Best Practices
Best Practices
Floodproof on a Floodplain
An impressive addition to the IDEA Home series, the NEWLOOK Experience Home is a master class in engineering and creative design, with builder Michael Freiburger out-thinking an exceptionally tricky lot
Business
Defining Outdoor Living in 2024
Residential experts weigh in on outdoor living trends in new report
Construction
How to Air Seal the Garage
A poorly sealed wall or ceiling between the garage and the main house can let harmful fumes into the living space
Business
Taking Advantage of Incentives Through Weatherization
Industry insider Kristen Lewis walks us through the basics and benefits of weatherization
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Business
Time-Machine Lessons
We ask custom builders: If you could redo your first house or revisit the first years of running your business, what would you do differently?
Leadership
Devil in the Details
In the fall of 2018, I had the privilege of taking a day to tour two very special companies while I was visiting Copenhagen, and the level of craft…
Leadership
Guest Columnist: Boost the Efficiency of Your Building Process
Valuable insights Architect Robert Hidey gleaned over decades of residential design experience
Backstory
Backstory: Green Gables Opens Up Every Aspect of its Design/Build Process to Clients
"You never want to get to the next phase and realize somebody's not happy."
Business
Strategies for Maximizing Profit
Custom home builders talk about what they do on the front end of a project to achieve better margins
Best Practices
Landscape Adds Value
On designing a great outdoor program and making sure it gets built
Architecture
Design Details: Feel The Burn
San Diego designer/builder Rob Wells creates the Gnar (short for gnarly) House that breaks some rules
Business
Custom Builders Branching Out
Two custom builders seek to improve margins: one by unitizing pricing relationships with trades, the other by pursuing a coveted homebuyer group
Best Practices
Resilient Design: Ready for Natural Disasters
Resilient design creates homes that can survive natural disasters and stay functional in the aftermath
Best Practices
Being Prepared—Resilient Design
Moving across the country to Los Angeles nearly 15 years ago meant boning up on many aspects of life in the West. This included earthquakes, of…