construction Archives - Levy Art + Architecture

August 27, 2013April 14, 2019

Sharon Risedorph – Opening

Please join us on Thursday September 5^th from 6-9 for the opening of:

Composition – Decomposition

by Sharon Risedorph

at Levy Art and Architecture,
1286 Sanchez St., SF, CA
visit us at levyaa.com for directions.

Sharon Risedorph’s recent work at Pier 70 looks directly at the early twentieth century waterfront landscape and finds in it a wealth of inspiration. These works do not illustrate the size, scale, type or texture of the historical places; rather they find a wealth of raw material that is employed to create works of special presence. These are pure renditions of light and form, “made” in a creative process that is the result of exploration, observation and opportunism. Sharon uses the lens to produce works that are at once crisply photographic and richly abstract. They embody space and form in the same way that James Turrell’s works render light as physical matter. These images take the everyday, the discarded, the common and reposition it, elevating it to the level of abstraction that inspires curiosity and introspection.

July 1, 2013April 15, 2019

San Francisco Remodel

This Noe Valley Remodel pushes the envelope of what most would call a remodel, but when you start with an old small house a little goes a long way.

The house is being slightly lifted to allow for a full height understory and a new story is being added to dramatically increase the space, view and use.

The City of San Francisco and most jurisdictions have rules for what is allowed. In the case of San Francisco the permit process is much easier for a renovation, the only issue is that you can only change so much before it’s considered a demolition. However there’s sometimes tax consequences, so check with a financial adviser.

June 18, 2013April 15, 2019

30th Avenue Progressing

The building shell is up, roughed-in and insulated. We are making the final tweaks before sheetrock but the sense of the space and its connection to the outside has taken shape. It is already exciting even without the sheetrock. the floor to ceiling glass of the large sliders gives you the impression that the building disappears at moments and the 10′ foot ceilings give the feeling of openness. Views to the outdoors and the natural light provided reinforce this.

The background, this is an addition to a small suburban home for a growing family. The intent was to create a modern living/dining/kitchen space with a strong outdoor connection to the yard while re-purposing the smaller more contained living room in the existing house to a master bedroom suite. efficient and cost effective.

June 20, 2012April 15, 2019

Fly Ash in Concrete

There has been a lot of discussion recently about fly ash in concrete as there are concerns about heavy metals in this by-product of coal fired power production.

“Replacing Portland cement is a high priority for all of us…” Russell Perry, Smith Group

“The Environmental Building News (Alex Wilson) continues to support the use of coal fly ash in building materials as long as:

the use of fly ash reduces green house gas emissions elsewhere in the materials stream and
the fly ash is chemically and physically locked up so that the risk of leaching is kept acceptably low.

A 2008 study by researchers at The Ohio State University found that fly ash concrete exposed to heat through steam curing retained 99% of its mercury content and showed final emissions similar to thoseof common soil.

A follow up study at Ohio State in 2009 that looked at both gas emissions and liquid leaching showed that the amount of mercury emitted from fly ash concrete was independent of the amount of mercury in the cement.

In California and much of the Western United States, the primary cement substitute in concrete is slag. Bode concrete, for example, advertises a “green” mix that is 30% slag and 15% flay ash, in place of 45% of Portland Cement.

R-FlyAsh-Pumper — Concrete Pumper laying a slab

Slag is byproduct of the metal smelting process. Common components of slag include the oxides of silicon, aluminum, and magnesium, as well as sulfur, which is always present. Slag also contains phosphorous, calcium, ash, remnants of flux materials such as limestone, and remainders of chemical reactions between the metal and the furnace lining. Slag cement has actually been used in concrete projects in the United States for over a century. The earliest use of slag cement was documented in 1774, when it was combined with slaked lime and used as a mortar. Slag cement was first used commercially in Germany in the 1860s, and it was such a success that engineers in 1889 decided to build the Paris underground metro using slag-lime cement.