Articles

Look ma! The war cry for young show offs world wide. I’m sure you have had a “look ma” moment or two in your life. I don’t know about you but mine typically ended with skinned knees and tears. It was 1986 and my car du jour was a 1974 Monte Carlo with a 400 cubic inch motor and a 400 turbo ...
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Imagine you are in a cement box quickly filling up with water. The box is sealed on all sides, yet you still find a way out and survive. How? I will get back to that one. This week we have a plan that works to solve the riddles presented by today’s buyers. Read More...
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In today’s market, creating a house that has built-in value is key to sustainability for both homeowner and builder. In an attempt to reduce costs many builders are opting for the “value box” approach. The value box concept is to completely stack the second floor over the first floor walls. Th...
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The lure of a walkable downtown, public parks, and vibrant city life is driving buyers to seek out urban infill properties. When designed properly, new homes will revitalize a downtown area by aligning today’s architecture with the contextual cues of the existing city fabric. The vast m...
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Collaboration is far and away one of my favorite aspects of the building industry. In fact the practice of Lean Design demands collaboration between the architect or designer and the building team to eliminate waste and maximize appeal. This week we are exploring a Lean Design that was created for a...
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In my travels working with builders all over the country, I have the opportunity to see a lot of home designs. I see good, bad, fair, and occasionally great plans and elevations. I am able to walk a lot of models each year and see in the flesh what is working and what is not. I have come to realiz...
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This is a transformer-type plan that offers “plug and play” options without too much of a fuss for the builder. A very popular option as of late is the multi-generational offering.  Having the ability to take a space and convert it to appeal to a family with an aging parent is priceles...
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  This 2,800-square-foot plan utilizes Lean design to combat narrow-lot woes. One of the most important aspects of Lean design is value. It makes no difference if the house cost $100,000 or $3 million; the key to Lean design is providing ultimate value to the customer. Lean design requires collabor...
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What do you do if a previous best-selling plan hits the skids? Dump it, pitch it, give it the old heave-ho? Possibly, but many builders are using another strategy. All throughout the country builders are taking a fresh look at their existing plans and re-imagining their existing Turnberrys and Devon...
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The housing market has changed so drastically in the last few years that it can be difficult for builders to stay current with their plan portfolio. Most every builder I work with has old plans they are offering that either need to be reworked or let go. Consumers want drama, open spaces, effici...
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