In a mixed humid climate (Central Virginia) the attic is probably the most important element when trying to achieve a healthy, energy-efficient, and durable solution. There are a lot of problems in this one – what do you see? I will post my thoughts tomorrow.

We spend a lot of time thinking about the health impacts of the building when designing an energy-efficient home. The ventilation rate needs to be designed and the materials used should be selected with care. Then construction starts and it is cold outside. The next thing you...

Our first home in Magnolia Ridge is under construction and coming along very well. We love the living space and the views are exceptional!

Here is where we started. The task was to make the kitchen part of the “family space”, update it, and improve the efficiency of the entire home. So first we did a master plan for the entire home to determine what was possible with the existing spaces. Our goal is to...

The clients wanted to update their kitchen, add family space, and make the home efficient. This is the kitchen we found on our first visit. What would you do?

Lack of building science when building a home or addition can create real horror stories. This home addition has had its share of problems. Outdated wiring, interiors, and fixtures. However, the big problem is water damage, as you might expect from the flat roof and sloping...

There has been a lot of water issues in the news as of late. Do you trust your water? What happens in an emergency – do you have a water plan? Poor water quality can impact us all from wildlife to humans. Virginia has reported $6.1 billion in drinking water infrastructure...

Demolition has started on the Downtown Harrisonburg office building we designed. Nielsen Builders is doing the construction. Here are some pictures that show the existing conditions. This will become the Child Protective Services building in Harrisonburg. Dust has started to fly....

Most homes built to code minimum standards (the worst possible home you can build by law) are energy hogs. This home is no exception. Doing an energy audit and using a thermal image camera, you can immediately see there are problems. The band board in the basement is glowing,...

Most homes built to code minimum standards (the worst possible home you can build by law) are energy hogs. This home is no exception. Can you identify some common issues in this fairly typical home? Answers will be posted tomorrow on this blog.