In the average new home with a forced air heating and cooling system, 30% of the air moving through the ducts leaks out before it reaches the room it is intended to heat or cool. Seal up the ducts for a better distribution of air throughout your home using mastic tape or glue. A...

Work continues on this house designed for a lifetime in Northern Albemarle County just north of Charlottesville. From the no-step entry to the high-performance design elements, careful thought was put into this design solution.  Careful consideration was made to set this home on...

Formaldehyde: A gas used widely in production of adhesives, plastics, preservatives, and fabric treatments and commonly emitted by indoor materials that are made with its compounds. It is highly irritating if inhaled and is now listed as a probable human carcinogen. Some products...

The work continues at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in Verona even with the cold weather. We have gone from old farm-house to no building to finally a new office taking shape. In the rear you can now see where the warehouse addition will take shape as demolition has started....

Vampire loads, also called phantom loads, are hidden electrical loads that can impact your energy-efficiency goals without you noticing. A vampire load is the power consumed by electronics and appliances while they are technically switched off or in standby mode. This occurs in...

Thanks for reading our blog over the past 3 1/2 years. I truly appreciate your support. Please post future blog ideas in the comments section below!

Top blog posts for 2014

Another year in the books and this one was exceptional! We continue to build our relationships with past clients and have started many new friendships this year. The project types vary is scale, scope, and aesthetics, but they all share the common goal of wanting healthy,...

My Christmas wish list for 2014: That we all celebrate this day with love and compassion in our hearts for each other, no matter the burden we carry. That those in need will find a gift at their door this Christmas of hope and joy, that their needs will be filled, their stomachs...

As I wrote last week, the biggest challenge we face in our industry is “no design.” Buildings that do not address climate, culture, or context will tear apart of community if allowed to proliferate a geographic region. Your community could become a nondescript...