Laminate flooring has become a very popular choice for do-it-yourselfers due to the fact that it’s economical, durable, and easy to install. Several varieties of laminate wood flooring are available, offering consumers a vast array of aesthetic choices. Most laminate flooring products share similar characteristics: a pressed wood base; a durable, adhered laminate finish; and a self-locking tongue and groove system. These systems typically do not require fasteners or adhesives – they just lock into place, basically “floating” above the subfloor. Join the At Home channel host, Jeff Wilson, for a tutorial on installing a laminate floor.

The answer to this question lies in economics. In a down economy, it would seem logical that the cost of materials would drop in response to a decline in projects, i.e., a lack of demand. However, global events impact construction costs in the United States, specifically the prices and availability of materials. We spoke with Ken Simonson, the chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA), to learn exactly what is driving construction costs and find out his predictions for the coming months.

Constructing children’s playgrounds in antiquated industrial parks may not seem like the best idea. But this is Madrid – and taking advantage of any and every available square meter has become an art form in the Spanish capital. Ecopolis Plaza is yet another example of creative urban reusability, but its focus on education makes it truly unique. A public nursery school is located at the heart of the plaza, which is designed to bring together community, sustainability, and education in one very brightly colored building.

The healing power of nature plays a large role in Henning Larsen Architects’ winning design for an extension to Denmark’s Herlev Hospital. Here exterior spaces are as carefully planned as interior ones, affording occupants in all areas of the extension some contact with the outdoors. The organizing principles of the new addition also accommodate state-of-the-art developments in patient care.

Upon first blush, the term “Lean Construction” seems to lack the hype usually associated with the latest and greatest, best and brightest product of construction firms interested in getting the attention of their clients, who always want to save money and receive greater value in the buildings. The relentless quest for ways to improve the often provincial construction processes at work for projects from the large to the small, from the simple to the complex. Indeed, the construction industry is haunted by the constant beckoning of high-tech solutions; in most other primary industrial arenas, factory lines, supply chains, and sophisticated “back office” functions have created greater efficiencies and much better products.

The performance of green buildings is a very hot topic in both the construction and real estate industries. As owners demand lower operating expenses, more and more new construction and existing building retrofits are being designed to a very high standard. However, as owners are finding out, those high design standards create only the opportunity for a green building. It’s what is done with that opportunity that defines both a building’s operations and the occupants inside it.

When architecture must subordinate itself to centuries of history, the challenge facing the designer is to create a structure that is simple and retiring while still expressive of its own generation. Estes/Twombly Architects’ redesign of the Overall House in Concord, Massachusetts, achieved simplicity not only in terms of its massing but in terms of its program as well.

When the American Society of Hematology (ASH) was researching options for their new headquarters in 2008, they found a building in downtown Washington, DC, that offered the benefit of a central location combined with ample square footage. The structure required substantial reworking, however, to meet ASH’s various goals.

It’s that time again. The tuition bills start coming in. The textbooks start piling up. Relieved parents start counting down the days in anticipation of a little more peace and quiet… and students ready themselves emotionally for due dates, slop from the dining facility, and doing their own laundry. With the dread of the coming semester, however, students embrace the independence of getting out of the parental home and into the dorm. Making a dorm room feeling like home, however, can present a few challenges. Due to their smaller size and the fact that these spaces are often shared, dorms can present quite a few limitations on design – particularly if strict rules govern wall hangings and painting. We’ve come up with a few dorm design trends and ideas, however, that you can use to enhance your space and brighten your surroundings for the start of the school year.

Anyone who has glimpsed New Zealand’s picturesque beaches or the rolling green hills and mountainous terrain showcased in films like "The Lord of the Rings" can imagine why New Zealanders value their country’s natural beauty and enjoy spending time outdoors. Team New Zealand is competing in the 2011 Solar Decathlon and is comprised of Victoria University of Wellington students from the Schools of Architecture, Design, Marketing, Commerce, Tourism Management, and Building Sciences. Their entry is titled First Light because “New Zealand is the first place the morning light shines at the start of a new day,” and it conveys the students’ pride in their country to attendees on the National Mall in Washington, DC, all the way on the other side of the world. In fact, First Light is the Solar Decathlon’s first and only entry from the Southern Hemisphere.