Outwitting Mother Nature

Builders learn to adapt to different regions and seasons
By: James Askew, Builder News Magazine

If there is one thing to be said about building homes in the U.S., it is this: There is, in fact, little that can be called standard building practice. From the frozen reaches of northern Alaska to the sweltering heat of the desert, the U.S. is host to some of the world’s most extreme and divergent weather conditions, and to build a home in each environment often requires a uniquely local bag of tricks. In New Orleans, for instance, hurricane-driven rains can pelt a home at 140-plus miles an hour, while in the Pacific Northwest it is the near constant soak of rain that most threatens the life of a building.

Framing Underway on Custom Home in Prescott

Kitchell Custom Homes shares photos of the framing of a new home in Prescott, AZ. The house, designed by Swaback Partners, features solar solutions and rammed earth walls and will be completed by the end of this year.