John Ash

I describe an ‘Outdoor Room’ as a controllable environment for lounging, meditation, socializing and eating. You can build it yourself with some professional assistance,  for the plumbing and electrical parts of the work. From the ground up start with pressure treated structural frame resting on concrete piers. For a simple rectangle,  your local building supply store can provide you with the details and materials. For more adventuresome shapes I would suggest getting assistance from an architect.

Use deck joists at 16” on center. With this spacing we  use 2”x6” “Bear Board” brand decking by EPS, www.epsplasticlumber.com A simpler alternative to the Eb-Ty hidden fasteners, are ‘Counter Snap’, headless deck screws, see the Bear Board website for more information.

I recommended an Ipe wood structural frame to support the canopy. I can also recommend Ipe as an alternative to the synthetic Bear Board decking. An importer of IPE, Everwood Decking Partners www.ipe-wood.com, says, “IPÊ is an environmentally responsible choice which naturally resists rot, decay, insects, mold and is naturally fire resistant. Additionally, IPÊ is an incredibly strong, dense wood, harvested from naturally sustainable forests only. It’s also weathers to a beautiful silver patina!”

“Every battle is won or lost before it is ever fought”, said Sun Zi>
Battle as in Project. What is the meaning and objective of each project? What are our roles and the roles of our collaborators to give meaning and complete objectives?

We’ve finally launched our new site which has been many months in the making. We intend this to be a great showcase of our work and philosophy. Thanks to everyone who helped with the development.

We still have a few holes to fill in. But we’re very happy with the results so far. We hope you are as well.