Palisades Residence | Damian Lemons

This project is scheduled for completion early October 2012. Like Oakland House, this project is a collaboration between Stephen Kanner and I before his untimely death two years ago. I am very fortunate and grateful to have had the opportunity to work and learn under his tutelage. I like seeing construction photos, so I posted these images prior to the completion of project. I would like to see other firms post more construction photos as well. Often times, I take co-workers out to the job site, especially interns, to introduce them to construction process. I believe that the good designer knows how to construct what they design. Often good design comes out of the construction process; not the other way around. The front door is an interesting piece. The client travels to Asia often and had exterior and interior panels carved in Thailand. I considered the panels to be a work of art so I designed and detailed a entry door that would display the panels as art; which in my mind, required removing the hardware from the door. The handles are integrated into the frame, and the locking mechanisms are placed in the fixed side panel, not on the door. It took many hours to research, specify and detail electronic fail safe locks that met exiting requirements. The superintendent, who worked for Marmol Radziner in the past, contracted with them to build and install the door frame. The door is "smooth like butter," (or vegetable oil; what ever you prefer!)