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 Much Does an ADU or Guest House Cost in Florida?
What an ADU or guest house costs in Florida in 2026 — per-square-foot ranges by type and region, why small units cost more, and the coastal premiums generic figures miss.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a House on the Florida Coast?
What it costs to build a house on the Florida coast in 2026 — per-square-foot ranges by tier, the four coastal cost drivers, and how to build a defensible budget, from an architect.
What an Architect Costs for a Home — and When the Fee Pays for Itself.
What an architect costs for a house — fee models and honest ranges (5–15% of build cost, ~$2–15/sq ft), what drives the number, and when the fee pays for itself.
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.
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.
What Does It Take to Build a New Home on the Florida Coast?
Building new on the Florida coast — what coastal lots, flood zones, and hurricane code add to a custom home, and how the design phase controls the risk, from an architect.
What to Check Before Buying on the Florida Coast
Buying a coastal Florida home or lot? What to check before you make an offer — flood zone, elevation, CCCL, insurability, buildability — an architect's pre-offer guide.
Should You Build an ADU in Florida?
Should you build an ADU — and what actually fits your lot? An architect on when a catalog model is right, when it isn't, and the options before you commit.