Multifamily
Timber Tower Proposals Advance through Code Hearings
As members of the International Code Council (ICC) continue their debates on more than 1,300 proposals to amend sections of building, fire, mechanical and plumbing codes, one set of proposals to allow taller wood-framed buildings sailed through the ICC Committee Action Hearings this week in Columbus, Ohio.
Housing Starts Rise 1.9% on Multifamily Surge
Gains in multifamily production pushed overall housing starts up 1.9% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.32 million units, according to newly released data from HUD and the Commerce Department.
Facebook vs. Congress: What Should Home Builders Know?
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked to testify in front of House and Senate committees this week to discuss election influence, but members had far more questions about advertising, user data, privacy and consent. What are the takeaways for builders and remodelers?
Executive Order on Reducing Poverty Could Impact Housing Programs
On April 10, President Trump released an executive order, “Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility,” that is designed to guide agencies that administer public assistance programs to effectively reform the welfare system.
Century-Old Building Sparks New Development
The warehouse building that became Boury Lofts in Wheeling, W. Va. was a mystery. Over the years, it was home to a biscuit factory, a coffee roaster, a wool and ginseng exporter, a cold-storage facility and many other businesses. The building had been abandoned for decades, but a collaborative effort from area developers and designers brought it back to life and turned it into a chic, 72-unit multifamily structure.
HUD Allots $28 Billion for Disaster Recovery in U.S. and Puerto Rico
HUD announced that nearly $28 billion will go to support long-term disaster recovery efforts in nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The funds represent the largest single amount of disaster recovery assistance in HUD’s history.
3 Trends to Watch in Smart Lighting
An excellent bellwether for advances coming to residential lighting solutions is the biennial Light + Building show in Frankfurt, Germany. The show — which boasts a staggering attendance of 220,000 global visitors — exhibits trends in lighting design, electrical systems and building automation. Here’s what we learned.
Prevent ‘Greenwashing’ with These Tools
The high-performance building industry continues to gain traction, which is good news for builders and consumers alike. But with this growth comes an emerging problem of sellers presenting a product as more environmentally friendly than is the case.
NAHB Weighs in on Building Code Proposals
The International Code Council is preparing for 10 days of hearings on the first batch of proposals to amend the 2021 versions of the building and energy codes. The good news: NAHB Construction, Codes committee members and staff are already on the job, preparing the building industry’s arguments to support safe, sensible code changes.
Webinar: Go Green with the Multifamily-Friendly NGBS
For many years, it was true that building with green products and processes meant more expense, and that was particularly true for multifamily developers and builders. But that all changed with the development of the National Green Building Standard, and this April 11 webinar will explain how you can use it to your advantage.