Timeline

On March 2, 2020 garage walls were poured.

Ryan puts up batter boards, trenches exterior beams and builds the forms.

Jesse Younger of Younger Homes is hired to oversee the project and manage all construction not related to concrete.

Ryan Wiederkehr submits his resignation as teacher and becomes concrete supervisor for Thira West.

Pedernales power installs poles and Jesse's electrician turns on the power.

Jon Maass files with Travis County for OSSF and Development permits.

Recieved Herb Nordmeyer's report on:

• Vaulted Roofs
• Flat Roofs

Jonestown Water Supply Corporation turns on the water

Received Herb Nordmeyer's report on planned technologies for building Thira West

I met Herb at the Monolithic Dome training class. He is a concrete and stucco author and expert.

Tom Partridge, initially hired as Septic Engineer injured his ankle. Hired Jon Maass who was recommended by Alen Franques as Tom's replacement.

Caroline and I met with Kelson Treuhardt, Wyatt Wood, and Chris Copeland of Copeland Engineering.

• Rethink the building sequence. Garage first then work from the bottom up.
• Secure top of retaining walls with slab on the next level.
• Use all concrete (not Bautex) for all subterranean walls.

• Attended week long training class at Monolithic Dome Institute
• Met Herb Nordmeyer, Stucco and Concrete Expert and Author
• Learned about Monolithic process using airform, closed-cell foam, and shotcrete.
• Learned about basalt rebar
• Monolithic sells a Skid Steer Concrete Mixer and Pump suitable for shotcrete

• Caroline and I met with Matt Risinger at his office.
• Include brick ledge on foundation for Bautex.
• Include dehumidifier in Commons and Cave House Bedrooms.
• Get waterproofing right.
• Don't use Bautex for subterranean walls.
• Use Spanish Cedar for doors and windows.

• Caroline and I attend Bautex training in San Marcos.
• Order 3-4K psi concrete with max 3/8 inch aggregate and 8-9 inch slump
• Get a Boom Truck with 4" kevlar hose.
• Leave braces on 3-4 days
• 27 Bautex blocks per yard of concrete
• Screw Driver makes a good concrete probe
• Hitachi 18" masonary blade
• Remington 16" electric chain saw
• Hilte drill bits
• Hilte RS-150 Epoxy

Caroline signs a contract to design Thria West

I met with Tim Hill and Eric Rauser of Risinger & Company, a Custom Home Builder in Austin. Matt has an excellent YouTube channel the Build Show, with hundreds of videos on every topic imaginable pertaining to home construction.

Tim is the Vice President of Project Managment and Eric is the Architect.

It was clear that my budget wouldn't allow me to hire Matt's company to build Thira West. But they offered some excellent recommendations including the following:

• My Architect, Caroline Porter
• Bautex ICF for walls
• Monolithic Domes for Dome and Wine Cave

In January of 2018 I attended the World of Concrete show in Las Vegas to investigate products and processes suitable for the construction of Thira West. I had decided to personally manage concrete-related aspects of the project.

Walked for miles through the exhibits, went to 'breakfast with experts' sessions and attended the following classes:

• TH123: Curing Concrete: Why We Do it and Why We Care
• WE122: Introduction to Creating Successful Acid Staining Projects
• WE121: Introduction to Stamped Concrete: Best Practices & Troubleshooting
• TU134: Residential, ICF & Light Commercial Construction: Critical Waterproofing
• MO19: Fundamentals of Polished Concrete-From the Ground Up
• TH22: How to Succeed at Concrete Countertops

Several people at the show, who saw the initial SketchUp drawings, recommended shotcrete for the barrel vault roofs, domes, and wine caves. The most significant conversations came at the hotel bar where I met Doug Burns and Edwin BakeLaar. Doug is the president of Merit Construction Services in Farmington MN. Edwin's expertise is in concrete overlay floors. He works for Adamas High Speed Diamond Solutions.

Key take-aways from the show include:

• Shotcrete is a good solution for arches and domes.
• Met Doug Bruns - recommended Reed shotcreet pumps.
• Met Edwin Bakelaar - recommended polished concrete floors.
• Saw Lite-Deck demo - good for flat roofs.
• Saw Fox Block ICF demo - good for walls.

Casey Cosgrove 'Bobcat Casey' of Demolition and Tractor Works clears the lot.

Design of Thira West begins in earnest. Surveyors Cuplin and Associates, out of Marble Falls, are hired to survey the lot for construction.

Initial Google Sketchup drawings take shape of a complex that includes a Garage, Common Building and four Cave House Bedrooms, centered around a pool area. The idea is to have a place where friends and family gather to relax and enjoy each other's company in the common and pool areas, with an option to retreat to private bedroom suites.

In June, my girlfriend, Patti DeNucci and I, took a reconnaissance trip to Santorini. We stay at two hotels, Perivolas and Katikies. Both are spectacular, but we were particularly taken with the style and ambiance of Perivolas. It has an organic, less finished look that seems more authentic.

On a family trip to Mykonos and Santorini I was charmed by the white-washed cycladic architecture and loved the relaxed feel of the place. The landscape and vegetation reminded me of the Texas Hill Country. Tuscan architecture is common, perhaps overdone, in the Hill Country, but a home in the style of the Greek Islands would be unique and fit in with Austin's laid back and quirky vibe. An idea was born.

In 1982 I purchased a lot on a hillside between Jonestown and Lago Vista. It is private and secluded, but with a nice view of the Hill Country and a bit of Lake Travis. The previous owner was Sam Billings, the grandson of E.A. Jones, who founded Jonestown and was once mayor of the town.