Builder articles from October 2004

Builder archives from October 2004

Choice cuts: in this month's Builder's Choice coverage, we slice off the best in housing and community design.(Editor's Notes)
October 1, 2004... ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR BUILDERS to do is to get out of the office, to get out of town even, and see what the other guy is building. New-home design may not be changing as fast as women's fashion, but you are leaving money on the...

B mail.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME A copy of your July 2004 issue. The special report on housing affordability ("Divided We Stand," page 118), including your citation of my study and the [prognostications] table at the end ("Sobering Statistics," page...

Calendar.(Book It)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... OCTOBER 1 WinGuard Home Showcase Contest, Venice, Fla. PGT, Florida's leading manufacturer of custom windows, doors, and patio rooms, is accepting applications for its third annual Home Showcase Contest. Projects must be in...

Split personalities: Boise paper and forestry divestment should have no effect on home building.(Business Matters)
October 1, 2004... BAD THINGS SOMETIMES HAPPEN WHEN A large company is sold or when two large commercial entities merge: Prices go up, services suffer, Wall Street reacts negatively. But sometimes a sale of a company hardly registers a blip on the business radar....

Act hits snag.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Two federal offices have come to radically different conclusions about the fiscal impact of the Zero Downpayment Act of 2004, a proposed law that would authorize the FHA to insure mortgages for first-time home buyers who can afford a house...

Inside job.(Big Deals)(Barratt American Inc. acquired Barratt Developments PLC)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... In an uncommon type of deal, Barratt American's management team on August 30 acquired the company from its British-based parent corporation, Barratt Developments PLC, the top home builder in the United Kingdom, for $165 million. Barratt...

Future Builders.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Florida HBA (FHBA) is doing something about the industrywide shortage of skilled workers. The trade group recently launched the National Future Builders of America program. The FHBA now has six local future builders chapters up and running...

Sound check: manufacturer's Web site offers help to builders trying to hush the hubbub.(Internet Pick)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... IF IT SEEMS AS IF THE AVERAGE AMERICAN home is getting noisier these days, it's because it is. Due to such new developments as home-based businesses, media rooms, and open floor plans, the typical house has an almost constant hum. Valley Forge,...

Concrete high.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Builders and contractors are paying upwards of 20 percent more for concrete than they did last year as robust housing demand and China's building boom hinder supply. Projects in Southern California, Florida, and more than two dozen other states...

Pocono pretzel.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... At least nine builders have been linked to the lion's share of the 2,745 foreclosure filings in the Pocono Mountains from 2000 to 2003, according to a study that was commissioned by Pennsylvania's Housing Finance Agency and the state's banking...

Bargain beauties: Charter Homes adds architectural touches to a new collection of midpriced homes.(Design Beat)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GOOD DESIGN DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE. At least that's the theory behind Charter Homes' new Architect Series, which offers buyers at The Lakes community in Lancaster County the opportunity to add sought-after custom features to homes priced...

Boom times?(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Who says that housing is out of reach? If you're willing to live on a former Navy bombing range in Arlington, Texas, KB Home is offering floor plans starting at $108,000 in Southridge, a 127-acre community. The catch: The Army Corps of...

Million-dollar market.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Apartments in Manhattan have broken the million-dollar mark. According to the quarterly "Manhattan Market Overview" report, released by the brokerage firm Prudential Douglas Elliman, the average price for an apartment in Manhattan hit...

Tax nomads: local property taxes have become a deciding factor for home buyers.(Undue Influence)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... IN RECENT YEARS, PROPERTY TAXES HAVE BECOME a much bigger factor in the home buying decision. Low interest rates, on the one hand, lure people into buying more expensive homes than they could normally afford. But those interest rates have been...

ARMed and dangerous? Consumer group association says those most drawn to adjustable rate mortgages understand their risks the least.(Mortgage Survey)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... LOWER-INCOME AND MINORIty consumers are most likely to prefer adjustable rate" mortgages (ARMs), yet they are least familiar with the risks that these mortgages present, according to a recently released survey. The survey of 1,015...

Raising funds.(House blend: trends, tips, cool stuff)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A regional financial partnership recently announced that it had contributed $1.29 million in loans and grants to the Provo (Utah) Housing Authority and the City Center Affordable Housing Coalition. The funds support the restoration and adaptive...

Lending a hand: Bank of America expands a down-payment program to ease access to workforce housing.(Manageable Mortgages)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... "PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK," A NEW STUDY BY the Center for Housing Policy, finds the median incomes earned by large sectors of the workforce are insufficient to qualify for a median-priced home in the United States. A program by the Bank of...

Back to school: colleges are forging partnerships with developers to build retirement communities near campuses.(Retirement Trends)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GOLF, TENNIS, AND WARM weather may always be the primary allure for retirees, but over the past few years, many of the nation's colleges have been working with local developers to build retirement villages that offer seniors the educational,...

Troubled thrift: zero profit from mortgage lending drags down Washington Mutual's earnings. Will the giant bounce back?(Market Watch)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON MUTUAL'S (WaMu) mortgage banking unit has faltered so badly in recent quarters that the Seattle-based thrift may have no choice but to sell to a larger corporation, according to analysts. WaMu's disastrous second-quarter figures...

Behind the protest: opposition to public financing sparks student protest.(The straight dope: the whole truth and nothing but the truth)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... When a dozen college students protested at the headquarters of the North Carolina HBA in Raleigh last July, the action was portrayed as a broad protest against the builder trade group and other powerful business lobbies. Follow-up interviews...

Sudden impact: using impact fees to build new schools.(Inside Story)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... IN THESE TIMES OF SCHOOL CLOSINGS and expensive, largely unfunded federal mandates such as the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" program, local school departments and city budget managers are grabbing any tool available to pay for...

In the light.(Topshelf: the latest and greatest building products)
October 1, 2004... THESE G912 SERIES OF QUICKCONNECT PENDANTS CAN BE snapped into the manufacturer's track systems for customized applications over a bar, countertop, and tabletop. The units are made with a colorful blown-glass outer shade surrounding a smaller...

Rock solid.(Topshelf: the latest and greatest building products)
October 1, 2004... TRADITIONALLY, IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A GRANITE countertop with an integral granite sink. Not anymore. This granite countertop with integral sink was made from one block of stone. Each piece is fabricated individually according to...

Proper toppers.(Topshelf: the latest and greatest building products)
October 1, 2004... HAVE A FENCE THAT CAN USE SOME DRESSING UP? These one-of-a-kind fence-post caps can help. Made from durable material called polystone, the products do not tarnish, fade, rust, or crack, the company says. The caps fit standard flat-topped or...

French connection.(Topshelf: the latest and greatest building products)
October 1, 2004... IF YOUR HOUSES HAVE A CASE OF the blahs, spruce them up with the Villa Collection, a new line of moldings, crowns, corbels, and bases inspired by 18th-century French and Italian architecture. Designed by kitchen/bath/interior designer and...

Rare finds.(Topshelf: the latest and greatest building products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... IF ANCIENT MILLWORK IS YOUR THING, GET A load of this elm flooring that came from 400- to 600-year-old structures from China's Ming Dynasty. The wood has a butterscotch color and is as hard as iron, so it is ideal for flooring and furniture. It...

Power play.(Topshelf: the latest and greatest building products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... THE DS18DMR 18-VOLT CORDLESS DRILL IS DEsigned to address and exceed the needs of professionals, the manufacturer says. Its rare-earth magnet motor guarantees reliable power, and externally accessible carbon brushes extend the tool's life....

Image makeover: this New Jersey developer used moderately priced, single-family homes to create the buzz that would sell multifamily density.(Back To Basics)
October 1, 2004... WHEN IBM MOVED FROM NEWburgh, N.Y., a small suburban town about 90 minutes from New York City, a few years ago, the company left an economic black hole in the community. But a group of investors, led by a wealthy Israeli, bet on the area...

Creative outlet: showcasing local artists in its model home draws attention and sales to builder's infill project.(Market smarts: new marketing and sales techniques with proven results)
October 1, 2004... WHEN MACK BISSETTE PURCHASED 150 vacant lots in the Springfield section of downtown Jacksonville, Fla., last year, the builder hoped to not only sell homes but to revive the once-arresting neighborhood. Part of that effort includes supporting a...

Taking pictures: the narrated slide show on Black Rock's Web site gives online visitors a true sense of the project.(Market smarts: new marketing and sales techniques with proven results)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY, THE WORST THING A WEB SITE CAN do is present a misleading picture of a project under development that dupes prospects into visiting the property, which turns out to be a far cry from what they saw online. This...

Jaw dropper: Beazer's direct mail campaign was just what the doctor ordered for a move-up project near Phoenix.(Market smarts: new marketing and sales techniques with proven results)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... WHEN BEAZER HOMES VENTURED INTO THE MOVE-UP market with Riggs Country Estates, near Phoenix, in July 2003, it needed something that would distinguish the large-lot, higher-priced project in the competitive Deer Valley market. Playing off the...

New points of view: the Andersen inHOME at Sundance Film Festival puts windows front and center (and almost everywhere else) to inspire new thinking about their place and function in home design.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2004... The wood-trimmed windows that make up an entire corner of the Great Room in the Andersen inHOME capture dramatic views of the Wasatch Mountains that overlook Park City, Utah, but they are just one of several inspiring points of view in this...

Andersen[R] inHOME legacy portfolio.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2004... The Andersen[R] inHOME at Sundance Film Festival used Andersen[R] windows and doors to create a spectacular showhome of unmatched beauty. But you don't need a 6,000-square foot plan or a breathtaking Park City, Utah, location to capture the...

Taking stock does a rising supply homes on the market indicate that the slowdown has started?(Vital Signs)
October 1, 2004... THE SUPPLY OF EXISTING HOMES FOR sale in Orange County, Calif., jumped to 7.5 months in July, up from just 1.2 months a year earlier. That one of the hottest housing markets in the country experienced such a striking turn caught industry...

Brick house: pound for pound, nothing beats brick in residential construction.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... AT THE 2003 INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS' Show in Las Vegas, BUILDER wowed the 100,000-plus attendees with its HomeDestinations show home. We chose to design the 13,000-square-foot, European-influenced house with all the bells and whistles a...

Tread on me.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... TREAD ON ME: Designed for exterior pedestrian and light vehicular applications, the Antiqued line of clay pavers features pieces that are tumbled together to give them a soft, aged look, the manufacturer says. The pieces measure 2 1/4 inches...

Veneer of secrecy.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... VENEER OF SECRECY: Cultured Brick thin brick veneer is manufactured in traditional brick sizes and looks just like the real thing but is only 1/2 inch thick. The manufacturer says it can be installed in the same places as brick but without the...

Lightweight.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... LIGHTWEIGHT: One-quarter the weight of natural brick, this manufactured product will result in lower costs and easier installation, the company says. The product measures 1/2 inch thick and comes in four textures--wire-cut, used, antique, and...

Claying around.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... CLAYING AROUND: Made from fired clay, these pavers will keep their colors for years and are exceptionally durable, the company says. They are available in a standard 4-by-8-inch size but also come in larger, smaller, and thicker sizes. A thin...

Limey stone.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... LIMEY STONE: This product is made from a mixture of limestone and cement and has an antique-slurry face design. Priced substantially less than similar products, the brick measures almost 10 by 3 inches and is 3 inches thick. It features a solid...

Light effects: basic landscape lighting can add punch and sparkle to your homes.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... MANY OF TODAY'S HOME BUYERS are looking for more livable outdoor spaces, especially after the sun sets. But extending outdoor living hours into the night requires illumination. "Years ago, people would light the front of their...

Clay pots.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... CLAY POTS: One of the manufacturer's newest path lights, the Terra Cotta fixture is aluminum, finished in textured architectural bronze. The low-voltage path light features a ceramic shade in a natural matte terra cotta finish similar to...

Light bright.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... LIGHT BRIGHT: Available on several of the manufacturer's exterior light fixtures, the DualBrite 2-Level Lighting feature allows lights to be controlled at two levels of brightness. When activated, it operates at 20 percent brightness, using...

Step safely.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... STEP SAFELY: The spec-grade SL730 wall-recessed steplight is compact, measuring only 4 1/2 by 11 inches and uses an energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamp from 9 to 32 watts. Its louvered faceplate delivers glare-free lighting with a...

Copper cone.(Products: products and tools every Builder should know about)
October 1, 2004... COPPER CONE: Using a 20-watt bi-pin G4 halogen lamp, the BB-22 path light has a cone-shaped shade with a 7 1/2-inch opening. Standing 20 inches high, the fixture and shade are constructed of copper and retain a polished raw finish to allow...

Play it safe.(NAHB Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... OSHA's new Web page is full of information specifically related to the health and safety of people who work in the residential construction industry. Created with help from the NAHB, the Web page is designed to help employers and workers...

Pillar awards.(NAHB Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Multifamily housing industry professionals are invited to enter the 2005 Pillars of the Industry Awards. The competition, sponsored by the NAHB, honors the "best of the best" in apartment and condominium design, development, marketing, and...

Politically correct: it is imperative that the 2004 presidential administration makes housing a priority.(From The President)
October 1, 2004... NO MATTER WHO WINS THE UPcoming election, it's vital that Congress and the administration make housing a national priority The following is the NAHB's list of the top 10 key points about housing that all candidates and elected officials need to...

Model president: economists design models to help foretell presidential outcomes.(Seiders Economy)
October 1, 2004... FOR MANY YEARS, ECONOMISTS HAVE BUILT MODels designed to predict the outcomes of presidential elections in the United States, and some of these models have been remarkably accurate. The electorate definitely tends to "vote their pocketbooks,"...

Health care.(NAHB Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A new government report indicates that the number of Americans without health insurance is climbing, and the NAHB is calling on Congress to enact association health plan legislation to help alleviate the crisis. According to the U.S. Census...

Earn a discount: quality matters to general liability insurers.(The NAHB Research Center Corner)
October 1, 2004... IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AVAILABILity and pricing of general liability insurance, as most industry members are, you'll be interested in special pricing offered to companies that have taken steps to document their commitment to quality and...

Critical rulings.(NAHB Briefs)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The NAHB is pleased with two conservation bills passed by the House Resources Committee. The ruling changes the critical habitat designation process, promotes species recovery, reduces litigation, and provides incentives for private landowners...

Hot sellers: sold out! Fast-moving communities.
October 1, 2004... * Flexing Their Options Wyngate at Woodbridge, Bluffton, S.C. WHY IT WORKED: Bluffton, the gateway to Hilton Head Island, is part of the fastest-growing area in the state. Newcomers are do-it-yourselfers who want a home with flexible...

Builder's Choice: design-sensitive, affordable projects dominate this year's competition.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A DESIGN COMPETITION SUCH AS BUILDER'S Choice is best seen as a snapshot of the building industry, a moment in time when clear themes emerge and trends bubble up to the surface. With this year's Builder's Choice awards there are no doubts:...

Northside Community Center + Mabuhay Court.(Project Of The Year And Grand)
October 1, 2004... SAN JOSE, CALIF. BY JUST ABOUT ANY standard, the Project of the Year for 2004 is an unlikely star. It has an odd name: Northside Community Center + Mabuhay Court. It's in California but not in a part of the state that usually racks up...

Markethouse Lofts.(Grand And Merit)
October 1, 2004... SAN JOSE, CALIF. THE LOFT-STYLE RESIdential building may be one of the most popular urban housing types today, but not all projects are architecturally successful. Markethouse Lofts is not one of those projects. With its bold-colored...

The Cortile Collection at the Bridges, residence 3.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIF. WITH THE SIZE AND luxury quotient of the American home reaching ever-higher peaks, builders and their architects are constantly searching for that "wow" factor to bring in buyers. The magnificent courtyard in this...

Bay Street Cottages.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... HARBOR SPRINGS, MICH. THE ORIGINAL ZONING for this site, an acre and a quarter in size, called for a rectangular three-story hotel or motel with a typical parking lot configuration. This, of course, was very different from what the...

Magnolia Row.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... WEST OAKLAND, CALIF. AT $300,000 To $425,000 PER unit, Magnolia Row may not seem like affordable housing. But when you consider that the project is located in the San Francisco Bay area and consists of two- and three-bedroom townhomes,...

Mayacama Golf Clubhouse.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... SANTA ROSA, CALIF. SAY RUSTIC, IF YOU WILL. BUT please don't call the Mayacama Golf Clubhouse Tuscan or Old World. Architect Barry Berkus has soaked up plenty of the architecture of Mediterranean Europe over the years, but with this...

Rollins Square.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... BOSTON WHEN THE STATED GOAL IS to provide mixed-income housing, the end result often makes it clear just who lives where. Not so with Rollins Square, an unusual 184-unit community in Boston's South End, where low-income tenants enjoy...

Harper Court: Seven Fountains.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. LOS ANGELES BUILDER TIM Lefevre of Lefevre Corp. is here to tell you that building spectacular attached housing isn't more difficult--of that much more expensive--than putting up mediocre buildings. And he's got the...

Bougainvillea Courtyard Homes.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... VERO BEACH, FLA. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE West Indies and a touch of St. Augustine, Fla., in the design of the four homes that make up the Bougainvillea Courtyard project. But they look right at home in their well-established, Vero...

Linden Court.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... WEST OAKLAND, CALIF. THE LINDEN COURT DEVELOPment is another example of high-design affordable housing that appears to be taking hold in this country. This one, designed and built in collaboration with existing residents, shows what can...

Kokoro Assisted Living Center.(Grand And Merit)
October 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO A 109-YEAR-OLD BUILDing with an assortment of Old World touches, gingerly connected to a six-story contemporary residential mid-rise, is becoming the focal point of San Francisco's Japan Town. The Kokoro Assisted Living...

The College Park Neighborhood, phase 2.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... MEMPHIS, TENN THE RESIDENTS OF MEMPHIS, Tenn.'s struggling South End much to cherish about their neighborhood, including LeMoyne-Owens College, a historic black institution founded in 1862. But there were cheers all around when LeMoyne...

Rivera Barn.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... NAPA, CALIF. A MAHOGANY BARN. A home built in pieces and scattered across a Napa Valley, Calif., vineyard. This is how a San Francisco businessman's private residence is shaping up at his 65-acre getaway ranch. "Instead of moving into a...

Alexan Lofts.(Grand)(remodeling and renovation)
October 1, 2004... HOUSTON MANY PROJECTS CLAIM TO be lofts, but they are usually built as brand-new structures instead of carved out of pre-existing industrial buildings. Previously home to a furniture factory and warehouse, the Alexan Lofts project fits the...

Arlington Bungalow.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... ARLINGTON, VA. IT'S NOT EASY BEING THE ODDBALL house on the block, something this former brick-and-block rambler put up with for more than 50 years. But thanks to a very sensitive remodeling, this little charmer can now proudly mix with...

Arbor Park Village.(Grand)
October 1, 2004... CLEVELAND ARBOR PARK VILLAGE IS A PARAdoxical name for a townhouse community built on redeveloped inner-city land. Perhaps it reflects the optimism about the 36.3-acre development near downtown Cleveland that, until recently, had suffered...

The Titan.(Grand)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO IF ARCHITECT JONATHAN SEgal relishes the challenge of designing for difficult sites, he must have jumped for joy when he saw the San Diego property where The Titan lofts now stand. It was a .02-acre infill parcel adjacent to a...

Pivot.Slide House.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... TEMPE, ARIZ. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMstances, a house that violates local ordinances and requires a gaggle of variances would be a pariah in a community. Not this one. In fact, the city overwhelmingly approved the house, feeling that its...

Riverwood Place SRO.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SANTA CLARA, CALIF. YOU DON'T FIND MANY affordable housing projects with original artwork hanging on the walls. But Riverwood Place SRO--designed for individuals who earn less than 50 percent of the county's median income--is no ordinary...

Goodson House.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RALEIGH, N.C. PUTTING THE GARAGE in back almost always improves the front elevation of a home, but it can cause problems, too. Namely, how practical is it for a family to cart groceries all the way from the garage to the kitchen?...

Private Residence.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON A FLUENT TRANSLATION of Japanese style is precisely what architect Stephen Muse brought to his design of the interior of this home. Muse used bare maple for trim, columns, and beams to make subtle references to classic Japanese...

Private Residence: Atlanta.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... THE OWNERS OF THIS 1980s neotraditional located in a tony Atlanta neighborhood might be considered lucky that their home was constructed so poorly. A home improvement project to create more closet space morphed into an extreme makeover that...

Italian Gardens.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SAN JOSE, CALIF. EVERY NOW AND THEN, constraints can work in a project's favor. At Italian Gardens, a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments, an irregular site led the architects to design a blend of buildings that unfold in an...

Mossburg Building.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... HARBOR SPRINGS, MICH. THERE'S A SMALL-TOWN, "Music Man" feel to the Mossburg Building's charming front elevation--and it did not happen by accident. "More than giving it a particular style, we wanted to design a building that looks like...

Ross Woods.(Merit)(building architecture)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... BELMONT, CALIF. IT WAS ROSS WOODS' HILLside site, which overlooks San Francisco Bay and is loaded with mature trees, that dictated the house's architecture as much as any-thing. "We felt the Shingle Style would be particularly in keeping...

The Courtyards at Market Street, Plan 2.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. THIS 1,684-SQUARE-FOOT, one-story, two-bedroom, single-family move-down is tucked among the other attached dwellings in this 10-acre desert development. The 88 units were built in 12 groupings of six and eight units, with...

Sunrise of Lincoln Park.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHICAGO OPENED A YEAR AGO on a mixed-use, redeveloped site, this 60-unit assisted riving center aims to help its downtown residents feel as if they were living in a swanky apartment building or ritzy hotel. With its two-story atrium, grand...

10th Street Townes.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE, N.C. CHARLOTTE, N.C., MAY have no finer advertisement for the ongoing transformation of its First Ward than 10th Street Townes, designed by architect David Furman, who also owns developer Boulevard Centro. Earlier projects by...

Summit Roosevelt.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON BEFORE THE ROOSEVELT fell on hard times, it was among Washington's finest hotels. In its new incarnation as the Summit Roosevelt, the landmark is a 198-unit luxury rental building, refurbished in part with federal tax credits....

Island House 2.(Merit)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... BALBOA ISLAND, CALIF. LOCATED AMONG A COLlection of funky houses, restaurants, and shops on Balboa Island, this retirement home offers its residents a casual beach-house feel with inviting spaces for visiting children and grandchildren....