A residential renovation project conceived and built by me with minimal help, except on concrete finishing days (about 4 pours).

This front yard raised concrete patio and pergola has transformed the neighborhood - neighbors who have lived next to me for at least 6 years have come out and introduced themselves. This is a stark contrast pre-pergola.

The raised concrete patio was conceived to utilize the driveway excavation dirt. Some ABC was later added for compaction reasons.

The low entry walls to the raised patio frame the step in an elegant and graceful manner which contributes to the success of the design. Considering the mail lady, I added steps on the east side so she may deliver mail and have an experience on her way to the next house. Of course it makes the patio more usable by having stairs on either side, too but it was a good gesture and she told other mail carriers that it was designed for them.

The substantial lumber was procured from Reidhead Brothers in Snowflake, AZ. They harvest Ponderosa Pine and cut it to size. Going back to Vitruvius, this material is less than 500 miles from the job site and a great way to keep small business in AZ.

During the recession, I lost my architect job and most recently worked as a laborer at CECO Concrete, one of the nation's largest concrete companies. Our crew built an 11 story Marriott in Tempe, ending Dec. 2012. Here is where my capstone in construction was received. This is where I learned to form radius's among many other tricks. I think it is an ode to tenacity, craftsmanship and love of building.

The immense effort I spent on concrete is evident in the form work. For a complete view of the construction process please visit: https://www.facebook.com/trevor.pan.7 /media_set?set=a.10151504600046963.1073741825.699156962& type=3