Helena Habitat for Humanity Aims to Build 1,000 Affordable Homes
A new Habitat for Humanity project in Helena, Mont., aims to deliver 1,000 affordable housing units and outdoor community amenities
How Eminent Domain May Be Used to Respond to Climate Crises
Eminent domain, which grants the government power to take private property for public use, has displaced thousands of Americans for the sake of infrastructure in the past, but it may be used for a better purpose in a global climate crisis
Soil Connect Is Moving Dirt and Building Relationships
Cliff Fetner created Soil Connect so builders and developers could more easily move dirt and other aggregates from jobsite to jobsite, but it has expanded to become something much more
NAHB Develops Land Use Resources for Home Builders and Buyers
NAHB Chairman's Message: An NAHB Land Development Committee working group is creating educational resources to help make land-use policy information more accessible
How to Transform a Non-View Lot Into an Eye-Catching Home Site
Not everyone can afford to pay a premium for sought-after view lots, but following these design tips can turn any basic yard into a charming outdoor living space
North Carolina Habitat for Humanity Buys 100 Acres of Land for Workforce Housing
The Sandhills, NC, office recently bought 100 acres of land to build workforce housing for hundreds of families
Turtle Crossing in Warwick Grove
It pays to protect the environment. The Warwick Grove master plan in Warwick, N.Y., boasts a diversity of wildlife, including federally protected bog turtles that roam the marshy outskirts. When the state of New York requested developer-builder LeylandAlliance protect the slow-moving but wide-ranging amphibians, the company called upon Michael Klemens, Ph.
Developing Relationships
Builders have yet to be selected for the 2,043-acre Canyons South golf and residential community south of Denver in Douglas County. Lots for the 400-home first phase won't be offered until the second half of 2006, but John Waggoner, president of developer Lowe Enterprises' Central division, was in contact with builders months before the January 25 land closing.
Revisiting an Overlooked Parcel
In Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., Discovery Cove at Half Moon Bay sits on 12 acres of highly desirable riverfront, just steps from a boat marina and near the commuter rail into New York. But the site sat dormant for roughly 20 years before WCI Northeast U.S. stepped in to build 154 attached homes there. Why? "For years, complications made this land not worth developing," says Gabe Pasquale, vice presi...
Tight-Spot Townhomes
Urban redevelopment provides numerous opportunities to builders, particularly smaller ones, for whom a small lot can present a world of opportunity. Villa Carabelli Townhomes in Cleveland, for example, turned an underutilized 1.4-acre parking lot into 20 upscale, four-story townhouses. This was a unique lot and a unique development, because Alta House, a pillar of Cleveland's Little Italy neigh...
Surrounded by Nature
In Bothell, Wash., located near Seattle, builder CamWest Development created a Craftsman-style neighborhood set within nature — the North Creek Project. This eight-acre site consists of a collection of small homes on small lots at a density of 14.5 units per developed acre, for 33 units in all.
The Architectural Ensemble
The buildings in an architectural ensemble are like the instruments in a musical ensemble, sounding together to create a compelling whole. The harmonious outcome is more important than any individual part. The conscientious arrangement of buildings in concert with cars and landscape elements creates more than a place: it creates a world unto itself.
The Evolution of Master-Planned Communities
The end of World War II marked a watershed, not only in global geopolitical relationships, but in the development of the American community as well. For over a decade and a half this nation had struggled with an unprecedented economic melt-down followed by a battle for survival of the free world as we knew it.
The Future of Master Planned Communities
Each of the case studies in this article tells us something we can build upon in creating future master-planned communities, particularly in what we have learned in the last 10 years since Celebration. The four cornerstones of planning must be: Let's look at each point. Too few developers consider the long-range effect development has on the local area, whereas the local public officials and po...
Price Does Not Affect Profit
When we dig into the data from our most recent Builder Financial Study (the 11th consecutive survey of Lee Evans Group clients), we find house prices in 2003 ranging from $98,800 to $3.2 million, but no direct correlation of price and profitability. Thirty-eight percent of the builders had average sales prices under $200,000, 29.
Design Sketchbook: Entryways
For years we've placed tremendous emphasis on the design and construction of front entries. From richly detailed doors to elaborate foyers with vaulted ceilings and multiple layers of crown molding, formal entryways all contribute to the initial impression of a home. At least they do if you're a guest who actually enters through the front of the home.
