Cost-Effective Designrss

  • Local Color

    A big builder perfects its entry-level pitch and beats the odds.

     
  • Design Details: Sweat the Small Stuff

    The mood in the home building industry is officially glum. Buyers are playing a waiting game, and inventory isn't moving. Except in the case of that builder around the corner whose homes are being snapped up faster than free NFL tickets on Craig's List. What gives?

     
  • What (Single) Women Want

    Single women now represent 22 percent of home buyers, up 14 percent from a decade ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. So what exactly do they seek in a home?

     
  • Affordable By Design

    Architecture, site planning, and construction pro formas can make or break the bottom line.

     
  • Architects' Homes: Do Try This At Home

    Architects’ own houses often hold the keys to cost savings, building efficiencies, and new standards of beauty.

     
  • Just Right

    House size is a tricky thing. Some folks want a feeling of space that's expressed in volume—soaring foyers, three-car garages, and cavernous master suites come to mind. Others, to quote Goldilocks, want spaces that are “just right,” with rooms that work for their particular lifestyle.

     
  • Tight Squeeze

    It's a curious thing. At the same time that houses are getting bigger and bigger, lot sizes keep on getting smaller and smaller. Just look at the numbers: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average size of new homes increased from 2,095 square feet in 1992 to 2,434 square feet in 2005.