There is a great series of articles on portlandarchitecture.com by guest blogger Corbin Keech.  Part 4 is about me.  Click on image to read entire entry.  Great writing by Corbin!

Glo baby Glo!  Just finished installing these cabanas and bar at the Glo Apartments in downtown LA for Myhre Group Architects. Interior Designers Kayce Joyce and Heather McGrath came up with the overall concept for spicing up the pool area.  They specified new colorful daybed covers, pillows, tables, chairs, and approached me with their concept for the cabanas and bar area.  I come in to execute their concept by designing how it would be built, figuring out the details, and actually building it and getting it down there.

The beams and columns are hollow 6×6 teak box beams glued up out of 3/4″ material which fit over burly 24″ galvanized steel brackets I had fabricated by Kari Merkl. I built everything in Portland, took it apart, and trucked it down to LA and reassembled it on site.  At $18.50 a board foot (1″ x 12″ x 12″) teak is extremely expensive and scary to work with.  Its stunningly beautiful though and is unparalleled for outdoor durability.  It was a pleasure to work with such premium material!

The red curtains I had a fabricated by a company in Milwaukee called Twelve500 (strange name, good people).  They are hung across 3/16″ stainless steel cable stretched between the columns.  I installed stainless steel carabiners so people could harness the curtains, if they wish.

The fasteners are all 316 grade stainless steel.  I’m pleased with how they work with the design and show how the structure is put together.  It was actually quite complicated figuring out how the different beams and columns would come together and not reveal the metal brackets underneath.

The cabanas really transformed the pool area by defining space and creating an alternating rhythm with the odd number of divisions.  The bold colors worked well to create a fun feel and lighten up the pool area.  It was a pleasure working with Heather and Kayce on this project.  We have a good relationship of trust and flexibility- 2 crucial ingredients for work and life.

The install proved to be quite an adventure with missing boxes and damaged freight.  I had to scramble to re-purchase hardware and even rebuild some teak parts at my friend Fred Shriver’s shop in Santa Barbara. At the end of the day, excuses and obstacles dont really matter.  Bottom line= I got it done.  I enjoyed the challenge of working on such a difficult and risky project. Bring it on!

*photos by Ryan Purkey and Ken Tomita

A few weeks ago I shipped out my largest order for chaboos yet.  Wasteland Clothing is opening a new location in Burbank, CA and ordered ten chaboos with minor customization and one custom jumbo chaboo.

Here is the whole family of chaboos.  To the left is the original- 12.5h x 14″d x 32″w.  Middle is medium chaboo 15 x 18 x 36.  JUMBO chaboo is 18 x 24 x 48!!! For scale is my brother.  He is actually 7ft 2″ tall, 325 lbs- thatll give you an idea of size!

I had to change the design to accomidate the extra length.  With 3/4″ I wouldnt go past a 36″ span without a beam supporting it.  The half moon cutout creates the handhold in the top like in the original.  Clever clever.

This order came in through a random google hit to my website searching for bamboo benches.  They had never heard of Project Chaboo or seen the website.  AFTER ALL THAT my only online sale had nothing to do with Project Chaboo.  Funnnnny

A few months ago I completed a big project for the Jupiter Hotel (hotel connected to Doug Fir). They did a big remodel designed by Mark Design group and I was hired to produce custom desks and headboards with end tables for 54 rooms.

Custom desk below with glossy white laminate.  I took their design concept and redesigned to work for the budget I was presented with.  To save costs I designed it to be IKEA on steroids.  Everything is knockdown but with super heavy duty 35mm Cam hardware and glued together on site with 3/4″ backs.  Parts were made at a local mill that has a CNC machine and we assembled the parts at my shop.

Detail of the headboards and boxes below.  Boxes are bolted on from the back with 8 2.5″ conformat screws.  Again, overbuilt.  I changed the original design to a stronger proportion.  I dont like getting callbacks and I assumed the worst for abuse at this rowdy hotel!

It was a fun challenge dealing with a huge quantity (54) and limited budget.  I feel really good about working with the budget and producing something strong very efficiently.

I think Ive found a nice niche where I can do big projects like this at much less expense than the other big companies that do this kind of work.  I keep things simple here with low overhead and efficient and flexible operations.

What a great experience!  Thank you to the folks at the Jupiter and also Mark Design Group for helping me pull this project off.  Im looking forward to getting more work in the hospitality field.

Ive also added a piece I built a few years ago as the cousin to Takai.  Which design do you like better?  Its almost a Chinese versus Japanese thing. This is going to polarize the world.  Its like Republicans vs Democrats, Pro-life vs pro- choice, Lebron or Kobe….  Here is Hosoi.

photo by Anna Campbell

Here is Takai (the older design)

photo by Alleh Lindquist