Breezy Point is beautiful in the summertime, a quaint neighborhood sitting on a slim peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic just south of New York City.

In a storm, though, that dreamy setting can become a nightmare.

Sentiment among U.S. homebuilders increased in May by more than expected, sustaining this year’s upward swing on stronger sales and lower mortgage rates.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose to 66, the highest level since October as all three main measures increased, according to a report Wednesday. Readings above 50 indicate more builders view conditions as good than poor.
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The International Living Future Institute, steward of the world’s most demanding sustainable-building program, is no longer satisfied with its boutique status as a third-party certifier of super-green buildings. ILFI, on a course to scale up the number of participants and scale down the rigors of its Living Building Challenge, recently introduced a less rigorous option for LBC certification, called Core Green Building Certification.

Strata is located in the popular East Village neighborhood of San Diego. The apartment complex consists of two connected towers built over one large below grade parking structure. One tower stands at six stories tall, the other reaches 23 stories.

Strata was constructed multiple stories below the water table in extreme close proximity to a former gas station and dry cleaners, according to Michael Hyduk of Specified Products, Inc., - and product representative for EPRO Services, Inc, who are developers of redundant, field-installed composite systems for below waterproofing and contaminant barrier solutions.

Located in the aptly-named Paradise Valley, AZ, the Ritz-Carlton residences is set to combine a luxury hotel with high-end living. The project encompasses 200-room Ritz-Carlton resort that will be surrounded by 91 single-level villas and 45 single-family homes. The hotel will also be home to the longest pool in North America, spanning 400 feet, and a 30,000 square-foot spa featuring indoor and outdoor treatment areas. Guests will also be able to take advantage of a state-of-the-art health and fitness center, indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, a citrus orchard, a garden that will have seasonal produce harvested by on-site restaurants, walking paths and a grand lawn.

I had the pleasure of interviewing architect Angela Spadoni, the director of residential architecture at Skender. On this podcast episode, we discuss how the company is taking the industry forward with modular construction.

Skender is one of Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2019”. Last year, the Chicago-based construction, design and manufacturing firm launched Skender Manufacturing to produce modular apartment units. We discuss the company’s new, vertically integrated business model, what makes it stand out, and the value it will provide to stakeholders.

Falling mortgage rates are giving a lift to U.S. homebuilders just in time for the key spring selling season.

Lennar Corp. on Wednesday reported a jump in home orders that beat the company’s own projections. While KB Home had a slight drop in orders, they were also better than expected. Both companies expressed optimism that demand would strengthen in the coming months.

As construction started gearing up late last year to rebuild some 3,000 homes in Santa Rosa burned by the 2017 Tubbs Fire, there were several challenges. One of the greatest was the shortage of concrete.

IRA-digi Climate Corner showcased experimental projects that help save energy and reduce emissions in residential environments.

KIRA-digi Climate Corner took place at Asuntomarkkinat, the leading residential market event in Finland on January 29, 2019.

Persimmon Plc became the first U.K. homebuilder to report profit of more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) as the government’s Help-to-Buy policy bolstered sales.

The York, England-based company was among the biggest gainers in the FTSE 100 index of stocks on Tuesday after it announced a 13 percent rise in pretax profit. Help to Buy accounts for about half of Persimmon’s sales and selling homes built on cheap land to buyers benefiting from the interest-free loans helped the company achieve record margins.

ASHRAE’s 2018 International Green Construction Code® (2018 IgCC®), a joint initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council, International Code Council, ASHRAE and the Illuminating Engineering Society aligns the technical requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/USGBC/IES 189.1-2017-Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low Rise Residential Buildings, with ICC’s multi-stakeholder IgCC.

Goals of the updated code are to help governments streamline code development and adoption and improve building industry standardization by integrating the two previously separate guidance documents. As a result, the 2018 IgCC is now a unified code that emphasizes adoption, ease of use and enforcement for building projects.

Reprinted courtesy of ASHRAE, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.