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.

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.

Business practices are constantly evolving and changing with the market. Learn new business concepts and best practices for operating your construction company.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.