Exploring Designs for a Live-Work Vision

There is seldom a day that I don't think about design for Hill Country commercial or residential structures. I have long believed that the traditional home offers rooms that are not used and so waste energy, resources and time.  Even with an abundance of size homes are often lacking in space for living as an artist or entrepreneur or other unique needs.  

 

The home designs we plan to built for our Live-Work projects north of Dripping Springs will include choices for workshop/studio creative space and/or office work space with generous well organized storage.

 

There are many questions to respond to.  What is the new Hill Country design look?  How many square feet are needed.  How should the space be organized? 

 

How will the beauty of the natural landscape with native plants be maintained and improved upon?  What materials and methods to use for eco friendly design while considering economic realities?

 

How do we stay true to our vision and meet the requirements of Hays County and TCEQ?  How do we create an environment for simplified living?  Who can help us along the way?

 

This week we met with Cammi Klier, founder of Custom Design Services, to talk initially about the vision for the 34 acres surrounding our home.  She shares our respect for the land and is knowledgeable about eco practices.  Go to Cammi's website to learn more about her work   http://www.cdshomedesign.com/.

 

Check back here to learn more about our projects as they grow organically.

 

 

 

Live-Work as a Way of Life

Five years ago while we were waiting for someone to buy the house at the end of the road that had lingered on the market for months an idea began to brew. Finally, we bought it and transformed the traditional family home to professional offices now known as West Hill Business Center. 

We were told we were ahead of the curve for this rural area, but have found that the space fills a nitch for business owners that live within four miles. It makes sense for them to office nearby and save hours and the stress of commuting. 

We also believe in the Live-Work approach and so next to West Hill Business Center we have posted a sign which invites inquiries about Live-Work options and because banks are holding on to their money for now we are offering financing at 5.88% so you can get started on your dream.  As with everything in our lives this is an organic process partially fueled by long talks with Joe over coffee before dawn. I’ll be sharing more about our vision.

Recently, these figures were shared with me and are inline with numbers I calculated several years ago while on a Chamber of Commerce committee for shopping with local merchants.

“The average AMERICAN worker commutes 2,906 miles per year and travels 1,622 miles on business by car.”

The average commute time in AMERICA is the highest in the Suburbs: 45 minutes a day per trip. That's the equivalent of one working day every two weeks. And of course many people spend much longer than 22.5 minutes getting to and from work. Many folks travel further here from the country into Austin or beyond.

Having Live-Work premises can therefore produce a significant increase in working time.  For someone used to a 45 minute travel to/from work, for example, the figure would be a huge 20%.  This is just the start of it.

What about those unnecessary meetings and all those interruptions at work? It is little wonder that all respected reports on productivity and Live-Work have concluded that those who work from are significantly more productive - most reports suggest anything from 15% to 30%. And those who work from home are also said to be much less likely to take time off with illness. 

It's this simple: working in a Live-Work situation will save you time and effort. But more than that---Live-Work is a natural way to live for one who values independence and is ready to create the dream.  That said the key is to always do what you are passionate about wherever you are.