Dave notes that he tries "to design a livable home, not a box." He finds that he works well with Paul Schultz, an architect at SunArc Studio. "We sort of think along the same lines," Dave says.

"The design of the house must fit the lifestyle of the customer," he explains. "That is the first thing I try to find out, their lifestyle, and then Paul and I work with the client to design a home that reflects their personalities and uses the space the most efficiently."

"Sometimes I have to shift their position a little away from a formal living room or a formal dining room if it turns out that the space will not be used very often. I may suggest something like making the den larger and creating a real living center instead of using a space for a formal living room which will only be used a couple of times a year."

Dave believes that a house can seem much bigger than it is when the design is more open.

"Cathedral ceilings, angled rooms and skylights will all give the illusion of more space."

"Using the concept of a more open area is especially important for the kitchen," he continues.

"The kitchen should be accessible from more than one angle. You need easy access when you have to travel from the kitchen to the dining room. I also like putting in breakfast nooks and countertops that can be used for quick meals. The whole idea is to create a more open kitchen."

He also does not care for a bathroom that is small, closed-in and dimly lit. "I try to make the bathrooms larger, with a lot of cabinet and counter space. There should be plenty of lighting and we often include the luxury of a whirlpool tub. Skylights always work well in bathrooms." This feature is in keeping with his "more open" concept.

"A unique service I provide for my customers is five free hours with my interior designer, Joanelle Jordann, Allied Member of the American Society of Interior Designers. She helps coordinate the colors, flooring, fixtures, etc., to flow with the design of the home," Dave says.

"For the exterior of the home I build I like to use brick, cedar or a very specific, very high grade aluminum siding. If we use cedar I insist on stainless steel nails. I have found that the cedar is very acidic and eats away the galvanized nails. When I did repair work before I started to build homes, I had to replace a lot of cedar. Some builders may not be aware of the problem with cedar and some simply don't know that stainless steel nails exist and work best in this case."

He believes the most important thing in contributing to the exterior aesthetics of a house is the roof.

Most of what you are looking at is roof, so the roof must look good," David points out.

"Using roof tiles gives the house a lot more dimension. That's why more and more of my houses have the Vande Hey Roof System. It looks like clay, but is actually concrete. It's an excellent roof that actually hardens over the years, whereas clay tiles deteriorate. This roof comes with a 50 year warranty."

Other roofing materials that David feels give a good look and dimension to a house are cedar shakes and designer fiberglass asphalt shakes that look like cedar shakes. When using the cedar shakes, he again makes adjustments for the acidic product by using copper flashing. "It's the same thing as with cedar siding; the galvanized flashing was being eaten away."

"Another interesting exterior product that I use is a custom all cedar garage door by Owens Overhead Door Co.- especially when the door is on the front of the house," Dave says.

David started developing his homebuilding skills while he was still in high school, working for two different firms that built custom homes. He continued in the field while he worked his way through college.

"I did the rough carpentry on the houses and also learned some masonry, did tile work, finish carpentry and drywall. I also have an extensive background in interior design and two years of study in architectural drawing," he says.

Since David is qualified in all these areas, he is able to communicate with the subcontractors regarding any potential problems. He is also able to tell clients what is and what is not feasible without having to check it out with a subcontractor. This enables him to save time and reduce misunderstandings.

His majors in college were political science and philosophy. He decided not to peruse a political career when he realized that he really enjoyed the home building industry. He also enjoys being in charge of his own business.

David was only 22 years old when he started his firm four years ago. He began by doing some home repairs and then began to do additions and some remodeling. During those first months he also was busy making customized decks on some homes. "They were different, some were multi-leveled," he remembers.

"I began to get frustrated with the repair work because I was fixing things that would not have needed repairs if they had been done properly in the first place. I began to do custom homes just so I could have the satisfaction of doing it right from the beginning," Dave says.

In 1988, Dave built four homes. They were all in the $150,000 to $200,000 price range. He would like to build six to ten homes next year, but says that the amount of homes he builds depends a good deal on the size. "If they are as large as they were this year then we will do fewer homes. I limit the number of homes we do because I want to give each one the time and attention it needs."

Dave has a crew of five carpenters who work for him now, but he still does all his own expediting. "I like to remember the details," he says. "I can make sure they aren't missed."

Telephones in his trucks help keep him right on top of things. In addition to this busy schedule concerning the houses in progress and meeting prospective clients, David is also affiliated with UWM where he is a Teaching Assistant for those involved in weight training.

Plans for the future include some commercial work. For instance, a warehouse and office building are being planned for next year. Again, this building will be "more than just a box." Dave also worked on a condominium project last year.

Whether it's a commercial venture or a house, Dave looks for a challenge for his creativity and his skills. "The harder the house or more complicated and specific the blueprints, the better I like it," he enthuses.

Recently married, David describes his wife, Ann, as a computer whiz. "She has computerized my business. The checks, invoices and job proposals are all on the computer. She even did a brochure for the Parade of Homes on the computer," he says proudly. In the future, Dave will also be able to do some design work on the computer.

David is a member of the Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater Milwaukee. "The Association has been a very big help to me. The older members in the group are very open and willing to share information with the younger builders. I have received helpful advice on solving problems that come up and have been given tips on good subcontractors."

Due to the fact that his father's position with General Electric Company required the family to move frequently, David has lived in seven different states. He was born in Connecticut but lived a good part of his childhood in New Hampshire. The family moved to Wisconsin in 1978 when David was in high school. David is an enthusiastic booster of the state. "This is the most enjoyable state of the seven states that I have lived in. The people in Wisconsin should be aware of how good they have it. The state parks and the game management by the DNR are outstanding. I really appreciate all the different ethnic cultures and the broad spectrum of things to do in Milwaukee, such as sports, drama and music. I just haven't lived in a better state," Dave says.

Builder/Architect salutes a young builder who is certain to be a giant of the industry- David Rodrigues, Jr. of David & Goliath Builders!



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