End of a Decade of blogging

As we head into the end of a decade of blogging I am looking back at 10 years of blogs. This effort started out as a way to share my knowledge and experience. It has grown into a resource for potential clients, a written history of my professional work, and an archive of projects and people.

Ten years ago when Joy Davis encouraged me to start writing, I did not know how it would evolve. My first blog post about a seminar I attended at the CSI Show in Indianapolis recapped a seminar and started my blog journey.

I have written about projects at home and work. One of my favorite projects was the playhouse I built for my girls. The design process was fun and I had a lot of input. I was able to recycle an old playground and reuse parts to create something new that they played in and on for years. It has now graduated to a new family.

I have higlighted projects designed to cut energy use. This one in Grottoes was built and designed by Glen Stoltzfus. I served as a green consultant to help guide them through the process to get LEED certified. We achieved Gold certification.

I have worked hard to build blogs that are helpful. There are many top 10 lists over the years on how to cut your environmental footprint.

Many blog posts promote the idea of aging in place which creates better housing solutions for years to come. This concept creates inclusion in our community. It is very important for me as a designer to create homes that allow for all people to access them with ease. This can be a challenge when also trying to build durable structures that shed water away from the wood walls.

Indoor Air Quality is an often overlooked issue in home design. There are simple things that can be done to help the health of occupants. I have posted many times on this topic, but there is still work to be done and duct work to untangle.

I have written about my favorite architectural spots around the world. Of course, I have highlighted my favorite city to visit, Charleston, South Carolina. Maybe someday I will spend more than just a short vacation there – I do love that city.

I have worked hard to answer common questions that people have about hiring an architect. The most common question has always and will always be – how much will it cost.

I have tried to promote the idea of being a Citizen Architect. I write about the projects we have started, supported, and participated in over the years. I believe strongly that each of us is on this planet to help others with our skills and talents.

Here is another.

Probably the most helpful post I have done for clients is this one that summarizes posts of common questions. This is the blog post I share most often and gets read all the time. Hopefully it walks through the process of creating a custom home as opposed to just building a new home that has some custom choices.

I have shared my life over the last 10 years, but the most painful was this one about my best friend.

I have written a lot about my favorite building – The Depot. I continue to learn more about the history of this 1913 structure and will continue to share it.

At the end of the day, this blog is not just a marketing effort for a small business, it is a way to share my passion, knowledge, and love with all of you. Thank you for clicking on my posts more than 200,000 times over the last 10 years. I appreciate your support and hopefully I have offered value to you.

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