sustainable, affordable modern homes with an eye towards design and value. The company plans to produce multiple designs of single family and multi-unit homes that can quickly be built without compromising quality or design aesthetic. Contact the company at info@differencedesignlab.com or visit www.differencedesignlab.com.