From Tad: Every architect dreams of designing, building and living in his own home. This year, I get to live my dream.

My wife, Lynn, and I were fortunate — thanks to her parents, in 2007 we bought the narrow, hillside lot adjoining their house. Close to downtown Silver Spring, on a quiet cul-de-sac of large lots, overlooking Sligo Creek Park, the location (304 Ellsworth Drive) is quiet, wooded and well, just fabulous.

I began designing with abandon! But it was not to be. The first design stayed a fantasy: the recession hit my profession and we realized that building a new home would not be possible.

So we waited and we waited. We spent time renovating our current, lovely Silver Spring house, (a 1960’s Charles Goodman home.) But while I waited, I began new sketches. Last year, we re-thought about building and I began yet again to redesign for a scaled down, more compact version. The spirit of the house is the same, lots of light, views of the greenery, living up in the trees, respecting the limitations of the lot and the needs of its residents. But this version is narrower, with the length of the house hidden from the street. It’s easier to build, and reflects our thoughts about how we want to age in place (home elevator, more balconies, open plan.)

We are both long-time residents of this city and my day job is at my own architectural firm, GranDesign Studio, Inc. in downtown Silver Spring, MD: Visit me at www.grandesignstudio.com. We hope to go for permit soon. This blog is a journey for us and one that we want all of our friends and family to enjoy with us.