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Issue 227 – HOUSES 2012

On the Cover

Santa Cruz Straw Bale

Net-zero-energy use and whimsical details shine in a new family home

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Features

  • From a Leaky Old House to a Tight New Home
    From a Leaky Old House to a Tight New Home

    A young couple retrofits the house next door as an investment in deep energy savings.

  • Carriage-House Comeback

    An 800-sq.-ft. backyard cottage exemplifies the benefits of downsizing and reveals a new housing opportunity

  • Zero Energy, at Last

    The sun lends a big hand to this efficient home in the North Carolina mountains

  • A House for All Ages

    An energy-efficient modern-day farmhouse offers single-floor living wrapped in low-maintenance, charming detail

  • Designed for Its Place & Time

    At the top of his game, architect Obie Bowman orchestrates his signature materials and details into a contemporary retirement house

  • What is Building Science?

    Few people understand it. Nobody agrees what it is, how to learn about it, or who's responsible for it. It has never been more important

Article

  • A Practical Approach to Passive House

    An architect's "best work to date" is a super-efficient home that you could build.

  • Building a Healthy House

    For a chemically sensitive homeowner, a cleaner indoor environment meant focusing on six key concepts.

What is the Difference

  • What's the Difference: Designs for Accessibility

    Accessible design, universal design, and aging-in-place design

  • What's the Difference: Window-Shading Options

    Solar screens, exterior blinds, shutters, and awnings

Drawing Board

  • Design an Integral Porch

    Explore four types of integral porches

Fixtures and Materials

  • Alternative to Pressure-Treated Decking

    Perennial Wood decking from Eastma Manufactured by Eastman 800-530-7495; www.perennialwood.com    Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tenn., has been making acetic anhydride for years. In the 1930s, the company used…

  • Foam Forms for Concrete Caps

    Rigid-foam wall-cap forms from Stegmeier Manufactured by Stegmeier 800-382-5430; www.stegmeier.com Cost: $130 to $150 for a box of 10 8-ft.-long pieces; $140 for a box of 10 spring-steel clamps Stegmeier…

  • Low-Profile Ventilation for Tiled Roofs
    Low-Profile Ventilation for Tiled Roofs

    Inconspicuous vents blend with the roof surface without being an eyesore.

  • Seamless Receptacles

    Receptacles from Bocci   Manufactured by Bocci 815-741-9768; www.bocci.ca/collection  Cost: $50 to $75   Bocci 22 electrical components install flush with finished-wall materials, eliminating conventional cover plates for switches, receptacles,…

  • Lighting: Beyond the Basics

    Manufactured by Eleek 815-741-9768; www.eleekinc.com If you’re in the market for ersatz colonial wall sconces or run-of-the-mill pendant lights, you can probably skip the Eleek catalog. If your tastes run…

  • A Quiet Garage-Door Opener

    Garage openers from Sommer Manufactured by Sommer 877-766-6607; www.sommer-usa.com Cost: $350 to $450 Standard garage-door openers have a fixed motor that powers a belt or chain to open and close…

Design Gallery

  • HOUSES 2012 Guest Judges' Favorites

    When reviewing the submissions we received for this year’s awards issue, each of our five guest judges discovered a compelling project that didn’t quite fit as a category winner. We…

Tailgate

  • Tailgate: Cameron Sinclair, Advocate

    The founder of Architecture for Humanity is working to improve lives through socially conscious design

More? View Past Issues

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 318 - October 2023
    • Make Mudsills Square and Level
    • Turn Up the Heat With Induction Cooktops
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: Lloyd Alter
  • Issue 317 - Aug/Sept 2023
    • Finishing Drywall With Seamless Results
    • A Flat Roof in a Cold Climate
    • Compact Cordless Shop Vacs
  • Issue 316 - July 2023
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency
  • Issue 315 - June 2023
    • How to Craft a Copper Roof
    • 5 Lessons from Building in a Cold Climate
    • The Advantages of Cellular PVC Siding
  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps

Fine Homebuilding

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