Parkhill, Smith & Cooper

Our last field trip was taken to Parkhill, Smith and Cooper, a design firm that incorporates every step of the design process.  It includes engineering, architecture, interiors, and landscape architecture.  They are based out of West Texas and have five different locations, totaling around 250 employees. 

            PSC typically designs in the public sector, focusing on healthcare, education, transportation and municipal infrastructure.  The firm is also ranked among the Top 500 Design Firms in the United States.  More importantly, the Lubbock location was the first LEED certified building in all of west Texas.  In taking our tour of the building, it was very interesting to hear all of the components that went into to the building to make it sustainable.

            One of the most eye catching was the fabric air ducts that circulate throughout the building, at night when the air is off the ducts actually collapse.  All of the finishes are low in VOC, which reduces the amount of poisonous gases.  The building actually has a 10% decrease in employee sick days because of all the sustainable design choices in the building.  A few of the parking spaces for the building are covered in grass rather than concrete, which absorbs chemicals released from cars.  In addition, the roof of the building is a “green roof.” It is covered in grass and plants that are watered from an underground reservoir that collects water from the ground.  There is also a camera in the building, allowing the capability to see what is happening with the plants on the roof.  These plants actually add insulation to the roof, so despite the expensive upfront cost, PSC will begin to save money after three years. 

            Parkhill, Smith and Cooper has worked hard to create a sustainable building and become the first LEED certified building in the area.  Environmental awareness is becoming increasingly important.  Therefore, our future design choices in materials and textiles can impact our population of as a whole.  

Jeff Seal Homes of Distinction

Last week we took a field trip to visit a couple homes being built by Jeff Seal, a custom homebuilder out of Lubbock.  Jeff uses all high quality materials and handles every aspect of the building and designing process, from blue prints to interior design to landscaping.  He mainly designs in the Lubbock area but has designed in Austin and is looking to expand his business further. 

            The first home we visited was four bedrooms, French themed home being built for a couple with no children.  The front door was custom designed and carved out wood.  There were also a couple gothic style windows in the front of the house as well as a groin vault in the entryway.  The kitchen had all high-end materials with granite, custom made cabinets, and top of the line appliances.  The finishes in the kitchen were also made to match the dining furniture that the buyers already own.  The fireplace has a herringbone pattern inside, and the fireplace outside also uses a brick inside but with a different pattern.  When going upstairs there was a beautiful guest room with built-ins, casement windows, and clerestory windows as well.  The whole house was centered on the French theme and designed exactly to the client’s wants and needs.

            The second home we visited was in the early stages of building, as it only had the wood frame up and no drywall.  It is going to be a massive 12,000 square feet with an indoor pool, tennis court, two master suites, three laundry rooms, a basement, and a magnificent double staircase in the entryway.  The home is not going to be finished until 2013, but is owned by a family with two children, as well as the grandparents that will be living in the home.  The home is priced at $5 million, which is an outrageous amount for a Lubbock home. However, this home is going to have everything imaginable when it is finished. 

            Jeff Seal homes are truly magnificent and it was an honor to be able to tour them.  Pieces of furniture are incorporated into the design, not just put in the room as a plain piece of furniture.  The homes have amazing details, with everything from groin vaults, barrel vaults, wooden beam ceilings, and domes.  It just goes to show how much goes into build a custom home and the multiple different stages it takes to complete.   I would love to be able to re-tour these homes when they are complete to see the finished product. 

Collins Tile and Stone

Last week, we also took a field trip to Collins Tile and Stone, a company that specializes in stone and tile, mostly in the commercial business area.  Tim Collins, who has owned his business for twenty-seven years, works with both commercial and residential projects.  The company is currently expanding into another warehouse to hold the wide varieties of tile, stone and granite that they carry. 

Tim Collins first discussed with us the durability of different stones.  Granite is a natural stone that is the most durable, being that it is both stain and heat resistant.  Quartz comes in as the second most durable, but it is an engineered stone.  In addition, the exotic stones are more expensive, which can run for over one hundred dollars per square foot, installed.

We also discussed marble, which is a highly desirable stone in kitchens, however Mr. Collins mentioned that it stains easily.  Therefore, this material would need to be resealed often, and also runs in the same price range as granite.  We saw two very beautiful granites that were also the most expensive.  The first one was a black and copper color, swirled granite that everyone was fascinated by, while the second one was all different colors, and called “Blue Louise.” 

We also got a tour of the new warehouse they are expanding into and a tour of the work warehouse where they cut all the stone. They have two large machines that cut and polish the stone and tile.  The measurements are put into the computer and the machine automatically cuts it, making it easier for the workers.

Collins Tile and Stone was a very informative field trip, it was great being able to see what granite looks like before it is cut and polished and made into a countertop.   It was also a big help learning about the durability of each stone, which will help in designing for future jobs.  

Leftwich Chapman Flooring

Last week we took a field trip to Leftwich Chapman Flooring.  They are a high-end company in Lubbock that supplies various types of flooring products.  They mainly deal with commercial businesses, but have also worked in residential areas. 

            Upon stepping inside, the store is divided up into three different sections, one for hardwood floors, one for carpet, and one for tile.  We started in the hardwood area, as it accounts for over seventy percent of their sales.  They supply real hardwood and also engineered wood, which is a cheaper option.  The most expensive wood is the exotic type, such as the Brazilian hardwood, which was very beautiful.  There are also variations in the textures of wood. A smooth wood scratches more easily, while the rougher hardwood with grooves in it is more durable because the scratches look natural to the wood.  The most interesting floor they had was leather and cork.  Both of these floors were very durable, but at the higher price end. 

            The next section we saw was carpet.  Carpet is always the cheapest option, but there are several variations.  The high-end carpets were more soft and plush, so it was obvious that they were more highly priced.  The Karastan collection had especially comfortable carpets, whether they were a short pile or a longer pile.  He also told us about an expensive carpet that was bleach resistant. 

            The next area we went through was the tile section.  Everyone was so distracted by the beautiful types and colors that it was hard to pay attention to the information being shared.  Most of the tiles were used as backsplashes or countertops rather than flooring.  However, there were so many types of tile, from random stone, to natural stone, and the favorite glass tile.  There were so many amazing colors and patterns in the glass tile.

            The last section we visited was the laminate flooring, which looked very realistic to the actual hardwood, but was a much more budget friendly option.  Right outside the laminate room was a rotation of expensive and patterned carpets that could be used for area rugs.  Some of these included a leopard pattern, a zebra pattern, and even a black and white houndstooth pattern.  

            All in all, this was a very informative field trip about flooring, the cost of each type, and the installation details of each different area.  It was so much fun getting to see all the beautiful samples and envisioning what type of flooring we want for our future homes.