The long wait, part 2 (March 2007 - October 2008)

Once we cleared the bamboo from the back of the yard, we were ready for Henry to begin the excavation. However, he told us that he did not yet have his contractor's license, but that he would have it soon. We called or emailed him almost every month, but were unable to get things moving. The following emails give only a partial view of the frustrations of our attempts to restart the project:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 28, 2007
Henry,

It's probably a good time to get an update on the
teahouse. We need to get the construction contract
first, provided there hasn't been any problem with
your getting a license. Do let us know if there is any
complication with that.

I got a great deal of the debris cleared in back of
the hose last weekend, and will be able to finish
everything else this coming weekend. So we would like
to schedule a time to meet.

Andy


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 11, 2007

Henry,

It's been about 8 weeks since our last meeting, at
which time you expressed confidence that foundation
work would begin in late March (weather permitting).
It would be best if you let us know where things are,
and whether there has been some unexpected
developments that have caused a delay. Hope to hear
from you soon.

Andy and Sara

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 17, 2007

Andy / Sara,

We have been side tracked with a couple of crusher deadlines.

Next week we will be back on track to move the t-house project into the install phase.

I will send you a short list of items as a warm-up to mobilizing the install.

Thanks,

Henry

Henry Kawa

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 24, 2007

Henry,

I expected to hear from you this week about getting
the tea house moving. Let's meet up to deal with the
contract etc so we can get things going.

Andy


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 11 2007

Henry,

Please do let us know if there are going to be further
significant delays with the project. I hope you
realize that we were expecting you to send us
something a couple of weeks ago, but have since heard
nothing. It is much better if we can find out in
advance if we need to wait much longer, rather than
continuing with the current uncertainty in the
project.

We will be out of the country from July 2-16th, and
obviously won't be available for anything requiring
logistics here at the house during that time. We will
also be away for shorter trips June 9-12 and 17-18.

Andy

-----------------------------------------------------------------

July 31, 2007

Andy,

As we discussed yesterday:

1. here is the action list to the completion of the job. Please review and call w questions.

2. we will string line layout the back yard later this week. please review & confirm it looks right to you.

3. we continue to knock off the items for the in shop checklist: we are currently finishing the bronze exterior & the mahogany interior.

4. we need to discuss some of the add on items ( maple ceiling, painting the superstructure, etc.) I will get a list together & email.

5. we will sit down to formalize contract part 2 (for onsite work) as soon as all our paperwork is in place.

Thanks,

Henry

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 8, 2008

Henry,



We are rather disappointed that you have not sent us the contract as you promised. You agreed with us at the last meeting that the contract should be ready at the beginning of 2008. We want to set up a meeting any day this week or next Monday to get the contract reviewed and signed. It will not do you or us any good if the project drags on and issues are unsolved like what happened since our last payment.

We certainly learned our painful lessons on the complications of the two part contract approach you and David lead us to. We totally believed that it was only for the license issue you had at the time, now we are not sure if it was actually for a room to increase the final price of the project. We agreed and signed a contract with extra 10% fee to compensate the budget estimate uncertainty at your end, It is unfair to change the things in the middle.

At this point we just want things to get finished up, as I'm sure you do also. Let's have a meeting with a contract on the table and get it signed. We'd like you to respond to this email and let us know what your plans are.

Andy and Sara
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 28, 2008

Andy,

I am getting final and confirmed numbers for the install phase of the project.

I met with the electrician and reviewed the requirements for the T-house in the shop.

We need to schedule a site visit and look at the electrical panel (inside the house) to confirm how the tie in the existing will work.

Please email me times that would work for you this week or next, so we can arrange a site visit.

HK

Henry Kawa
RKI

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 30, 2008

Henry and David,

It's been 6 months since the date we were promised a contract to complete
the Tea House project. I am truly astounded that you chose to ignore the project for so long with absolutely no explaination.

I am dissapointed with both of you both professionally and personally. I can't understand how you would treat a client in this manner. We have always responded to all of your requests for input and for payment promptly. We are at the point of giving up on you, and concluding that you have abandoned the project.

At this point, I am not interested in any explanations or promises for when you plan to complete the work. I am only interested in a getting a SIGNED contract to complete the installation.


Andy

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 30, 2008

Andy,

The project has been disassembled and made ready for the install phase.

There are some critical coordination issues which I will email you about.

I am out of town until July 7.

Will send you the contract then.

Henry
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

August 31, 2008

Henry,

What is wrong with you.

Why do you send us an email saying that you will send the completed contract in one day, and then let two months go by without a word.
What do I need to do to make you understand how unhappy we are with you, and how painful this whole mess has become. Please don't do this any longer.

It has been our concern from the very beginning that you would stop the work in the middle. I even told you and David of this concern. Your response was that you wouldn't do it, because you wouldn't have the space at your workshop to store the teahouse. This is obviously not the case.

Do I need to come there every day and remind you to finish the project? What is it going to take?

And David, you need to take some responsibility for this. When we asked about finding an alternate contractor for the project, you only gave us the choice of working with Henry, since he had put so much time into it. So please make some time for this project, and help us to get it back on track. Obviously, sending another email to Henry or calling him is not going to be enough.

We need a complete contract, signed by Henry, and a start date.


Andy

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 2, 2008

Andy,

Yes I have been told before that there are many things wrong with me.

We have had our hands full with projects that have admittedly preempted yours.

They are nearly complete.

I would hope to complete your project this fall.

I will send a more detailed email later today.

thanks,

Henry

Henry Kawa

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 1, 2008

Henry and David,

Well, another month has passed. And once again I'm writing to express my complete dismay that you continue to refuse to work further on the teahouse project. This is in spite of your repeated statements that you believe you can get started soon. You've been saying this for 1 1/2 years now!!! I'm sure you must realize that this cannot go on indefinitely.

I don't want anymore statements about when you think you can do it. It needs to get restarted now. All we are asking for is that you finish the project as agreed. If you don't plan to finish the project in the near future (this year), then it is better if you come out and say so.

David you really do have some responsibility here, not only because you are overseeing the construction as part of the contract you have with us. I don't want to hear anymore that it is out of your hands. I think you both know very well that it is morally wrong to hold a project up like this.

Andy

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

October 2, 2008

Andy,
I continue to be as shocked as you that the TeaHouse is not installed and I'm truly sorry that this process with Henry has been horrific. Of course I feel like I have a responsibility to you since I recommended Henry to perform the work. I have begged, screamed, and written unpleasant notes to Henry over the last year in an effort to prod him to completion. You are more than aware of the results. I did talk to Henry again this morning and thought you and I should discuss that call. Let me know if you have time to talk this morning and I can call you.

David

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 14, 2008

Andy,

I duplicated the key for the basement door.

I put a key thru your keyslot.

I have a copy of the key, as does Alberto.

We have started to clear the wall from the door to the electric panel, and will complete that tomorrow, in anticipation of running the electric line from the panel.

Foundation excavation proceeding, I have arranged for the engineer to inspect the holes on Friday 10/17.

I ordered a porta john which will be delivered tomorrow.

We cleared brush for the heat pump pad.

We will continue on the holes and the electric trench tomorrow.

Thanks,

Henry

The great bamboo dig

The area where the tea house is to go in was occupied by several bamboo plants that we planted about 10 years ago. They never really thrived because the spot is so shady. But we didn't want to dig them up and throw them away. So we put an ad on Craigslist in March of 2007 for free bamboo (u-dig). We got response from 30 people, from all walks of life. Including families, young couples and fathers and sons. Some clearly had no experience with plants at all. Below is a partial collection of the responses we got. Within 2 weeks, all the bamboo was gone.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi!

I saw your listing for free bamboo plants, and I would absolutely love to take them (some or all) off of your hands! Two questions, though: 1) By when do you need them to be removed?; and 2) Are you located somewhere that is metro-accessible? I know the second question seems odd, but I don't have a car this weekend, and I'm not sure whether my friends will be available to lend me a ride to pick up and take home the bamboo. At the very least, I'll be able to provide some entertainment for other metro riders. :)

Thanks!

Colleen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can I get some Bamboo plants please?
Thanks,
Neil

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello there,

I would love to take some bamboo plants. Do you think they'd be okay if I replant them but keep them indoors? Also, I have no problem digging them out but I do not own a shovel--do you have one I could use?

Thanks!

~Angela

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hello,
I am interested in your excess and unwanted bamboo.
I could come and dig it out much later today, or any time tomorrow
(sunday),
or mid to late afternoon on monday.
please respond pro or con as to whether there is any left.
I would be willing to take a little or very much.
I have a farm and want to get several patches started.
sincerely, james

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like to have one small plant. Please email address.
Mar

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Fellow Craiglister:

Thank you for posting your ad for bamboo. I have been looking for bamboo for sometime and will happily take the full lot off of your hands asap. I am available today. I have a truck. And, I have a few handy-men to ensure a rapid, hassle-free transaction. Please let me know which steps I should take in order to pick up your lovely bamboo plants.

Thanks for sharing,

NISA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

posting for bamboo. I'm interested.

Can you tell me what species of bamboo?

How fast do you need to have removed?

Thanks much!

Roger

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------






So the bamboo has been spread far and wide.

----------------------------------------------------------

The fabrication

Fabrication began in November 2006. Finally! The following photos were taken at Henry Kawa's shop in Rockville, MD between November 2006 and February 2007.

The first set of photos are of the steel framework, including the trellis (top), a close up of the joint between the floor and the struts (which will be steel also), and the framework of the roof.



The next set shows some interior details, including the wooden trim around the steel struts (right), and the fir end flooring (bottom). The lighting (right) is embedded in the floor and will reflect off from the ceiling.


The nearly completed tea house is shown below. This is the back side, with the entrance door on the right. The exterior metal work is presently a bright brass color, but will eventually be oxidized to the darker finish, seen in the lower left. A wooden mockup of the entrance stairs is shown in the lower left, which will be made of concrete.

The long wait

From the Summer of 2005 we continued meeting and negotiating on getting a final price agreed upon, but eventually things came to a standstill. Henry was unable to come up with a final price and contract for several months. In January of 2006 we threatened to pull out of the project, which prompted some quick action by David to get things started. He agreed to get Henry to produce a contract by April 1, and he would also get the permit started from the county. We did get the permit on April 1 as promised, but the contract took several more months of prodding and complaining. Finally, in the fall, Henry came through with a contract. But there was a catch.
This was the first project in which Henry was acting as a general contractor, since he had always been a sub-contractor in the past. This meant he didn't yet have a contractors license, and couldn't sign a contract for installing the tea house. He could still build it in his studio, but he wanted to separate the contract in two parts: Fabrication and installation. This way the fabrication could proceed now, and the installation would happen very soon in the Spring, once he had obtained his license. We very reluctantly agreed. This was a decision that would cause many sleepless nights in the future. Most of the cost was going into the fabrication, so if for any reason he didn't follow through on the installation, we could have a serious problem.

Meetings and negotiations

During the spring and summer of 2005 we went through a series of meetings with Henry and David that focused on the details of the design and construction, and worked towards finalizing the price:

David and Henry,

Here is a summary of our discussion today, plus some
additional comments on the proposal:

Floor panels: We prefer a simple, natural colored
hardwood floor. The small size of the space really
needs to feel light and airy. The important thing is
that the material is stable under a wide range of
humidity and temperature conditions. We do not need
the removable floor panel in the center.

Ceiling: Keep the inverted pyramid shape, but use a
natural (and light) wood panel or veneer that gives
the
impression of panels. We have pictures that we can
show you.

Roof and eave structure: Is there a less expensive
material (and requiring less labor)that can be used?
Is it possible to use a metal roof?

Window trim: Since the ceiling is will not be
mahogony, we think this should be a lighter wood. It
does not really need to stand out.

Door: It should be very simple and flat. Even a
painted steel (or wood) would be fine. A finish color
that gives the appearance of slate would be ideal.

Fence: Are there any other options for the fence? Is
there any product that gives the feeling of being very
solid and smooth, but understated. It needs to have
very clean lines. It should not really stand out or be
noticed.


For all these possible changes we would like to cut
the budget by 12-14 k, so that the subtotal is under
$110,000. We prefer the fixed fee so a contingency
can be added to this amount.


Andy and Sara

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the price was higher than we had hoped. We continued to discuss details and ask for revisions that might help to reduce the price. There were also concerns about the size of the steel beams that would be required to hold the teahouse in place. The initial drawings from Henry looked terribly large and looked like they might overwhelm the teahouse. In the meantime, Summer passed into fall.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sept 12, 2005
Henry was supposed to get a status email out last week. When I visited his
shop last week he had all the window extrusion mockups, which he needed to
determine the weight to give to the structural engineer so he could resize
the beams to a lighter (and more cost effective section). I had lunch with
the engineer on Friday and he said he will jump on the project as soon as he
gets the revised info from Henry.
I would expect he will get the email out today or tomorrow with your
prompting.


-----Original Message-----

Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 6:08 PM
To: henry@rkiinc.net; djameson@davidjamesonarchitect.com

Subject: Re: teahouse

Henry and David,


It's been 6 weeks since the last contact. Any chance
that the figures and design is done so we can get
started?

Andy and Sara

--- Henry Kawa <henry@rkiinc.net> wrote:

> David,
>
> I'm just getting back from vacation.
>
> Per our conversation earlier today, we are getting
> closer on finalizing the teahouse.
>
> I hope we can review figures later this week, and
> get the project underway.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Henry
>
> Henry Kawa
>
> RKI, Inc.

The ceiling and the mortgage broker

The title of this post may seem a bit odd (like the Walrus and the Carpenter), but there is a real connection.

The original design for the ceiling was quite elaborate. Henry Kawa has a particular fondness for complicated ceilings, which he creates by putting pieces of mahogany through his variou wood working tools. The complex structure of dark wood is hard to describe, but we can show a picture here from another of David Jameson's projects that Henry worked on. You can see that it gives the ceiling a very rich texture and color.


It wasn't possible for us to get access to the house above, so David suggested that we go see a house under construction that was getting the same ceiling treatment. As it turns out, the owner of this house was none other than the mortgage broker that we had a little run in with in 1998. What a small world! Back when we were first buying our house, we were referred to this broker, let's just call him "Bob" (note, this is not his real name). Well, this was during the Asian financial crises, and mortgage rates had dropped a great deal. At this point we already had been approved for a mortgage through "Bob", and we just needed to lock in at these really neat low rates. Well, when I called "Bob" to lock in, the incredible response was: Sorry, none of the banks are locking in today! And on top of that he made us wait another week, during which time the markets had recovered, and the 30 year rates had risen a percentage point. Needless to say we were furious, and when we asked a few people who know about these things, and none of them had heard of such a thing. So we went back to "Bob's" company and demand that he either give us a lower rate, or transfer the appraisal to a new bank, where we could get a new rate. He chose to lower the rate, but complained that he "didn't make any money on this loan." In any event, this brings us back to "Bob's" ceiling. We went to his house to have a look, and of course met him there. He looked embarrassed, and we pretended the whole thing had been no big deal. But we decided we didn't like the ceiling for the tea house, since it is a much smaller space. We were also afraid we would loose the sharp lines of the diamond shaped ceiling. We ultimately decided on a maple veneer, stained to go with the fir "end piece" floor.
The final decision on interior finishing is shown below. The fir flooring is at left, maple ceiling
on the upper right and the mahogany trim is the small piece on the lower right.

Waiting for Henry

The next several months were spent ironing out all of the details of the design. These were needed in order to get a concrete price for the contract. We also had asked for a number of changes. Some were to give the space cleaner lines, while others were intended to reduce the overall cost of the project. There were also a number of engineering considerations to be worked out, not the least of which was how the structure would fare in hight winds. The very small base did not afford much in the way of resistance to torquing of the building, and the rods connecting the roof the the I-beams could provide very little strength except for holding up the roof.
But by the end of the year, a number of things remained to be done:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec. 2, 2004
Andy,
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving holiday.
After our productive meeting with you and Henry we sent the drawings to Dave Linton our structural engineer to review the steel sizes and firm up what Henry and I have been discussing. We received his structural comments/markups yesterday and faxed them to Henry. He and I spoke briefly about them this morning and will discuss in detail tomorrow afternoon after I
follow up with Linton in a meeting at 11am. The next step is for Henry to firm up his numbers based on the markups and should be able to so this by the end of next week. We can meet again at that point and decide how you and Sara would like to proceed. I'll be in touch later next week to update you and schedule a meeting.

Best,
David

----- Original Message -----

To: "David Jameson Architect" <djameson@DavidJamesonArchitect.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 3:43 PM
Subject: Next Step


>
> David,
>
> Sara and I were very impressed by Henra Kawa, and
> remain very enthusiastic about the project. I suggest
> that we take steps to move to the next phase of the
> project. If Henry has come up with a little tighter
> budget, then I think we would be able to make a
> decision about whether to go with fixed contract or
> T&M.
>
> Let me know when further details are ready, and we
> will head to the credit union to start the mortgage
> process.
>
> Andy
>
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec. 17, 2004

Henry and I are meeting tomorrow morning to review his numbers again as he has looked over comments from the structural engineer. I'll press him to get something together for you next week.

----- Original Message -----

To: "David Jameson Architect" <djameson@davidjamesonarchitect.com>
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2004 8:35 AM
Subject: Re: Next Step


> David,
>
> We should make plans to meet to go over Henry's
> numbers and more detailed plans for the Tea House. We
> plan to go to the bank next week to start the loan
> process once we get some firm numbers.
>
> Andy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

But when the new year rolled around, we were still waiting:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jan. 14, 2005

I have been bugging him over the last two weeks to finish up the numbers for you. I'll call him again today and hopefully be able to tell you something early next week. Have a good weekend.

----- Original Message -----

To: "David Jameson Architect" <djameson@davidjamesonarchitect.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 8:04 PM
Subject: Re: Next Step


> David,
>
> Any word from Henry? I recall he said that he wanted
> to do the project during the winter, so I would assume
> that would mean very soon now. Do you think that he is
> still backed up with other projects?
>
>
> Andy
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By March, we were still waiting for Henry, and we started to get the impression
that he wasn't interested, or perhaps didn't really have time:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 10, 2005
David,

Are you sure that Henry Kawa has time for this
project? We are willing to consider other contractors
(though we realize some details might be hard without
him). If he is really willing to put the project
together, we should meet to agree on the final
numbers.

We'd like to keep the budget as close to 100 K as
possible, as a fixed price contract. We are also
willing to eliminate some details if this is not
otherwise feasible.

Let us know your thoughts on this.

Andy and Sara



March 11, 2005
Andy and Sara,

good morning- I am certainly aware of the time Henry has taken to put a final number together for you and talk to him about it every week. He is truly part mad scientist- which while frustrating to get what seems like a simple task of a final price out of him- will be the reason the project will come together and work well. He is working towards giving you the fixed price at a target of 105-115k. To do this he is actually getting samples and mockups of all the tricky things that could prove to be more expensive if not properly thought out at this stage- like the sliding hardware, some new bronze extrusions, etc.

When he and I spoke Wednesday about where he is, he was waiting for final numbers on the metal and hardware, but seems close on everything else.

Hang in there a little longer and I think it will be worth the long wait

David

David,

Are you sure that Henry Kawa has time for this
project? We are willing to consider other contractors
(though we realize some details might be hard without
him). If he is really willing to put the project
together, we should meet to agree on the final
numbers.

We'd like to keep the budget as close to 100 K as
possible, as a fixed price contract. We are also
willing to eliminate some details if this is not
otherwise feasible.

Let us know your thoughts on this.

Andy and Sara

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And still we waited. By the end of April, it seemed we could get moving:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 29, 2005

at long last Henry is ready to meet and get moving. He has suggested 5pm on Monday the 2nd. Does that work for you both?

David Jameson
David Jameson Architect Inc.


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