top of page


Living Machines
The Living Machine at Lewis Center for Environmental Studies at Oberlin College One of the ultimate goals of green building is the...

Vistacraft Engineers
Feb 12, 20142 min read


Predicting Environmental Impacts of Building Construction
Buildings in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat A team of researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) has developed a method...

Vistacraft Engineers
Jan 13, 20141 min read


Lovell Health House: Architectural Masterwork
Lovell House, in context, from the Griffith Observatory. © 2013 DMSA all rights reserved. During the Thanksgiving break while in the...

Vistacraft Engineers
Dec 11, 20132 min read


City Planning According to Artistic Principles
The Piazza della Signoria in Florence Bernardo Bellotto, c.1742 Oil on canvas. Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest, Hungary Camillo Sitte...

Vistacraft Engineers
Dec 9, 20132 min read


The Cost Estimator’s Role in Architectural Design
It has been said that the only real building material is money. For an architect, the three key components informing the design process...

Vistacraft Engineers
Nov 17, 20133 min read


The Architecture of the Mesoamerican Ballgame
Although some iterations permitted the use of forearms or rackets, in the most common version of the game the players kept the ball in...

Vistacraft Engineers
Nov 17, 20132 min read


Designing Manzanita Beach House
Our client, a married couple, were decidedly unclear about their needs for the home except that the husband was quite clear about how...

Vistacraft Engineers
Nov 7, 20132 min read


They Built Their Own Demise: Lime Mortar, Render, and Plaster: What Role in the Decline of Classica
Chitzen Itza, west facade of the temple called “El Castillo” constructed c. 600AD. Constructed of hewn limestone blocks and whitewashed...

Vistacraft Engineers
Oct 28, 20133 min read


A Brief Overview of the Construction Permit Process
Obtaining a basic building permit (also known as a ministerial permit) is a relatively simple, straightforward, and direct process. In...

Vistacraft Engineers
Oct 23, 20131 min read


Aboard Febus in the West Indies
His is an accurate description of the philosophical, moral, and pragmatic results of industrial technology’s domination over the natural...

Vistacraft Engineers
Oct 23, 20131 min read


The Architecture of Happiness
The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton follows up on the constitutional declaration that each and every person enjoys life,...

Vistacraft Engineers
Oct 9, 20131 min read


The Design Process
The design process has been called the most misunderstood part of being an architect. It requires passion and a dedication almost...

Vistacraft Engineers
Sep 2, 20133 min read


Designing Dragon House
Designing Dragon House by Daniel Silvernail Floor Plan of Dragon House. The client’s program statement stipulated four bedroom, 3-1/2...

Vistacraft Engineers
Aug 7, 20132 min read


Above the Piazza Campo de’ Fiori
The Campo seen from the Palazzo Pio. In 1987 I was accepted as an exchange student and graduate student in residence at the Palazzo Pio...

Vistacraft Engineers
Jul 27, 20132 min read


Certificates in Accessible and Universal Design
Accessible design is the branch of professional architectural practice in which the needs of people with disabilities are specifically...

Vistacraft Engineers
Jul 23, 20132 min read


Design for Sustainability
In an age of prefab homes, remodels and additions, the built environment is constantly changing. Rarely does a building’s original...

Vistacraft Engineers
Jun 8, 20132 min read


Flow in the Workplace
Definition of Flow Flow is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus,...

Vistacraft Engineers
Jun 1, 20134 min read


Project Closeout: Planning Ahead is Key
What Is Project Closeout? From the owner’s perspective, project closeout essentially means the closing out of the Owner-Contractor...

Vistacraft Engineers
Apr 28, 20133 min read


Photovoltaic Assessment with Consumers in Mind
Dear Reader, This is the first in the series of contributions to our blog by Anna Medina, Daniel Silvernail Architect- UCSC Green...

Vistacraft Engineers
Apr 25, 20132 min read
Announcing the DMSA-UCSC Green Building Internship Position
It’s exciting to announce that we’ve created and staffed an internship position in collaboration with the Department of Environmental...

Vistacraft Engineers
Apr 2, 20131 min read
bottom of page
