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.
What Is the USVI Coastal Zone Permit and Do You Need One?
When CZM review applies, what triggers it, and how coastal zone requirements affect timeline, buildable envelope, and cost on a USVI project.
Adding a Guest House in the USVI
What lot coverage rules, utility capacity, and the permit path actually allow when adding a detached structure — for owners evaluating whether their property supports it.
Adding a Pool to a USVI Property
Coastal zone triggers, cistern math, site excavation realities, and honest cost ranges for a pool addition — before you commit to a design or a contractor.
The Romania Apartment Field Guide
The complete framework for buying and renovating a Romanian apartment — building eras, structural realities, permit path, budget structure, and what to check before you commit.
Renovating in Romania: What Budget Estimates Always Miss
The costs contractors leave out of their initial quotes, why Romanian renovation budgets tend to overrun, and how to build a realistic envelope before you start.
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.
The developer's side of the build — feasibility, spec homes, real numbers.
What building from the ground up actually involves — structure, permits, cost, decisions.
Architecture, culture, and the ideas worth arguing about.
Latest articles:
How Do You Renovate a Communist-Era Home in Romania?
Panel blocs, monoliths, and state villas each have different structural rules, thermal limits, and renovation constraints. What to know before work begins on a communist-era home in Romania.
Renovating a Interwar Apartment in Romania: What the Building Asks of You
Interwar apartments in Romania have a spatial and structural logic that most renovations erase. Heritage rules, masonry structure, thermal constraints, finish decisions — what to know before you start.
What Does a Building Permit for Renovation in Romania Actually Involve?
Romanian renovation permits under Law 50/1991: who issues them, how long they take, what triggers delays, and what the process actually costs in time and money.
Utilities in Romanian Buildings: What Each Era Left Behind and What Renovation Actually Requires
Electrical, plumbing, gas, and thermal systems in Romanian apartments vary by building era — and renovation requirements follow. An era-by-era breakdown of what each system needs.
The 50-Year Building Lifespan Question: What It Actually Means for Romanian Property
Romania's 50-year building designation is a structural inspection trigger, not a demolition notice — what it means for seismic classification, renovation scope, and property value.
Should You Renovate a Property in Romania or Walk Away? An Architect's Framework
Not every Romanian property is worth renovating. An architect's framework for reading structural condition, seismic class, layout viability, and hidden costs — and the signals that mean walk away.
What to Check Before You Renovate a Property in Romania
Buying a property to renovate in Romania? Check these 6 things before you commit: structure, seismic class, building era, layout, utilities, and documentation.
Post-Communist Buildings in Romania: What Developer Stock from the 1990s to Today Actually Delivers
Romanian developer apartments from the 1990s to today are categorically different buildings. Here's what each era actually delivers — and what buyers inherit.