The ceilings and soffits will be high gloss white aluminum panels. We installed a plywood underlayment to simplify panel layout and minimize panel distortion.

All photos are courtesy of Phil Dietz / Lost River Construction.

This photo is looking down the entry veranda toward the front door:

Looking from the front door toward the sauna wing and entry veranda:

Completed plywood underlay in the great room:

First panels go up in the Master bedroom:

Master bedroom ceiling complete:

Detail of fasteners:

Recent rendering put together for an advertisement:

After a long and steady labor of love, the Lichtenstein studio is finally nearing completion!

Hereis a view of the loft looking toward a study nook:

The bathroom will feature a Japanese garden adjacent to the soaking tub:

A compact and efficient kitchen tucks in under the ladder to the loft:

We finally have finished our plywood box wall! The light catches the plywood grain a little differently, highlighting the alternating orientation.Custom steel stairs to the mezzanine pinned off the concrete, are the next undertaking.

The depth of the boxes are modulated to create niches for models, samples and audiovisual equipment.

CAST had a great 2012--a mixed use studio, our first prefab houses, a pioneering urban farm, some great residential projects and a fabulous cabin in Mazama are just some of the many projects that we worked on this past year.

Canal Street Studio, a mixed use building, is almost dried in and the interior is starting to take shape. Looking good!

The second modular home at 100th Street is getting installed today! Just how much is done offsite in the factory? As much as possible!  

 Construction on the Saratoga Residence is proceeding very well, and the overall massing is taking shape.  We should have the rest of the steel installed in the next couple of weeks, then all the back up framing can be removed an we'll really be able to show off the open plan, but for now here is a view of the future garden in foreground and mudroom:

A vacation retreat in Mazama Washington that emphasizes a seamless flow between the indoors and outdoors, clean lines, and an indestructible materials pallet. After a long summer of groundwork and extensive concrete formwork the framing has begun - the Sun Meadow Escape is taking shape!

View of the northwest corner of the home. A large covered patio adjacent to the public areas of the home allows activities to flow seamlessly from the indoors to the outdoors.

A private master suite at the southeast corner nestles up against the adjacent aspen grove.

I am building a little painting studio in my backyard, and wanted to try out 'shou-sugi-ban,' a traditional japanese technique of burning the wood siding to create a thin charcoal layer to protect the wood, in lieu of staining/painting.

I tied three boards together in a triangle with baling wire, and stood the bundles on a small fire.  The fire wicks up the inside of the bundle after about a minute, with flames coming out of the top after about two minutes.  I then flipped the bundle, burnt from the other end for another 30-45 seconds.

Once I had the surface fully burnt, I laid them down, clipped the wire and extinguished the fire.  I had to use a blow torch to touch up the areas along the edge that didn't get charred.  I have seen some people use a roofer's torch to blacken the surface, then brush off the soot and apply Penofin, but I wanted the full charcoal layer.

And here is the shed with the siding up!

It was a bit of an adventure to maneuver the 8' planks while they are on fire, and messy to deal with (since I kept the charcoal layer intact), but I love the texture and the way it shifts between silver and black in the light.

If you are interested in urban agriculture and would like to share your ideas to shape the Rainier Beach Urban Farm, please join us Saturday, July 28th from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm for an open event to discuss the project!  Stay for the community picnic or just get your hands dirty during the drop-in work party every Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm.