Albany Ranch
Thanks in part to a collaboration with David Bowers at Studio A, we’re making progress on designs for a bunkhouse renovation and two new structures on this family ranch. The proposed design is staying true to the original aesthetic and includes some “structural gymnastics” to show off the oil-pipe truss beams designed by the family patriarch, Bob Green. In addition to DBA’s favorite material — OIL PIPE! — other materials include aerated concrete blocks, structurally insulated panels (SIPs) and Kalwall, a translucent wall panel.
Venable Center
Framing is complete, and the buildings are “dried in” with a new metal roof. Pella doors and windows have arrived, and rough electric and plumbing are under way. With about a third of the construction complete on this event center, we’re now gearing up to build a deck and a few steel elements in early March. We’ve also designed a sound wall, with the help of structural engineer Dennis Duffy, to block road noise from nearby Highway 281.
Arendes deck / stage / shed
The gallery above includes a few more photos of the Arendes Stage / Deck / Shed that the Design Build Adventure team, led by Philip Burkhardt, recently completed. Talk about full service: The Arendes family is now negotiating a backyard concert featuring one of our crew members, the one and only Mr. Dan Dyer. (If you aren’t lucky enough to attend the backyard event, you can catch Dan on Thursday nights at the Continental Gallery.)
Custom steel table base
This is the second iteration of the DBA-designed steel table. Based off of an antique table made of wood that Jack was inspired by, this beast is made of a combination of 3/16″ and 3/8″ steel plate that was digitally cut by our friends at Austin Waterjet. Stone top is being sanded and polished, and delivery of this table is … very soon.
Welch Airstream
Savannah Welch of The Trishas hired Design Build Adventure to transform a vintage Airstream into a home away from home. The demo work has been completed, and preliminary drawings have been sent to the client. Design Build Adventure is building upon lessons learned from previous trailer renovations — namely moving the bathroom fixtures outside to free up plenty of interior space for songwriting, music making (and just living).
Austin Visitors Center furniture
Runa Workshop, the architectural firm behind the new home for the Austin Visitors Center, approached Design Build Adventure to create product displays and custom furnishings, from seating and side tables to a mobile devices charging station. The pieces are quickly filling up the shop and will be ready for delivery next month.
DBA LLC wellness program
In the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, we at Design Build Adventure are heading into 2014 with a focus on health and wellness. In addition to some members of our crew managing to get healthcare from healthcare.gov, we’ve started a weekly vinyasa yoga practice led by our resident yogi and office manager Kate Campbell. It turns out that it’s completely possible to do a downward dog in denim.
Camp DBA bee program
We’re excited to announce that June 2012 Camp Design Build Adventure alumnus Bradford Hardie is spearheading our debut into the business of beekeeping. Expect to see Camp Honey added to the Long Time Provisions inventory in the very near future.
Odds and ends
We’re always talking with new and existing clients about possible collaborations. From a gigantic steel gate to a carport that doubles as a chicken coop, our clients have some pretty far-out ideas and we’re game for all of it.
March 1 Yoga & Welding workshop
We’re excited about hosting our first-ever one-day workshop here at DBA headquarters. This one-of-a-kind experience will take you through two hours of centering vinyasa yoga before heading into the shop for three hours of welding instruction with Jack and the DBA team. We’ll wrap the day with a campfire happy hour, tacos, cold beer and live music. As of early February, our roster of 10 was 75 percent full, so sign up today to secure a spot! If you miss out on this workshop, don’t panic. Our vision is to develop a regular series of afternoon workshops that explore a wide range of creative disciplines. Stay tuned for more detail.
In the media
Freunde von freunden, a super-slick international interview magazine based in Berlin, Germany, did a really nice write-up on Jack. Check out the interview, along with photos of Jack, Adrian and The Long Time here.
