Always consider wood grain orientation!

Always consider wood grain orientation!

Yesterday I came across this very nice looking wayfinding sign in a recently constructed building. As you can see, it is a beautiful use of material (solid wood) that adds a contrasting warmth to an otherwise very contemporary design. One thing I noticed, however, was that the panel was cupping (as you can see in the left image below). Wayfinding sign, made from a laminated panel Closeup of grain orientation Upon closer inspection (a high-contrast version is also added here), you can see what the issue is: Some of the boards that were laminated into this panel were cut plainsawn. As explained in Chapter 5, this can lead to shrinkage on the bark side of the board and therefore cupping of the piece, which can even deform an entire laminated board like we see here. Overall, this is not a major issue and most people will likely not have noticed this when passing the sign. But it is a great reminder that it is...
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March 2023 Updates: Edward Allen Award and New American Home

March 2023 Updates: Edward Allen Award and New American Home

Below are two recent items worth of note in the context of this book. Edward Allen Student Award The Edward Allen Student Award is the highest honor given by the Building Technology Educators’ Society recognizing students, who over their academic career have demonstrated commitment, passion, curiosity, and excellence in the integration of building technology and architectural design. You can submit to the 2023 Edward Allen Student Award here. Submissions will be accepted starting March 17, 2023. TNAH 2023 I mention NAHB’s The New American Home project in Part One of the book as an educative and highly publicized annual showcase for house construction and design. The 2023 iteration was revealed at this year's International Builder's Show. See the video below and the links for more details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ejDcfOGobg The New American Home IBS YouTube Channel...
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Fundamentals of Residential Construction, 5th Edition is Here!

Fundamentals of Residential Construction, 5th Edition is Here!

I am very happy to announce that after a full year of editing, writing, photographing, reviewing, proof-reading, and then proof-reading again, the new edition of Fundamentals of Residential Construction by Allen/Schreyer/Thallon is now available! As before, it comes in an eBook version as well as a hardcover. For this edition, I was able to implement many updates and changes. For example, all IRC tables have been updated to the 2021 version and new IRC references have been added to every chapter. Content was updated throughout and, where possible, I replaced images with newer ones. Overall, this volume now has over 1250 illustrations and weighs in at 814 pages. The materials section received an overhaul in that plastics as well as metals are now properly included. Also, being an educator, I tried to make the chapter exercises more relevant to the reader by illustrating at least one per chapter. And the list of interactive SketchUp exercises - a companion feature that I introduced...
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Fences, Fences, Fences

Fences, Fences, Fences

A classic fence option from my backyard As we discuss in Chapter 22, there are many options when it comes to fences, both in terms of design as well as material. Common material options are wood (naturally resistant or pressure treated), vinyl, and of course metal (mainly galvanized steel). However, as a recent story (linked below) from the New York Times highlights, there are other options as well, namely stainless steel in this case. This article also discusses some of the socio-economic factors that are relevant in this context: fences as status symbols, cultural representation, etc. (more…)...
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Submit to the 2022 Edward Allen Student Award

Submit to the 2022 Edward Allen Student Award

I am not affiliated with this award, but am happy to promote it here, too. See below for details: Description The Edward Allen Student Award is the highest honor given by the Building Technology Educators’ Society recognizing students who - over their academic career - have demonstrated commitment, passion, curiosity, and excellence in the integration of building technology and architectural design. Link: https://btes.org/BTES/awards/ed-allen-award/...
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