Daniel Silvernail Architect
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silvernailarch.bsky.social
Daniel Silvernail Architect
@silvernailarch.bsky.social
Santa Cruz Architect designing dreams in Monterey Bay, Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Peninsula and points beyond since 1997.
Our website is: http://www.silvernailarch.com/
Straw Building And The Principles Of Passive Solar Design: A Primer

“It all has to do with why did you build this building here? Why did you transport that oil halfway across the earth?” Pliny Fisk III Sustainable Practice To me, the most important issue before all of us – builders, contractors,…
Straw Building And The Principles Of Passive Solar Design: A Primer
“It all has to do with why did you build this building here? Why did you transport that oil halfway across the earth?” Pliny Fisk III Sustainable Practice To me, the most important issue before all of us – builders, contractors, homeowners, building designers, and architects - is how to build sustainably, and so this is the most compelling reason I can give to build with bales.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House is a bold expression of place, climate, and artistic ambition. In this article we explore how Wright’s ideas about spatial planning, form, and materials broke the mold of then-current design. Read our article at: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1KP
Hollyhock House: Frank Lloyd Wright’s “California Romanza”
Perched on the northern slope of Olive Hill in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollyhock House stands as a unique intersection of art, architecture, and experimentation. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright between 1919 and 1921 for oil heiress and arts patron Aline Barnsdall, the house was conceived as the centerpiece of a larger theatrical and residential complex. Today, it remains one of Wright’s most innovative domestic commissions, combining a careful attention to materials, form, and site with a deeply personal decorative program.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Buildings aren’t static objects — they’re living systems interacting with air, moisture, materials, microbes, and people. This article explores building ecology, indoor air quality, and why true sustainability must include human health.
👉 https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1KU
#BuildingEcology #Architecture
Building Ecology and Indoor Air Quality
It is commonly assumed that buildings are simple, inanimate objects—largely static once construction is complete. From this perspective, a building is seen as a collection of materials assembled at a moment in time, with relatively little interaction between the structure, its occupants, and the surrounding environment. Yet this view obscures the reality that buildings are anything but static. In truth, they are complex, dynamic systems shaped continuously by physical, chemical, and biological interactions.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
December 30, 2025 at 10:38 PM
How do the world’s great religions mark sacred time in the skyline itself?
This illustrated holiday edition explores iconic religious landmarks illuminated for major festivals worldwide.

Read more: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1Kj

#Architecture #SacredArchitecture #ArchitecturalHistory #UrbanLandmarks
Sacred Skylines: How the World’s Great Religions Mark the Holidays in Light
Across the globe, light has long been a language of celebration. From the colorful onion domes of Moscow to the gilded pagodas of Yangon, illuminated architecture signals both the passage of the season and the enduring presence of faith. Each major religion uses its most iconic structures to mark significant holidays—turning skylines into expressions of devotion, ritual, and design.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:29 PM
California’s 2025 Title 24 update brings real changes—not just tweaks. A new standalone WUI code, expanded electrification, and updated life-safety rules will affect many projects starting in 2026. Here’s what matters and why: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1K8

#Title24 #Architecture #BuildingCodes #Wildfire
What’s Significant in the 2025 California Code Cycle
California’s Building Standards—collectively known as Title 24—are updated on a triennial cycle. The current 2022 codes will transition to the 2025 edition, which becomes mandatory for most projects submitted on or after January 1, 2026. As with prior cycles, the 2025 codes are based on national model codes, modified with California-specific amendments addressing seismic safety, wildfire risk, climate goals, and housing needs.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:20 PM
California ADU rules will change again in 2026. We’ve summarized what homeowners & builders need to know—faster approvals, clearer size rules, fee exemptions, & allowance of up to three (3) types of ADU per parcel. Planning an ADU? This update matters.

Read the full post: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1JV
What’s Changing for ADUs in 2026? A Guide to California’s New Laws
Every year, California updates the rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior ADUs (JADUs). These revisions have become almost a tradition, aimed at increasing housing supply and making the approval process more predictable. Over the past several years, the state has required cities to approve ADUs within 60 days, allowed certain ADUs to be sold separately from the main home, opened pathways to legalize unpermitted units, and increased the number of ADUs allowed on multifamily lots.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Your city remembers you—even if you don’t notice. 🏙️
Every street, building, and park holds stories of the past, shaping how we live and connect today. From historic theaters to corner shops, urban memory surrounds us.

Read more: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1JO

#SenseOfPlace #UrbanDesign #Architecture
The City as Collective Memory: How Places Remember and Why It Matters
Cities are often described as engines of economy, centers of culture, or networks of infrastructure. These descriptions are accurate, but they miss a deeper truth: cities are also repositories of memory. They hold the stories of the people who built them, lived in them, and shaped them across generations. This memory is not stored in books or archives alone. It is embedded in the city’s very form—in its streets, buildings, landmarks, and even patterns of everyday life.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Indoor air quality is becoming a core part of sustainable home design. From low-VOC materials to smart ventilation and filtration, here are the key strategies for creating healthier, high-performance homes. https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1JG
#IAQ #GreenBuilding #HealthyHomes #Architecture
Green Building and Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality (IAQ) has become an essential consideration in residential design, remodeling, and green building standards. As homes become tighter and more energy efficient, the quality of the air inside plays a larger role in occupant health, comfort, and long-term building performance. Modern building programs—including LEED, CHPS, and California’s Section 01350—place IAQ at the center of sustainable design, recognizing its direct impact on well-being and productivity.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Florida Atlantic Univ. researchers made hardwood stronger by adding nano‑iron, creating longer-lasting, eco-friendly wood for construction. Could this innovation replace steel or concrete? 🌳🔩 Read more: tps://wp.me/p2M8ej-1Jv #Architecture #SustainableDesign
Iron‑Enhanced Hardwood: A Transformative Step for Sustainable Construction
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), working in collaboration with the University of Miami and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have achieved a compelling materials‑science breakthrough: by infusing a hardwood species with a nano‑scale iron compound, they have enhanced the durability of the wood—potentially altering how wood might be used in construction. At the core of the research is lignocellulose—the primary structural component of wood and many other plants.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Iron‑Enhanced Hardwood: A Transformative Step for Sustainable Construction

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), working in collaboration with the University of Miami and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have achieved a compelling materials‑science breakthrough: by infusing a…
Iron‑Enhanced Hardwood: A Transformative Step for Sustainable Construction
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), working in collaboration with the University of Miami and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have achieved a compelling materials‑science breakthrough: by infusing a hardwood species with a nano‑scale iron compound, they have enhanced the durability of the wood—potentially altering how wood might be used in construction. At the core of the research is lignocellulose—the primary structural component of wood and many other plants.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Design vision alone isn’t enough—accurate budgeting is key. Putting an estimator on the project team helps architect's align with financials, keeping projects on track from concept to construction.
Read: The Cost Estimator’s Role in Architectural Design https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1Jc
#Architecture #Design
The Cost Estimator’s Role in Architectural Design
It has been said that the only real building material is money. For an architect, the three key components informing the design process from day one forward are: what is the client’s program, what is the schedule, and what is the budget. Establishing and then tracking the project budget is often the most underrated of these three considerations, and yet it is equally if not more important than any of the others.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Turn unused space into income & value! 🏡 ADUs & JADUs let you rent, create a home office, or even sell the unit separately. Learn 6 ways these units deliver ROI for your California home: [https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1IV](https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1IV) #ADUref="/hashtag/ADUCalifornia" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#ADUCalifornia #JADU #ADU #PassiveIncome #AccessoryDwelling
You Too Can Have an ADU: 6 Ways an ADU or JADU Can Deliver Real ROI
California homeowners are discovering a powerful way to generate passive income, house family affordably, and increase property value — all without moving. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUs (JADUs) make it possible to turn unused space into opportunity. What Are ADUs and JADUs? An ADU is a secondary dwelling with complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons. It can be:
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Kinetic architecture is about buildings that move, adapt, & respond to their environment. From 1920s avant-garde concepts to Calatrava’s soaring wings, kinetic architecture redefines our ideas about the capabilities of buildings: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1Iu

#Architecture #Design #Innovation #Future
Kinetic Architecture: Buildings that Move
Kinetic architecture is the design of buildings that can move without losing structural integrity. These movements may serve purely aesthetic purposes, adapt to environmental conditions, or enable functions impossible in static structures. Long imagined by designers, kinetic architecture became feasible in the late 20th century with advances in mechanics, electronics, and robotics. Today it is a growing field that blends engineering, artistry, and environmental responsiveness.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
September 21, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Thinking of building with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)? 🏡 We break down the pros & cons, plus compare polystyrene vs. wood fiber cement ICFs—helping you choose the right system for energy efficiency, durability & sustainability: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1I3
#HomeBuilding #GreenBuilding #Architecture
Pro’s and Con’s of Building Your Home With ICFs
When planning a new home, most homeowners face a pivotal question: what kind of structure should I build? For decades, conventional wood framing has been the default choice in much of the United States. But more and more, insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are entering the conversation as a durable, energy-efficient, and sustainable alternative. ICFs are no longer experimental. They’re showing up in everything from modest homes to schools, offices, and luxury residences.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
September 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Château de Chambord: a Renaissance masterpiece blending fortress strength with Italian elegance. Built for King Francis I, its skyline and famed double-helix stair embody power + artistry. Explore: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1HI #Architecture #RenaissanceArchitecture
Château de Chambord: Monument of Renaissance Architecture
Few monuments in Europe capture the imagination like the Château de Chambord. Rising dramatically from the flat plains of the Loire Valley, it is less a traditional residence than a monumental experiment in architecture. Commissioned by King Francis I in 1519, Chambord sought to fuse the massive forms of medieval fortresses with the harmony and geometry of Renaissance design. The result is a structure at once familiar and radically new—an architectural statement intended not for defense or comfort, but to embody prestige, power, and artistic daring.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
August 29, 2025 at 6:51 PM
The Hôtel de Sully in Paris is a jewel of 17th-c. architecture — freestone façades, sculpted allegories, and gardens that bridge Renaissance Mannerism & French Classicism. Discover its story: https://wp.me/p2M8ej-1H3

#Architecture #Paris #Marais
Architecture of the Hôtel de Sully
In the heart of the Marais district stands one of Paris’s finest examples of the hôtel particulier: the Hôtel de Sully. Despite its name, it was never a hotel in the modern sense but an urban aristocratic mansion, designed for prestige, display, and comfort within the constraints of a dense city setting. The hôtel particulier type had been established by the late Renaissance as a distinct form of urban dwelling for nobles — a carefully planned complex that reconciled grandeur with limited plots.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
August 17, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Net-Zero Energy (NZE) buildings produce as much energy as they use. From federal mandates to California’s energy code, NZE is shaping how we design for the future. Here’s what it means and why it matters: https://wp.me/p2M8e #NetZero #BuildingDesign #Sustainability #EnergyCode #architecture
Net-Zero Energy (NZE) Buildings
The noted American green building architect William McDonough is famously quoted as once saying that buildings should, among other qualities, “live off current solar income”. What was merely a hypothetic concept in the early 1990’s has since firmly taken root: net zero energy (NZE) has taken on significant momentum as one of the factors shaping the sustainable construction movement.
santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com
August 10, 2025 at 6:52 PM