Attend the SVBA Home and Living Expo this weekend April 8th and 9th! The SVBA Home and Living Expo is this weekend.  The Annual SVBA Home & Living Expo is scheduled for April 8 & 9 at Rockingham Co Fairgrounds. Don’t miss the chance to see over a hundred exhibitors...

Upcycling is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful and often beautiful. The Upcycle Design Challenge aims to remind people that, with a little creativity, what was old can be new again—perhaps even better than it once was! Our team of...

Green Term Defined: Thermal Bridging Thermal bridging is one of the biggest problems we have when trying to create a high performance home. It is imperative to find an economical solution for walls that eliminates any thermal bridging from inside to outside the home. Thermal...

Green Terms Defined: Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) An ERV or Energy Recovery Ventilator is part of a balanced ventilation system that transfers water vapor and heat from one airstream to another. In a mixed humid climate, it works differently in the hot season and the cold...

The Shenandoah Builders Association is excited to announce the first annual SVBA Green Playhouse Design Competition. This event will provide students an opportunity to use their knowledge from math, science, CTE, elective, and MTC classes to design a playhouse. There are two...

The average American family of four uses 400 gallons of water per day. On average 70% of that water is used indoors with bathrooms being the largest contributor. Older toilets use  as much as 3.5 – 7 gallons with each flush while standard models use 1.6 gallons or less. The...

What is embodied energy and why should you care? Embodied energy is the total amount of energy required to produce a product. This concept is certainly hard to grasp and even harder to find real data on various products. As our buildings are becoming more efficient the importance...

I hear all the time that green costs more. However, with good design, these homes being built-in Lexington will show that green design can be done for any budget. A high-performance home is achieved through an understanding of building systems/building science not increased...

Strip mall shopping centers need design to survive. A great shopping experience begins with a developer, a parcel of land, and an idea.  Modern “car-friendly” strip malls became popular in the early 1920s in the United States. The primary focus was a large parking lot...

What is an Easy Living Home? Yes, another certification, this one is intended to encourage builders and home owners of single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes to include Easy Living Home features in the design and construction of new homes. Easy Living Home design features...