"Every person is the architect of his [or her] own fortune."

House Enthusiasts interested in savoring the sight of New England vernacular buildings, landscapes, seascapes, and gardens all year might want to consider the new Katie Hutchison Studio (KHS) 2011 calendar. Drop by the KHS Lulu storefront to get a preview of the full-color photos on the 13.5" x 19" calendar. Christmas is just around the corner, hint, hint.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

view from outside Thoreau's cabin

Lecture: Thoreau as Climatologist:                                                    Tracking 160 Years of Climate Change

Harvard Museum of Natural History: Thursday, November 18, 6:00 pm
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Mass.
Free and open to the public

As part of the Asa Gray Bicentennial Celebration, commemorating the founder of the Harvard Herbarium, the Harvard Museum of Natural History is offering a series of public lectures and programs. One looks particularly interesting to me as a fan of the New England landscape and all things Thoreau. Charles Davis, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Curator in the Harvard Herbarium, will speak about his work which picks up where a nature study conducted by Henry David Thoreau left off. 

More than 160 years ago Thoreau documented flowering times at Walden Pond. And, according the Museum’s website, “Davis… has updated Thoreau’s records with current data and integrated them with modern evolutionary biology to reveal how climate change and earlier flowering times have affected Walden’s plants. Those that have greatly declined include many charismatic native wildflower species, while those that have thrived include many nonnative and invasive species. Davis will explore how an integration of historical records combined and cutting edge science can help us potentially mitigate the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.”

This local investigation into a global condition could prove fascinating and informative. Mark your calendars.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Sample (partial) shared virtual notebook for online consulting client.Good news for House Enthusiasts: Katie Hutchison Studio (KHS) is now offering online architecture and design consulting services.  Well, I've been offering them for a while, but only recently updated the website to share the news.

I'm hoping my online services will help bridge the gap between those emailing general-interest questions to Ask Katie, here at House Enthusiast, and those seeking full architectural services.  If you're looking for advice, a professional viewpoint, or even clarification concerning a specific architecture or design project, but you aren't (yet) in need of drawings or further services, email your inquiry to Katie@katiehutchison.com.

Typically, KHS online consulting clients are invited to share a virtual notebook created by Katie Hutchison Studio (like the one illustrated above) which includes relevant photos, web links and notes pertaining to the online inquiry.

As the saying goes: the only stupid question is the one never asked.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Saturday, October 16, 2010 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. 
Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, Boston, MA

Joseph Story House c. 1811, Salem, MASome times the obvious is worth repeating: rehabilitating, reusing, and renovating older homes can be inherently "greener" than building new from scratch. I wrote about this in one of my early posts Common Sense Green. In fact, it's a recurring theme of mine. Here it is in a post about the internal neighborhood of my antique condominium. And here it is again in a post about the LEED for Homes Silver Certification of the Joseph Story House, which was part of the 2009 Christmas in Salem House Tour.

Fortunately, for me (and you) there's an upcoming half-day symposium on the topic, to be moderated by New England Home’s Kyle Hoepner. Speakers will include Mark Price, Frank Shirley AIA, Jeff Stein AIA, Charles Sullivan and Rebecca Williams, who (according to the NEH event blurb) represent "perspectives from a variety of professions and organizations—architecture, architectural education, sustainability engineering, preservation and historical commissions".

Not your typical Saturday activity, but it could prove worth it.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast