Urs's Projects when on Site

Building forms for concrete steps 
leading up to the sundeck

New steps leading up to the sundeck

Steps mostly finished

Steps curved along the natural rock
to keep enough distance from the oak tree

Natural rock in-laid in concrete

Always cleaning up - here burning scraps 
of plywood from forms.

Built temporary shelters for the power supply, 
a generator and a compressor

It has been cold for about a week -
10 cm or 4 inches of ice in the buckets of water

Quiet evening at the cabin.
Candle holder by Judy (1980's)

Building a Retaining Wall to relieve Pressure from the Cisterns

Retaining wall built with pressure-treated 6x6 wood.

The short horizontals into the uphill
side are called "dead men"

The space is being filled up to the level of the
upper edge of the cisterns. The cisterns will be
covered with a living green roof.

Delivery of shale and pit-run fill.
These products are found on Pender Island.
Pit-run is a mix of sand, clay and rock that was
deposited by glaciers in the ice age.

Reaching the upper fill level, creating a horizontal
space between the house and the cisterns.

Upper Foundation Mostly Finished

Foundation under Judy's kitchen.
The tall wall in the background is the support
under the living room rock wall.

Concrete posts under the veranda.

Anchored to solid rock

View from east to west; 
the sundeck in the background.

Perimeter drainage; concrete walls sealed with tar; 
drain pipe installed; ready to be filled with drain rock.

The whole foundation

View from east to west; 
the sundeck in the background.

Pressure-treated 2x6 plates for framing;
bolted into concrete.

View from the north

Judy's kitchen

Judy's kitchen

North wall

Pressure-treated 2x6 plates for framing;
bolted into concrete.

The whole foundation.

A Mayan ruin being excavated on Pender Island?

Pouring Concrete for Upper Foundation

Concrete truck and pumper truck on top of the hill.

Pumper truck reaching to where the concrete is poured

Pumper truck delivering concrete

Shane, Paul, Barry (left to right) pouring concrete 
and vibrating it to make it flow fully into forms. 

Building Forms for Upper Foundation

Upper foundation forms in background

Forms shaped to drape tightly over
the underlying rock formations.

Re-bar as per schedule from the structural engineer.
The verticals are cemented into the rock

Foundation on solid rock all around.

Ready to receive concrete.
View from east to west; sundeck in background.

Foundation for concrete posts under veranda

Foundation for concrete posts under veranda