Site Constraints and Check-Ins

Two case studies this week sit on sites some teams might have tried to “fix.” One is a tight infill lot in Austin, where the strongest decision may have been to leave the site largely alone; a sunken living room and a sequence of terraces in the yard work directly with the existing grade. The other is a hillside in Virginia, where the house is designed to recede into the slope (with a green roof to amplify the effect).

Both are part of a broader shift we're seeing toward site-specific projects, where land itself is part of the design.

To understand what else is taking shape, we tapped a select group of builders and architects for a mid-year check-in, Halfway into 2026: What’s Actually Working. The picture is varied. Some firms are refining strategy and pushing for more value in each project. Others are describing renewed growth, including expansion into new markets.

—Pauline Hammerbeck

Signals: What We're Tracking

Remodeling has surpassed new single-family construction spending for the fifth straight quarter. NAHB calls out Q4 2025 remodeling activity at $280.1 billion and is now publishing state-level projections quarterly for the first time. For builders running custom, spec, and renovation work, the local data is worth bookmarking. 

Redfin is rolling out a property-level "Sun Score" that rates how much natural light a home receives on a 0-100 scale. The launch follows new research showing 44% of Americans would choose a smaller home with more sunlight over a larger home with less. Read more on the new metric→

Heard!

"[Blackstone] is poised to be a leader in terms of scale due to the institutional backing behind it."

—Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner on Blackstone's new lending platform aimed at financing construction of up to 50,000 for-sale homes annually, which comes on the heels of criticism surrounding the company's build-to-rent portfolio. More on the news here→

In Spain, 2026 is coming out as the year of Antoni Gaudi. While headlines have focused on the latest milestone at Sagrada Familia (adding the final piece to the central tower of the church), another project may resonate more: the newly unveiled third floor of Casa Batlló, the famed apartment building Gaudi designed, following an "archeological restoration." See the restoration tour→

Around Endeavor's Buildings & Construction Group

Remodeling Growth to Slow Sharply in Early 2027 [Pro Remodeler]

Why Interior Architects Belong at the Start of the Project [i+s]

What It Takes to Build For a Globally-Minded Client [Custom Builder]

Building Smarter with the Right Materials [Pro Builder]