In the Current Issue

Multifamily builders have more ways than ever to maximize outdoor spaces

Whether it’s an upscale apartment complex with a poolside fire ring or the installation of a gourmet stainless steel outdoor kitchen on the rooftop of a luxury condominium tower, multifamily builders are finding new ways to utilize outdoor spaces to offer more value to buyers and renters. As the market has become more constrained, builders have been under pressure to adapt and find new ways to set their projects apart while also maximizing every square foot of available space, both indoors and out.

Benefits and design possibilities with concrete and clay tiles

For builders and developers evaluating different roofing options, there are many factors that can be used in the decisionmaking process. While performance, energy savings and longevity may be important to some, others might be more concerned with aesthetics and architectural compatibility. Even the region and the predominating climate can be influential in the decision. However, when taking into account these considerations on a cumulative basis, tile roofing— including clay and concrete tiles—would certainly emerge as leading choices.

How losing the younger workforce shapes small towns

When I commute from New York City to my field office in San Antonio, I cannot help but observe the landscape below. I marvel at how it all looks so natural. But this is deceptive. Almost all of what I see is man-made, except for the larger bodies of water. The landscape I observe was carved up and made into straight lines most certainly only as recently as the past 100 years. Increasingly, what I gaze upon are houses that have no possible connection to agriculture. I ask the same questions Professor Robert Bruegmann would ask: “Where do they shop? What do they do?

Streamlining kitchen spaces that sell

Multifamily builders are reconsidering traditional approaches to kitchen designs as they look for ways to set their buildings apart from the crowd. Unique finishes, cleverly concealed appliances, and cleaner proportional sight lines were just a few of the emerging trends in multifamily kitchen designs identified at the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s (NKBA) 2010 industry show held in Chicago this past April.