Altering Stock Home Plans
If any changes are required, be it to meet a more stringent building code or to add another bedroom, the client must purchase a reproducible master. This master, or vellum, is also necessary if the client needs to make more than the five standard ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Deconstruction For Reuse And Salvage
A savvy approach to rehabilitation includes research to establish important dates, styles, and influences on the building. Most buildings have been altered to some degree over their lifespan. A bit of sleuthing will assist you in determining the ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Building A Container House
When building with ISBUs, the building blocks are ready-made and ready to transport. TAW starts by shipping the containers to their Tampa factory for modifications. Once there, the house blueprints are reviewed and each unit is custom fit for ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Converting Shipping Containers For Housing
David Cross and his associates at Tampa Custom Equipment and Tampa Armature Works (TAW) are blazing a trail in container housing. “We asked ourselves, ‘How can we take a container and make it usable for a contractor,’” Cross says of their initial ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Choosing The Right Architect
During the interview, ask questions. How busy is the firm? Does it have the capacity to take on your work? Who will handle the job? Insist on meeting the person who will actually design your project. What is the firm's design philosophy? How does ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Classic Colonial Elements Define Centerville Home
Colonial is a very broad term for classic home styles in the United States. The Colonial family of homes is vast, starting with the post medieval English homes of Salem or Concord in New England, and ending with the soaring, ornate columned ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Germany Tour
As decades passed, a rift between the convent and the city over money matters, deepening financial crises and ultimately the city's bankruptcy in the late 14th century ground construction almost to a halt. Work was sporadic. With each fresh crew ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
House Types
Among the earliest and most common building types, this house is characterized by its 1½ story eaves, front five-bay central entry plan. Typically these houses are two rooms deep, sometimes with a series of smaller rooms along the back. Original .. ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Working With An Architect
An architect helps the homeowner pinpoint the goals of the project. Often, the initial answer—more space, an updated kitchen—leads to more questions from the architect. How is the space going to be utilized and by whom? How often? At what time of ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Modular Homes Make Sense
Modular homes are like the hybrid car of the house-building industry. They save money, they make sense, but they haven't caught on yet. General misconceptions keep many from considering going modular, and the confusion between modular homes and ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Manhattan Remodel And Cape Cod Affordable
Once qualified, Valle was able to use a 4.5 acre parcel of land that was ill-suited to development as two-acre lots and instead developed them as a neighborhood of 11 homes, four of which are affordable by definition and will be sold by lottery ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Modern Colonial Floor Plans
The home's entry is flanked by a formal dining room and a study, with a staircase leading to the second floor in the central hallway. The kitchen and breakfast area are easily accessible to the bonus sunroom and deck. The L-shaped kitchen locates ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
