House Plans

If you are considering buying plans you might be interested in reading "Why Architects Should Sell Plans" by Sarah Susanka in Fine Homebuilding, Annual Issue on Houses, Summer 2002, No. 147. This article discusses the merits of architects providing house plans for purchase to improve the selection of plans available to the general public.

Budgeting

Robert W. Knight, AIA of Knight Associates in Maine, has written an excellent article titled "How Big is a Square Foot." This article outlines a practical way to determining accurate cost in homebuilding.

http://www.knightarchitect.com/ARTICLE/howbig.html

Philosophy

The Christian Science Monitor, August 19, 1998 features an article titled "Smaller Houses for Bigger Living." This is a review of the theories advanced by Sarah Susanka and shared by Georgia Bizios of approaching the building process with an eye toward quality of design versus square footage to develop a home you can love.

Solar Energy and Home Design

Many of our clients are interested in and ask us about energy conscious design of homes and “solar” design. Using the sun to make buildings more comfortable is a strategy dating back thousands of years. Making wise choices about where we build and how we build makes sense and is ecologically responsible. Click here for a glossary of terms you might encounter in energy conscious design discussions.

Is It Worth It? The Value of Remodeling

Do you want to remodel or add on to your existing house? Are you worried about whether the costs and headaches are worth the benefits? You're not alone. More and more Americans are deciding that remodeling their homes is worth it. Remodeling has increased more than 40 percent in just the last six years. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard recently released a report called “Measuring the Benefits of Home Remodeling.” The report takes a closer look at the issues centered on housing and remodeling issues. It makes a strong case that investing in our homes contributes significantly to our financial well being. The cost of home improvements is often recovered in the form of higher home values. Click here to read more.