Most Popular from All Topics

In today’s construction world, where green is the future, it pays to know about building techniques that not only count toward a green building rating but can actually reduce up-front costs. One such method is known as Advanced Framing, sometimes called Optimum Value Engineering (OVE). Advanced Framing takes a good hard look at the way we frame buildings and tries to eliminate wood whenever possible without compromising structural integrity. All of these techniques, when properly executed, comply with the International Residential Code (IRC), but you should check local codes before beginning a project.

What kind of electrical receptacle should you install in the kitchen or bath? The answer is a GFCI outlet, or a ground fault circuit interrupt outlet. A GFCI (or GFI) outlet should be installed in any place where electricity might come in contact with water; such as a kitchen, a bathroom, a laundry room, garage, or exterior space. Basically, a GFCI outlet will sense when electricity is going to pass through a person’s body and it will shut off before the shock is delivered. Installing this type of outlet is only slightly more complex than installing a standard three-pronged receptacle. Join the At Home channel’s host, Jeff Wilson, for a tutorial on how to install a GFCI electrical outlet.

Refinishing your wood deck every few years is necessary maintenance. Learn when and how.

When is it time to refinish your wood deck? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. Use the “splash test” to see if your wood deck needs attention. Take a glass of water and splash it on the most heavily traveled areas. If the water beads up and sits on top of the wood, then refinishing is not required. If the water soaks in and darkens the wood, then it’s time to get on that deck maintenance before any serious damage is done. Join our host, Jeff Wilson, as he demonstrates how to refinish a wood deck.

Look out, Pisa, there is a new building on the block! Capital Gate, located in Abu Dhabi, now holds the Guinness Record for the "Worlds Furthest Leaning Manmade Tower." Scheduled for completion in late 2010, this 35 story building with an incline of 18 degrees is the focal point of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company's (ADNEC) new mixed use development.

Welcome to the On Site channel’s Construction Administration Column. Here, David A. Todd gives his recommendation on the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC) General Conditions clause for weather.

In my last column, I dealt with an issue concerning delays for weather. The answer I gave had to do with the weather provisions in the 2002 edition of the EJCDC General Conditions. Those provisions are:

When you consider the lifespan of most fixtures and appliances around the home, toilets rank near the top. According to the Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components which was prepared in 2007 by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), "Toilets have an unlimited lifespan, but the components inside the toilet tank do require some maintenance."

Soldering copper pipe, commonly referred to as “sweating” pipe, is a job any homeowner can do. As with any home improvement or DIY project, it is important to understand the basic skills before starting. After a little planning and ensuring that you have the right tools on hand, soldering copper pipe should be simple. Join our host, Jeff Wilson, as we learn the basic skills required to make one of the most common connections in plumbing.

Those accustomed to architect Frank Gehry's signature swooping titanium forms might feel that the New World Symphony concert hall hits a low note; Walt Disney Concert Hall it is not. Instead, its boxy form and white stucco exterior reflect the traditional Art Deco architecture of Miami Beach. Located at Washington Avenue and 17th Street, just blocks from both the bustle of Lincoln Road and the beach, the $160 million building measures 100,641 sq. ft. and faces a new 2.5-acre urban park, situated on the site of a former parking lot. Looks can be deceptive; this stucco box contains a few surprises.

The building industry is moving inevitably away from 2D paper drawings and toward 3D virtual modeling. When a new technology offers people a better way of doing something, they will eventually use it, even if it means overcoming old habits and facing a sometimes steep learning curve. The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has increased dramatically over the past few years, not just in architecture firms, but industry-wide. Construction firms that were early adopters of BIM now have the hard data to justify their choice: projects are taking less time and costing less money, and demonstrated mastery of state-of-the-art technology is winning these firms more jobs.

Most of the residential architecture in coastal Landskrona, Sweden, is quaint and unassumingly beautiful. For a long time there was an empty lot only a bit wider than two dozen feet on a dense street in the center of town. One day, a stark white townhouse appeared on the block, boasting elegant geometrical proportions and a transparency that commands a place in the heart of art and architecture enthusiasts. What happens to a traditional streetscape when distinctly different, yet equally gorgeous, architectural styles are juxtaposed? Jonas Elding and Johan Oscarson of Elding Oscarson architecture of Sweden wish to reveal a few of their design secrets.

HOK / Vanderweil's retrofit of a government building takes the notion of incorporating nature into design to a whole new level. The facade uses algae-housing tubes to serve multiple functions, including using algae as a fuel source.

When building green, it’s easiest to start from scratch, but the blank slate is an ideal rather than a reality: our stock of existing buildings necessitates energy-efficiency retrofits.

For many reasons, adaptive reuse projects are great for the environment. Using already existing buildings instead of building new reduces waste, requires less energy, and scales down the general consumption of materials. This green space has farther reaching effects, particularly fostering a greater sense of community and neighborhood revitalization. We talked with Alan Pullman of architectural firm Studio One Eleven about a recent adaptive reuse project located in an emerging Long Beach, California, neighborhood.