Category: Tahoe Design

Did you know that according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), just under half of the American households have a dog?  And as home to many fine pooches over the years, my wife Kelly and I fully understand why.

After many wonderful years sharing our mountain home that I designed in Lake Tahoe for my family – which included Dexter who we recently had to put down – we now have a new pup, Jasper (pictured above), who is just getting to know his new digs.

As I walked around our home in Incline Village with my new pal in hand, I realized that there are new opportunities for me to add some innovative or just plain appropriate features into my architectural designs for mountain home in Truckee and lakeside estates at Tahoe.

Here are a few of the top tips that I will recommend to my future clients who seek my architectural design services in North Lake Tahoe and the Truckee region.  Regardless of what my clients will request for their furry friend, I will certainly make sure the design is practical as well as aesthetically pleasing.

Top Ideas for Pet Friendly Architectural Home Design

1. Ceiling to Floor Windows – With the views the come with owning a home in the High Sierra, big windows are pretty much a given. Jasper likes to pretend he’s our new watch-dog, and I can tell he enjoys sitting by the large floor to ceiling windows in our living room. As I design pet friendly homes in the future, I’ll make a special note to ask my clients about where they spend their time; and make sure there are plenty of floor level windows, so their pet can enjoy the views as well.
2. Mud Room – Most of the mountain home entries are tiled to take the beating that comes with wind, sleet, snow and such. In this situation, I’ll also add a drain in the center so it’s easy to hose down the dirt that a dog (and owners) will inevitably bring into the home.
3. Dog Wash – This might be an addition to the Mud Room or a separate small room close to the garage or other outdoor entry. The convenient Mud Room will include plenty of storage for towels, shampoo, dryers, and include a good-sized sink for bathing and rinsing out the food and water bowls.
4. Lower Ventilation System – For home with wooden floors, I’ll review options for a floor level vacuum system that would make the task of sweeping up dog hair a much more efficient process than a good old-fashioned broom.
5. Pet Accessible Entrances / Exits –As humans we come and go in and out of our home at a variety of locations; why not the pet? I will suggest several pet-accessible options as long as they blend into the architectural design of the home.
6. Organic Materials – Although this is not part of the architectural design, I’ll work with my wife Kelly who owns Kelly Borelli Interiors and has been providing exceptional design services to Lake Tahoe resort homes and commercial clients for over 20 years. She will have some excellent insight on low-volatile-organic-compound-containing paints, among other assets like resilient flooring and stain-resistant fabrics.

There are many additional architectural design features to make a pet feel right at home and a good fit into your own personality and desires as well. When the time comes when you are ready to build a pet friendly home in Lake Tahoe or throughout the Truckee region, I’d be honored to help your furry friends have a home that they deserve.

Call or contact me at any time!

James P. Borelli
Founder/Principal
Borelli Architecture
Truckee / Lake Tahoe
jim@borelliarchitecture.com
775.831.3060

As former owners of a classic wooden boat for many years, (ours is the one with the green interior pictured above) my wife, Kelly, and I have a deep appreciation for the nautical artistry that has evolved over thousands of years … and continues to be celebrated right here on the crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe, at the annual Concours d’Elegance.

Next month, some of finest wooden boats in the country will be displayed on the west shore of the Lake.  Some of the owners of classics of all categories will come to compete for the prestigious Perpetual Trophies of the Concours d’Elegance, many will come with a dream to own and perhaps purchase a classic of their own, yet all will attend to share in the history, artistry, and comradery that can only be experienced at an event like this.

As an architect in the Lake Tahoe and Truckee region for over 30 years, I have had the opportunity to share my own passion for creating and designing homes that may be as intricate, treasured, and respected by their owners – as the wooden boats that will be floating on the lake in August.

There is no doubt that designing homes that are built with the only finest craftsmanship and attention to detail  is very much the same thought process and respect that comes with superior boat design.  This similarity is best described in this official definition of “architectural design”

“A concept that focuses on the components or elements of a structure or system and unifies them into a coherent and functional whole, according to a particular approach in achieving the objective(s) under the given constraints or limitations.”

HISTORY of the CONCOURS d’ELEGANCE at LAKE TAHOE

If there is any opportunity for you to come to Tahoe to experience this event, we encourage you to do so.  To help you understand the magnitude of this event, here’s an excerpt from the event’s website:

In 1972 a group of Tahoe Yacht Club members and friends got together to share their passion for wooden boats. From this modest beginning, the Lake Tahoe Concours d’ Elegance has grown to play a significant role in the wooden boat community, as well as the Lake Tahoe maritime community.

Since its induction in 1994 the Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation has hosted the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance focusing on the continuing growth of the show, the quality of boat exhibits, the highest of judging standards and practices, and most importantly, sharing the passion of wooden boats between exhibitors and public.

Each year the Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation raises money for a charitable organization which is exclusively focused in providing educational opportunities originating in the Lake Tahoe area that enhance expertise or understanding of maritime skills.”

And if you ever want to speak to an architect who is as appreciative of this nautical artistry, as he is for the intricate design of fine mountain and lakefront homes, I’d be honored for the chat.

I hope to can make it to Tahoe this August for the Concours d’Elegance, and if you have a few minutes, do visit the website and watch the video.  You’ll be packing your bags in no time!

 Contact me at any time!

James P. Borelli
Founder/Principal
Borelli Architecture
Truckee / Lake Tahoe
jim@borelliarchitecture.com
775.831.3060

CHANGE IN TPRA RULES WILL AFFECT THE TIMELINE OF SECURING YOUR BUILDING PERMIT IN LAKE TAHOE. START PLANNING YOUR FUTURE HOME NOW.

For years the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) had an excellent arrangement for Lake Tahoe Architects that allowed us to work directly with Washoe County on all the permitting processes through one individual in their office in Reno, NV.

During that timeframe, Borelli Architecture offered its clients a streamlined process through one main contact at the County office that helped us to move forward with our permit plans and construction in a timely manner.

Not so anymore.

At the end of last year, our representative at the Washoe County Building Department retired – and there are no plans right now to replace him.  We all hope there will be a new representative soon.

In the meantime, we are now required to present all the elements involved in designing and securing permits for home building projects in Lake Tahoe to two separate organizations which happen to be hours from each other.

And, although Washoe County is expeditious in their review, TRPA takes longer to review and process the materials – due to the load of permits that they officially must handle before any building is approved in the Basin.

Long story short: What used to take me a month, now requires a wait time of up to three months.

If you are even thinking about building a home, or diving into an extensive remodel of your home in Tahoe, contact me sooner than later.

For over 30 years, I have hand carried hundreds of blueprints and all the necessary paperwork to the local constituents to secure a permit, and I am still ready to do so for you.

TRPA Permitting, Feasibility Studies, All Part of our Services at Borelli Architecture.

As a Lake Tahoe architect, we enjoy working with our clients on the design of their dream home. In addition to these creative services, we also offer a turn-key operation that provides many additional services that are necessary when building or remodeling a home in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The list includes yet is not limited to:

• Custom Interior Design
• Site Planning
• Space Planning
• Permit Processing Assistance
• TRPA Feasibility Studies
• Contractor Selection and Bidding Assistance
• Construction Administration Services

Don’t wait. Let my team at Borelli Architecture in Truckee and Lake Tahoe expedite the design and permitting process in Lake Tahoe so we can get started on construction sooner than later.

Got questions? Contact me anytime.

Jim

James P. Borelli
Founder/Principal
Borelli Architecture
Truckee / Lake Tahoe
jim@borelliarchitecture.com
775.831.3060