Sunday, May 31, 2015

Bathing under the stairs


Following on from the previous post...
We decide to relocate the stairs to the rear of the building to allow for an open floor plan on the upper floor But this meant the introduction of stairs in the rear 'lobby' and since this is a tight space, it looked like the existing bathroom will have to go, which ruined my visions of running to work. Without a bathroom, this can be tricky - will the budget hotel nearby lend me their shower? how many wet-wipes will it take to clean a 180-lb body? questions abound..
So, on the plane to Penang - I decided to put my planning skills (and maths) to the test..



So finally we worked out 1. how to get upstairs 2. while keeping our balance, 3. and the bathroom under the stairs, 4. without knocking our heads when we come in the back door, 5. hopefully with enough space for my bike under the stairs.

...it works!

more soon.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Change

At my age, most would settle into a comfortable routine and cruise into retirement. So, my decision to relinquish my shares in DNA to set up a smaller practice would appear strange to some, financially foolish to others and a step in the right direction for those who really really know me. One such friend summed it up by saying "time to do good rather than to do well for oneself"

So by July this year, I will working with people whom I like, doing work that I enjoy, in a part of Kuching town that I love. There is still plenty to be done; logistics and paperwork but I won't bore you with them.

This is my first impression of the new premises.


And later, when I visited the shop with Leong and Arl - I made some more sketches and impressions.


The shop house has a small frontage, dwarfed by its neighbours and forgotten by its owner for nearly ten years. Someone had padlocked the front door; using it as a store illegally, we cut the padlock and went in. The inside was dirty and filled with debris of human life from a decade ago when it was last occupied. But looking beyond the filth and water damaged wall plaster, the timber structure was sound and many of the building elements such as the double hatch front windows and the metal window frames are original and intact.

five foot way entrance
first floor


 more soon...