- Hi.
- A colonial?
- Yeah, I always liked colonials.
- I know. I just didn't think you were serious.
- It's the perfect combination...
Old-world charm, modern convenience.
- Where are we... 18th-century New England?
No, I don't want to live in some fairy-tale replica
of a bygone era... It's ridiculous.
- It doesn't matter what the style is, anyway.
The important thing is a practical floor plan
and a good location...
How far is the commute, how good are the schools.
- Schools are important.
- Yeah, they increase property values.
- What a transformation.
- I can't tell the old from the new.
- There isn't any old left.
We just kept the facade. Everything else is new.
- Wow. That's a million-dollar view.
- It's closer to 1.3 million.
- Now there's a water view in every room.
Remember how awful the place was when we bought it,
with that chartreuse shag rug
and the sprayed-on cottage cheese ceiling?
- We thought the ceilings were only 8 feet.
But believe it or not, they were 11 feet.
- We only found out when we poked through
to put in those skylights.
- You remember how it was laid out like a train,
just all long and narrow? - Mm-hmm.
- We completely opened all of this up.
We ran a huge steel beam
the entire length of the house for support.
It cost us 20 grand. - It was so worth it.
Our architect had a lot of creative ideas.
- It's a brand-new house. - It's completely different.
I-I don't even recognize the place.
- That's because when we opened it all up.
We had to relocate the staircase.
- Which completely changed the layout upstairs.
- Wow. - Ouch!
- Yeah, would have been cheaper to build new.
- You're kidding.
- Well, there are a lot of hidden conditions.
I mean, you don't know until you open up the walls.
- It was not cheaper to build new.
Ivan did a lot of the work himself.
- You did?
- No. - You programmed the audio
and lighting systems throughout the whole house.
- That can be tricky. - Yeah.
No, I hope you wore a hard hat for that.
- Remember the kitchen?
It was totally original condition,
hadn't been updated at all...
Formica counters, electric stove,
avocado-green fridge, linoleum. - It was sweet.
- Sweet, yeah, but not really suited to our lifestyle.
- We gutted it completely. - Mm-hmm.
- Oh, I've gotten so many compliments
on your plates, Drew.
- Oh, that's so nice. - Drew, you made those?
Oh, my God, those are beautiful!
I had no idea how creative you were.
- She has a great eye for color, doesn't she?
- Right? I keep telling her we can grow a business.
With the right marketing,
you could be moving thousands of units.
- Moving units. That's so funny.
- Would you make a set for us? Seriously, we'd commission you.
- Ah, you signed it. I was gonna ask you to sign it.
I have no doubt these are gonna be worth
some money down the line.
Drew Davis?
- I use my maiden name for artistic pursuits.
- Huh.
- So I heard you guys found a house.
- Ah, we made an offer.
There's been some back-and-forth.
It's practically a tear-down.
- Aw, that we're going to lovingly restore.
It's our dream house.
- Don't say "dream house."
If we invest ourselves emotionally,
it will be harder to walk away. - I don't want to walk away.
- Well, you don't want them to know that.
It gives them the upper hand.
- If you find something good, you have to move fast.
- We have to balance the need for a quick decision
with the need for the right decision.
- Sometimes you have to take a chance.
Go on a gut instinct.
- Drew, we need to settle down, overcome our emotions,
and make a sensible home-purchase decision.
You know, a house is like a marriage, right?
You can't just jump in.
And you can't just jump out if you want to unload it.
You're stuck with that decision for a very long time...
hopefully.
- It is like a marriage.
You do go by intuition.
It's not something you can analyze.
- Intuition is a feeling.
You don't base big decisions on feelings.
- You said it was like a marriage.
- Yeah, marriage is the biggest decision of all.
You don't base that on just mere feelings.
- Have you seen our warming drawer?
- Ooh. - Mm-mm.
- I like the way
they did that recessed rectangle in the ceiling
and the way it was lit up.
- Oh, that just killed me.
Here they have a classic mid-century modern,
and they remove all the original fixtures
and replace them with recessed cans.
- I like recessed cans. They work.
They're bright. You can see.
- You can see too much.
- I'm ovulating.
- What? - I'm ovulating.
- Right now? How can you possibly tell?
- Well, you just can. I know my body.
I don't want to go into details, but, you know...
Discharge.
- Oh.
I paddled 11 miles today.
I'm totally exhausted.
- Why do you always have to go so far?
- That's not that far.
I mean, I'll do 16 or 17 next time.
You c... you can't expect me
to turn on like a faucet, you know.
At least try to seduce me a little.
- Batten down the hatches, Seattleites.
We've got a big storm system blowing in from the west,
a bit of lightning and thunder
with wind gusts expected to get 60 miles per hour.
- Aren't you a little underdressed?
- It's Saturday.
- You look like a little boy. - Who do I have to impress?
The broker works for us.
- What about me? - Honey, we're married.
- Hello, Drew. Hello, Colin. It's good to see you again.
Your contractor's already here.
It looks worse than last week.
- Oh, it just needs a little TLC.
It's got good bones.
- It's great to find something that hasn't been ruined
by a spec developer.
- It's gonna need a ton of work. - It's cosmetic.
That's why it's such a good deal.
This location and the water view...
it's got endless possibilities.
You just need a little imagination.
Oh.
- Gonna need to replace all the windows.
But you don't need to use wood. Vinyl is cheaper.
- Vinyl is weird. - Well, I recommend composite.
It's not vinyl, and it's not wood,
but it looks like wood, and it lasts forever.
- If it's not vinyl and it's not wood,
then what is it?
- Composite.
- Overall, what do you think?
- Oh, seems pretty sturdy...
I mean, there could be hidden conditions.
I'd have to pull off some of the siding.
But, uh, let's see.
- It's so peaceful and quiet.
- Country living close to the city.
There's history here too.
This house was rented one summer by Courtney Love.
- Okay, so, roughly, ballpark,
what's it gonna take to clean this up?
- Top of my head, um...
$200 a square foot, depending on finishes.
- Really?
$200 a foot, 2,500 square feet.
That's $500,000.
- You can finance the home improvements
along with the purchase price.
- Here we go. Here we go. - So cool.
- Congratulations on your new home.
Oh! Oh! Wow!
- Oh, my God.
- Jesus.
- Ooh.
Whoa!
- It's all right.
It's their tree, so it's okay.
- So you just closed yesterday?
Boy, are you screwed.
I'm just kidding. You're totally covered.
- Tear it down.
It's a no-brainer.
It'd be cheaper to build new.
- Where do we begin?
- Oh, there's an architect named Ray Jenkins,
does a lot of work in the area.
I built a house of his down on Fulton Road.
- Ah.
- Is this a house?
- I'm Putnam Hatch, and I find it ironic
that I'm known less for the Hatch Foundation
than I am for the Hatch House...
My private residence designed by the firm
of Sullivan and Moss.
Now, the Hatch Foundation
is actually a global philanthropic organization...
- Hello?
- Yes.
- Hi, I'm... I'm looking for the architect Leo Sullivan.
- Why?
- I saw a house that he designed at 299 Fulton Road.
- I designed that house.
- Are you Leo Sullivan?
- Sullivan is dead.
- Oh, um...
Who am I speaking to?
- Miles Moss.
- It's so exciting to meet you. - Really?
- I just love the house on Fulton Road.
- Oh, thank you.
Here it is. We call it the Hatch House.
- Oh. - Please.
- You're here all alone here?
- The firm is transitioning.
I apologize if I sounded cryptic on the phone.
Mr. Sullivan died unexpectedly three months ago
and, uh, left a lot of creditors.
- He was your partner?
- Leo's role was more on the business side.
As it turns out, my confidence in him was misplaced.
I am so glad that you like the Hatch House.
I had a wonderful client, Putnam Hatch.
- Mm.
- Anytime I've ever done anything good,
it's because I've had a wonderful client.
- What makes a wonderful client?
- Someone who inspires me.
Can I?
As an architect, I have the job of transforming hopes and dreams
into wood, glass, steel, and concrete.
But if the dreams aren't there,
there's very little I can do.
There will never be a great architect
without a great client.
- I can tell by your style you're a creative person.
You appreciate the process.
- Yeah, I do.
- It's very satisfying
when a client gets as excited as I do.
- Do all architects start by drawing?
- Many prefer the computer,
I'm old school.
With a pen and paper, I'm free.
I could redesign the entire city of Paris in half an hour.
- You mentioned your father was an architect.
- Called himself an old-fashioned modernist.
The modernists had this absurd idea
that you could heal the world through architecture.
Of course, that's impossible.
Nobody expects architects to have grand visions anymore.
What a shame.
- Hmm.
- Miles.
- I just love the way
you combine vintage and contemporary.
- Oh, thanks.
Miles, I'd like you to meet my husband, Colin Stone.
- Miles Moss.
- That's quite the house at 299 Fulton.
- Thank you. We call it the Hatch House.
- It's named after the client.
- That's traditionally how it works.
Whatever you build here will be called the Stone House.
- Huh.
Oh, Mr. Hatch must be a wealthy man.
- People assume
that interesting architecture is expensive,
but it's not necessarily so.
There are a lot of new and innovative materials out there.
- So how would you describe your style?
Who are your influences?
- Influence is a difficult subject for me.
I, uh, try to avoid it.
It would be a nightmare if I started to think about it
It would just tie my hands.
None of us invented the house.
That happened thousands of years ago.
Remarkable property.
Yeah, I must admit, as much as I loved the old house,
I feel we have a tremendous opportunity.
- Oh, I agree... A tremendous opportunity!
- Let's say we wanted a 3,000-square-foot house,
four bedroom, three bath.
Ballpark, what's that gonna set us back?
- That's a bit like saying you want to marry a woman
who's 5'6" and 125 pounds.
Many women would fit the criteria,
but you wouldn't love them.
What's more important is designing a house
to suit your needs.
- And our budget.
- Well, yes, that's one of your needs.
But beyond budget, you have other needs...
Your hopes, your dreams.
I need to learn those things.
My process begins with a period of intense communication.
I need to find out who you are, deep down.
What are your eating habits, your bathing habits,
your sleeping habits, and privacy needs?
The more open you are,
the more input I have to work with.
Important consideration...
Will the family grow and change over time?
- On a practical side, you know, we can't just think
about what appeals to Colin and Drew.
We've got to think about the resale value.
You know, most people don't stay in a house
for more than 7 years.
- What? That's crazy.
- It's true. Look it up. - Really?
- Again, the assumption is that innovative architecture
must not only be expensive but impractical.
I find the opposite is true.
- He's odd. - I like him.
I'm tired, honey.
I rode 34 miles today.
I just kind of want to relax, you know?
- We have to have sex to make a baby.
- Well, can you... can you add a little more pressure
to the situation?
I got a full plate at work.
We just made a huge investment in this house.
Now we have to build a whole new one.
He makes me uncomfortable.
He's too much of an "artist."
What if we don't like what he comes up with?
- He's an amazingly creative person.
He has fresh ideas that we would never think of.
Why can't you be more supportive of his creativity?
- Because it's all ego and vanity... that's why.
And I'm telling you...
That's going to show up in added cost.
- He just...
He thinks differently.
I wish I could get inside his head for just a day.
I like the chemistry between us.
- Oh, chemistry.
Drew, we have got to think practically here.
What if we want to sell in a few years?
You do not want to be upside down on a mortgage.
- Why are you talking about selling
when we haven't even built it yet?
Why?
- You know, and I don't like the idea of separate interviews.
What if we contradict each other?
If I wanted to talk to somebody about my feelings,
I'd hire a therapist, not an architect.
- Maybe you should.
- Hey, you know whose an architect?
Elizabeth's brother-in-law. We should call him.
- No.
- This was a spec house in Renton.
We were supposed to do three others,
but the developer went broke, and the bank foreclosed.
Here's a car wash in Everett.
That was a good project.
- What makes a good project?
- When you get paid on time.
Uh, this client wanted a French chateau,
so we did an authentic reproduction.
Elizabeth sends her regards.
- Well, I now have both proposals.
Guess who's cheaper.
Miles Moss.
- Here's my studio.
- Aha.
- Oh, don't look too closely.
It's just a hobby I do for fun.
- What we do for fun is what really matters.
Art only has meaning
if the process comes from an inner compulsion.
- I wouldn't call it art.
- This is my process...
getting to know you and Colin.
You're a creative person.
You understand the dialogue between client and architect
is an intimate one.
When you talk about building, you're talking about...
dreams.
You must never let yourself be overwhelmed
by a rational analysis.
When we're talking about a house, a room, a space,
it's not something that you think.
It's something that you feel.
- My... my main concern is separation.
I need my own space.
- Of course.
There must be a place for solitude.
A couple can't be together
if they have no place to be alone.
- Colin's uncomfortable alone.
So the TV stays on to keep him company.
- Many people avoid solitude.
It's...
Frightening to be alone with your thoughts.
You may find there are none.
Do you intend to have children?
- We're trying, yeah.
Our... our genes may not match.
- Well, it's an important consideration.
The couple needs to have privacy,
so their children can have a place of their own
so they don't drive everyone crazy.
- Oh, that's beautiful, isn't it?
- The nautilus shell...
A symbol that goes back to the ancient Hindus.
- The golden ratio. - Exactly.
Plato called it the key to the cosmos.
From the structure of the human skeleton
to the pattern on sunflowers seeds,
the ratio is there...
Seemingly a geometrical pattern for life itself.
- Look, the golden ratio. It's everywhere.
- Ah.
- Accumulated benefits.
Right, during the absorption period,
the debt is divided into a series
of staggered maturities.
Right.
No problem.
Look, if Drew answers questions differently than me,
it doesn't mean we disagree. - What does it mean?
- It means we haven't had a chance to talk about it yet.
Sometimes she doesn't think a thing through logically.
The point is, we know what we want.
- Of course. You could design it yourself.
You just need someone to draw up the plans.
- No, I...
- It's like someone who has no knowledge of fashion
but wanted to design a suit
It would be an amorphous sack.
- All I'm saying is,
we want to make sure we get what we want.
- Well, that's why we're here, Colon.
I'm trying to determine what you want.
- It's "Colin."
Colon is the large intestine.
- Forgive my accent.
- One thing I want for sure is plenty of storage space.
- Now, is that the first thing that comes to mind?
- It's an important feature that's easily overlooked.
Also, I want a whole-house multi-zone audio system,
you know, so I can listen to my music in any room
while she listens to her music in another room.
- When did music become so personalized?
It's funny how technology best serves mediocrity.
- I want a flat-screen TV in the toilet
so I can watch the stock reports.
- Check.
- All the TVs should be mounted flush.
That has to be planned for, right?
'Cause you got to make sure that they're recessed into the walls.
Shouldn't... shouldn't you write this down?
- I just want to take a step back,
go a little deeper.
What is it that you really want?
- Some friends put in a voice-activated butler system
that performs all these household tasks.
You know, you can call...
from the freeway, and it starts the sauna.
Is that the kind of thing...
Hey, Jim.
Basic structure is where all the investors
owning a sequential-pay mortgage investment conduit
received interest payments.
Yeah, the principal received from the underlying mortgages
repays each tranche in a predetermined order.
Right. No problem.
Sorry.
- Our work has become so specialized, hasn't it?
People know more and more about less and less.
- Yeah.
S-shouldn't we be more systematic here,
you know, make a list of things we like and don't like
about our current house?
- If you want, but we could also use our imaginations
and dream of what our new house could be.
You... you must have dreams for your new house.
- Yes, I do. I dream.
I dream that we don't go over-budget, you know.
I dream that the place is re-saleable
and I don't lose my shirt.
- And yet you're asking for a voice-activated butler system.
- No, no, no, I researched the butler system.
It's surprisingly affordable.
Look, this isn't rocket science, you know.
For one thing, we have this great view of the water.
Just put up a wall of glass and frame the view.
- Nothing spoils a view so much as huge windows
that gape at it incessantly.
It's better to glimpse it as you pass by.
- I don't want to glimpse it. I want to see it.
It's a big view from a house on a hill.
- A house should never be on a hill.
A house shouldn't be on anything.
A house should be of the hill.
Hill and house living together,
each the happier for the other.
- Yeah.
Look, uh, Miles, here's my concern.
You're, um... You're an artist,
and I'm just... I don't know
that your vision reflects our needs.
- Rest assured... I find the client can be
a significant design resource.
They sometimes make wonderful suggestions.
- Thank you. Don't forget...
We're the ones that have to live there.
We have to pay for it. We have to be rational.
- I understand completely.
Rationalism is the enemy of art,
but is necessary as a basis for architecture.
- It certainly is.
- A work of art is revolutionary.
A house is conservative.
- That's right.
- A house must satisfy a requirement.
A work of art does not.
- I'm glad we're on the same page.
- A house is designed to provide comfort.
A work of art wants to draw people
out of their comfort zone. - Exactly.
- That is why people love houses and hate art.
- Yes.
No, I don't hate art.
- Only a small part of architecture belongs
to the realm of art...
The monument and the tomb.
Everything else has a function.
I believe it is just as important
to design a chicken coop
as it is to design a cathedral.
We're roughly at the height of the second story.
- A blank canvas.
Where do you begin?
- I got something for you.
- Oh.
- I want you to start noticing things,
little details that contribute
towards how a space makes you feel.
Drawing is better than taking photos.
It forces you to look more closely at things.
- Nobody talks about these things.
It's like a big secret and they only let you in on it
once you have children.
- Where's your sweater, Max? Did you leave it in your Cubby?
- What's a Cubby?
- I can't believe you don't know what a Cubby is.
When did you start sketching?
- I'm taking notes for my architect.
- "My architect." Drew has her very own architect.
- He's...
so inspiring. - Oh.
- It's like I'm seeing things
in a completely new way.
I love my architect.
- Does Colin love your architect?
- Colin is suspicious of creativity.
- Hey, are we getting together Wednesday?
- I have a facial at 9:00 and a laser appointment at 4:00,
but other than that, I'm pretty open.
- Emma's doing my nails at 1:00. What about late afternoon?
- I have 6:30 yoga. Thursday?
- No, I do weight training Thursday mornings,
but the afternoon is free.
- I'm getting my hair colored then I have therapy. Friday?
- Any recent changes in your health?
- No. - Any big life changes...
New job, death in the family?
- No.
- We're building a house.
- Ooh, that's exciting. It can also be stressful.
Drew, everything is within range.
Colin, your testosterone is low.
Levels tend to drop off after age 35.
We want to try to raise it.
As with any hormone treatment, there are side effects.
The most prevalent is increased sex drive.
Do you think you can handle that?
- Yeah...
- Seriously, though, stress can be a factor.
You're building a house... Big financial commitment,
countless decisions to be made.
The pressure can affect fertility.
Think about the message that you're sending to your body.
From an evolutionary standpoint,
your body knows that a period of extreme stress
is not an ideal time to get pregnant.
- Well, what do you suggest we do?
- Try to ease up on your work schedule.
- W-work is not stressful.
This... this is stressful. - She's trying to help.
Maybe if you cut back on your 50-mile rides and paddles.
- It could just be bad timing.
Two busy people having intercourse
once or twice a week... It's hit or miss.
You can predict ovulation by calculating your next period
and then counting back 14 days.
- Oh. Well, maybe my app is wrong.
It says day 14, not 19.
- What, we had all that sex for nothing?
- You can purchase a test kit
that'll give you advanced warning.
When the test is positive, have intercourse that night,
the next night, the night after and the night after that.
Or forget about ovulatory charts, mucus charts,
and scheduled sex
and let passion take over.
- We're not using those. - Why not?
He may recommend them to other clients.
- I don't want to use them.
I'm sick of them. No, we're not using them.
- Maybe he'll recommend them.
- No. I don't want to use them. I'm sick of them.
Oh!
- I don't know what you expect to learn by watching us eat.
- I'm observing how you live...
so that I can better design your house.
- Well, we wouldn't be behaving like this if you weren't here.
- That's the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.
You can't observe a thing without changing it.
- Mm.
- What do you think of the plates?
Drew made them.
- He knows that. - They're great, aren't they?
- Of course.
I can't help wondering what you'd do with a bigger canvas,
express emotions that can't be contained
on plates.
- People need plates. They have a use.
It's not just art, you know. You're providing a service.
- What matters is that you enjoy the process.
- I used to enjoy it. Now it's just work.
- Most artists would be happy there was work.
- He promotes me to all his colleagues.
They provide color samples for me to match.
- They didn't ask you to match.
They simply wanted you to coordinate
with their tablecloth and napkins.
- I don't want to be told what colors to use.
- Drew, they're trying to put together a tabletop.
- Fuck their tabletop.
- The salad is excellent.
- You're wearing your hair with more abandon.
I like it.
- Thanks.
You pick up on everything, don't you?
- Everything of interest.
- You can get that. I don't mind.
- Oh, it'll go to voice mail.
You see, an architect must be many things...
Sculptor, artist,
but before you can build,
you must have an idea.
- The nautilus shell.
- It's classic, and it's curving.
I like all of that.
I'm not attracted to right angles and straight lines.
They're hard and inflexible and man-made.
There are no right angles in nature.
- Ah, it must be so freeing to make such big gestures.
My world is so small.
- Well, here, I don't need all of this.
It's a nice big piece.
You can really stretch out on it.
- I'm a little intimidated
by a big blank piece of white paper.
Well, then paint it black.
Look...
a staircase isn't just a way
of getting from one floor to another.
It's a room in itself.
You saw what we did at the Hatch House.
- I was never inside.
- Oh.
- Incredible.
- The result of excellent chemistry
between architect and client.
- Oh, what are you doing?
- Well...
Putnam usually has a decent bottle of wine
in his cooler.
- The sleeping space...
The center of a couple's life together,
the place where they talk, sleep,
sleep late...
make love.
- The center of my husband's life is the bathroom.
He spends a lot of time there.
- Well...
that's understandable.
Bathing is pleasurable and therapeutic.
It's one of the simplest ways to unwind...
The sensual contact with water.
It's one of the precious times
when we are absolutely alone
and completely naked.
- He just sits on the toilet.
I have trouble sleeping.
He insists on keeping the TV on in the bedroom.
I have to wait until he falls asleep
to turn it off.
I need a room of my own.
- Architecture can't force people to connect.
It can only plan the crossing path,
remove barriers,
make the meeting places more inviting.
- You always think of modern as cold.
This is cozy.
- The concept of cozy has always been a problem for modernism.
But it's a major concern of mine...
along with comfy.
Yeah.
A group of chairs, a sofa,
a pile of cushions...
to make that work is... It's very subtle.
Most meeting places are sterile.
People avoid them. Nothing happens there.
Others are...
full of life.
They...
seem to attract people.
People feel more...
Alive.
This arrangement is particularly successful.
Oh.
This is nice.
- Mm-hmm.
- You must have come home from work early to prep all this.
- I did. Where were you?
- Oh, I, uh...
Miles showed me the inside of the Hatch House.
- Really? I would have liked to have seen that.
- You should. It's amazing.
- Yeah? The owners were there?
- No, um...
You should really see it. You'd realize he's a genius.
- Yeah, well, the problem with geniuses
is they're a pain in the ass.
- Oh.
Mm.
- Mike Conway, Conway Construction.
- Miles Moss, architect. - Miles.
- Hi.
Looks like it's clearing up.
- Yes, this afternoon, if the forecast is reliable.
- So, uh, this is...
- I want you to know that Drew's contribution
to the design has been crucial.
She has been my muse.
- Oh, my God.
Wow.
- Wow.
- The parking garage is here.
You enter through the main doorway here
into a floating stairway space.
It's a design idea inspired by Drew.
- Can you really build this on our budget?
- Well, I think that's a question for Mike.
- I have no idea what this is.
Um, what's the skin?
- Titanium, of course.
- Titanium. - Yes.
A magnificent metal...
Noble, mysterious, vital,
just as Cronus, the first of the Titans
who ruled over the earth, the heavens, and the sea.
- Do you know a supplier? - Of course.
- And a sub? - Yes, yes.
Let me walk you through the floor plan.
- There are no straight lines.
- Straight lines are a symptom of the new illiteracy.
It will lead to the downfall of human civilization.
- People like straight walls, you know.
They're... they're practical.
You can... you can put furniture up against them.
- Squares and rectangles make no sense in human terms.
They have a negative effect on social interaction.
They only express the rigid desires of people
who are too preoccupied with systems
and their means of production.
The entire universe is curved.
Einstein proved that.
- Why don't you let him present his idea
before criticizing it?
- That's all right, Drew.
I like clients to provide active and aggressive criticism,
as long as they have absolute faith in me.
I find that the best work happens
when everyone has an open mind.
Remember, you're paying for my talent and experience.
You're wasting money if you don't listen to my ideas.
- All right. So where are the rooms?
- The living spaces are here and here.
The kitchen space is here.
And these are the sleeping spaces.
- You mean bedrooms?
- You could call them that.
- What's this thing... This line here?
Is this a wall?
- Yes, it's made of Quietstone.
It's a soundproofing material.
It's as thin as Sheetrock, but twice as sound resistant.
It creates complete separation.
- Complete separation from what?
- Your side of the house from Drew's side of the house.
- Oh, I knew it. I knew it.
I told you that doing separate interviews w-was a mistake.
Why don't you... Just build a duplex.
We'll live next door to each other.
- I was just responding to Drew's sound concerns
and your music concerns.
I think you're making more of this than was intended.
- All right, Mike, ballpark, what... what are we looking at?
- I've got a thousand questions
before I could give you a solid number,
but I'd have to say at least, uh...
$500 a square foot.
- Five hun...
That's... that's over a million bucks!
Are you out of your mind?
- Mike, if you have a thousand questions,
wouldn't it be good to get some answers first
before making wild guesses?
- Um, where are the load-bearing walls?
- The loads are being transferred here, here...
and here.
- Well, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know,
but it would be more efficient to stack them.
- It would be more efficient,
but they wouldn't be happy living there.
Now's the time to make changes, folks.
It's cheaper to use an eraser on the drafting board
than it is a wrecking ball at the site.
- We can't allow the engineering to dictate the building's form.
Structure has to accommodate design.
- Oh, okay, thank you for your time, Miles.
Send me your final bill. I will take care of it.
- What? No. - Yes. No, we're done.
- It's just a first pass. Nothing's set in stone.
- Stone would be cheaper.
- Most people find that what they want
is 50% over the original budget.
- What we want? - Yes, what we want.
- Mike and I need to get together,
go through all his questions.
There are always less expensive alternatives,
if need be.
I find its better to negotiate than pound my fist on the table.
- This would save you a whole bunch right there.
- Those rooms would be prisons
for the people who had to live in them.
- I'm sure that Miles can come up
with creative solutions that lower the cost,
yet still maintain the integrity of the design.
- You know what?
Give me a chance to get together with Mike.
We'll go through his questions and come up with some options.
- We can do that.
- Fine. All right.
Mike, I'll... I'll call you tomorrow.
Bye, bye.
- Where's my storage space?
Give me the luxuries of life,
and I'll happily do without the necessities.
- That makes no sense. Where's the bathroom?
- You think I forgot bathrooms?
- No, your bathroom here.
- Oh, oh, it's, uh...
Yesterday was a big mistake.
It's just completely ridiculous.
- What do you mean "completely ridiculous"?
- It won't happen again.
I had a weak moment.
- It's been a long time
since I've connected with anyone the way I connect with you.
- Oh, no, I'm sorry, Miles. I just can't.
It's not that I don't think you're an amazing person.
And I'm completely attracted to you.
But I just can't. I'm married. I don't want to hurt Colin.
I don't want to hurt you.
- Hurt me? - Yes.
- You've made me the happiest man alive.
- No, don't say that. I feel awful... just guilty.
It's deceitful.
- It's not your fault. I set you up.
I've been in love with you since we first met.
- No. Don't say that.
No, it's over.
- You're his muse? How "amusing."
You think I don't know what's going on?
You two have been meeting behind my back...
conspiring to make this house more expensive
and less re-saleable.
Unless you can bring this guy in line,
we are going in whole nother direction.
A million dollars... That's insane.
- Oh!
- Drew, what are you doing?
You're getting paint all over the floor!
- It's an art studio. That happens.
- How can you hear yourself think?
- I'm not thinking.
Don't do that! This is my room!
- What has gotten into you?
Why are you making such a mess? - Because I want to.
Miles gave me a big sheet of paper,
and I'm having fun.
Is that allowed?
- Oh, so, what? Now he's your muse?
Is that it?
- I designed it in a sequence of natural curves,
to flow in and out of the landscape.
The contractor says it's impractical.
As if I had intended practicality.
- We don't have to go back to the drawing board.
We just have to bring down the cost.
- Why?
Years from now, when you're enjoying your beautiful home,
you won't even remember how much it cost.
- There must be ways we can save.
- Sure, sure.
Take out the structural glass, put in a wall.
Lose out the stone, carpet throughout.
Replace the titanium with, God forbid, stucco!
With a painter or sculptor,
you wouldn't dare suggest alternatives,
but an architect has to put up with anything!
Imagine trying to find a replacement
for the touch and feel of titanium...
the fabric of our lives.
It's too bad that clients today
aren't the committed patrons of the past.
Now it's all about return on investment.
- You really think that's my motivation?
- It's your work, too.
You're advocating cutting your own ideas.
You're submitting to arbitrary power,
which has always, throughout history,
crushed human sensibility and truth.
You've been colonized.
- Every project has its limits.
- You'll just have to find creative solutions.
- Fewer windows, uh, less square footage overall,
big reduction in the structural glass...
That's significant...
No Quietstone. - Wow.
I'm glad you've been able to cut corners.
- There are no corners.
- I mean, it looks like you've made a genuine effort.
- I want my clients to be happy.
- Mike, any other suggestions?
- You could replace the titanium with stucco.
- Never.
The Stone House will not be stucco!
- I do like that... The Stone House.
- Well, I'll, uh, run this latest revision by the subs
and get the final numbers.
The cost reductions will be significant, I think,
but I have to say,
it will still be more than your original budget.
- Well, hopefully subsequent generations
will find that the Stone House was worth the extra expense.
- That's a yes.
Come on, honey.
Oh!
- Ooh! - Oh!
- Thank you.
- Whoo! - Yay!
- Oh, it will be a very quiet house
if it's just the two of you.
How old are you now, honey... 39, 40?
- I thought you said you never ask a woman's age.
- Colin's getting up there too.
You should take some precautions.
I've been doing a little research.
We know a very good doctor who can help you.
He has a wonderful facility with an emergency backup system
in case there's a power outage.
And his practice isn't so big
that you'd get lost in the shuffle.
You know, if you'd like, I could make an appointment,
and then you could, you know, go over
and freeze some sperm or harvest one or two eggs,
and, you know, you wouldn't have to worry.
You'd have a backup plan, you know, just in case you need it.
- Mom, is that dinner conversation... sperm and eggs?
- I'm sorry, honey. You're right.
- And can we lose this flower arrangement?
I can't see around it, over it.
- They're beautiful. They're from our garden.
- I know that, but I can't have a conversation.
- And, you know, sweetheart, when the time is right,
I know a wonderful Russian nanny
who costs a lot less than you would think.
- Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?
- I'm just trying to help, okay? - I appreciate that.
- She's gonna need her own room. You might as well plan for that.
- We're not building a separate bedroom
for a potential nanny
to take care of potential children.
- Right.
The nanny can stay in the study.
- How many bedrooms total?
- They're sleeping spaces. - Huh?
- There... There's one true bedroom
and a space for a daybed.
- Daybed? What's a daybed?
You're spending a lot of money
for a house with only one bedroom?
You're nuts! - Okay, Joseph.
It's not your house. Let them make their own mistakes.
- The architecture is really quite special.
He's... he's a genius.
- Genius. Genius does not design
a million-dollar house with one bedroom.
- I just don't understand
why you didn't use Elizabeth's brother-in-law.
The space for the daybed
could easily be turned into a bedroom.
We just add a door and a closet.
- We can't make any changes without consulting Miles.
- It's our house, Drew.
- You close that big hole in the ceiling,
you'll probably have room for a couple more bedrooms.
- Yeah, but tiny.
- No, that area is part of the staircase.
It's... it's the main design feature.
- Hmm. Looks like wasted space to me.
- Well, you know, you could maybe squeeze in
another bathroom here.
Oh, and if you push out the kitchen wall there,
you know, you could have a little mudroom
for when the children come in from playing.
- Can't they just wipe their little feet on the mat?
- If we're gonna make changes, now is the time to do it.
Boy, you don't look so good.
I'm gonna be sick.
- It's probably the shellfish.
We'll all be sick.
- Uh-huh.
Yeah, tax equity investment
equal to present value distributions...
discounted at a minimum unlevered target IRR.
Yeah, based on the project's capacity factor.
Whether or not the partnership flip structure yields returns.
Right. The two lease structures...
Sale leaseback and inverted lease.
Right.
Feeling any better? - Not really.
Sorry I couldn't say good-bye to your parents.
- They understood. If you're sick, you're sick.
Not much you can do about it.
Hmm.
- What are you reading?
- A very interesting analysis of whether a partnership flip
yields higher returns than a sale leaseback.
The conclusion is pretty surprising.
- I'm pregnant.
- Are you joking?
Drew, honey.
- Did you get my message?
- Oh, yes.
- And? - You can't change the walls
without changing the structure and supports.
I'd have to revise the plans.
The structural engineer would have to revise his plans.
And Conway would issue a change-order for the extra cost.
- Yeah, I know, but we need more bedrooms.
- Why?
- A house this size should have more bedrooms.
It's just common sense.
- Is common our goal?
I don't know why people hire architects
and then tell them what to do.
- Because it's our house.
- Well, often, the opinion
of the client must be disregarded for their own good.
- Do... - We're having a baby.
- What?
Really?
Congratulations!
That's great news. - Thank you.
- The space for the daybed
can easily be modified
to make room for the baby.
- Oh, I'm glad you agree,
'cause if we don't start making some practical compromises,
we're gonna end up with a white elephant.
- Oh, really?
Would "Art and Architecture" magazine
put a white elephant on its cover?
- "Art and Architecture" magazine?
- A feature writer called me yesterday.
The Stone House is a finalist for their October issue.
- Wow.
- That's pretty good.
- Michael. Mike Stone.
- No.
What about Braydon?
- Braydon? That sounds like a horse.
- I like Joseph. Joseph. Joseph Stone.
- Regular Joe.
- Well... - Wow.
What about Grayson?
- You're just making stuff up.
- Well...
What about Upton or Hudson...
or Grace?
- That sounds like a law firm... Upton, Hudson, and Grace.
What happened to something simple, like... like Jane?
That's pretty. Jane.
- Plain Jane and Average Joe.
- No. - Wow.
Wow. It's fantastic, Miles.
- Incredible.
Let me ask you, can you paint it?
- The titanium?
Why would you want to do that?
- I'm saying down the road, you know, for a change of pace.
- That's insane. It's... it's beautiful.
It has a 100-year warranty against corrosion.
- Well, it's just...
more silver than I thought it would be.
- I love it.
- Gary.
- Ew.
Abigail.
- Yeah, that rolls right off the tongue.
- Oscar. - Oscar?
Wow. Middle school wasn't hard enough.
Jeff.
Jeff is not a name for an adult.
- Jeffrey.
- Imogen.
- Do you want her to hate us? Is that what you want?
I mean, really, if you want to show the world
that you're creative, sweetheart,
do it in a way that doesn't harm innocent bystanders.
- Is that what you think I'm doing?
- Kids want to fit in. They don't want to be different.
- What if the child isn't as conservative
and unimaginative as the father?
- Oh, yeah? W-w-what if he is?
What if he's... what if he's actually quite capable
o-o-of dealing sensibly and prudently
with practical matters?
I mean, have you seen these change orders...
These extras added by your genius?
The costs keep spiraling upward,
just like this fucking staircase.
- Why do we always do things your way?
- We don't do things my way, sweetheart.
We do them the right way... With research and planning.
- You claim there's all this logic,
but it always ends up your way.
You argue with me until you wear me down and I give in.
- You know what? You see things wrong.
Sometimes I wish I could just...
I could just reach inside your head and flip a switch,
you know, just change your perspective.
But I guess, you know, we bring different things
to the table as life partners, right?
I'm good at making money. You're good at spending it.
I'm good at making calculated,
informed decisions that yield positive results,
and you're good at making quick, impulsive decisions
and never thinking twice, right?
What, is it lunch?
There you go. Good girl.
That's his preschool music teacher at Montessori.
Are you gonna get him? Go get him. Go get him.
- Max has a natural sense of rhythm.
You should see him in ballet.
- It used to turn me on
when I'd hear him talk about business.
He was so confident.
It was not confidence. He's just stubborn.
- You're out of your mind to think of leaving Colin.
How much difference does it make who the guy is, anyway?
Once you have a baby, the guy becomes so much less important.
Do you really think
that you want to be on your own right now?
- How did the relationship work between architect and client?
- Ah, truly inspired, a wonderful collaboration,
great chemistry between architect and client.
- Oh, good.
- Your details are off.
You obviously have no field experience.
Your... your construction drawings are just pretty pictures.
- You're not even using the latest set!
These were revised!
- You've changed them so many times,
I don't even know what I'm building anymore!
This is completely unprofessional.
Let me tell you... I am not losing money on this job
based on your incompetence.
My advice to you is learn how to work with real life!
Ooh.
It looks like the chemistry
between architect and contractor isn't quite as good.
- Construction is very stressful,
and we're using some very unusual materials
for a residence... Titanium, for example.
- The floating staircase is impressive.
- It was a true collaboration.
I was his muse.
- You were his muse? - Don't write that.
- Society needs a good image of itself.
That's the job of the architect.
If a client wants a house designed,
most architects will design one,
but a conscientious architect
will ask first why this house is needed.
What is its Raison d'être?
- Hmm. - The architect may conclude
we don't need this house and walk away.
That's why I don't have a lot of clients.
- There seems to be conflict
between you and the contractor.
- To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
- Yet another stack of change orders.
I don't pay these by tomorrow, Conway walks off the job.
The cost is out of control, Miles.
It's like you're just...
You defy me and then build whatever the hell you want.
- Cost is very simple. It is materials plus labor.
You want a $5 million house for a million dollars.
How's that my fault? Want me to pay for it myself?
- What are all the extras? - Essential details.
- You said less is more.
- Less is only more when more is no good.
And these stairs... I've been thinking about them.
They're just too dangerous without a handrail.
- A handrail?
Can you imagine how ridiculous that would look?
- I'm saying it's dangerous.
I can't believe the Building Department
would even allow it. - They won't.
Creativity is stifled by an overzealous concern for safety.
We will put in temporary handrail
and remove it after inspection.
- Isn't that illegal?
- It's your house, not the city's.
- Do you see what I mean about all this wasted space?
- Wasted space? There is a purpose to beauty.
- If we fill this in, we add two rooms.
- Fill it in? You don't need two more rooms.
- Don't tell me...
How can you be so incredibly arrogant?
- If I have to choose between honest arrogance
and hypocritical humility, I choose honesty.
There's no reason to change it.
- What are you... Oh.
You think... you think you can prove anything by drawing it.
- I prefer drawing to talking.
It's faster, and there are no lies.
Is this what you want...
Bisect this space and create two rectangles?
- Yes. What's wrong with that?
- For you, maybe nothing, Colon.
You're a rectangular man.
But for Drew, who is fluid and curvaceous,
whose spirit is spontaneous and free,
she can't live in those rooms.
- Do not talk about my wife like that.
You are crossing a line there.
- Again, there is a line...
A straight line, a line in the sand,
a line that can't be crossed!
- All right, you know what? You know what?
I'm not paying another dime. That includes your bill.
- Then I'll file a lien on your property.
- Really? So I should get a lawyer?
Is that where this is headed?
- Where there's a will, there's a lawsuit.
Ignorance of the law
never stopped anyone from practicing it.
You wouldn't nickel-and-dime a surgeon, would you?
You respect his knowledge.
You understand the need for his services.
When I figure the amount of time I spend on a project,
it works out to about $15 an hour.
I feel like a poor seamstress.
Do you want to know the real reason
I didn't put a handrail in, huh?
- It makes it very difficult to catch yourself if you fall.
- Don't you think you're overreacting?
I mean, God, your hormones are all over the place.
- My hormones? It can't possibly be you.
- I had to fire him. He threatened me physically.
- Miles Moss?
- Where are you... Where are you going?
You're eight months pregnant.
You are the least practical woman I know.
- I need to be alone.
- Why do you never remember the good times?
We never...
We're having a stressful time, but we have good times, Drew.
Last year, in Mexico...
Remember, we walked into the hotel lobby,
and the mariachi band was playing our song?
- Our song? What song is that?
- How can you not know we have a song?
- I feel like we're in two different marriages.
What song are you talking about?
- "My Heart Will Go On"...
from the "Titanic" movie.
- This is why we can't be together.
- Drew, don't do this.
Don't do this.
Look, a marriage cannot always be exciting
and inspiring, you know.
You settle in, and you get comfortable.
That's normal.
I'm a good guy.
I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do.
I'm stable, emotionally and financially,
more than you know.
There is nothing wrong with us.
Why do you invent problems where none exist?
- I'm suffocating.
If you find yourself trapped in a box with no air,
you don't ask permission.
You just cut a hole so you can breathe.
- I don't understand that. - No, you don't. You don't.
- Drew, don't...
Come here, please.
Come here.
Don't do this.
We'll finish the house, okay?
We'll finish the house your way,
but then, please...
let's get this nut case out of our lives.
- Drew?
Drew?
- So cute.
Our philosophy is that children
should love coming and love learning.
If they don't jump out of the car and run right in,
we want to know about it.
Now let me show you the children's Cubbies.
- Putnam Hatch. - Yes.
- I was in your house.
- You were in my house?
- The Hatch House on Fulton Road.
- What were you doing in my house?
- Miles Moss showed me around.
- Who is Miles Moss?
- The architect who designed your house?
- The architect who designed my house was Leo Sullivan.
- Yeah, that's right... Sullivan and Moss.
- No, that's not right.
That was James Moss, Sullivan's business partner.
Look, I don't know who your friend is,
and I don't know how he got access to my house,
but if either of you comes back,
I'm gonna have you arrested.
- Hi.
- Who designed the Hatch House?
- What?
- Why doesn't Putnam Hatch know you?
- W-what are you talking about?
- I just met him.
He doesn't know you.
- That's not true.
Why do you have the keys to his house?
- Why are you asking me all of these questions?
- I don't know who you are.
I don't know what's going on.
Did you or did you not design that house?
- We all worked on it together.
- Who's "we"?
- Sullivan, my father, and me.
Come on, come sit down. Sit down, sit down.
- I left Colin.
- That's great news!
We don't need him anymore!
- What?
- The house is almost finished.
The... the bank will make sure it's completed
even if Colin stops paying.
- I thought you'd be a little more sympathetic
and a little less ambitious.
- I'm sorry. You're right. I'm...
Being totally selfish.
You're contemplating making a big life change, and...
I'm worrying about finishing the house.
It's just that the magazine people
are coming to take photos and finish the story.
We made the cover of "Art and Architecture."
You can build a career out of that.
- I thought you had a career.
- It could be better.
- This is your first house, isn't it?
- We make a great team, Drew.
Maybe we could live here together...
you, me and the baby.
- Oh, no. You don't... Don't... don't look at that.
Don't look at that. Don't...
It's not...
"Best graduate design project of 2002."
Oh. - Drew, I'm sorry.
I had to get the house built.
It's a good design, Drew.
Please.
I've had a long time to think about it.
- Drew?
Drew?
Oh, no.
Drew!
Please.
Drew, forgive me. - Aah!
- I could never get any of my projects built.
I spent countless years
designing handicap-accessible bathrooms...
Drew, I never met the right client until I met you.
You're the one. We had the same inspiration!
It's possible! Drew, please!
Drew!
Aah!
- Oh.
Oh.
Ugh.
She painted the titanium.
- That's gonna void the warranty.
- The color's called Grandma's refrigerator.
It's on the chart I submitted.
It's all planned out.
I-I-I can't make an impulsive decision
while climbing a ladder.
Hold on. Where's the color chart?
I have the chart right here...
Dill pickle, dead salmon, dog's ear, baby's bottom,
Grandma's refrigerator.
He's not sure about the yellow.
He's confused
because his grandma's refrigerator was white.
Can you talk to him?
- Frank? - Yeah.
- Take Imogen. - Imogen.
- Hey, Frank. Hi. It's Colin.
Yeah, I know.
I know. My grandmother's refrigerator was green.
It's just the name the company gave the paint color.
It doesn't mean anything.
No. Look, she started another job.
She's booked for the rest of the year.
Let me explain something.
Drew's an artist. She's not a painting contractor.
You don't get to choose the color.
It's not repair and maintenance.
Well, she's not trying to please everyone.
She's trying to move them, you know,
draw them out of their comfort zone,
make them think and feel.
Her work is very mysterious Frank.
It's compelling and surprising.
Just sit with it for a while.
Let Drew do her thing,
and I'm sure that you'll be very happy in the end, okay?
Okay. Bye.
- Thank you.
- Here, take that. I got to take her for a nap.
- Yes. - Hmm?
Come here. Come here.
A little Grandma's refrigerator there.
All right, you, here we go.
Whee! Oh, boy.
- Bye! - Oh, boy.