Framing this house isn’t a quick job. It’s a puzzle with two layers: the exterior frame (going up now) and the interior frame, or Larsen truss, that will follow after insulation, vapor barriers and plywood are layered in to form the first floor. At the site yesterday it was clear to me that all minds were fully in the moment, focused on getting every measurement right and putting together a structure that will support all that follows.

It’s cool in the mornings and evenings now, but in the upper 80s at midday at the house site. Jeff, Troy, Tom and JR are fully exposed to the sun all day but persist in the heat, making this house real. As I walked around its perimeter yesterday, I could see for the first time the big cluster of windows in the living area, a towering south door, the wide window that will overlook the prairie at the south kitchen counter, and a small north-side window. It’s intense, and I admire the crew’s hard work, intelligence and experience.