West Tisbury House: Work with the natural site contours, not against them.Over the holidays, I gifted several books from the 101 Things I Learned series, which is created, edited and illustrated by Matthew Frederick. If you haven't heard of the series, it's worth a look. I find the books irresistible.

Inspired by Frederick's lead, I'm launching a new category with this post: 101 things KHS has learned. Here's the first of a ten-part series on what I've learned designing homes.

1.    Fully complete Pre-Design before beginning Schematic Design. (See Design Process.)

2.    Respect building/neighborhood context.

3.    When possible, work with the natural site contours, not against them. (See Common Sense Green, and West Tisbury House, above.)

4.    Protect the best part of the site from the scars of construction. (See Common Sense Green.)

5.    Balance lot coverage and open space.

6.    Orient buildings/additions to follow the sun. (See Common Sense Green.)

7.    Prepare KHS-generated existing condition drawings.

8.    Preserve historic character where possible.

9.    Clearly differentiate the main entrance from secondary entrances.

10.  Don’t be afraid to remove design blunders by others.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast