{Re}habitat

Because the Solar Decathlon competition stipulates that homes’ interiors measure less than 1,000 sq. ft., many teams choose young or retired couples as their target market. However, Team Massachusetts, which is comprised of students from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, created a home fit for a family of three. They articulated spaces with flexibility in mind in order to meet occupants’ changing needs throughout their lives: the 4D Home is three-dimensional over time.

Installing countertops is easy if you know what problems to avoid: unlevel surfaces, out-of-square walls, unfavorable corner conditions, and built-in equipment.

Countertops not only provide the main work surfaces in a kitchen, but they also offer an opportunity to add a splash of color and materiality to the space. With the nearly limitless design options for countertops, choosing the material and color is often the most difficult part of installing new kitchen countertops. Depending on the type of material, fabricating a kitchen countertop can be a challenge for a do-it-yourselfer, but installing the countertop is a project almost any do-it-yourselfer can handle. Join our host, Jeff Wilson, as he completes the kitchen and offers tips on installing a recycled glass countertop.

In today’s on-the-go society, we have the capability of conducting work on smartphones to increase productivity. Beyond making calls, sending texts, and keeping track of our schedules, smartphone apps significantly enhance the user’s experience and enable them to conduct business outside the office proper. Particularly in the AEC industries, smartphone apps have become increasingly popular. These apps are more than mere gadgets; they provide functions similar to those of the tools that are traditionally used in the industry.

Outdoor lighting illuminates social gatherings, comforts us with additional safety and security, enables us to work or play, and enhances our home garden aesthetics from dusk to dawn. With the variety of outdoor lighting fixtures available, selecting the right one can be somewhat daunting. Understanding the available outdoor lighting technologies, techniques, and fixtures will allow you to make better use of your property after the sun goes down.

Many Solar Decathlon entries make futuristic propositions for green living, but the Tidewater Virginia team chose to design their house by using a familiar language. Their target market is the Tidewater region of southeastern Virginia, specifically the dense, middle-class neighborhoods of Norfolk, home to many military families. Designed as urban infill, Unit 6 Unplugged draws inspiration from its Arts and Crafts context and provides an affordable housing option for a working couple.

The recently opened, award-winning Chandler City Hall in Arizona, a $47 million complex that covers two city blocks, seeks to express the new economy that has come to this "Old West" town. Founded in 1912, the town of Chandler spent its early decades as a quiet agricultural and ranching community. More recently, it has experienced a population boom and expanded its economic base to include electronics and manufacturing. As Chandler extended its town borders, it was also forced to decentralize its municipal offices, which came to occupy various leased spaces.

When I began my career in the engineering/construction industry 37 years ago, erosion from construction sites was never a stated concern. None of the huge water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants I designed had any provisions for preventing erosion or controlling sediment. The streams, lakes, and rivers downstream from my sites no doubt did a lot of natural “settling” and maybe “filtration.”