Very happy that you like the...
Very happy that you like the idea of helping Koen to rebuild his workshop by selling some of your objects! We are opening a new thread where you can show the objects that you intent to sell in the context of this sale (link below). When we will launch the sales, we will add the links to the related ebay pages. If you wish to sell objects on your own website rather than on ebay, it's not a problem, of course. Just place a link to the page where the object is put for sale. In a few days, we will open a paypal account where everyone will be able to send the benefits.
Thank you!
http://www.designaddict.com/design_addict/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/th...
Latest news about Koen
Koen is always deprived of an Internet connection, but we are in contact with him from time to time when he has access to a computer at friends.
He had to face many administrative annoyance, but he finally received the authorization to return in his building to consolidate it the best he could and to start pumping the water. As of today, there is still a lot of mud and a ton of remains.
His situation is still very distressing but his will to rebuild seems stronger than ever.
He sends you all his kind regards.
For those who emitted the wish to help Koen, we have set up a donation page (link below). In addition, we will soon launch our fund-raising auction.
Thanks everybody!
http://www.designaddict.com/ootm/donate.html
Souvenirs
Beste Koen,
Ik ben niet zo een bloggerfacebooktwitterlinkeduplaxo-er en per toeval las ik je story op de designaddictsite. Ik hoop dat je ondertussen de zon terug ziet en ik begrijp dat het hard is te weten dat je archieven, je foto's en je souvenirs weg zijn voor altijd ... of bekliedered met mud. Ik be er zeker va dat je nu beseft wat echt belangrijk is ... en belangrijk is goed te bewaren...
Het allerbeste e veel courage!.
Moniek E. Bucquoye
an update...
It is an enlightening experience to be without a computer and internet connection for a while but that's the subject of another book. Let me just give you an update on getting out of the mud...
We are still abusing of the hospitality of my associate and best friend, but every morning we drive down the hills to prepare the house for the next phase: lifting it 5 feet (1,5 meter) above it's current location. In order to do that the basement has to be empty, all water and other connections cut etc. We reached that stage by the end of last week and expected the contractor in the beginning of the week...then on wednesday...now on friday. The next step is to remove what is left of the basement. From that point on it is going to be exciting because it will turn into a construction site and instead of working alone or the two of us, we will finally be allowed to have professional help. Untill the house is in the air the site was considered in danger of collapsing and we could only work on our own risk.
We will cast a new basement next week and lower the house on it. Although the flooding was accidental, we will keep the house about 30 inches (75 cm.) higher than its original height. As soon as the house is in place we will start the same clean-up in the somewhat larger workshop. The basement of the workshop has not been damaged so we will limit ourselves to taking out all the gyproc and insulation of the walls, clean de concrete and put new insulation, vapor barrier, and gyproc and re-invest in kilns and mouldmaking equipment. One of the painfull experiences was to throw out dozens and dozens of moulds, eroded by the stream of water and sand. The bright side of it is that it gives the designer an opportunity to reconsider, to improuve and to refine.
We finally gave up the battle against the insurance companies. It feels more like a relief than a lost battle...If you live close to a river or lake, check your insurance documents.
I have to give back the computer...but not without expressing my gratitude to all of those that showed all kinds of solidarity. What looks like a disaster slowly turns into an opportunity and a positive rather than distructive experience. Hope to be back soon!!
Heel hartelijk bedankt Moniek! Het deed me echt bizonder plezier!
It seems unlikely...
...but it has taken all this time to get back home. Since this morning we even have hot water!
I am sure you all appreciate my hesitation to elaborate on the personal details in such a public forum. It is unfortunate but there are enough people scanning that kind of information on the internet, to justify caution. So, I will have to limit myself to generalities. It is obvious that part of the long recovery period is due to the fact that I had and still have to do a lot of the work myself. The water destroyed the equivalent of a few years income and the only way to avoid real trouble is to avoid spending money you do not have! It has some unexpected advantages, I am in better physical shape and because so much of the work had to be done outside I have a tan that would make anybody envious until they discover that it is a typical "farmers tan". To be back home means a lot....especially for the people that gave us shelter for the better part of four months. For us it has been quite an interesting journey during which you learn a lot about the value of things, about building and related skills, about patience and about discovering that every day is a serious improvement over the previous one. Ironically, the last hurdle was to find water. We are off the grid as it seems to be called and untill april 5th, water came from a source in the garden. That source managed to dry out in the four months that it was useless. The last week was a week of looking for a new one and that happened over the week-end. Other than finishing the insulation of the new basement, the house is now completely repaired but stands in the middle of a big sand heap so the next step is to do some basic landscaping and make the old garden ready for spring planting in the spring of 2010. Somehow there is some distortion in the lifting process so I will have to fill in some cracks and replace soem tiles.
One of the advantages of being home is that I can dedicate more time to the workshop. Until last Monday we had to spend an hour and a half in traveling, without a possibility to go back after supper or start before breakfast. That becomes a serious possibility now. The basement of the workshop is still a serious mess and I do not foresee any production before early 2010. Production and storage is on the first and second floor, but the basement is essential for the production of moulds and for the kiln. Much of the work is still destructive, pulling all the gyproc off the walls, taking down the inside walls, the insulation, all electrical wiring and fighting the colourful organisms that thrive in dark moist areas; but we will get there. I soon hope to be constructive again. One of the things I would love to get back is the deck of 12 x 30 feet that is the physical link between the house and the workshop. It had to be dismantled because the house had to be lifted but not the workshop. Right now it is still a big hole, as deep as the basement.
The most important thing...
The most important thing I wanted to say is that we were deeply moved by all the signs of solidarity we experienced. Although there are so many people that need help more urgently than we do, we are most grateful for all the signs of sympathy, for both encouraging and real help, and for all the kindness. Alix and Patrick went out of there way to organize and coordinate your help and I do not have enough words to thank them and all of you for it. But I will do better than that. When production starts again I will design and produce a limited edition of...something I still have to figure out; to be send to all those who showed that it is still: " better to give than to receive". Thank you all !!
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