News from Full Circle Architects, LLC

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News Around the Circle (FCA Events)

Design Contest

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About Us

Navigating the Winds of Change

Greetings!

The warm winds of summer are long gone. But in sailing terms, we are still "finding our sea legs" based on current economic conditions. The stormy seas of the recession have forced us to trim our sails, alter our course, and continue forward with a renewed respect for powerful, unexpected shifts in the prevailing winds. Making continuous adjustments to constantly changing forces are as necessary as ever to stay afloat, and so we do.

In our effort to find stability, some interesting trends have emerged. Practicality prevails. In the building industry, "improving rather than moving" is now a familiar line. More homeowners have chosen to maximize existing property values through maintenance and improvement projects, increasingly with a sustainable approach. Savvy consumers understand the tangible value and intangible virtues of healthier, more energy-efficient plans while taking advantage of the generous tax credits and rebates currently available. Furthermore, the movement to "right-size" new architectural work grows, validating that true comfort is achieved in environments that are built with sensible scale and an interest in quality instead of simply quantity. Enduring design is delightful, not disposable. There's nothing more sustainable than that.

So whether or not we can forecast when the economic tides may turn, maintaining the course we're currently on could actually turn out to be quite favorable. It's my humble opinion that it could actually lead to smoother sailing ahead.

All the Best,
Lenore

News Around the Circle

Recent and Upcoming FCA Events

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On Sunday, September 26, Full Circle Architects along with Heynssens & Grassman Landscape Architects and RedRock Custom Home Builders hosted a House Party to benefit Designs for Dignity, a nonprofit organization serving marginalized or at risk populations throughout Chicago. The party featured tours through the custom home and gardens of gracious homeowners Jeff and Joanne Burgess. The house which was designed and constructed by the hosts included a state-of-the-art kitchen where cooking demonstrations were given by Chef Warren Jones of Bluegrass Restaurant. Guests sampled delicious treats while viewing the house's unique features such as sun-washed window seats and amenities that optimize indoor/outdoor living. Also on display was custom furniture crafted from trees salvaged from the existing property. More than 200 attendees toured this unique property, and helped to raise money for Designs for Dignity www.designsfordignity.org

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Friday, October 15, Dan and Lenore attended the Jonathan Adler Kohler Design Center Room Unveiling in Kohler, Wisconsin. It certainly was entertaining to learn from Mr. Adler about his latest creation! It was also great to participate in an industry focus group on design trends and to learn about Kohler's latest product innovations.

Susanka

Thursday, October 28, Dan and Lenore attended a presentation by renowned architect and author Sarah Susanka at the Marvin Design Gallery. They had the good fortune to hear her speak about her latest book, "Not So Big Remodeling," written with Marc Vassallo. Like the other books in the "Not So Big" series, this one carries on the mission of encouraging people to live responsibly, sustainably and meaningfully; making every construction dollar count, even (and especially today) for remodeling projects. As usual, Sarah's message was sensible and timely, demonstrating how to make a big impact with relatively inexpensive changes to an existing home. Not So Big Website

November 8 and 11: Full Circle will hold a workshop for our local boy scout troupes to earn their Architecture Merit Badge. Our own Michael Fries, who is a Merit Badge Counselor and Scout Master will conduct the two-evening event based on the success of last year's workshop. The scouts will attend a series of presentations on the architectural process, building materials, and on the rich architectural history of Chicago. They will also view a slide show of an actual project under construction.

November 17 - 19: Greenbuild 2010 International Conference and Expo will take place in Chicago at McCormick Place West. Our entire staff will enjoy the conference on different days, attending different seminars, tours, and workshops in order to remain current with all things sustainable. If you are interested in this remarkable event, you can register online to join us at Greenbuild 2010 .

The October Issue of Natural Awakenings Magazine, a new publication on the North Shore, features an article written by Lenore on healthy indoor air quality. Check out the magazine, and specifically the article on page 37 by clicking here: Natural Awakenings October Issue

The November/December issue of Luxury Home Quarterly features an article on Full Circle Architects. See the link here: Luxury Home Quarterly - Nov/Dec 2010

Lastly, as the holiday season approaches, Full Circle will be collecting non-perishable food items for the Northfield Township Food Pantry again this year. We already have the lovely yellow collection barrel in front of our office, and it's just waiting to be filled! So if you find yourself near our office, and are moved to help our less fortunate neighbors during these difficult economic times, feel free to drop in some extra grocery items. Alternatively, you could make a direct donation online to Northfield Township Food Pantry if you share the belief that "Hunger is Unacceptable in Our Community".

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A Challenge:

The Most Awful Home Office Contest

We've been hearing it for a while now...complaints about how bad an old home office is...that you'd make a copy of a certain document if you could actually find it and then get past the ironing board. Or the Nordic Track from 1982. Or worse, that you actually try to conduct business out of that space! Well it's time to reach out for some help! We are officially launching the "Most Awful Home Office" contest to choose one lucky person to help! From now until December 1, send us photos of a home office - yours or someone else's - that needs a serious dose of good design. Include a short description of the problem along with the photos to DMiller@FullCircleArchitects.com, and we will choose the best of the worst. The lucky winner will receive a full hour of design consultation from Full Circle, AND an hour of time from Altogether Organized, a premier professional organizing service on the north shore. Together, we will take the most challenging home office, and teach the winner how to plan for serious productivity. We will let you know the results in an upcoming newsletter. Stay tuned, and good luck!