Are your carpets faded by the sun? Are your heating and cooling costs derailing the family budget? Are you having issues of privacy from noisy neighbors? If you’re experiencing any of these problems you’re not alone. Here are four reasons you might want to replace an old window with an acrylic block window.
Given the way most families spend their time at home these days, having a fun and hard-working kitchen has never been hotter. If you’re considering a kitchen remodeling project, here are nine tips for making your finished kitchen stand out.
Why should you design a kitchen that looks like everyone else's when you can jazz it up with a contemporary flair? When most people think about using glass blocks, they may most often picture them in a bathroom or basement setting, but glass blocks in your kitchen provide a focal point to make the room really pop. Here are three ideas to consider for using glass blocks in your kitchen.
If you want to create a glass block wall that steps down, then the double-ended glass block is for you. Although double-ended glass block looks great, you must design with it in the right way for a successful project. Keep these points in mind for your step-down wall.
I’ve been asked the question over and over: Should I use glass blocks or acrylic blocks for my window project? While I will admit to having a bias (I’ve been in the glass block business for over 25 years), my companies sell both glass and acrylic products and I try to recommend what’s best for the customer. Here are my pointers on how to choose between these two different materials.
The use of form traveller systems offers significant cost savings for bridge construction projects throughout the world. We've partnered with Miguel Barreto from ConstruGomes of Portugal to highlight the key aspects of form traveller systems: how they offer cost advantages over traditional construction systems, in what situations they can best be utilized, and how they function.
Over the past few years home improvement and building improvement have taken a dramatic shift toward retrofits with financial benefits. Homeowners and building managers are no longer content with inefficient homes and underperforming assets. Instead, they are looking for multiple ways to lower their expenses. One of many successful strategies has been to decrease water use through the installation of low-flow fixtures. However, the question must be asked: what is the return on investment (ROI) of low-flow fixtures?
The word "harmony" may be immensely overused in the architecture world, but it’s difficult to avoid when describing Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava’s creations. While many bask in the glow of his paradoxical designs, some see his projects as nothing short of an architectural attack against harmonic city planning. Regardless, Calatrava’s reputation for structural risk-taking has made him one of the most recognized architects in the world. With a background in architecture and civil engineering, Calatrava is also a sculptor and painter. This artistic combination is evident not just in Ysios Bodegas but in the majority of his projects, which often blend (or clash) the worlds of intricate design with practicability.
Builders and project leaders are taking on a heightened level of responsibility when it comes to deciding whether to participate in certification programs, determining which programs best reflect their values and standards, and ultimately selling the idea and cost of certification to the owner. I spoke with several industry experts to get a better understanding of the challenges associated with building green and certification programs. Although opinions certainly vary, it seems that participation has not yet become an industry-wide expectation because some builders are not yet convinced that certification is necessary.
The Solar Decathlon competition requires teams to meet pages of rules, so not much time remains for considering what will become of the houses following their debut on the National Mall. However, the students of Parsons The New School for Design, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, and Stevens Institute of Technology have a definite post-competition plan in mind: to provide housing for two families in the Deanwood neighborhood of Ward 7 in Washington, DC. The team has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and DC's Department of Housing and Community Development to build Empowerhouse, an affordable model for living that uses passive design strategies.
In recent years, CSI, or crime scene investigation, has become an increasingly popular term thanks to television. However, CSI takes place every day in the real world, in ways that you may not have previously considered. Forensic engineers assess damage to properties, determine the cause(s), and offer possible remediation. Situations in which structural CSI is required can include water infiltrating a structure; storms, fires, or explosions damaging a building; or a product defect or a material deficiency occurring.
Only you and those around you know what color your thumb is. For those of you without a green thumb, plants have a few environmental needs to grow and stay alive: temperature, water, soil, and sunlight. When Mother Nature doesn't provide these, you need to. That all seems rather easy, right? Whether you are planting a new garden or adding to an existing one, a little knowledge, planning, and preparation will go a long way toward earning your green thumb and determining the future success of your garden.
