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Embracing the Opportunities of Green Building

By Kay Wilthew

Industry pioneer Healthy Buildings USA was developed through personal circumstances that confronted the company founder and CEO Bob Massaro. Twelve years ago when his child was stricken with asthma, Massaro combined his public health and biology education with his building and design expertise to create a healthy indoor environment for his family. Massaro's response helped his child and put him on the path to creating healthy environments for his entire community.

In the 1980s before "going green" was a mainstream concept, Massaro and his brother, architect Jon Massaro, operated their design/build firm to create "healthy" buildings that were good for occupants, easier on the environment and made sound economic sense. In the late '90s, following the incident with his son, Massaro redirected his efforts to focus exclusively on green and healthy buildings and launched Healthy Buildings USA, a company whose leadership and educational efforts have helped to guide the building industry to an environmental perspective.

Clockwise from left: Bob Massaro (sitting), CEO; Elizabeth Olcott, managing principal; Christopher Gustin, manager, government relations; Jon Massaro, principal architect; Summer Seret, marketing coordinator; Sara Rosenthal, development principal (Photo courtesy of Seymour & McIntosh)

Company principal Sara Rosenthal believes the health benefits of green building are often overlooked. "Most people learning about green are totally focused on the environment, and the health aspect is a fairly new dimension." Like Massaro, Rosenthal has her undergraduate degree in biology. She later added her MBA from Stanford.

Long a proponent of green building, Massaro recognized its significant health benefits. "Because I was initially educated in biology, I understand the impact the environment can have on the human body. I decided if I'm going to build the environment in which people live, work and learn, let me make it such that it doesn't do them any harm."

Napa Townhomes - kitchen and living area. Designed with a special focus on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Stained concrete and laminate flooring, tankless hot water heaters, wheat-board cabinets, dual-flush toilets, zero-VOC finishes (Photo courtesy of Healthy Buildings USA)

Evidence proves green building's substantial economic, environmental and health value. Says Massaro, "The data now overwhelmingly demonstrates that healthy buildings result in less absenteeism and higher productivity. The connection between healthy and green buildings and economic benefits has been firmly established. The rating systems such as LEED and GreenPoint Rated recognize this. People who live in healthy buildings are benefiting themselves, and benefiting the planet."

The principals of Healthy Buildings believe that architects and builders have a moral obligation and social responsibility to create sustainable environments. Says Massaro, "This business is much more than just building build- ings and making money, it is also about opportunity. Architects have the opportunity to design beautiful buildings that function properly and last a long time. Smart builders have the opportunity to build good buildings that have a positive effect on their bottom line, and on the life of our planet."

Sonoma custom home - built green and healthy; solar net zero energy (Photo courtesy of Healthy Buildings USA)

Regional church HQ - commercial application of green and healthy (Photo courtesy of Healthy Buildings USA)

Healthy Buildings has combined their "hands on" green design and building expertise with an outreach agenda. The company's LEED certification consulting and educational services are available throughout California. Explains Massaro, "We decided if we're going to be truly sustainable we must bring sustainability to others; to educate, to inspire and to motivate. We're qualified to advise our clients on attaining LEED certification and to achieve Build It Greens' GreenPoint rating."

The scope of the company's involvement in a project varies, explains Elizabeth Olcott, managing principal. "On some of our projects we're the project manager or consultant, on others the general contractor. So not only are we providing consulting and project management services, we can also build out the projects."

Light-gauge steel framing of townhome project, Napa (Photo courtesy of Healthy Buildings USA)

View of Valley Oak Villas townhome community, Napa. Recognized as one of the Top 15 Green Communities in the Bay Area by Solano magazine (Photo courtesy of Healthy Buildings USA)

Christopher Gustin, manager, government relations, with 30+ years working in public agencies is uniquely qualified to assist municipalities in drafting their green-building ordinances. "My role is to help the local governmental agencies put the rules in place to encourage a higher level of construction standards - to go beyond the minimum standards and make them healthy, high-performing buildings."

Massaro believes their message must emphasize high-performance building. "There are those that equate environmentally sustainable buildings with the 'tree huggers' of the '70s and '80s. To me this is all about performance. High- performance buildings consume less energy, emit less greenhouse gasses, cost less money to operate, require less maintenance and are healthier, happier places. And yes, they also save trees."

1986 hillside home; among Los Angeles' first healthy homes (Photo courtesy of Healthy Buildings USA)

Adjacent to the Hollywood sign, late 1980s, early green and healthy features (Photo courtesy of Healthy Buildings USA)

Healthy Buildings USA also develops select high-visibility projects promoting innovative green technologies. Says Massaro, "We now look at the projects we develop as R&D opportunities. The technologies of today considered 'cutting edge' or 'pushing the envelope' will be commonplace in three to five years. We consider part of our job to implement these technologies now, so that we can help them become commonplace sooner.

"Ultimately, the more we humans damage our environ- ment the more we're going to harm ourselves. We in the building profession have the knowledge and skills - let's use them. Information is there for the taking."

Massaro conveys a sense of urgency. "This is the turning point in the building industry. The way we design and build buildings is going to change radically. They will be built so they don't consume energy or they'll generate their own energy. Different materials will be in place, designs will change and the way buildings integrate with the environment will change. Technology will push us to living differently. With sustainable building practices, we can actually have a better quality of life - healthier environments, lower costs and put less stress on the planet. We just have to embrace the opportunities, which includes change, and the rest will follow."

Healthy Buildings USA is located at 100A Coombs Street, Napa, CA 94559. Call (707) 265-0265 or visit healthybuildingsusa.com for more information.

More Than Noteworthy

March 26, 2008, the State Assistance Fund for Enterprise, Business and Industrial Development (SAFE-BIDCO) presented the 6th annual Green Entrepreneur Award recognizing excellence in sustainable business practices throughout Northern California to Robert D. Massaro and Healthy Buildings USA.

Areas of Expertise

- Project management and technical consultation from schematic design through entitlements, and through the entire construction process.
- Guidance of staff and local stakeholder groups to facilitate the development of green-building ordinances.
- LEED and Build It Green Project Ratings. Coordination of the project team's effort to achieve USGBC's LEED or Built It Green's GreenPoint-rated verifications.
- Cost/benefit analysis for design elements under consideration, and constructability review from a green- building technology perspective.

Expanding the Team

In early 2007, Massaro realized his ability to foster sustainability was limited by the number of projects his company could complete in any one year. He really wanted Healthy Buildings work product to be sustainability, and not just designing or building structures like homes, offices and schools. Once he realized he wanted to sow the seeds of sustainability, Healthy Buildings' new business model became clear, and so did its need for experienced and knowledgeable talent. Thus the addition, in mid-2007, of Elizabeth Olcott as managing principal, and in early 2008 of Sara Rosenthal and Chris Gustin as principals. Each brought with them considerable knowledge, experience, academic credentials and green-building certifications (including LEED AP, AICP, Green Point Rater and Certified Green Building Professional designations). More importantly, they brought the same vision as Massaro's, namely that of designing and building in the most sustainable manner possible.

2008 Projects

- New commercial office building, 6,500 square feet, in a high-visibility location and a 31-unit residential building for the Gasser Foundation in Napa. Both targeted to be LEED Gold, they will have a significant impact on both residential and commercial development in the entire city of Napa.
- A new dormitory for 61 students of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, a nationally respected institution. Targeted to be LEED Gold, this project elevates educational housing to a higher level of sustainability.
- 16 one- and two-story new custom homes in Yountville, Napa Valley. Zero energy, sustainable homes; targeted to be LEED Gold and GreenPoint rated, these homes will include several features new to sustainable design.

June 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Maurice Levitch, AIA

I'm thinking again about how projects come together, about how an idea becomes a reality from the perspective of all involved. We are so engrossed in the process on a day-to-day basis that we may lose sight of the awesome orchestra of talent that we lead as designers and builders.

From the client or end user to the craftspeople involved, there are so many ideas, materials and people moving around that it is a wonder anything gets done at all. There will certainly be mistakes and misunder- standings along the way.

With a moving target of real estate values, financing issues, new materials and methods, and rising fuel costs, we are challenged even more than before with turning out successful projects.

Just to get it out on the table, here are all the players in the band that I can think of right now: property owner (along with family and friends), neighbors, realtor, appraiser, lender, architect and associates, engineer and associates, planning and building department (along with outside plan-checking service and field inspectors), interior designer, builder and associates, subcontractors and material suppliers.

For a recent small bathroom remodel, I counted up to 53 individuals involved in creating the project! Just think of how many folks are concerned with a larger project. At a recent SF Giants baseball game, as I was talking to my cousin who runs the "Guzzler" slide, I heard one of his adult clients proudly say he had helped build the thing. We must acknowledge and share the pride in creating a project with all those involved, because, for most people, a project is more than a paycheck.

In my Spanish class, El professor brought in students from the ESL class so we could practice English and Spanish together. A majority of the ESL students were in the construction trades and had left their families back in their country. One of them said that El Jefe (the boss) required that he enroll in the class. This man, with great feeling, said his boss was a "buena persona," telling us how his boss had come to the job and asked him to stop working so they could go to lunch together. The humanity in this was so clear that it made me look for ways to express my appreciation for my own crew better and more often. Being so busy with getting the project done can blind us to the importance of making sure to share our gratitude for those who give so much for us every day.

Whether you take a worker out to lunch, buy him or her a tool, offer to loan out the company truck for the weekend, teach your employees about a new building system or simply acknowledge the nice work they just completed, you will be a better person and have a better staff to show for it. The same goes for the many others involved in the project. It is even OK to let your client know that the idea he or she had for the handrail detail was a winner!

June 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Jan Gruen

It's no secret that the building industry has been hard hit by a declining real estate market. With markedly slow sales, there is an abundance of available product, and the value of California homes has decreased. Inarguably, those who bought homes before the downturn now own homes worth considerably less. The result? Home builder attorneys are seeing an increase in defect claims coupled with demands that builders "buy back" their homes. Are these the symptoms of buyer's remorse and a desire to offset economy driven losses?

In times when home values are consistently increasing, buyers with defect claims typically seek monetary compensation to fix their homes. In the absence of serious conditions, owners do not tend to consider selling their increasingly valuable asset back to the builder. In a strong real estate market, the voluntary buy-back concept emerges only where there are severe defects, when a defective home can be repaired and resold without much delay or loss, or in other extreme situations. Under such circumstances, a buy-back may sometimes be preferable to the outcome of litigation. Voluntary buy-backs are accomplished by repurchasing a home at the current market value or at some other fixed point in time, plus any additional reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred.

In today's economy, buy-backs are even less attractive to builders who are loath to add more product to their inventory in a very slow moving market. Faced with strong resistance to the voluntary buy-back concept, especially for weak or garden-variety defect claims, some owner-claimants are filing suits and demanding the rescission of their purchase contracts in lieu of more traditional monetary compensation. Armed with laundry lists of claimed defects, some real and some not, the goal is to force builders into a buy-back. These claims are often made years after purchase of the home.

Under the law of rescission, a party to a purchase and sale contract can rescind the contract and return the property where there is proof of fraud or mistake. Given the onerous nature of the remedy, proving the elements necessary to successfully rescind a contract are challenging. Rescission requires the complaining party to prove the intentional withholding of material information that, if known, would have affected their decision to purchase the home (fraud) or the existence of severe defects sufficient to establish that the home was, unbeknownst to the buyer, materially different than that bargained for (mistake).

Strong defenses to rescission exist and make the likelihood of victory even more questionable. Rescission is improper where a buyer: (1) fails to file a timely suit: an aggrieved party has three years from the time they discover, or reasonably should have discovered, the facts constituting the fraud or mistake; (2) waives the right to rescind, having accepted benefits under the agreement with full knowledge of facts warranting rescission; e.g., disclosure; (3) fails to perform obligation(s) under the contract; (4) unreasonably delays in asserting a claim to the prejudice of the seller, e.g., the long-term owner; or (5) seeks unreasonable or non-compensable damages. Other defenses may also apply.

While an aggrieved and victorious party is entitled to recover bona fide non-duplicative losses incurred, not all claimed losses are recoverable. The rescission of a housing contract allows the purchaser to collect only "reasonable" out-of- pocket expenses incurred in the course of the transaction. Such expenses include costs of repairs and improvements, taxes, interest paid to the seller, escrow and closing costs, operating losses during the buyer's maintenance of the property and payments made to reduce existing encumbrances on the property. A credit is then given for the reasonable rental value of the property during occupancy. If the elements of fraud or mistake are met, the battle will necessarily focus on recoverable damages.

Until the real estate market strengthens, I am certain we will continue to see questionable rescission claims brought against builders, as attorneys employ creative remedies to address adverse market conditions. Less certain is the relative success of rescission as a method offsetting decreased property values.

June 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Part 5 in the Outsiders Series

By Eve Kushner

If you had the world's greatest idea, but it remained unrealized, what would you have truly proven? It's a key question for visionaries.

As we saw in this column two months ago, New Jersey architect Malcolm Wells had an epiphany in 1964 about how building underground would benefit the planet. Last month we saw how the vision took over his mind and his life.

In 1970, he had another epiphany; he couldn't merely revel in his idea. Rather, he needed to prove that it could work.

Determined to show that underground buildings could be beautiful and serene, the cash-strapped Wells spent $6,000 on a small lot in Cherry Hill and set out to create an office for his firm. Passionate about his experiment, he laid the bricks himself.

Wedged between busy Route 70 and Dale Avenue, the site wasn't appealing, but Wells blunted the highway noise by building the structure one story below ground level. A sunny pebbled courtyard around much of the perimeter enabled daylight to slant down through windows, creating a cheerful environment.

People took notice, including The New York Times, in both 1973 and 1976. One Times photograph captured Wells in the office, with arms outstretched under a skylight bubble. He looked like a man receiving life's bounty.

Clients expressed great interest in his way of building. Members of a cooperative Ohio community had him design a complex of solar underground houses. Before decade's end, clients in several mid-Atlantic states built Wells' earth-sheltered designs for houses, arboretum facilities and warehouses. (I said "earth-sheltered," not "underground," because some buildings were bermed but bore conventional roofs.)

Even as the word spread, he refused to wait around for others to discover his ideas. Instead, he published reams of articles, such as "Why I Went Underground" and "An Ecologically Sound Architecture Is Possible." In a weekly environmental column for the Philadelphia Bulletin, he lambasted polluters, irresponsible developers and politicians.

And, in 1977, he self-published Underground Designs. This handwritten, stapled book of plans sold more than 100,000 copies, partly because the energy crisis sparked interest in super-efficient homes. The profitability of this book enabled Wells to change his life yet again.

He and his wife fled the increasingly horrid New Jersey suburbs for Cape Cod, where Wells built a bermed house on a large, woodsy property. Completed in 1980, the house received ample television, magazine and newspaper coverage, also appearing in many books by Wells and others. Photographs showed greenery climbing from the ground onto the roof, enticingly hiding the building. A skylight ran the length of the house, bringing in bountiful light. Windows at ceiling height made the place even sunnier. And rustic trusses lent rooms a charming earthiness.

Three years after moving in, the couple parted ways. A builder-developer "Cape- Coddified" the house (in Wells' words) by tearing out the central skylight and shingling over that part of the roof.

When Wells remarried in 1984, he and his bride bought a sizable lot with a small aboveground house. He hoped to burrow underground again immediately. Lacking funds to build another house (because the divorce had wiped him out), he decided on an underground art gallery for his landscape painter wife, Karen North Wells, with an office for himself at one end. (He hoped to add a residential wing, but the money has never become available.)

Construction began in 1987. On the fairly level site, he excavated a large central area. Instead of carting away the soil, he mounded it to the side. In these ways, he made a small hill where there hadn't been one before. The dug-out space became a graveled parking lot. The rectilinear gallery sits under the new hill, with a wall of windows facing the parking lot to the south. Sun streams in through those windows, making the gallery bright and cheery. Ten knotted pine trunks from the site now serve as interior columns, adding further appeal.

Atop the roof lies a thick field of trees and grasses. Some of the plants drape down over the structure, as if providing a bit of modesty.

Beyond proving that underground buildings can be warm and inviting, the gallery realizes Wells' inside-out vision of how architecture should be. That is, the exterior makes a humble statement, rather than dominating the Earth, while the impressive architecture lies indoors.

June 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Innovation and Structural Considerations

By Paris A. Tabor, P.E.

With the increasing implementation of green-building practices, concepts from the past have been resurrected and are being presented as advancements within the residential construction industry.

ADVANCE FRAMING/ OPTIMUM VALUE ENGINEERING

In our recent column, we discussed "Advanced Framing/Optimum Value Engineering," and presented an overview of advanced framing, which was developed in the 1970s by NAHB and HUD and referred to a variety of techniques designed to reduce the amount of lumber used (reducing structural redundancies) and waste generated in the construction of wood-framed houses. In addition, it also improved energy efficiency and acoustical performance.

SOLAR PANELS

In addition to the above efficiencies achieved through advanced framing for residential construction, the evolution of solar panels has progressed immensely since the 1970s with the implementation of a combination of revolutionary materials to drive efficiencies from below 10% to the high teens. For example, an individual 32"x62" SunPower 215 solar panel produces 215 watts at 17.3% efficiency. SunPower gains greater efficiencies from their panels partially because the electrical contacts are placed on the back of the solar cells, which also results in a better-looking panel compared to the conventional silvery-blue solar panels with which most of us are familiar.

Current solar panel systems have been refined to "stand off" current roofing material with sufficient attachment to withstand wind uplift loads, as well as to provide adequate ventilation below the panel for maintenance purposes.

Since solar panels are typically installed postconstruction, the additional 2.4 lbs./ square foot beyond the existing roofing material weight may warrant evaluation of the current roof structure (stick framed or trusses) for its ability to vertically support the added assembly. Also, the added panel weight may increase the seismic lateral loads at the roof level sufficiently enough to exceed the existing shearwall panel capacities and/or wind loads (solar panels will act as hydrofoils upon pitch roofs), creating uplift connection and framing concerns. Thus, within high wind or seismic regions, having a structural review and implementing recommendations by an engineer may be prudent.

SOLAR TILES

Recent advancements in technology over the past decade have brought about the introduction/improvement of solar roof tiles, which have been integrated into new residential home construction utilizing flat or S-Tile concrete roofing material.

Solar tiles have been recently accepted by home buyers without reservations and have even provided bragging rights for homeowners to their friends and colleagues. But who wouldn't be bragging about being ecologically friendly as their SunTile roof converts up to 22% of available sunlight into electricity!

Since the solar tile material (5 lbs./ square foot) is installed during new construction, the originally prescribed concrete tile roofing material (7.5 to 9 lbs./square foot) is substituted with the solar tile (SunPower SunTile) without any structural ramifications.

COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

Solar panels are rapidly appearing within new retail construction as well as existing retail buildings, which are being structurally evaluated/rehabilitated to accept rooftop-mounted solar panel arrays and associated equipment, such as control panels/converters.

The electricity produced utilizing the rooftop-mounted solar arrays are easily powering the interior store lights for thousands of Big Box stores (like Macys, Lowe's, Target, Wal-Mart). Can you imagine the number of solar panels you can get on a 50,000-square-foot box store?

SUMMARY

Solar energy is present every day (OK, unless you are in Alaska … which experiences variances of almost 24-hour daylight to 24-hour night).

We have millions (more like hundreds of millions) of square feet of retail rooftops and billions of square feet of residential rooftops in the U.S., which all see the light of the sun. Our task is to effectively capture this energy resource consistently with solar tiles and rooftop-mounted solar panels while folding it into current designs (architectural and structural) that enables the installation of "optional (solar) equipment."

June 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Jason M. Brandman

Over the past century, development activities have dramatically altered the natural landscape of California. As our population has grown, the state has realized shrinkage and isolation of natural habitats, altered flows in streams and rivers, and introduced non-native plants and animals and pollution of the air, land and water. While California has enacted more environmental protection laws and regulations than many states, we also have more growth planned.

The California Council on Science and Technology recently predicted that a storm surge off the Northern California coast combined with heavy rainfall could swamp the aging levee system in the Sacramento Delta, directly affecting the 6 million Californians who live nearby and threatening the water supply for much of Southern California. This type of concern has led to such responses as Gov. Schwarzenegger's actions on greenhouse gases. However, as most developers and the consultants that assist them have experienced firsthand, a lack of data makes it difficult to plan appropriate responses. Some scientists believe that in this century, California winters will become warmer and wetter. Because most of California's rain occurs in winter, predicted changes to weather patterns will eventually lead to less snow and more rain, increasing winter runoff and decreasing summer stream flow, thus intensifying the level of statewide water demand. This will clearly affect all types of development from infrastructure to new residential building.

The weather we experience here in the northern part of the state is vastly different from what our neighbors to the south encounter; therefore, a one-size-fits-all goal makes little sense. In his presentation, "A Regional Climate Change Concept," former director of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Charles Kennel stated that regional climate studies focusing on small-scale, localized networks, coupled with economic and social information such as infrastructure costs and risks, are the most reasonable solution to addressing regional need.

Indeed, we see the success of this approach in local development when it is approached in a manner cognizant and respectful of natural resources. The city of San Ramon's City Center project is an excellent example of combining development needs with respect for the environment. The 2.1-million-square-foot mixed-use infill project aims to capitalize on its adjacency to regional transportation facilities, major employment centers, commercial retail centers, a central park and a community center to reduce vehicle miles traveled and to promote public transit and bicycle and pedestrian modes of transportation. In concert with the city's 2020 general plan, City Center is projected to result in approximately 11,100 new residents; however, the design allowed that at least 50% of the total project landscaping would consist of drought-tolerant trees with low ozone-forming potential, thus significantly reducing its potential carbon footprint. The project is local in design, but the concept is highly generalizable … as good planning - and good environmental stewardship - often is.

June 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By John Gumas

Integrating online media into your current conventional marketing strategy can significantly enhance your return on marketing investment. Adding online components gives your customers and prospects the benefit of immediate gratification by allowing them to access important information on a 24/7 basis. And it puts them in charge of how much and when they want to "drill down" for additional information. These elements are designed to get your prospects more deeply involved with your marketing programs.

Here are some specific examples that we have found to work well within the building industry.

DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR SITE WITH AN OFFER

One of the first imperatives of marketing is to establish and develop a one-on-one relationship with your prospects. The idea is that the more you know about them, and the more familiar they are with you, the closer you are to a sale.

One thing online media can do very inexpensively is capture information. Offer your prospects an incentive to come to your website to sign up for a special offer. This offer needs to correspond with your messaging or theme and should provide enough incentive for your prospect to sign up. For example, if you are promoting a new-home community using an Italian theme, try offering an "enter to win" promotion where they could win a free dinner at a local Italian restaurant, an Italian cooking class or something else along these lines. You can really get creative here.

Once at your site, you can capture some key information about them. Most people are willing to give up a limited amount of information in order to qualify for something they deem valuable.

Not only will you be establishing a relationship with your prospects and providing value, you will be building a database that can be built into all your future marketing efforts.

USE A MICRO-SITE TO CUSTOMIZE EACH CAMPAIGN

You don't want to completely overhaul your website every time you launch a new campaign, but you do want to have some consistency between the look of your campaign materials and the look you have online. How can you have both? With a micro-site.

A micro-site is a mini website that typically has a short life span (several weeks to several months) and a limited number of pages. Think of a micro-site as an interim landing pad that provides the connection between the current campaign and the corporate website. Once at the microsite, visitors can get the information they need on that specific project without having to surf through the corporate website. They could then choose from several options to get more information by clicking on links that would take them into the corporate website.

Another benefit to micro-sites is that you can precisely measure the response to each individual marketing campaign by tracking who hits the micro-site, where they've come from and how many of them visit the corporate site for more details. It's a great way to test the response rates and effectiveness of different campaigns.

PERSONALIZED PASSWORD- ONLY ENTRY BOOSTS RESPONSE

It has been proven that the more you can personalize your marketing activity, the better your response. If you can offer a personalized Web experience, you can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. For example, if you use direct mail, offer a personalized password or code on each direct-mail piece. The password can be used online to enter a contest, complete a survey or qualify for other premium offers. Most people can't resist checking to see what their very own personal code will get them. One builder saw response rates go from 3% using traditional direct-mail response mechanisms to 20% using a personalized password response mechanism. That's a 666% increase in response rate!

In today's competitive world of marketing, you have to test any strategy that could make a difference to your bottom line. If you are already integrating your online and conventional marketing activity, you already understand the benefits and rewards. If you're not, put some of these suggestions into your marketing arsenal. The results will impress you.

June 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

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Creating Architecture Through Collaboration

By Kay Wilthew

To Jensen/Ptaszynski Architects, the personal relationships established between clients, architects and contractors are of equal importance as their imaginative, well-detailed building projects. Principal and owner Andre Ptaszynski embraces a collaborative operating style based on mutual respect for each person's opinions, experience and talent. The resulting studio environment inspires creativity through a cohesive team committed to producing exemplary architectural projects with high customer satisfaction.

Jensen/Ptaszynski Architects specializes in residential and commercial work, including luxury homes and professional buildings. Of special interest is the company's contribution to the historically significant Sea Ranch housing development along the North Sonoma coast. Initiated in the 1960s, Sea Ranch claims the distinction of being the country's first ecologically sensitive development project. Ptaszynski believes this project has proven a tremendous asset to Jensen/ Ptaszynski's portfolio. "It's incredibly dramatic country, and it really was the very first project to consider the environment. In the manner that Earth Day was established back in the '60s, Sea Ranch is of that vintage. It stretches back to that first consciousness of ecology."

The Jensen/Ptaszynski Architects team, at the James house, a major remodel in Danville. (Photo by Bruce Schneider)

The development was so innovative that Ptaszynski recalls studying the project in architectural school. "Our work at Sea Ranch is not only reward-Jensen/Ptaszynski Architects ing by virtue of its history, but also personally rewarding because I was a student when Sea Ranch was first being introduced as an architectural concept." Jensen/Ptaszynski Architecture built 10 of the houses in that development. "It's a body of work of which I'm very proud, both in its formal qualities and because our clients really love their homes. It is also fascinating to be working with the latest concepts of sustainable and green architecture in the place where it all started."

After graduating from Yale, Ptaszynski traveled extensively, working in Africa, London, Alaska, San Francisco and then settling in Vermont. But Ptaszynski was drawn to the West Coast's urban spaces and returned to the Bay Area, working with Jensen/Ptaszynski Architects' founder Harley Jensen. Upon Jensen's retirement, Ptaszynski purchased the company and applied his own business philosophy. "I've always enjoyed a sense of collaboration - that sense of dialogue, that we enrich each other, and together, something happens that is beyond each of us."

The Perez residence living room at the Sea Ranch, Sonoma County (Photo courtesy of Andre Ptaszynski)

The firm's open-forum approach encourages an environment of participation. "We all have a voice, we can all express our opinions and say what we think," adds designer Patrick Gaughan. "That's a wonderful direction."

Architect Jim Brencic appreciates Jensen/Ptaszynski's respect for individual abilities. "We work together as a team, and we are very collaborative. We work like a studio in that we make use of each other's strengths. We look to and lean on each other in finding solutions."

The Concord-Diablo Federal Credit Union, Concord (Photo courtesy of Frank Domin Photography)

Ptaszynski reiterates the benefits of a studio atmosphere. "We associate the word 'studio' with architecture school - essentially a place where one is provided with the opportunity not just to learn from your professors, but also to learn from each other. That is actually where most of the learning happens, and so there is always dialog over projects, their sustainability, functionality or aesthetics."

Creativity thrives when a true collaboration exists between the client, architect and contractor. Gaughan notes that Jensen/Ptaszynski often receives referrals, and their clients remain in contact. "I think that's really important. It's very rewarding maintaining a relationship with the client. It's a human connection, its not just business."

Coastal fog over the first Jensen/Ptaszynski house at the Sea Ranch, Sonoma County (Photo courtesy of Harley Jensen)

The new cabana and pool at an old Victorian house in Alamo (Photo courtesy of Harley Jensen)

Brencic attributes Jensen/Ptaszynski's success and reputation to their attention to detail, from project concept through completion. "We manage the project as a whole, from the planning stage to the point when the key is put in the door. We're strong all the way through, from be- ginning to end."

Jensen/Ptaszynski specializes in custom architecture. "Our job is to solve unique problems," explains Ptaszynski. "Every problem is different, and we bring the understanding that each needs an exclusive solution." The team applies no pre-existing formula or templates. "Each client, site and context is unique; where we excel is coming to grips with what a particular project essentially entails and addressing that specific situation."

Andre Ptaszynski with team members Patrick Gaughan and Jim Brencic at the James house in Danville. (Photo by Bruce Schneider)

New medical offices for Dr. Adam Wallach, Danville (Photo courtesy of Frank Domin Photography)

The firm strives to bring the inherent intimacy of residential projects to commercial projects as well. Brencic considers the client experience as essential to the success of any project, whether commercial or residential. "Many of our clients come to us with their most precious possession: their home. It's a very tenuous and nerve wracking position. We definitely want to make it comfortable, pleasant - and even fun - because it should be an enjoyable experience."

The new entry porch at the Schwartz house, Moraga (Photo courtesy of Frank Domin Photography)

It's the end result, the client's enthusiasm that the Jensen/Ptaszynski team finds most rewarding. "I definitely want to see beautiful buildings as a result of our efforts, but without the client satisfaction it's a hollow victory," says Ptaszynski. "The client satisfaction is that dimension which truly makes it all worthwhile."

Jensen/Ptaszynski Architects is located at 3449 Mt. Diablo Blvd. #A, in Lafayette, CA 94549. Call (925) 284-4398 or visit jandparchitects.com for more information.

May 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Paris A. Tabor P.E.

The topic of green building is everywhere. Mostly, architects have led the discussion with some inviting the project team to collaborate with them.

Structural engineers can also lead the green conversation, contributing significantly to their projects. This month's article introduces advanced framing, a method to promote green building.

Advanced framing (developed in the 1970s by NAHB and HUD), sometimes called optimum value framing (OVE), refers to a variety of techniques designed to cut back on the amount of lumber used by reducing structural redundancies and waste generated in the construction of a wood-framed house as well as improving energy efficiency and acoustical performance.

Combining the following principles into the building design would be a big step towards achieving an efficient assembly and ultimately achieving OVE:
- 24'' o/c framing: Beginning with the principle of "direct alignment" or "in-line framing," the roof trusses (including girder trusses) will have to align with the second floor wall studs, which will align with the first floor wall studs.
- Exterior walls: 2x4 versus 2x6: Using 2x6 in lieu of 2x4 assembly will permit higher R-value insulation to be installed within the wall cavity.
- Modular layout: Architectural design (i.e., face of sheathing dimensions) as well as establishing roof overhang depth along the roof pitch/plane based upon a 24'' module.
- Window/door header jack studs/trimmers/cripples eliminated: Use fasteners (nails or hangers) in lieu of door/window trimmer at openings. In addition, eliminate cripple stud trimmers at windowsill.
- Window/door openings layout: Position window/door openings to align with 24'' modules, i.e., door/window king stud align with 24'' stud layout. In addition, utilize window manufacturers that have 22.5'', 46.5'', 70.5'', etc., rough-opening requirements.
- Single wall top plate - exterior and bearing walls: Based upon the "direct alignment" principle, top plates will not experience mid-span loading, thereby reducing assembly requirements (all top chord breaks will require metal strap installation).
- Single wall top plate - interior nonbearing walls: Any nonbearing partitions can be built with a single top plate.
- Correct-size headers: Sizing all roof load-bearing headers for actual anticipated load and eliminate all headers at interior nonbearing walls and use 2x stick-framed headers.
- Floor rim joist header: In lieu of door/window header installation to support the assembly above, utilize the continuous floor rim joist capacity. At higher loading conditions, it will require double rim joist - floor joist hangers may be required over "header" length.
- Framing practices: Use ladder blocking or 2x6 backing nailer in lieu of "Ts," "open corner" framing, drywall clips at interior corners and top plate (eliminating backing). Utilize "blueboard" at the exterior nonshear wall lengths rather than OSB/plywood sheathing when doing "full-building wraps."

With the above practices in place, you should achieve many advantages, including:

Energy Efficiency

With the wider stud spacing, heat loss (conductivity or thermal bridging) through the studs is reduced, and a greater percentage of insulation can be installed within the wall cavity.

With floor rim headers, wall insulation may be placed directly over door/window headers thereby increasing the overall wall assembly R-value.

Potential annual heating and cooling cost savings of up to 5%.

2x4 versus 2x6

Using 2x6 in lieu of 2x4 wall assembly will permit higher R-value insulation to be installed within the wall cavity.

2x6 and 24'' o/c versus 2x4 and 16'' will equate to similar lumber unit project requirements.

Lumber Material and Waste Reduction

Average material cost savings of $1,000 for a 2,400-square-foot house.

Labor Cost Savings

Fewer studs to carry, fewer to install, fewer to cut, fewer to nail and less waste to manage/haul away.

Anticipated labor cost savings of between 3% to 5%.

Optimum value framing (OVE) requires advanced planning and detailing to anticipate all aspects of the construction assembly; consequently, framers unfamiliar with the techniques may need additional training or consultation to become accustomed to a different way to lay out and construct advance framing projects.

Some industry professionals have adopted OVE in a piecemeal manner rather than incorporating all of it at once, as they were more comfortable doing so. Some builders have implemented this piece by piece over many homes, with plans to incorporate more, rather than piling on all the changes in at one time.

Whether you decide to implement part or all of it at once, it is a step forward in the right ... green ... direction.

May 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Part 4 in the Outsiders Series

By Eve Kushner

Passion and balance seldom go hand in hand. And on the path to realizing an extraordinary vision, an architect can easily go to extremes. Frank Lloyd Wright was hardly balanced, and neither was Malcolm Wells in 1964. As we saw last month, that's when this highly successful architect (then 36) realized that above-ground buildings kill all the land under their foundations.

Horrified to think that he had paved over 50 acres, Wells decided to dedicate himself to underground architecture. The gamble eventually paid off; in ensuing decades, he became known as a pioneer in that field. He has spoken at nearly every architecture school in the nation and has published 15 books on environmental problems and solutions. But early on, his about-face may not have seemed sane.

Soon after his awakening, he informed his sizable staff that they'd be designing only earth-covered buildings. And he urged his main client, RCA, to put their factories underground. His contacts there laughed, knowing they couldn't sell their bosses on the idea. Although RCA tossed him a few above ground bones (which he took), the work dried up, and the relationship ended. Wells had made his first strides toward freedom.

As he began forging a vision of how humans should build, the ideas came in a feverish rush. He would later write about this heightened state: "Within days I had designed underground cities, underground highways, underground shopping centers."

He imagined "a world made green again not in spite of the built environment, but because of it." In this fantasy, buildings would fit their leafy contexts so well that one wouldn't know "where the land ends and the buildings begin." Such structures would encourage reverence for the Earth, not a sense of domination.

He could see his vision from every angle - from the high-up philosophical plane down to the subterranean space where engineering and waterproofing would be critical. He figured, "All I needed to do was let the world know about it and a new architecture would be born."

Endowed with the "truth," he says he spoke out "with complete authority on all my new discoveries. Little escaped my wrath ... I had found the way." In 1965, Progressive Architecture printed Wells' "polemic against everything that had ever been built on the surface of the Earth."

Determined to put ideas into action, he formed the group Rebels in Search of Beauty, crusading against billboards, litter and overhead wires. But as he soon realized, "None of that stuff meant anything environmentally. It was just a froth of an expression of the real problems."

On a personal level, too, he cleaned house. He stopped smoking. Instead of driving, he started walking 4 miles to the office where he padded around barefoot. He grew a beard and minimized personal hygiene. He recalls, "I had a lot of nutty theories about never washing my hair because the natural oils would wash it, the way they do with animal fur." Laughing hard, he says, "Pretty soon I had a big stinky mess of dandruff and horrible oil in my hair."

After converting to vegetarianism, Wells took his three kids to a slaughterhouse to witness the killing, skinning and processing of cattle.

He nixed Thanksgiving celebrations in the household, as well as Christmas trees and Christmas lights. Furthermore, he decided to compost the town's used Christmas trees and had them delivered to his yard. They sat in a pile as large as a house, barely decomposing.

His kids enjoyed playing in the aromatic pile but were less pleased when Wells swam nude in their presence. He'd been reading A.S. Neill's Summerhill, a nonfiction account of an English boarding school that gave children complete freedom. Inspired to dispense with inhibitions, Wells took his kids to a swimming hole and peeled off his clothes. The kids yelled, "Oh, Dad, no!"

Laughing at the memory, Wells says, "You just can't change too much, too quickly."

His relatives, friends and clients certainly believed that, telling him to slow down. His wife particularly encouraged him not to push underground architecture so hard.

But he disagreed. To her horror, the aptly named Wells dug a hole in the backyard to create his first underground space. He recalls, "I was just so fired up!"

To be continued!

Quotations come from interviews, personal correspondence and Wells's books: Underground Designs, The Earth-Sheltered House, Gentle Architecture and Infra Structures. For pictures and previous columns, go to evekushner.com and choose "on building."

May 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By John Gumas

Just about every company in this industry invests in some form of outdoor advertising. This includes billboards, banners, building signage, on- and off-site signage, bootlegs and other similar signage designed to get a message out.

We have found that most outdoor advertising does not produce the expected results. It's not that the signage was poorly designed or produced. In fact, most of what we see is very expensive to produce. The problem lies in understanding the dos and don'ts of outdoor advertising and what this potentially powerful medium should deliver.

EFFECTIVE SIGNAGE

Let's take a closer look at some of the creative and graphic design elements that are essential to effective billboard and signage development.

The design of your outdoor advertising has two primary objectives. First, it must generate attention. Second, it must help the target audience quickly and easily absorb the information presented. The average outdoor advertising unit has about three to four seconds to attract the eye of the target and get them to absorb your message. So, billboards need to be treated differently than conventional collateral materials.

But what makes outdoor graphic design effective? Here are the components we consider most critical when producing billboards and signage.

1. Have One Dominant Feature: An effectively designed unit has one dominant feature, typically an image or a headline, which catches your eye and draws you in. Keep it simple; when you try to emphasize too much, you end up emphasizing nothing. A good rule to remember is to keep the verbiage to no more than seven words. This allows your message to be read quickly, and your benefit is remembered.

2. Minimize Typeface Variety: Use one, maybe two, typefaces - total. Type style is very important to the overall readability and effectiveness of your outdoor advertising. For example, you can use typeface in bold for the headline and nonbold for other text to create visual appeal without it becoming too busy or hard to read.

3. White Space Is Good: Don't be afraid of white space. You don't have to fill every inch with copy and pictures. Sometimes, saying less makes a bigger impact than saying more.

4. Keep Your Concept Simple: All signs must be simple to understand and easy to read. This may be one of the most critical aspects of your strategy; so don't take this area lightly. Don't use typefaces that are "too fancy" or may cause confusion. Don't use visuals that are hard to see or understand quickly. Remember that you only have about three to four seconds for your message to be absorbed.

5. Use Relevant Images: Images in outdoor advertising and signage must help support your message, not confuse the target audience.

One main image typically works better than multiple supporting images. Remember that your target audience is usually on the move when they see your outdoor advertising. So, make your image relevant and obvious so you can drive home your sales message quickly.

6. Make It Readable: We have found that a largely overlooked problem lies in the sign's inability to be read at a distance. Before you begin the design of any outdoor advertising, make sure you know where it will be posted and what the approximate viewing distance will be.

To help you maximize your signage and its viewing effectiveness, try using this handy viewing distance chart that we've developed to help our clients get the most from their signage. Optimum audience viewing distance is listed below, followed by the minimum recommended letter height for maximum readability.
100 feet = 4 inches
250 feet = 10 inches
360 feet = 16 inches
500 feet = 22 inches
1,000 feet = 43 inches
1,320 feet = 57 inches

Remember that these numbers represent the minimum recommended height. Factors that may require you to bump up the size include color scheme, font selection and sign placement.

Outdoor advertising can be a very powerful tool when used properly. Don't let your out-of-home promotional message get lost simply because you didn't know these proven dos and don'ts. Follow these layout tips and size recommendations, and your signage will deliver maximum results.

May 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Jan A. Gruen

The roof leaks. The windows leak. The stucco is cracking. The house is not performing well. As between the builder and the subcontractor, who should bear responsibility for the cost of defending these claims and repairing the defects and damage? Historically, contracts for work on residential projects have required the subcontractor to assume responsibility if his/her workmanship is involved. The subcontractor was to defend the builder and hold him/her harmless from all claims arising out of, related to or deriving from the subcontractor's work, including labor and materials. Critics of these "indemnity provisions" claimed they unfairly imposed liability on subcontractors, regardless of whether their work was only partially to blame.

Builder/subcontractor contracts also required subcontractors to obtain insurance coverage during the course of construction and after, with the builder to be named as an additional insured under the subcontractor's insurance policy. Thus, builders who hired others to perform work on a project were protected from defect claims by way of indemnity provisions and subcontractor insurance. Not actually having performed the work, this seemed only fair, since the builder was exposed to potential liability for the negligence of the subcontractors who actually performed the work.

Over the course of time, two seemingly unrelated issues arose that would forever alter the builder/subcontractor relationship. First, subcontractors began to resist the imposition of broad-based indemnity clauses, claiming such clauses were costly and unfair. The result?

Civil Code section 2782 was amended to limit the permissible scope of indemnity by making it against public policy to contractually impose liability on a subcontractor for (1) damage or expenses arising out of the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the builder (not new), and (2) claims that arise out of, pertain to or relate to the negligence of individuals other than the subcontractor and to the extent the claims do not pertain to the scope of work in the written agreement between the developer and the subcontractor.

In roughly this same time frame, insurance companies stopped offering coverage after the past completion of work at a project, and the cost of insurance skyrocketed, making it impossible for subcontractors to buy coverage. The goal of making adequate coverage available for all while presenting a united defense to construction defect claims seemed laudable and appropriate. The result?

The concept of builder-purchased insurance policies that "wrapped" builders and their subcontractors together into one single policy of insurance for residential construction projects was born.

Although the builder pays for the majority or all of the costs of wrap insurance, the number of developer-versus-subcontractor lawsuits has been reduced where wrap insurance applies, and one policy providing coverage for all has reduced finger-pointing and made for prompter resolution at significantly less legal expense. It appears that certain subcontractors object to paying any share of the wrap deductible and have, in certain instances, become unhappy with the scope of wrap insurance coverage. They claim that holes, or exclusions, in coverage are triggering individual subcontractor liability and that the scope of contractual indemnity obligations has done little to lessen their responsibility for defects and deficiencies unrelated to their work. The result?

A new proposed piece of legislation, AB 2738, introduced by Assemblyman Dave Jones, has made its debut and again highlights the divergent positions of builders and subcontractors on indemnity and insurance issues. AB 2738 seeks to further narrow the scope of indemnity owed by subcontractors to builders, further reduces defense obligations and contributions owed by subcontractors contractually and pursuant to wrap insurance, and shifts the risks of liability to the developer instead of the subcontractors who perform the work, while providing subcontractors with the exclusive ability to control the defense of the claim against them. The result?

One thing is for sure, a sequel will follow.

May 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Jason Brandman

Much has been written recently about the incorporation of green-building standards into new development and the potential for "green" laws and ordinances that affect everything from the use of internal climate controls to the types of plants used for landscaping. Although Forbes ranks California only 14th in it's Greenest States in the nation's rankings, locally, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley made the top 10 of a national survey by Popular Science magazine rating the country's 50 most environmentally friendly cities. Unofficially named "Green City" by the San Francisco Guardian, San Francisco's goal is to reduce their CO 2 footprint by over 50%, and as eco-friendly as that clearly may be, I have recently spoken to a number of developers who, particularly in the current economic climate, are wondering how they will be able to meet payroll while becoming green.

Let's review both the bad and good news surrounding this issue. The bad news is that environmental laws are getting more stringent and, therefore, more difficult for developers to meet while still maintaining a desirable price point. The good news is that just considering the following simple design steps will help you go a long ways towards integrating green concepts into your land- planning decisions.

The first option is through preservation of the native-plant communities on a proposed project site, wherever possible. This is most easily done by working with an arborist or biologist who can identify those natural environmental features that can be incorporated into your development footprint. These features should be chosen to enhance the visual appearance of your site and perhaps provide some amenities for the end user. Whereas the traditional approach is to design to develop or clear the entire proposed project site, then bring in ornamental vegetation and artificial water features, considering what is already in place can save developers considerable money and create an ecologically friendly, aesthetically pleasing and, yes, appropriately green-developed site.

Next, within the actual construction phase, substantial savings may be realized through the reuse of demolition materials for things such as the base of parking lots, using permeable paving materials to lessen water run-off, promoting the use of soil for natural filtration and eliminating paints, stains and finishes that contain "volatile organic compounds" that excrete the gases that create smog and pollute indoor air. Numerous products are available on the market. The addition of indigenous trees to absorb CO2 and produce oxygen and the incorporation of a "gray water" irrigation system design will also help. And, taking a tip from early California planning design, encouraging your architect to design building placement that minimizes the impact of the sun will further lessen the need for artificial air-conditioning systems.

All in all, incorporating principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship into your next project will result in a green project that you - and your accountant - can be proud of.

May 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Larger Image

Marries Innovation with Accessibility

By Russ Stacey

Many potential hurdles await new couples soon after saying "I do" - from decisions about kids to financial matters. But it was their fruitless efforts trying to find a suitable, reasonably priced, eco-friendly home soon after their nuptials that eventually led architect Michelle Kaufmann and her cabinetmaker husband, Kevin Cullen, to spearhead a new movement in green building. The result was the founding in 2002 of Michelle Kaufmann Designs (MKD), a full-service architectural firm dedicated to making sustainable, high- quality design accessible to more people by employing off-site manufacturing techniques.

Michelle Kaufmann of Michelle Kaufmann Designs (Photo by Bruce Schneider)

"Looking for a place to live," Michelle says, "we couldn't find anything we liked that we could afford, and nothing that was green." Taking matters into their own hands, she designed and he built a "small green home" that so impressed friends and colleagues that they asked her to do the same for them.

"I thought, that's a good question. Could we make this house in mass production?" Michelle says. "That's when I discovered this whole amazing world of off-site technology and realized, yes, we could."

Michelle capitalized on a chasm in the marketplace when launching MKD: Available models were either exquisite custom homes or something plunked down in a thoughtless subdivision - with precious little in between.

(Rendering courtesy of Michelle Kaufmann Designs)

"What we do is modular," Michelle explains. "Modular is volumetric - built in a factory as a series of modules with all the interior and exterior finishes, plumbing and fixtures in place that are erected on site. But the big difference between this and manufactured is that modular is built to site-built code, so in Northern California it's built to the UBC. When shipped to the site and attached to a standard foundation, it's considered real estate."

Desiring more control over the costs and timeframes associated with the manufacturing of their homes, MKD realized the need to have their own factory. mkConstructs is the first factory in the U.S. to blend prefabricated systems and renewable resources. Though still working with some additional factory partners across the country, mkConstructs manufactures all MKD homes throughout California, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii.

(Photo courtesy of Michelle Kaufmann Designs)

"We have to change the way we build. We've been using technology and automation in almost every other industry to help bring good design to the masses. But we're still building the same way we did hundreds of years ago. There are so many inefficiencies. Modular outside technology, with the precision cutting and controlled environment, allows us to achieve 50-75% less waste," Michelle says.

Revamping an industry isn't without its challenges. "We're finding that there's definitely a market for green. But it's still not easy to design or build green because it's confusing and it takes time. What are the really green products? What are the green systems? It takes time to do the research and decipher it all."

(Photo courtesy of John Swain Photography)

(Photo courtesy of John Swain Photography)

Michelle is confident in the future of MKD and modular technology. "I think we'll see more of it as people become more savvy. I've heard this analogy before and I think it's a really good one: The idea that a high-quality home has to be site-built is sort of like asking for your car to be built in your driveway. It just doesn't make sense."

Not content just to provide affordable, sustainable homes, Michelle also wants to enlighten. The whole MKD team is excited about the two-story mkSolaire, one of the firm's home designs, being built at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Part of the upcoming exhibit on green building, Smart Home: Green + Wired, the mkSolaire opens its doors May 8 and runs through January 4, 2009. "It's so cool because this is not only for adults, but also for kids. This house will be educational and will have the kids thinking and imagining and rethinking how we design and build."

(Photo by Bruce Schneider)

Often referred to as the "Henry Ford of housing," Michelle has received press in Sunset magazine, Dwell, Fast Company, the Chicago Sun-Times, Treehugger and has been included in CNN's and Business
2.0's Top 50 People Who Matter lists.

To date, MKD has completed 26 homes, but expects to have 50 within the next couple of months due to explosive growth.

(Photo courtesy of John Swain Photography)

(Photo courtesy of John Swain Photography)

"Sometimes people mistakenly think that living green just means using the latest products, when, in fact, so much can be achieved through good design and build practices: designing windows so they wash surfaces with light, higher ceilings for hot air to escape, things like that. I think that the best solutions for sustainability are the blending of some of those old, historic principles with the new products and systems. And that's really the winning combination."

Michelle Kaufmann Designs is located at 580 Second Street, Suite 245, in Oakland, CA 94607. Call (510) 271- 8015 or visit mkd-arc.com for more information. You can also read more green living tips from Michelle on her blog at blog.michellekaufmann.com

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Color Offers a Fresh Perspective

By Kay Wilthew

John Burke believes that an entrepreneur's most valued asset is his/her reputation, and that this reputation is reassessed on every project. After 25 years in the commercial and residential painting business, Burke relishes the opportunity to create a positive customer experience and to deliver an outstanding product.

Strand Builders, Walnut Creek, (925) 935-7968 (Photo Bob Morris Photography)

"I came to the United States in 1984 from Ireland and started painting right away. I didn't realize at that time that I would do this for the rest of my life." From San Francisco to Maui to the East Bay, Burke worked his way up from apprentice to project manager, and ultimately launched Burke Painting in 2000.

Since 2005, Burke Painting has been awarded by American Ratings Corporation their much-coveted Diamond Certification, the result of a rigorous customer survey process performed by the independent company (Diamondcertified.org). "This award was big kudos. I was very proud to be Diamond Certified," states Burke. To earn this level of distinction, 90% of past customers contacted must signify they would retain the company's services again. "I received a score of 98%, and I'm extremely happy with that." Burke was not entirely surprised with the results. "I knew I was doing well because my customers were very satisfied with my product."

Strand Builders, Walnut Creek, (925) 935-7968 (Photo Bob Morris Photography)

Burke Painting was honored to have been nationally featured several times on Home and Garden Television's (HGTV) Curb Appeal show as well as having been featured locally on KPIX Evening Magazine. Video of these shows can be viewed at burkepainting.net. American Discovery Publishing (MyPrimeBuyersGuide.com), which is an independent research and information publishing company, currently rates Burke Painting as the No. 1 painting company in Contra Costa County.

Burke derives the most satisfaction from their current Bay Area residential and commercial customer base. "What I'm doing these days is higher-end custom work where people expect attention to detail, fine spray and faux finishes. These projects cost a bit more and take more time. But in the end there's a sense of pride you need to have about the work you do."

Strand Builders, Walnut Creek, (925) 935-7968 (Photo Bob Morris Photography)

Burke's company is his legacy. "My name stands behind my work." Burke Painting's loyal and talented professional staff shares his deep sense of commitment. "I've instilled that in my employees as well, and I trained each of them." Safety is a critical quality component, and employees are well educated in protective equipment use and safe work practices. "I've been working with them for a long time. They know what I expect, and we know what our customers expect. They want quality."

Burke holds a Supervisor Lead Stabilization/Abatement license certified by the state of California. Burke has trained his employees to treat every home as if it potentially had lead in the paint. "Lead paint can be found in any residence built before 1978, so I want to make sure that my employees, my clients and their neighbors are protected from lead exposure during the project. We don't do our prep work with a power washer like some 'blow and go' painters do. We make sure that any loose chips of paint or dust is contained within our work area and collected according to the DHS lead safe practices."

(Photo Bob Morris Photography)

Burke Painting only uses the best grade of paints, guaranteed to last for up to five years. Burke also offers and encourages the choice of the latest government-approved human and environmentally friendly durable paint products known as low- or no-VOC paints and finishes. "Kelly-Moore Paints [kellymoore.com] has started to carry a great new line from YOLO Colorhouse. Benjamin Moore carries their Aura line, which is also great but a lot more expensive."

The key to a quality project is candid communication, and Burke's openness comes naturally. "All people really want is to be kept in the loop. If the work is going to take a little more time, then just say it will take more time." Customers also benefit from Burke's quiet confidence and experience with color combinations. "If I don't think the color the client picked is right, then I'll have no problem letting them know. Then they can make their own choice. What it all comes down to is it is their home. However, some clients don't really have a grasp of which colors flow well together and need some guidance. I've been working with color long enough to know what works and what doesn't."

(Photo courtesy of Burke Painting)

Every aspect of Burke Painting is geared toward respect. "It's all about the client, the quality of paint you use and the recommendations that you provide. It's also about our employees' respect for the clients' property. They treat every project as if it were their own home." This sense of pride is the foundation on which Burke Painting stakes its reputation. "I'm proud of the business I have built; I'm proud of my employees and very pleased with the relationships I have formed with my clients."

For the future, Burke is committed to expanding his business while maintaining the high standards that have made Burke Painting the well-regarded professional painting company it has become.

Visit Burke Painting at burkepainting.net for more information or call (925) 288-9993.

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

What This Supreme Court Ruling Means to Your Development

By Jason Brandman

Will your project require wetlands permits? If so, you may already have heard about Rapanos v. United States, but do you know exactly what it means for your ability to complete your project on time? This Supreme Court decision was created to narrow federal jurisdiction by clarifying what authority the federal government has regarding waters and wetlands of the U.S.

The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) declared how they plan to interpret the Rapanos ruling in a joint guidance document they issued a short time ago. Basically, the Corps will continue to maintain jurisdiction over traditional navigable waters of the United States and wetlands adjacent to those waters. The Corps also identified some situations in which federal jurisdiction will not be asserted unless a "significant-nexus" to downstream navigable waters can be established. These situations can be grouped into three categories: (1) non- navigable tributaries that are "not relatively permanent," including ephemeral drainages and those intermittent streams that lack continuous flow (less than three months of the year); (2) wetlands adjacent to tributaries that are "not relatively permanent"; and (3) wetlands that are adjacent to but "do not directly abut a relatively permanent" non- navigable waterway.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL REALLY MEAN?

- Features that were traditionally considered jurisdictional are still jurisdictional.
- Features that have water in them at least three months of the year and connect to a jurisdictional feature are also considered jurisdictional.
- Other features won't be jurisdictional unless a "significant nexus" can be established to traditional jurisdictional waters.

OK, SO WHAT IS A SIGNIFICANT NEXUS?

A significant nexus looks at the following parameters of a feature to determine if a body of water is jurisdictional, and if these parameters are present, a significant nexus exists:
- Average rainfall, flow characteristics and watershed size;
- Distance of the tributary to the traditionally navigable water;
- Channel slope and dimensions; and
- Capacity or potential of a channel to carry pollutants, nutrients, organic carbon and sediment.

Does the significant nexus rule reduce or increase the Corps' jurisdiction?

While it is not yet known how broad the Corp's discretion is in ruling on significant nexus determinations, it appears that most ephemeral drainages will remain jurisdictional. However, "swales or erosional features" (such as gullies or small washes) or roadside ditches that lack permanent flow will no longer be jurisdictional.

SIGNIFICANT NEXUS FORM

Before submitting jurisdictional delineations, a seven-page "Jurisdictional Determination Form" developed by the Corps must be filled out to document that a feature is or is not jurisdictional. The EPA then will oversee the Corps Jurisdictional Determinations with the intent of providing consistency.

Until the Corps finalizes and releases some of its reviews, it is difficult to know with certainty if the Rapanos decision has served to effectively narrow federal jurisdiction - its original intent. I will be keeping an eye on it and suggest you do as well.

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By John Gumas

More results. Better-qualified leads. Greater return on investment. Anyone who has ever developed direct response marketing, in any form, has undoubtedly heard one or more of these requests before. So, what's a marketer to do?

In an effort to help you not only answer these requests, but deliver upon them, we have put together what we feel are seven surefire strategies that you need to consider when creating your next direct response marketing program:

1. Always Remember the Basics: a. Make sure your offer is made at the beginning b. Clearly tell targets what they will get and how they will benefit c. Tell them what action they must do d. Set a deadline e. Give as many ways as possible to respond

2. Make Your Offer as Strong as Possible - Most direct response programs must have an offer to be successful. Commonsense tells us the more compelling the offer, the better the results. Yes, offering a larger discount will get more response than a smaller discount. But before you start giving away too much of your margin, get creative. Find out what your target wants. For example, look into win-win partnerships with other companies, such as "Buy a driver from us and get a free putter from them"; "Order new doors from us and get a free hardware upgrade from them." Get the picture?

3. Why Won't People Buy? - You need to do your research and find out. Call them and ask them why they didn't respond. Get the specifics. Imagine what you could do armed with this information.

4. Tell the World Why Others Buy - Testimonials from satisfied customers can be powerful. Consider using real customers to tell their stories. Done right, they can be just the nudge it takes to get others to buy.

5. Test - Test lists, headlines, copy and offers

6. Adjust Your Website - We are talking about more than just good optimization here. Make sure your website works closely with your direct response program. Or, better yet, consider a special landing page designed specifically for each direct response program.

7. Don't Forget Your Brand - Don't get caught up in the tactics of your offer. Remember to be true to your overall brand and what it stands for.

And just one final thought: It's not how much you spend, but how much you will earn that counts. As you put your budget together, consider the lifetime value of a customer versus the one-time cost of the direct response program. This may help you justify the investment it will take to be successful.

There are many more elements to successful direct response advertising, but if you include what we outlined above, you will be well on your way to greater results.

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Maurice Levitch, AIA

With greater acceptance today that we can do something about global warming and create healthier lifestyles at the same time, we may be ready to eliminate the quotation marks around the "green" in green building. Along with this awakening, however, come those who jump on the bandwagon for all the wrong reasons: To try to capitalize on a good thing without providing the benefits intended by the movement toward building healthier and more comfortable buildings.

The good stuff is that "green" is in the mainstream now, as evidenced by an explosion of new and improved products, older green products becoming standard in construction, more trained professionals and a huge amount of media attention. The bad stuff is that you need to be aware of "greenwashing," looking even further into products that appear to be green.

Whether your "Super Bowl" is the Academy Awards or the Super Bowl itself, you were exposed to the green media blitz this year. The Academy Awards event was promoted as green, and the emcee referred to green a few times, including a reference to a hybrid Boeing jet that was parked out front with its lights on. I was surprised that the audience did not applaud after the emcee announced this and then stated that, as a result, the winners would be walking up to the microphone this year (did I miss a previous year when a winner drove up to the mic?). Well, at least they put it out there.

The first half of the Super Bowl pregame show was promoted as being powered with energy from batteries charged by people riding stationary bicycles - for four days. As I looked into this event further, I found that the sponsor was "Amp," one of those highly caffeinated energy drinks that comes in what looks like a beer can. Here, "Amp" tried to combine energy savings with energy drinks, which I found not to be a good association. Even their labeling is "green" (using the quotation marks purposely this time), or red if you get the flavor with red dye #40 and cherry flavoring.

Along with new green materials and building procedures, some of the earlier ones are no longer considered revolutionary or even voluntary; in many cases they are now required minimums. For example, many green-building professionals regard simply meeting Title 24 energy requirements, once considered cutting edge, as equating with "D-" building practices.

Many manufacturers of older products are retooling. With recent innovations in particleboard production and adhesive selection, we can now specify plastic laminate as a green product. Now, my client from many years ago who was afraid of what their friends would think about their installing "Formica" instead of granite in a high-end kitchen remodel has a comeback other than the one I came up with at the time: "Don't take it for granite - it's fauxmica."

What is new today may be the norm or below the norm tomorrow. Where once Berkeley's Permit Service Center had a parking space in front reserved for hybrid vehicles, the sign now reads "Electric Vehicles Only - No Hybrids."

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Title 24 Part 8

By Perry A. Tabor, P.E.

The California Historical Building Code (CHBC) provides specific regulations (alternative building codes) for the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, relocation or reconstruction of qualified historic buildings or properties so as to preserve their original or restored architectural elements and features. At the same time, it provides for the safety of occupants and for the reasonable accommodation of people with disabilities.

While these alternative solutions are intended to protect historic buildings from the adverse impact of certain requirements of the regular building code, they also translate into cost-effective incentives as described by the California Office of Historic Preservation.

A "qualified historical building" is defined as any building, group of buildings, district, site or object, which is listed by any level of government as having historic importance. This also includes those resources listed in the State of California's evaluated inventory, and given any level of significance other than "not eligible." Also included are ships and railroad rolling stock of historical significance.

The CHBC recognizes and endorses the need - on a case-by-case basis - to find and adopt reasonable alternative situations where strict compliance with established statutes or regulations would jeopardize the historic building's appearance or rehabilitation economic viability (i.e., full upgrade of building).

The "triggers" for full upgrading to current standards, with respect to length of vacancy, change of occupancy, or percentage of value of the work proposed, and which exist in other codes, are not recognized by the CHBC, which concentrates instead on the preservation-sensitive resolution of genuine safety considerations.

Structural/seismic upgrading issues are governed by the CHBC, permitting design based on real values (performance) of archaic materials and solutions based on engineering principles and professional judgment (providing a framework within which unique solutions may be custom tailored to the specific problems related to each unique historic resource), rather than solutions limited to code-based (pre- scriptive) formulas. This flexibility usually translates into a higher degree of retention of the historic fabric.

You may very well benefit if your building qualifies as a "historical building."

Here are some places to research whether your property "qualifies":

- The Office of Historic Preservation: computer lists of the National Register and California Register
- Local planning office: usually the best place to find local lists
- Local heritage or history commissions
- Local neighborhood or preservation organizations: these groups may have access to official lists but can't create official lists
- Local, state and federal agencies that promulgate projects: CalTrans, Department of Water Resources, Department of General Services/ Real Estate Services Division, local water agencies and local public works departments

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Marsha Cheung Golangco

The essence of feng shui is about living a life of balance and harmony with nature. In practice, feng shui is a total living system of thinking green and living green with our own environment.

Our physical environment fuels our well- being, pushing all the necessary elements to sustain our lives - things as simple as water to drink, air to breathe, food to eat and materials to use. A favorable environment promotes vibrant development leading to a healthy and productive life; an unfavorable environment diminishes our potential for proper growth and development.

Conservation of natural resources, including clean air and clean water, ensure the continuity of life for future generations. When we disrespect our environment by wasting or using up natural resources indiscriminately, these destructive practices threaten the sustainability of our environment. Using natural resources wisely will help to sustain our planet Earth, preserving it for future use.

Decades of uncontrollable waste have created critical global situations, such as air and water pollution and critical accumulation of a variety of material wastes. According to a 2007 World Health Organization, urban pollution directly and indirectly kills about 800,000 people worldwide every year. Deforestation continues to cause landslides worldwide, causing misery and suffering. Greenhouse effects caused by burning fossil fuel-emitting carbon dioxide cause major environmental issues with rising temperatures. There is increasing concern around the globe with the apparent climate changes and global warming caused by all these.

There is compatibility between modern green living and the ancient wisdom of feng shui. The fundamental wisdom calls for honoring our living environment with respect to our environment, natural or man made. With the growing popularity of both sustainable green building and feng shui, it would be a powerful alliance to fulfill the intention of preserving a healthy and vibrant planet Earth for future generations.

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Part 3 in the Outsiders Series

By Eve Kushner

In his mid-30s, the highly successful architect Malcolm Wells overhauled his professional and personal life. He intentionally became an outsider in his field - an advocate of underground architecture. Even the idea of such a change must have shocked others, because Wells appeared to have everything.

In 1948, at age 22, he had built a house in New Jersey for himself and his bride. This striking modern structure landed on the cover of House Beautiful - twice!

After a six-year architectural apprenticeship, Wells started his own firm. His first job, a church, won an AIA award. With RCA as his major client, he soon earned enough to construct an office for his sizable staff. Wells was just 29. Some architects never achieve these milestones in a lifetime.

At 36, Wells reached even greater heights with an invitation to design the RCA Pavilion for the 1964 New York World's Fair. For two years he poured his talents into this project. As he would write in his book, Gentle Architecture, when opening day came, he felt sure that he'd "given the world something as near architectural perfection as man could devise ... great cantilevered roofs, reflecting pools, Wrightian ramps, a single repeating geometric theme and lovely gardens with big trees."

But Wells had changed since he began working on the building, partly because 1963 had brought a cluster of deaths. His father, John Wells, had died suddenly. Two weeks later, so did John F. Kennedy. Soon afterward, Pope John XXIII (who had seemed poised to unite people of all religions) died of natural causes. The deaths of the three Johns shook Wells' equilibrium.

Coincidentally, on the day his died, Wells met Laurie Virr, then an architecture student and now a top architect in Australia. Wells hired him. Eight years younger, Virr nevertheless reshaped his boss' thinking. Wells recalls, "I might say something about taking the kids to the zoo. And he would say, 'Oh, it's animal slavery! You don't want to do that. It's horrible!' And I'd never, never thought about that before - how it might be from animals' point of view." Because of Virr, Wells rejected religion and began reading Thoreau and other writers.

In 1963, Wells also developed appendicitis and spent days in the hospital. "The world looked different to me after staring at those green, painted walls," he says. "Out there was a whole new world that I'd never seen before. I guess that's when I started to think about underground architecture."

Earlier influences had already planted the seeds of that idea. On a 1959 visit to Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright's Arizona compound), Wells had stepped into an underground theater and realized that buildings nestled into the earth could provide respite from scorching heat. As he came to understand, this doesn't mean that underground buildings are cold. Instead, because of the earth's relatively constant underground temperature, subterranean buildings barely reflect extreme outside temperatures.

A few years later, when Time magazine published drawings of free-form, earthy, underground houses by French architect Jacques Couelle, Wells was so impressed that he arranged for their publication in Progressive Architecture. He then designed an underground house that sprouted from the earth like an onion. In 1965, Progressive Architecture published this design - Wells' first underground house to appear in print.

The budding environmental consciousness of the 1960s also seeped into his mind. As he worked on his World's Fair contribution, he felt mounting shame that after the fair, the building would be demolished, sending $2 or $3 million worth of copper, steel and other materials to the dump. All the magnificent structures built for the occasion would meet the same fate. Dismayed by the "acres of phony, throwaway architecture," as he wrote in Gentle Architecture, Wells wondered at what cost those buildings existed.

Furthermore, he considered how their very existence damaged the environment: "Every one of them ... shed torrents of precious rainwater. For the first time in my life I asked, and was told, where all the sewage was going. It was bad news, all of it ... wasted materials, wasted energy, wasted years, wasted land!"

He then cast a critical eye on the factories, offices and churches that had brought him fame and fortune. As he concluded, "I'd already paved to death over 50 acres of the American land. Those 50 acres had been wiped out in order to provide a single species with shelter."

(To be continued!)

For pictures, visit evekushner.com and choose "on building."

April 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

Larger Image

KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning received seven Silver Awards and a Regional Award in the 2008 Nationals Awards competition. KTGY is also a finalist for three prestigious Best In American Living Awards (BALA).

The Nationals (SM) Silver Award winners are the top vote recipients in each category and are the finalists for the highly coveted Gold Award. The final Best In American Living Awards were announced and presented February 12, 2008. The Nationals Gold Awards were announced and presented February 13th, during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, FL.

(Photo courtesy of Steve Hinds, Inc.)

Arroyo Crossing in Livermore won three Silver Awards in the categories of Best Single Family Detached Home Priced $650,000 to $1 Million, Best Single Family Detached Home Priced $1 Million to $2 Million for its (Plan 1), and Detached Community of the Year Over $750,000. O'Brien Homes is the project's builder.

Vantage of Palo Alto (Plan2) won a Silver Award for Best Attached Home Plan Priced Under $500,000. Warmington Homes is the project's builder.

(Photo courtesy of Christopher Mayer Photography)

ARROYO CROSSING - LIVERMORE

Arroyo Crossing targets move-up families and empty-nesters as well as affluent, established family households. The Classics provides approximately 1,858 to 3,020 square feet of living space with as many as five bedrooms. The Estates series features generous home designs, measuring approximately 3,074 to 4,425 square feet with up to five bedrooms, formal dining rooms, gourmet kitchens with oversized islands, expansive living areas and many more thoughtful design touches. Gable forms, rafter tails and porch posts reiterate elements from the area's older homes and blend with this design line's other traditional styles. Ample lot sizes spanning approximately 15,000 square feet give residents plenty of room and privacy. Some of the challenges resolved were soil issues and stringent city requirements, which boosted costs, mandating optimal yield within upscale objectives. The developer is O'Brien Homes of Foster City. KTGY Group, Inc. is the architect for Arroyo Crossing.

(Photo courtesy of Christopher Mayer Photography)

(Photo courtesy of Christopher Mayer Photography)

COLLEGE VISTA - SAN MATEO

"The goal with College Vista was to create quality, affordable housing in a cost-prohibitive market for San Mateo's community college faculty," said KTGY Group's Stan Braden, AIA.

"It was a joint public/private partnership that encompassed the college district, apartment developer, KTGY, financial consultant and city, redevelopment and utilities officials," Braden said. "Affordable rents and incentives for eventual home purchase encourage teachers to stay. Decks, patios, garages and spacious layouts of up to three bedrooms deliver upscale quality. The contextual architecture, innovative finance/build plan and lifestyle quality encourage the concept's replication in virtually any market." The developer of the 44-unit apartment community is Thompson Dorfman Partners of Mill Valley. The builder is Devcon Construction, Inc. of Milpitas. KTGY Group, Inc. is the project's architect.

(Photo courtesy of Christopher Mayer Photography)

KTGY is also a finalist for three BALAs. The projects that have been recognized are College Vista in San Mateo in the category of Best Rental Development Up To and Including Four Stories, developed by Thompson Dorfman Partners of Sausalito; Nuevo Amanecer in Pajaro, recognized in the category of Best Rental Development Up To and Including Four Stories, developed by South County Housing Corporation of Gilroy; and Falcon Crest in Palm Desert in the category of HUD Secretary's Award for Excellence, developed by Community Dynamics of Santa Monica.

KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning was created in 1991, with project viability and client satisfaction as abiding priorities, while providing complete planning and architectural design services for residential communities, retail developments and related specialty projects. In a complex and changing world, the firm consistently delivers innovative solutions that reflect clear understanding of development, marketing and financial performance. KTGY takes particular pride in its highly motivated and principal-led studio teams, who deliver superior services, thus strengthening clients' long-term growth and earnings objectives. Serving clients throughout the United States, the firm has locations in Irvine, Santa Monica, Oakland and Denver.

For more information, contact Sayeh Rad at (949) 851-2133 or visit ktgy.com

March 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Eve Abbott

U.S. business loses millions of dollars annually because of employees who must correct identity theft (U.S. Dept. of Labor). One of my clients was arrested at work and jailed over a weekend while her children were taken to a juvenile facility because of identity theft crimes. It took three years and $50,000 in legal fees to correct the problems. And then it happened again!

An East Bay business owner had credit card offers picked off by an employee who sorted the mail. By using the convenient "new address" box, the thief collected credit cards and racked up $85,000 in credit fraud in under a month. Make sure you do the "opt out" of prescreened offers check box right away. Whether or not you have elders, high school and college kids to protect, this will improve your credit rating as well!

Have you seen a recent TV ad about a brand new "identity restoration" insurance policy? One ironic aspect of this new profitable insurance product is that the insurance industry is noted for frequently selling individuals' information on a scale too large for mere mortals like me to even comprehend.

Business losses are steadily rising due to fraudulent transactions of supplies and services, for which the selling company often never sees a dime. You can do something now to prevent the same companies who generate productivity problems from profiting off of you and your business!

HOW VULNERABLE ARE YOU?

You can take a quick test at the Identity Theft Resource Center that lets you know your identity quotient, or just how badly you are at risk for ID theft. Now that is motivation! idtheftcenter.org

I guarantee if you and your employees take advantage of my "2008 Simplify Your Life Checklist" that not only will you be more productive, your family will enjoy an improved quality of life as well.

Make 2008 the year you free yourself, your family and your enterprise from wasted time and privacy piracy. Do one checklist item a day, or one each time you pay bills, or one each Wednesday at noon until you have acted to limit risk to your good name. Just do it!

THE 2008 'SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE' CHECKLIST

- Junk Mail: To opt out of several mailing lists at once, contact the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service at P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512, or fill out their on-line form: dmaconsumers. org/consumerassistance.html
- "Do Not Call" Listing: Register online at donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222. You can register your cell phone numbers, too! Don't pay for sales calls.
- Social Security: Review your earnings and benefits statement carefully for errors once a year. Order a free copy by calling 1-800-772-1213. You will also spot if someone else is using your SS number - a common step by criminals and undocumented foreign nationals.
- Credit Ratings and Credit Fraud: Reduce the number of preapproved offers you get by requesting these credit bureaus remove your name from their lists: Experian 1-800-353-0809, Equifax 1-800-219-1251, TransUnion 1-800-241-2858. Every quarter, carefully check your free credit report from one of the three credit bureaus by contacting the only authorized source at www.annualcreditreport. com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
- Opt Out of "Prescreened" Credit Cards: Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688 to protect yourself, elderly family members, college-aged kids and employees from solicitations of creditors. This improves your credit rating, too!
- Government Agencies - Birth, Marriage, Home Purchase and Death: Public records of all our major life events are sold to advertisers. Call the largest dealer, Acxiom, at their Consumer Advocate Hotline 1-877-774-2094 or go to acxiom.com and use the "Contact Us" link to request an opt-out form.
- Terminate Unwanted Catalogs: Contact Abacus at optout@abacus-direct. com or write Abacus, P.O. Box 1478, Broomfield, CO 80093. Supply your address and the full names of everyone in your household and/or at your company address.
- Protect Your Internet Browsing Data: Register at networkadvertising.org to opt out of advertisers selling your browsing "cookies."
- (No check box here. I hope you never have to use these resources. But, you never know ...) Reporting ID Theft or Credit Fraud:
- Equifax 1-800-525-6285
- Experian (formerly TRW) 1-800-301-7195
- Trans Union 1-800-680-728
- Social Security Administration fraud line 1-800-269-0271
- Federal Trade Commission ID Theft Hotline 1-877-438-4338
- The FTC now has an ID Theft website that provides guidelines for victims of identity theft: ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

March 2008 Builder Architect Edition Issue

By Marsha Cheung Golangco

There are infinite possibilities available through the wisdom of feng shui to enhance the quality and sustainability of our living environment and to enjoy greater fulfillment in our lives. This issue will focus on the roles and impact of doors and windows from the feng shui perspective.

IMPORTANT ROLES OF DOORS AND WINDOWS

The feng shui system treats doors and windows with high regard, as they are the openings that connect the inside of a structure to the outside world. Their basic functions are to admit light or to prevent the loss of light from the living environment. They also help to frame the beauty of the surroundings to create a greater appreciation of them, as a beautiful view is worth a premium for many of today's homeowners.

Windows and doors also play important roles in bringing the desirable chi, the universal life force, into the indoor living space. Without these openings, a place would be dark and stagnant or dead, just a