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Building Science
Today’s goals of sustainability and environmental responsibility join the craftsmanship of the past in the field of building science. The industry’s knowledge of factors affecting energy efficiency, air quality and the reasons for building failures are prompting a completely new approach to solutions that provide protection, longevity and yes, craftsmanship.
Classical Design / Historic Design
The "secret sauce" to beautiful building construction lies within time-honored principles of design. The Classical style dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who relied upon symmetry and proportion to create visual balance. By incorporating historic elements such as columns, entablatures, and moldings, even the most basic spaces can be dramatically transformed.
Design
Design is not simply about making things pretty. It involves arranging the elements of a complex system to make them feel natural to a user. The best designs don’t need to scream out and call attention to themselves; they are seamless, like an invisible guiding hand. A good design is a solid foundation that transforms a house into a home.
Drywall
Drywall accounts for roughly 95% of all interior wall construction in the United States. During the first half of the 20th Century, drywall quickly became ubiquitous in building for its speedy installation time and its lower labor cost compared to traditional plaster. The drywall trade continues to evolve with new products and tools that increase productivity and elevate the quality and standards of drywall installations.
Electrical & LED & Lighting
Lighting delivers amazing atmosphere and pulls together architectural design. It achieves aesthetic and practical effects, provides functional safety and it can even enhance health. Whether incorporated into interior or exterior design, lighting delivers beauty, warmth and elegance that sets it apart from any other design element.
Exterior
A home’s exterior is a powerful statement. Whether traditional, minimalist or modern, architectural style reveals much about the personality of the inhabitants. The choice of building materials including siding, roofing, doors, windows, landscaping and more come together to create an exterior “wow” factor that sets the home apart.
Flooring
Selecting flooring materials used to mean perusing samples of wood, carpeting and vinyl tile. No more. Today, eco-friendly materials that offer exceptional beauty and durability include traditional and reclaimed hardwoods, bamboo, cork, glass tiles that reflect light, polished concrete that is surprisingly elegant and even a resurgence of linoleum and Berber carpets made of recycled plastic bottles.
Foundations / Concrete
Concrete’s come a long way. As a building material, it has made its way into countertops, floor tiles and stunning walls, delivering texture and beauty to design. High-performance concrete, geopolymer and ductal concretes provide a wealth of advantages, including longevity measured in hundreds of years vs. decades, resistance to corrosion and even superior strength.
Framing & Decks
A myriad of materials including wood, steel, structural insulated panels (SIPS) for framing, are joining new deck materials, coatings, fasteners, screws, piers and even drainage technologies. New framing techniques reduce the amount of lumber used, as well as wasted in framed-home construction. Updated methods provide greater safety, moisture control and enhanced aesthetics compared with those used just a few years ago.
Hardware
Harnessing innovative materials and finishes, residential hardware puts punctuation on your design statements. Whether selecting hardware to ensure your hidden room remains hidden, or exploring and discovering hardware that shouts beauty, luxury, elegance, hardware choices accentuate and complete a vision that is truly yours!
Historic Preservation
Today we live in a world of prefabricated structures built for obsolescence, but this wasn’t always the case. Master builders of the past used to create beautiful structures that would last for generations. What tools, materials, and methods did they employ? Uncovering these secrets is one of the joys of historic preservation—using the lessons of the past to inform the design of the future.
Housewrap & Water Management
Over its lifetime, water will typically be the culprit in major damage to a home. Protection against moisture intrusion and the elimination of trapped water vapor are two of the most critical considerations when building or renovating a home. The art of moisture management, however, is in correct installation by professionals.
HVAC & Dehumidification / Indoor Air Quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks indoor air pollution among the top five environmental dangers. Given that homeowners are spending even more time indoors, it is critical for respiratory health that the construction industry deliver HVAC solutions that incorporate humidity control, fresh air systems and UV light filtration and whole-house vacuum systems that mitigate risks.
Insulation & Air Sealing
Insulating and air sealing are moving ever closer to zero energy usage. Advances in insulation technologies provide dramatic barriers against air leaks often found at cracks, plumbing, wiring, lighting, and ductwork penetrations. From basement to attics, proper insulation and air sealing can lower heating/cooling costs as much as 50%.
Interior Finishes
Innovative and eco-friendly, natural and synthetic materials provide interior finishes that go far to both define and enhance our living spaces. Color, surfaces that are clean, light and bright, and a variety of metal and stone enhancements are adding drama, design continuity and functionality to home interiors.
Moldings & Millwork
In its most basic sense, millwork refers to construction products that are produced in a mill. In the hands of an experienced craftsperson, however, millwork represents an opportunity to bring custom-designed elements of visual interest into the structure of a building. A prime example is molding, which encompasses a variety of shapes that cover transitions between surfaces. Molding can serve functional purposes (such as weatherproofing), decorative purposes, or both.
Product Reviews
Explore opportunities to enhance or to save cost on your building projects. If you’re a construction pro, designer, or a homeowner looking towards the next remodel project, there are a plethora of new products available. While a device or material appears to be exactly what you need, until you’ve had a building expert weigh in, rate and review it, should you chance it?
Roofing
Roofing not only delivers design beauty, environmental efficiency is becoming increasingly important in the selection of roofing materials. Today’s eco-friendly shingles are designed to reduce carbon footprint and reflective granules allow for shingles to offset the sun’s heat. Roofing provides for lowering air conditioning costs and can be a critical fire barrier for your home.
Smart Home
“Smart” is almost an understatement these days when it comes to technology-based modernization and personalization. Achieve enhanced safety and security, convenience and comfort, conserve energy and slash utility costs. Control home automation with devices that work together to lock/open doors, adjust temperature or lighting, shut garage doors and arm security systems and build greater resale value in the process.
Soundproofing
When considering residential design options that focus on privacy and comfort, noise reduction is typically not high on the list. Soundproofing create a more enjoyable environment and a variety of acoustic barriers can be used to reap the sound-cancelling benefits of thermal insulation, while increasing home value in the process.
Water Heating & Plumbing & Toilets
The systems that contain and move water throughout a residence deserve the utmost consideration from the start of a project or build. Water heating is the third largest utility load in a home and the number of new products that provide efficiency and reliability are rapidly expanding. While green products in this segment are commonplace, advances continue to provide amazing flexibility and choice.
Welding
The welding of such metals as raw steel to provide structure to a building has long been the norm. Increasingly, professional welders unleash beauty in the form of stairs, handrails, bridges, gates and other design treatments in residential construction. Durability, strength and the cost-effectiveness of metals deliver untold beauty to homes at the hands of a new breed of knowledgeable welders.
Windows & Doors & Skylights
Stunning windows and skylights and exquisite door design are only half of the equation. Optimizing energy efficiency, thermal resistance, low-emissivity coatings that lower the U-factor, durability and framing materials make up the balance. Maintain that wondrous view of the world while minimizing cost and environmental impact.
