In last week's blog post, we reported that architects are seeing changes in home design due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey, there is a greater interest in indoor air quality (IAQ) among custom builders and renovators. That finding piqued our interest in whether...

A plethora of new reports indicate that coronavirus is shaping home design trends in the U.S. and globally. Among them, the American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey shows that more outdoor features and flexible spaces are highly desirable. The survey also shows products that improve indoor air quality, thermal moisture control,...

Noise levels are one of the top concerns for home shoppers today, according to Realtor.com. While insulation is one of the best ways to reduce unwanted noise in new homes, building codes mostly require that exterior walls be insulated, and it’s not customary for the interior walls of homes to be insulated. Yet, there are compelling advantages for...

The infectious disease and HVAC engineering communities have been grappling with the complexities of COVID-19 transmission for the past nine months. Increased HVAC fresh air has the potential to dilute and remove the aerosol droplet particles of COVID-19 that many experts believe is one of the main sources of transmission. Now the building science...

Personal finance website WalletHub just published a new report ranking the 48 contiguous states on home energy efficiency. This report comes during a year when American households have seen energy use soar during the pandemic, with many individuals staying home to avoid infection. WalletHub found that on average, U.S households historically spent...

Today marks the 5th Annual Energy Efficiency Day(#EEDay2020), established by advocate groups around the United States to highlight the benefits of energy efficiency (for a full list,see here). Hundreds of companies, organizations, utilities, and governments representing tens of millions of people will take part in #EEDay2020 by encouraging...

RESNETannounced this week that its analysis of the top 200 U.S. home builders in 2019 shows more builders are constructing HERS homes, and of all homes built by the top 200 builders, 39 percent received a HERS rating last year. Other impressive numbers from the analysis show:

As lumber costs skyrocket across the country, driven by strong homebuilding numbers and residential and commercial renovation projects, cost containment measures become more important for home builders. One effective way to reduce lumber use is advanced framing and it comes with the added benefits of optimized energy efficiency and structural...

Taking Performance to a Whole New Level

North American Passive House Network last month named Ken Levenson, co-founder of 475 Performance, as its new Executive Director. Levenson, an architect by trade, is a longtime advocate of building science and an

 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star program is set to conduct its annual “Rule Your Attic” promotional campaign beginning next month. The campaign educates consumers about the importance of air sealing and insulation by encouraging homeowners to measure their attic insulation and add more if needed.