Discussing the finances of design and construction couldn’t be more important. To best facilitate this process, try using the Residential Construction Cost Cheat Sheet, created as a straightforward baseline for figuring project costs. It is also useful for the construction industry to help compare apples to apples as a far-reaching goal. Since its introduction, builders […]

Because preserved brick and stone offer so much to the architecture (and nearly for free), it’s worthwhile to try to save as much of it as possible when remodeling. There are several strategies for where and when brick/stone is saved, how to maintain it through the construction process, and how to finish it to seamlessly […]

As evidenced by the 2014 Houzz & Home report, homeowners’ design preferences go well beyond kitchen islands and color palettes. Feedback from Houzz users sheds light on the design elements homeowners really want, including outdoor living space that goes beyond grilling and entertaining on a deck. Space for raised planter beds, container gardens, and other […]

Sagemodern’s recent designs raise the bar once again for modular building. This San Francisco architecture firm, founded by real estate developer Blair Porteus and architects Paul Warner and Joe Remick, combines prefab construction with site-built elements (like a garage) for a more efficient, flexible approach. It’s also faster than conventional, all site-built construction, which is […]

Although many real estate professionals anticipate a flood of Baby Boomers to downsize from their current homes, The Demand Institute’s Housing and Community Survey indicates that 63 percent of them plan to retire and stay where they are. The survey compiled the results into a comprehensive report addressing issues of aging and retirement. Of the […]

Even as the economy improves and our markets wake from their slumber, it’s still tough to turn prospects into projects. How do we fill our boards with more work? An oft-repeated rule is that people buy from those whom they know, like and trust. The only way to know more people is to put yourself […]

If thoughts of a new year right around the corner bring out your determination to simplify, new architectural designs for storage can help you do just that. Organizing your library to fit in one bookcase is possible with a “reading ring” sculpture by Danish architect, David Garcia, founder of MAP Architects. According to the artist, […]

Kirk Finken and Natalie Fraser recently finished building a home out of recycled shipping containers. They are both very environment conscious, and after learning how affordable used shipping containers are, and how beautiful shipping container houses can be, they set to work. In addition to using the repurposed containers, they also used other salvaged and […]

The number of projects meeting a carbon reduction goal set by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has surged 200 percent over the last two years, according to a new report from the AIA. “There is some very encouraging data in this report that shows how architects are making measurable progress towards reducing the carbon […]

Designers and architects are drawing inspiration from shipping container architecture, without actually using containers in their designs. One such small home resembles a shipping container at first glance, but is actually built using primarily sustainably harvested timber and CNC-milled grey cement-board panels. This prefab home assembles in mere hours and, since it is only 3.5 […]