By Vivian Martin
August 31, 2010 Article by Patrick James, Good Senior Editor
If you live in a major city, you probably pass at least a few pieces of eye-catching architecture on your daily commute—but have you ever wondered who was behind them, or what they look like inside?
Buildings, a new free iPhone app by Despark Ltd., the people behind the great Open Buildings site, allows you to find, learn about, and share the architecture in your local area and around the world. Like a Wikipedia for architecture, Buildings has a user-generated database of structures. But where it truly shines is in the depth of information it offers: You can browse photos, videos, and comments by other users; check in a la Foursquare; or easily add your own photos and videos using your device’s camera.
You can download the free app and start engaging with your city’s buildings here.
Read the rest of this entry (No Comments »)By Vivian Martin
According to According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association, these trends are the hottest on the market.
- Shaker-style kitchen design
- Maple and alder cabinetry finishes
- Quartz countertops
- Pull-down/pullout kitchen faucets
- Polished chrome finishes
- Under-counter refrigerator drawers
- Dishwasher drawers for small loads
- Marble vanity tops
- Integrated sink tops and vessel sinks
- Bronze and stainless steel finishes
Want to learn more about these trends? See all the images and read the full article here…
By Vivian Martin
Filed under: Backyard,Design,Design Ideas,Energy efficient,Green Building,LED,Lighting
Sneak peek of some energy-efficient lighting solutions from Interior Design From Spain
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
We know that Spain falls on the more fortunate side of Mother Nature, but many of us have to wait for the days of summer to laze around outdoors. Here are some stunning designs that are sure to impress your part guests or simply provide ambient light for a quiet night outside.
Halley Lamp by Vibia
By Vivian Martin
Article from the Brandon Sun, August 30, 2010 by Mike Moore
THE Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance recently released its 8th annual report card and Manitoba led the country for the fourth straight time with an A+ score. It was acknowledged that Manitoba has been a leader in driving energy efficiency initiatives since 1989 and has committed to continued improvement.
In the area of residential construction, both new home and renovations, Manitoba warranted special mention and consideration. Water conservation was recently added to the Manitoba Building Code and Plumbing Code. The Manitoba Home Builders’ Association lobbied for the elimination of the old 13-litre toilet tank in favour of the more water conscious low-flow toilet. The MHBA recognized that not only had this installation been the norm in new home construction for years but, in order to make the most significant impact on our environment, it had to be implemented in existing homes when bathroom renovations were needed.
Similarly, aerators on taps and faucets had also been standard components of the new home industry prior to being introduced as part of water conservation legislation.
Another area in which the CEEA gave Manitoba high marks was in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency in Manitoba homes increased by 21.6 per cent between 1990 and 2006 while GHG emissions decreased by 31.3 per cent. The building envelope of a new home in Manitoba is so efficient that considerably less energy is used to heat it in the winter than in older, existing homes.
The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance gave Manitoba high marks for energy legislation, changes to the building codes and outreach programs to the public that were done through partnerships, in particular industry associations that could offer immediate implementation. The MHBA was pleased to be one of those partners that were able to facilitate energy conservation.
Through leadership on the Building Standards Board, a close working relationship with Manitoba Hydro, requesting higher minimum standards for products and being on the cutting edge of design and innovation, MHBA members have helped the government formulate energy efficiency standards unmatched anywhere else in Canada.
In conclusion, the CEEA stated that Manitoba has maintained it’s A+ standing because it continues to take a progressive approach. The residential construction industry, through new home construction and renovation activity, is proud to be a significant contributor to this success.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association.
By Vivian Martin
www.DrummondHousePlans.com - Plan # 2961-16
Adding outbuildings and sheds can increase your property values and add much-needed space and efficiency. When adding a building to your property, you need to be aware of your local guidelines.
The best thing to do is to check with your local permit office for details on what buildings require permits and which buildings may be exempt. Often, a building under 100 sq.ft. without a permanent foundation will not need a building permit. But still ensure you are familiar with local regulations regarding size limits and setbacks.
Permits are normally set by the provincial building code, but enforced by municipalities. The reason for the permit process is to ensure that zoning requirements for the town or city are met and that safety and fire codes are also met. Zoning regulations can usually be found in the town or cities zoning by-laws. Municipalities and towns may add specific zoning requirements for their area.
The realtor’s mantra of location, location, location applies to these buildings. They cannot impact septic tanks, property lines, easements, utility lines, water, or drainage systems. Some places may also have rules regarding placement in relation to public roads or separation from the home. Areas with a building scheme may also have conditions on the type, size and location of storage building placement. Some subdivisions may not even allow the construction of sheds so it is best to do your homework to make sure you are a good neighbour.
If a building permit is required, you may be required to provide a diagram illustrating the location of the proposed building. Included will be the location of existing structures, water lines, power lines, septic tanks, and property lines. Again, your local permit office will be the best place to start.
When constructing a larger storage building, shop or garage, construction plans are required to obtain building and development permits, which may include:
- A plan illustrating the dimensions of the proposed building
- Cross-section building plan showing the material used for the roof, walls, and floor.
Depending on where you live and the complexity of the building (structural, electrical, plumbing) you may require an inspection or inspections be conducted by the building inspection department. You can also avoid headaches and frustration by allowing plenty of time for the issuance of your permit and required inspections.
Knowing the steps to securing a permit will make the process of adding storage or workspace will make the process much quicker and easier.
Drummond House Plans has a great variety of sheds, garages, and even garages with bonus space above. At Drummond, we can be customized sheds and outbuildings to complement your home by echoing the architectural elements or simplify the look to blend into the background.
By Vivian Martin
www.DrummondHousePlans - Plan # 2590-V1
This curb-appeal charmer is all about flow! The focal point of the stately forward gable draws the eye downward to the alluring front-to-back wraparound porch.
A practical service entrance offers ample storage, an independent laundry room and an adjoining half-bath. A brightly windowed dining room enjoys backyard views and a natural path to backyard grilling. The room adjacent to the kitchen is a comfortable home office, bedroom #4 or flex room.
The central staircase allows for comfortable flow on the main floor living area or in the upstairs resting areas.
On the second level the master bedroom is a true retreat complete with walk-in closet and 5-piece master bath. Two secondary bedrooms share a bathroom and enjoy quiet and privacy thanks to strategic separation.
Co-ordinating detached garage #2999 with bonus space, is available and echos the roofline and dormers.
For more details on this plan, click here…
Looking for other plans with charming porches to while away the day? Check our Country-Style Collection or Create a “New House Plans – Latest Trends” Alert to receive all of the latest designs direct to you by email.
By Vivian Martin
The CHBA has released its September 2010 – Canadian Housing Industry Economic Update.
Some of the highlights…
- Financial market worries have caused a search for safe-haven investments, pushing up U.S. and Canadian government bond prices.
- Downward pressure on government bond yields is pulling down residential mortgate rates.
- U.S. economy is seeing a temporary loss of momentum.
- Economic indicators suggest a true U.S. recovery in 2011.
- Credit availability is changing in the US as senior loan officers are beginning to ease standards on loans. Canada has not been held back by credit availability as much as the U.S.
- Canada’s economy is currently growing at roughly double the rate of the U.S. economy.
- Adult employment is on a sharp uptrend and is a key determinant of housing market health.
- It is believed that the July 1st implementation of the HST has affected the timing of purchases, adding impetus to the timing of these purchases.
- New house prices do not indicate a housing market downturn. Compared to the same month a year ago, the new house price index is up by 3.3%.
- June residential permit approvals were up 2.0% from the month before and 35% from June of 2009.
- Canada’s position as an international safe haven for investment is attracting foreign buyers to the condo market.
To read the full CHBA Canadian Housing Industry Economic Update, please click here…
By Richard Martin - BC Distributor
As a fellow Canadian Home Builder Association (CHBA) member, we would like to share what a valuable resource your local CHBA can be. Whether you are looking for a building professional or information about the building industry, your local CHBA is a great place to start.
As a home design company, we are often asked if our plans can be fabricated by the ever-growing number of controlled-environment fabricators. The answer is a resounding “yes”! This article is a primer on the use of fabricated components in housing.
Article courtesy of the GVHBA (Greater Vancouver Home Builder Association):
Thinking about building a brand new home? One of the images that springs to mind is the construction site, bustling with activity as a succession of workers and subtrades build your home from the ground up.
The reality is that increasingly your new home is built in factories and then assembled on your building site. Pre-fabricated roof trusses, pre-assembled wall panels, ready-to-install kitchen cabinets, pre-finished flooring…these and many other components used to be built piece-by-piece on site. The vast majority of new home builders today take full advantage of the quality, precision and just-in-time delivery of manufactured building components. This allows them to provide their customers with a high quality home efficiently, cost-effectively and within a shorter timeframe.
As manufacturing processes have become more sophisticated, opportunities for moving the construction of homes inside the factory have expanded. Factory-built housing is a growing industry in Canada, reflecting changes in home construction here and elsewhere. In Sweden, for instance, close to 90% of all new homes are factory-built.
Today, homeowners and new home builders can choose from a number of factory-built systems that provide a home in varying degrees of completion-from modular and manufactured homes that arrive on site virtually complete, to pre-engineered and panelized homes that reduce the amount of work required at the site.
As the name implies, modular homes are built in three-dimensional modules, offering homeowners and builders a great deal of design flexibility. The homes are very energy efficient and can be built to the R-2000 Standard-the highest standard for energy performance in Canada.
Modules can be combined to make one-, two- or three-storey homes. While a typical two-storey home consists of four or five modules, larger custom homes might use eight or more of varying dimensions. A small, but growing number of developers have also turned to modular construction for multi-family complexes (e.g. row housing).
When the modules arrive on your lot, they are ready for assembly on the foundation. Insulation, air/vapour barriers, plumbing, wiring, siding and other construction details are mostly completed. Interior finishing is usually well advanced, including drywall, trim, flooring and cabinets. Completing your home on site can take the builder a couple of weeks or more, depending on the size, style and features of the home. Some features and custom upgrades are best done on site, such as brick siding and some hard surface flooring.
A manufactured home is the option that is the most complete when it leaves the factory. It is often ready for move-in the same day or a few days after it arrives on your site. Due to their unique structural design, manufactured homes can be installed on surface foundations, such as piers. They can also be relocated, although the majority are never moved from their original site. Built in one or two sections, manufactured homes are available in many designs and layouts, with a wide selection of standard and customized features.
Characteristic of panelized homes are pre-fabricated wall sections that can reduce on-site construction time considerably. The panels can be partially or fully completed, with windows, doors and siding often installed already. For pre-engineered homes, the major building components are prepared in the factory and shipped to the building site as a package ready for assembly, including framing materials, doors, windows, roofing, siding, interior wall partitions and subflooring. The pre-engineered building system emphasizes precision design and pre-cutting and can be used for virtually any home design, from standard cottage plans to highly customized dream homes.
For this article and other consumer resources, click here…
By Vivian Martin
At DrummondHousePlans, we strive to educate ourselves and share information regarding building trends and technology advancements. We encountered this article in Ideal Living Magazine and thought it would be of benefit to our readers…
Energy… that magical thing that illuminates our world. Few of us actually consider what it takes to generate the power to turn on our lights, run our computers and televisions, or cook our food. The daily “news” today touts “clean energy.” An international summit of 192 countries in Copenhagen met in December 2009 to discuss climate change and clean energy alternatives. It all seems a little abstract, and you might wonder how you as an individual can help the global climate and create clean, renewable energy.
Fortunately, some innovative developers and builders are implementing solutions to incorporate into your home. If you haven’t heard of “net-zero” and “zero-energy” homes in your location, you will in the near future. In Aiken, SC, and in Boulder, CO, a developer and architect are proving that you can create affordable, energy-efficient homes. Ron Monahan, developer of The Ridge at Chukker Creek in Aiken and Silver Leaf in Boulder, teamed with renowned Colorado architect George Watt to build net-zero or near-net-zero homes that achieve a 70% to 100% reduction in energy bills. These homes have exceeded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design developed by the US Green Building Council) Platinum certifications for green building.
One Developer’s Dream
Monahan’s ideas and personal energy are infectious. He believes in creating affordable homes that generate their own power for everyday people. Monahan has been encouraged by the homebuyer’s response to his net-zero approach, with increasing sales at The Ridge during the economic decline.
Watt and Monahan recently partnered with the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken to create a hydrogen-powered home to be completed in 2010. The home will have photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, which will in part power the house and in part pass energy through an electrolyzer that separates hydrogen from water. The hydrogen will be stored in a fuel cell and the by-product is oxygen.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to apply breakthrough technology to residential homebuilding. It would be hard to bring together this caliber of partnership were it not for the pioneering programs that are taking place in Aiken and in South Carolina,” said Monahan.
It wasn’t hard to convince architect Watt to be involved in designing net-zero homes. Watt said, “Ron and I talked for about two minutes about creating a net-zero project in Aiken. Ron said ‘we need to do this in Aiken.’ I said, ‘yeah, we do.’” And the rest is history. Watt, a carpenter before an architect, built his first solar home in the 1980s and realized then that energy efficiency should be implemented into home design; he’s implemented renewable energy systems ever since.
According to Watt, “Energy efficiency should be seamlessly integrated into the design of a building. It shouldn’t be flashy; it should just fade into the background. A home is a home and should feel comfortable and inviting.” Watt’s goal is to incorporate solar or other renewable sources without being an eyesore.
What’s the difference between net-zero and zero-energy homes?
Two types of energy-efficient homes are emerging—net-zero and zero-energy. While both types of homes are extremely efficient, there is a slight difference. Zero-energy homes run off the grid. The homes generate enough energy on their own to power all of the homeowner’s needs through photovoltaic, geothermal and soon even hydrogen power. Net-zero homes still operate on the energy grid, but generate enough energy to offset any annual usage through the same renewable energy means. When you own a net-zero home, you purchase energy from your electric company, but then sell back the energy that your home generates over the year.
“Green” Houses vs. Energy Efficiency
It seems that every successful product available today is marketed as “green.” Houses are no different. Often, the price tag on “green” materials is higher because of this marketing. However, it is possible to have an energy-efficient home that is affordable. Research into energy-efficient construction proves beneficial in creating the most efficient homes for the least amount of money.
It’s important to note the differences between “green-washing” and energy efficiency. You don’t have to have a “green” home to be energy-efficient and help reduce your carbon footprint and energy needs. Zero-energy homes may not be considered green in all areas but tend to have a much lower ecological impact in the long run than a “green” building that requires imported energy and/or fossil fuels.
Building a Net-Zero Home
Energy efficiency starts at the base level in home construction, including site plan, passive solar energy, insulation and energy-efficient appliances. According to Watt, “The key is to create a well-insulated building envelope so your energy needs are as low as possible. After you have saved energy everywhere you can in the house and determined what your energy needs will be, then it’s time to incorporate your renewable energy source.”
Site Plan
It wasn’t that long ago (prior to central heating and air) that homes were designed to capitalize on sunlight for passive heating and large porches to capture breezes to cool the home. This same technology still exists today and is the first step in creating an energy-efficient home. Orient the house with its long axis running east/west and utilize daylight to provide natural lighting.
Windows and Porches
Size south-facing overhangs to shade windows in the summer and allow solar gain in the winter. Utilize large porches to create shade for natural ventilation and reduce the need for mechanical cooling. Consider window-glazing techniques for different sides of the house. Use low U-value/low-E in all climates and low solar heat gain (low SHGC) windows in cooling climates.
Insulation
Increase foundation, wall and ceiling insulation. A well-insulated home drastically reduces the needs for heating and cooling. Seal all holes and cracks in walls, floor and ceilings to unconditioned spaces.
Appliances & Lighting
Look for EnergyStar® ratings when specifying and purchasing appliances. Consider tankless water heaters, as they are one of the largest electricity consumers in the home. Front-loading washing machines save energy and water consumption. When choosing lighting options, opt for LEDs and florescent fixtures.
Heating and Air
As stated above, use a passive solar energy. You may also want to consider using a geothermal system, which uses ground-source energy to heat and cool your home. The ground temperature around your house is fairly consistent year-round—approx 50°F in the north and warmer in the southern United States.
Add a Renewable Energy Source
Solar energy or photovoltaic energy captures solar energy and stores it in a battery or sends the energy back to the grid. Most people still think of solar as those unsightly large panels raised on the roof of a home. However, that’s not the case anymore. Major innovation has resulted in lighter, more durable panels as thin as 1/8”. Photovoltaic laminates can adhere directly onto roofing materials without damaging the roof. They even come in solar shingles these days.
George Watt designed a solar system to fit seamlessly into the roof in Boulder, CO, so you cannot tell the solar panels from the roof itself. Many states are even offering tax incentives and rebates to those implementing renewable energy sources into their homes.
If it’s not in your budget initially, you can always have it in your long-term plan and implement a renewable source at a later date.
When Will Net-Zero Reach Mainstream Building?
Smaller builders and developers are currently pushing the envelope to create the most innovative energy-efficient designs available. They are smaller and able to take more risks. Watt believes that as soon as the major builders develop these technologies, it will be available in the general market. The sooner the homebuyer demands this level of efficiency, you’ll see it in your area.
Visit Ideal Living Magazine for the complete article as well as related topics…
We are happy to say that we have a great assortment of homes and vacation properties with charming porches and covered decks that work well in the zero energy and net zero goals. We are also happy to work with you and your builder to modify any of our designs to achieve your energy efficiency goals.
By Vivian Martin
www.DrummondHousePlans.com - Plan # 3222
The first impression is a distinctive exterior appearance but in this bungalow, it is the comfortable living room that impresses!
On the exterior, a well carved mass, double ledged roofs, raised mouldings and brick/stone give this home quite a remarkable presence while the distribution of windows and doors ensure interior brightness. We need only look towards the double garden doors and the window in the superb living room which is located entirely at the rear.
Once inside and through the foyer, we marvel at a very well-organized kitchen and very bright breakfast area which is lit up by double corner windows. Breakfast is sure to always be pleasurable here! The welcoming kitchen with central island opens up to a dining room which is located at the heart of this home. Next, we are left speechless when we step into the comfortable living room with a fireplace nestled between two pairs of garden doors.
The full bathroom is, as with the rest of the home, very comfortable. The master bedroom includes and enviable walk-in closet and bedroom 2 could easily function as a bedroom, office, or both with a murphy bed.
For more details on this plan, click here…
Looking for other bungalow plans? Check our Bungalow Collection or Create a “New House Plans – Latest Trends” Alert to receive all of the latest designs direct to you by email.
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