The Machine for Living: Keeping Cool

Turn down the thermostat to stay cool.  Turn it up to save energy.  What if you could somehow do both?

"It is all about changing how you think about staying comfortable," Dave Sykes said.  Dave is the CEO of Sykes Construction and knows all about spaces for living.

In fact, he and his associates refer to homes and buildings as "machines for living."

"We all want to be comfortable in our homes, no mater the weather outside," Dave continued. "But how many of us sleep with a blanket on their bed in summer with the thermostat set to a really cold setting?"

Dave goes on to say that by changing the paradigm for staying comfortable, we can save energy AND be comfortable.  Consider these ideas for keeping your home cool during our 100 degree day summers:

• Dress for inside the house.  That is, shorts and a t-shirt will allow for more of your skin to be exposed and allow for natural cooling.
• Turn up the thermostat and turn on the ceiling fan.  While the space will be warmer (saving you money by having less electricity powering the AC), the natural cooling of your exposed skin by the air circulated by the fan will keep you naturally cool with evaporative cooling.
• Consider the exterior shading by trees and other landscaping of your home.  Shading the outside keeps it cooler inside.
• Consider installing radiant barriers in your attic or installing an attic ceiling fan. By taking hot air outside of the attic or lowering the temperature of the air in the attic, it will take less energy to cool the house below the attic space.

"Put your blankets and comforters away," Dave said. "Thinking differently about how you keep comfortable and cool will safe you both energy and money and possibly relieve some stress."

For more information about The Machine for Living, contact Dave at 214-774-1146.

The DSKW Team

Architects as Design Dreamers

Our own Kevin Wallace has been out and about lately talking about the fundamentals and key attributes of architecture.  It is a subject he knows well and has a clear passion for his craft.

And he is part of a select group: according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) there are only 202,000 licensed and registered architects in the U.S.  Considering the population of the country just blew by 300,000,000, he is a rare and special guy.

Kevin is a principal and the architect for DSKW and Associates, the leading design/build firm in North Texas.  Sykes is based in Carrollton, Texas, near Dallas

In recent presentations Kevin has talked about the value of architecture.

"Architects are design dreamers and envision spaces that make living and working pleasant and comfortable.," Kevin told us recently.  "I am in the business of balancing basic structural forms with human forms to create useable spaces," he said.

A space, either used for living or working, needs to do three things, Kevin continued:

• Motivate
• Energize
• Create a feeling of enjoyment

When all three of those elements are met, employees are productive and families are happy.  A well-designed space can make all the difference in the world to its occupants.

The DSKW Team