Garage gable vent, 3/2026

And now, for something a little different...

I noticed that the warm air inside the garage had no way to vent to the outside, causing condensation on the smooth surfaces on the ceiling. As part of my engineering and architecture training, we always strove to eliminate moisture buildup in the interior of a building because it is a source of mold and mildew. So, I'm installing gable vents to allow the warm air to pass through to the outside. Here are some highlights:

Back of garage, without a gable vent. I can feel moisture buildup on the smooth surfaces of the ceiling. This can lead to all kinds of water damage, mold, and mildew.

Polyurethane exterior vent

The prefab vent is a block of polyurethane, but I wanted to hide the cut shingle edge with a rabbet around the perimeter. This will allow the vent to hide any miscuts or imperfections around the shingles. 

Rabbet cut using my tablesaw.

Using the vent mailing box, I created a template to trace the wall penetration.

Placing the template to locate the vent.

Since I don't own a multi-tool, I used a drill and chisel to "cut" the shingles within the template tracing. This takes longer than a multi-tool, but works well if you are careful with your drilling and chiseling.

Shingles removed, wall sheathing exposed and marked out for penetration. One hurdle is that the opening is blocked by a wall stud. I didn't want to relocate the stud, so I left it in place and modified the hole.

Sheathing cut, all exposed wood was sealed with primer.

Vent installed with construction adhesive and reinforced with screws.

I sealed the interior perimeter of the hole as a precaution for water infiltration. The bottom was not sealed to allow incidental water to drain out. 

Garage back gable vent installed and complete.

So, the next step is to install the garage front gable vent to allow cross flow for better air movement. Sometimes it's good to exercise your construction skills to keep your mind sharp and flexible.

CoWaBunGA!

Sketches: Bouquets to Art, DeYoung Museum - 3/2026

Last weekend's Bouquets to Art at the DeYoung Museum was festive and packed with visitors, typical for this annual event. Bouquets to Art is a celebration of DeYoung's art collection by local florists who create bouquets inspired by an artwork on display. The bouquets may reflect an artwork's colors and/or shapes, or an abstract concept.

This bouquet in the Oceanic art gallery caught my attention in how the flower stems reflected the arms of the sculpture.

Bouquets to Art, DeYoung Museum, 3/2026

Looking forward to next year's inspirations.

CoWaBunGA   

Cafe Sketches: The Caffe by Mr. Espresso, Oakland - 3/2026

You can see Oakland's coffee roaster Mr. Espresso when you ride BART through West Oakland. They have been supplying espresso equipment and beans to Bay Area businesses since the late 1970's. Well, Mr. Espresso recently opened their first retail location in downtown Oakland, The Caffe. As you enter, the decorative, curved slatted ceiling focuses your attention to the coffee bar in front of you.

The Caffe by Mr. Espresso, Oakland - 3/3026

There are no lines at The Caffe, so the ceiling feature directs you to hang out at the coffee bar and order your espresso.

CoWaBunGA

Cafe Sketches: Fanny's Cafe & Restaurant, 03/2026

It's getting busy at Fanny's Cafe & Restaurant located inside the Museum of Academy of Motion Pictures Museum. Named after Fanny Brice, Barbara Streisand's character in "Funny Girl", the cafe is getting ready for Oscars night, just one week away now. 

Fanny's Cafe & Restaurant, Los Angeles - 3/2026

You can feel the excitement in the air as staff gets ready for their big night...

CoWaBunGA

Sketches: Bonaventure Hotel, LA - 3/2026

Built by John C. Portman in the late 1970's, the Bonaventure Hotel was the most spectacular high-rise building in Los Angeles. Watching this building slowly come together, I was amazed by this futuristic structure/spaceship seemingly land in the city where I lived. 

At the time, my Uncle Henry worked for the Westin Hotel chain and was able to reserve rooms for his friends and relatives. As a gift, Uncle Henry arranged a room for me (I was in middle school) and my classmates for a weekend. I think that was one of the reasons I wanted to become an architect/engineer.

Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles - 3/2026

Even today, 50 years later, the Bonaventure Hotel is stunning in the skyline.

CoWaBUnGa   

Sketches: Wakao Kei, Asian Art Museum SF - 3/2026

The New Japanese Clay exhibit at the Asian Art Museum is full of surprises when regarding ceramics. These Japanese clay artists are showing new forms, colors, and abstracting the functionality of ceramicware. One piece that caught my attention was the work by Wakao Kei:

Wakao Kei, Asian Art Museum SF, 3/2026

On the one hand, it works as a sculpture of a fallen leaf; on the other, I can also see it as a very beautiful tray holding bon bons. Either way, it was beautiful and made me pause to sketch.

Oh, this definitely needs a sketch...

CoWaBUNga!
  

Cafe Sketches: Super Peach, Los Angeles - 2/2026

Chef David Chang, the founder of Momofuku, has opened a new casual restaurant at the Westfield Century City mall: Super Peach. Super Peach is a modern Korean-American restaurant in a LA-chic setting.  

Super Peach, Los Angeles - 2/2026

The highlight of our dinner was the jjajangmyeon, served with a side of fried pork - yum. 

CoWaBunGA!