Since the Tubbs Fire, we've learned a lot. As builders for our community, we believe we play a critical role in helping our community to get back to the life we once knew through rebuilding efforts. We are told that this is the new norm as ravages of wildfire continue to touch just about every corner of our beloved state.  With that said, we've decided it is time to provide an updated checklist for rebuilding after disaster. 

On a whim, Mary Roy visited Healdsburg and Dry Creek Valley in 2011.  Mary, her husband Bob Covert, and sister Nadin Roy, were owners of Midwest Center for Advanced Imaging, a successful company located in Chicago specializing in MRI and Women’s Imaging.  Mary was attending a medical conference and decided to take a little detour to Sonoma’s Wine Country. Seeking an outlet for her passion for food and wine, Mary was immediately seduced by the area’s beauty and creative spirit. So, what happened next?  Mary and Bob decided to become winemakers and farmers. 

Luxury homes are filled with beautiful finishes that are highly coordinated with other finishes, furnishings and the landscape exterior.  Often, these finishes are expensive, bespoke, and tend to have a long lead time to procure.  But specifying exotic or rare materials is not the end means to designing and building a custom, luxury building. There is a certain art and skill required to seamlessly and successfully install high-end finishes.

Established in 1963, the Oakmont Village is a well-known option for retirees looking to be surrounded by a serene mountain landscape and have access to a range of activities and amenities. In recent years, the senior community has taken steps to update its facilities. The latest effort is the modernization of the community’s East Recreation Center.  Led by the community’s committee for Building Construction chairwoman, Iris Harrell, the project required a balance of managing by committee and making timely progress on design and construction activities. This Nordby Effect post covers the Modernization of East Recreation Center, a gradual step toward ensuring Oakmont Village’s continued success in being a destination for active retirees.

After selling Stagecoach in April of 2017, Jan and Bart Krupp looked to purchase a new winery and evaluated the benefits of purchasing Kitchak Cellars. One of the facility’s selling points was that it was permitted to produce more wine. Looking for a professional evaluation of the facility, they engaged Nordby Construction to offer further insight into their prospective investment. Jan says, “When I spoke with Craig, he was thorough in looking at the facility. He was not the cheapest, but customers found they could trust him.” 

I had a very unique opportunity this Fall.  I was asked to help facilitate the AIA Chicago’s jury review of the Redwood Empire’s AIA 2018 Design Awards as one of their Board Members.  A quick Expedia booking, a 12P P.M. red-eye to Chicago, a Blue Train to the Chicago AIA Headquarters, a 6-hour deliberation followed by the Blue Train and 12 P.M. return flight to San Francisco, I had an interesting 24-hour insight to the review of what happens in AIA Design Awards review process.  The following are some of the take-aways for helping submitting firms understand the thinking of a jury.

When it comes to gaining a different perspective on a home construction project, it could be said the sky’s the limit on what a UAV (aka drone) footage and provide. The number of applications for drone footage are growing.  From planning to demonstration of progress, to site inspections, there are a number of applications that could save both time and money.  The footage also provides a historic record for reflection and improvement on the next project. This Nordby Effect covers the areas we’ve identified to be of value for our clients and teams in our experiences with drones on home construction sites. 

After a long day of construction in California’s wine country, it’s not hard to find a great place to eat, drink, and decompress.  If you want to check out a world-class winery or the next best restaurant, you’ll find these places are within immediate reach.  It's also interesting to note that many wineries are pairing their wines with their own farm-to-fork menus. In this Nordby Effect, we take a moment to highlight our project sampling of places to wine and dine throughout the state. Enjoy!

The traditional country club is having a hard time attracting a younger demographic. In a 2014 study commissioned by the National Club Association found that in the 1990s, there more than 5,000 full-service golf and country clubs.  In 2010, there around 4,100. Today, this number has dipped below 4000.  In this same study, membership was down by 20 percent. As a result of this downward trajectory, many clubs have decided to mix things up to attract younger members.

As builders, we’ve witnessed this trend.  Many of area’s country clubs are going through a refresh, offering non-golf amenities like gyms, personal trainers, and yoga classes. A lot of these clubs offer events and culinary experiences where members can socialize and gain a sense of community. It is interesting to see this shift taking place.  This Nordby Effect highlights the projects where we’ve played an active role in refreshing country club environments to address a new generation of members, and create more of a family destination.

Transforming a countryside into a long-term sustainable ranch takes imagination.  Lee Hudson, proprietor of Hudson Ranch, has cultivated a vision for farming into a tangible reality on a Carneros property in the Napa Valley. Hudson Ranch began planting in 1981 and, since then, has evolved into a fully-functioning farm that compliments the area’s natural surroundings. The ranch incorporates winemaking and hospitality facilities. While the Hudson Ranch is an interesting story of holistic farming, this Nordby Effect post discusses how their newly-built wine cave serves a greater purpose.