Today, Tuesday, they started the brick work. They are going so fast, I have to keep up with them, making sure the windows widths and sill heights, the recessed niches and other openings are correct...
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| Oscar and I fine tuning the locations of arches and corner closets in the Master Bedroom. |
March 15.2016
Today, exactly two weeks after they started the brick work...take a look at the incredible progress.
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| Trough the door between the Dining and Terrace. Miguel is building an Architectural glass wall with plaster dividers. |
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| Looking out the Dining room window towards the Spanish Court. |
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| View from the back of the Spanish Court towards the front. |
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| At the back of the house, the narrow vertical Glass block window in the shower.and the window/Med cabinet above Ilana's vanity |
Going back few days, you can see more progress photos below.
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| After the first meter (3 feet) they pour the concrete in the Castillos |
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| The start of the L R fireplace in the corner front of the house |
The progress is remarkable. The first floor is almost up to the top, they just have to put the top concrete beam (dala) and they can start the second floor slab ( or techo), which is built of Boveda brick and concrete over it. The Maestro for the vaulted Dining Room ceiling is coming next week.
be build on the exterior line of columns, which are bigger, as they support the second floor Studio for Jim's Man Cave.
Behind these arches and in front of the brick Party wall there will be a real stone wall separating the long stair from the Passage Hall leading from the Day area of the house (the front) and the Bedroom area.
April 17, 2016
The many, many arches and arched window openings are finally done. As my architect, Oscar, calls it, this is a "complex" not "complicated" architecture. It took some time, but it is spectacularly Mexican. Oscar is fabulous and his guys are simply great. Thank you.
Looking from the Dining Room towards the Den/TV room.
From Dining Room, same spot, but looking more Left towards Terrace/Outdoors Living Room
The West wall, (atop of the arches) is now at the full height for the Cathedral ceiling.
The many, many arches and arched window openings are finally done. As my architect, Oscar, calls it, this is a "complex" not "complicated" architecture. It took some time, but it is spectacularly Mexican. Oscar is fabulous and his guys are simply great. Thank you.
Looking Right (towards the front) from the Spanish Court through the Dining Room window and the Kitchen arch and window.
After reading a Mexico History book and finding out the hard time the Spanish gave to the Mexican people for centuries, that we will change the name of the Spanish Court to: "Plaza de la Revolucion" in sign of respect. I think it is very funny.
Great Construction photo. Jim is doing a great job at documenting the work on the house.
Look at the clean, nice, red truck bringing in the "special" brick for the Boveda ceilings.
It is smaller than the masonry brick, lighter, and better quality at it will be exposed (for the most part),
In the back of the house, along the neighboring wall, they built a little Bodega for additional storage.
The roof (half built in this photo) is done with brick resting on steel beams edges.
The covered Terrace/Living room will get a second floor above (Jim's Studio). Here you see the little fireplace already built.
The Boveda Maestro joint the Team and started on the Dining Room ceiling, which will be an intersection of two partial cylinders. I will post more photos, this is an AMAZING skill. The man does ONLY this and he is called upon to build all over this part of Mexico.
May 13, 2016
On April 18th the Maestro started the Boveda ceiling in the Dining Room. Because the room is small, he had decided that we will get a smoother curve if he works with half bricks instead of full bricks. Well, that is more than expected, and the man has to cut by hand EVERY brick and of course, has to place in position twice as many pieces. The end result is well worth it.
The Stone wall is started. We hoped it would be a "dry stacked" stone wall, but unfortunately, as I had said before, the machine in the mountain, which cuts the rock "straight" out of the mountain has been broken for awhile and the supply of "good" stone is all gone. I love the light yet rusty color of the stone and I am pleased with the look of it. This wall is along the stair, and along the walk from the day area to the Night area of the house. The columns will be part of a wrought iron wall with glass and a big door to the Terrace/Living Room. The brick is the back of a recess in the stone wall, centered to the big opening toward the terrace and will make a charming seat area.
May 13, 2016
On April 18th the Maestro started the Boveda ceiling in the Dining Room. Because the room is small, he had decided that we will get a smoother curve if he works with half bricks instead of full bricks. Well, that is more than expected, and the man has to cut by hand EVERY brick and of course, has to place in position twice as many pieces. The end result is well worth it.
At the same time, they had to "open" the front wall of the house at the top to allow for welding into the steel inside the concrete Castillos the steel beam of the Garage, which touches the front wall.
The house is progressing nicely. All my arches and fireplaces, stone wall with an arched recess in it and custom built Hot tub are done but slowed down a little the process, so I think, for now we are few weeks behind the original schedule.
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| Dining room Boveda is done. It will get little lights in the four corners and a little pendant in the middle. |
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| Hot tub in progress |
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| Arched recess for a bench in the stone wall |
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Electrical work stated. Lupe is the Plumber/Electrician. He worked in Houston for many years and he is familiar with North of the Border "standards".
Master Bedroom fireplace.
They started the Boveda ceilings over the 1st floor. The brick is set on the edge for more strength and
a 6" layer of reinforce concrete will be poured on it to make the slab for the second floor.
The wall separating the Court from the back (for the dogs) will have wrought iron gate and openings. One of the
concrete posts contains the round steel tube for the center of the stair from the 2nd floor balcony to the roof Mirrador.
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