Last weekend designer and photographer, Joshua Colt Fisher, came to visit the project that he had a hand in designing. He had the opportunity to take a helicopter ride for an aerial view of the house and garage, and luckily for us he had his camera with him! Many thanks to Josh for sharing his photos with us – they are beautiful! Be sure to check out Josh’s website for more of his photography and design work: JoCoFi Design + Photography
Happy new year!
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Ours was great, but we were ready to get back to work so that we could start putting up some walls (and photos)! (more…)
The holidays are quickly approaching and we are tying up the loose ends here before heading home to spend time with our families. Before we sign off though, we thought we’d take a quick look at the garage with some exterior and interior photos. (more…)
The next level of steel has been completed, and we have started laying down the floor and roof panels.
Check out the progress below of our complex steel structure. (more…)
A little more than three months and we are already nearing the end of our work on the garage. It is looking a lot less bare these days as it has undergone the process of stucco-ing!
We try to take the green/sustainable/eco-friendly route in all aspects of our construction, especially when it comes to using products that are on par with the LEED standards. R-GUARD FastFlash, PermaLath 1000 and Acrocrete are some of our favorite products when it comes to adeptly finishing the exterior of a building successfully.
Check out the process in all it’s detailed glory!
What does one use as a door when your garage is larger than life? …Oh, just a typical airplane hanger door.
It wasn’t an easy couple of days but we are definitely happy with the results. Be sure to check out the photos! (more…)
We have begun construction on a new project located in the Florida Keys.
Over the course of the last few weeks we’ve constructed one of our largest garages yet! At 30′ x 42′ the garage can store two 40′ RVs, or if need be, up to 6 cars. Above the garage is a loft space with enough room to be used as storage space, an office, or even an apartment.
Have a peek at some photos! (more…)
THE NEWS-PRESS business digest
Fort Myers, Florida
August 27, 2009
Local firm’s work featured in magazine
“Building techniques and technologies developed by element LLC of Fort Myers are featured in the third-quarter edition of Caribbean Construction magazine.
In the article, element President Scott Bartels describes how homebuilders and engineers working in the Caribbean and U.S. coastal states are adopting new, nontraditional construction technologies to create disaster-resistant, energy-efficient shelter.
The company offers sustainable and tested high-performance building systems and services for the residential and commercial markets.”
Website source http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009908270313
Caribbean Construction Hurricane Issue #7
disaster resistant shelter by Scott Bartels
“Television footage captures the power of the hurricane, its relentless high wind loads whipsawing foolhardy news correspondents and peeling away roofs and walls of houses as if they were the layers of a plywood onion. For weeks after a storm, the coverage features gut-wrenching images of flooded homes, their water-wasted interiors, their moldy walls and their heart-broken owners.
Incorporating the harsh lessons learned in each succeeding hurricane season, homebuilders and engineers working in the Caribbean and the coastal states of the Americas are adopting new, non-traditional construction technologies in creating disaster-resistant shelters.”
Please download the entire article here
Caribbean Construction #6 Green Issue 2009
Caribbean ‘Greenhouse’ New Energy Efficient Building
An innovative green project underway in Eluethera, Bahamas is a home for the future. The element building system is a new forward-thinking building envelope that features steel framing and the use of steel insulated panels (SIP)s. A SIP is a structural sandwich panel that consists of a foam plastic insulation core bonded between two steel facing sheets. The SIPs are bolted to the steel frame and all joints are sealed.
“The homeowners will have a super-strong, highly insulated home that will require much less energy to cool and almost no effort to maintain,” says Scott Bartels, chief operating officer of Florida-based element, LLC. This incomparable airtight building envelope improves indoor air quality by controlling moisture and offers superior thermal properties. It also is mold and pest resistant. The result is a healthier, more efficient, and more affordable home.
Another green advantage is the SIPs, steel framing and steel connectors are engineered and factory- built, then delivered to the jobsite. The element system minimizes the environmental impact in manufacturing and on the job site.In hurricane country, strength means survival for residential and commercial buildings. This new home will be highly storm-proof. A large custom home built on the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean with the element system withstood a Category 5 hurricane,” Bartels says. “The owner is a true believer and now is an element builder.”
We are excited about expanding our reach further in the Caribbean and offering an opportunity for local labor forces to learn the methods of element installation and to use those skills for future projects in the area. We are looking for partners in the distribution and building of the element system and welcome your interest.
Please download a printable verison here