Journal
A practitioner's perspective on custom builds in the US Virgin Islands and coastal Florida, renovations in Romania, and residential architecture more broadly — the design decisions, market realities, and project knowledge that don't usually get written down.
Featured articles:
The USVI New Build Field Guide
The complete overview for anyone planning a custom home in the US Virgin Islands — islands, permits, timelines, cost drivers, and what the process actually demands from the start.
USVI Construction Costs Per Square Foot
Honest cost ranges for a USVI build, what pushes numbers up, and what to pressure-test in a contractor quote before you commit.
What Does the USVI Permitting Process Actually Look Like?
The permit path from submission to groundbreaking — timelines, agencies involved, common reasons projects get sent back, and what to have in place before you file.
St. John vs. St. Thomas vs. St. Croix
A practical comparison of the three islands for buyers deciding where to build — infrastructure, permit paths, cost differences, and which fits which project.
Cisterns, WAPA, and Water in the USVI
Every USVI home runs on rainwater. How cistern capacity is calculated, what WAPA can and can't be relied on for, and how water infrastructure shapes design decisions.
The Coastal Florida Building Field Guide
A coastal Florida architect’s field guide to renovations, ADUs, and new builds — flood zones, hurricane code, permitting, and cost, and how to start in control.
What Is Florida’s 50% Rule?
Florida’s 50% Rule can turn a renovation into a forced rebuild. An architect explains how substantial improvement works — and how to plan around it before you commit.
Building Seaward of the Line: What a CCCL Permit Requires
Building or remodeling seaward of Florida’s Coastal Construction Control Line — what a CCCL permit requires, and how it stacks on local and flood rules, from an architect.
How to Renovate a Communist-Era Apartment in Romania: The Short Guide
How to renovate a communist-era bloc apartment in Romania, step by step: check the building, what's legal, layout limits, what a full renovation includes, what it costs, who does it and how long it takes.
What Does It Cost to Build on the Florida Coast?
What coastal Florida renovations, additions, ADUs, and builds really cost — range-first by an architect, plus why an independent number beats a quote you can’t check.
Contents:
What building on St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix actually involves — from land to permit to construction.
Building on the Florida coast — from flood zone to permit to construction.
Renovation in Romania — what the building, the process, and the design actually involve.
Ghiduri in limba romana despre noul Cod al urbanismului, renovarea apartamentelor de bloc si construirea unei case noi.
What building from the ground up actually involves — structure, permits, cost, decisions.
Architecture, culture, and the ideas worth arguing about.
Latest articles:
How to Get a Building Permit in Romania in 2026
How to get a building permit in Romania under the new code: the six steps, the documents you always need, the approvals that depend on your plot, the fees, and how long it takes.
Can You Renovate or Rebuild a Beach House Seaward of Florida’s CCCL?
A real feasibility review of a 1970s Florida beach house seaward of the CCCL: six constraints on one lot, and whether to renovate or rebuild.
Can You Open the Kitchen to the Living Room in a Bloc Apartment?
Can you open the kitchen to the living room in a Romanian bloc? How to tell if the wall is structural, the three possible outcomes, what the gas rules mean, and which approval you need.
Can You Move the Bathroom or Kitchen in a Bloc Apartment?
Can you move the bathroom or kitchen in a Romanian bloc apartment? The riser, floor-height and neighbour-below limits, what's realistic, the approval you need, and why a bathroom can't go over a neighbour's room.
What Can You Build on This Plot in Romania? POT, CUT and the Rules That Decide Your House
What you can build on a plot in Romania: how POT, CUT, height and setbacks work, what's allowed outside the built-up area, minimum plot size, and a checklist before you buy.
Can You Convert Your Attic Without a Building Permit in Romania?
Can you convert your attic in Romania without a building permit? When a notification is enough, why the engineer comes first, the 1.90 m rule, dormers, stairs and costs.
What Can You Build in Your Yard Without a Permit in Romania? Garages, Summer Kitchens and Sheds
Garage, summer kitchen or shed: what you can build in your yard in Romania without a permit, with a notification, or only with a permit under the new code, plus the neighbour distances.
Can You Build a House in Rural Romania Without a Building Permit?
Can you build a house in rural Romania without a building permit? Since August 2026, a single-storey house up to 150 m² can go by notification. The conditions, the steps and the limits.