The Middleton Group » Architecture

6 Prefab Houses That Could Change Home Building

Blake Middleton — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:09:13 +0000

Affordable prices, cool design, easy delivery. What’s not to like?

(Via EcoHome: Alternative Building Materials.)

5 Markets Expected to Fare Best in 2010 – Yahoo! Real Estate

Blake Middleton — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:42:18 +0000

Good news for the Charleston area. Let’s hope it results in more business for everyone!

After a dour year where housing prices fell more than 12% nationwide, will 2010 bring sunnier tidings?

The short answer: only a tad in a select few places but overall not really.

The five areas that Moody’s foresees home prices performing best in 2010 are: Tacoma, Wash., (an increase of 2.44%); Memphis, Tenn., (up 0.99%); Pittsburgh (up 0.89%); Charleston, S.C. (up 0.18%); and Seattle (decline of 0.50%). (These five markets are culled from data on Moody’s Economy.com and based on the largest 100 metro areas.)

(Via Yahoo.)

BIM – The Technology We Use

Blake Middleton — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:34:13 +0000

At the Middleton Group we use Revit, one of the leading BIM programs out there. At its core, BIM is a database, which allows us to build your house in the computer and extract whatever information we need. Read the link below to get a good overview of the technology.

At its core, BIM, or building information modeling, is exactly what its name implies: an information-rich digital model of a building. Try to pin down exactly what it does or how it works, however, and things quickly get a bit slippery. The more you learn, it seems, the more there is to learn.

Everyone Loves BIM (Whatever It Is) | greenbuildingsNYC

High Performance, Architecture Coexist in Florida’s Alys Beach

Blake Middleton — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:39:53 +0000

Alys Beach custom home sends a clear message that high-performance housing can exist under strict architectural guidelines.

(Via EcoHome: Alternative Building Materials.)

USGBC Members Approve LEED 2009

Blake Middleton — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:02:26 +0000

Members of the U.S. Green Building Council have approved LEED 2009, which contains major revisions to the LEED Rating System.

(Via BuildingGreen.com News.)

LEED for Homes

Blake Middleton — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:05:41 +0000

Yesterday, Laura and I attended a LEED for Homes review seminar. Overall it was a full day of information, from marketing LEED to going over every credit point in the program. I learned a lot about the program, and it cleared up a lot of confusion we had about providers and raters.

LEED for Homes works a lot differently than the commercial version. The USGBC recognized that builders don’t always have an architect on the team or have design done in-house. To help builders through the process and expedite everything, they started the LEED for Homes Provider network. It looks like this approach will be much more efficient than the commercial version, and lessen the burden on the LEED AP’s. By the way, there currently is no LEED for Homes AP accreditation, but it will be available next spring. Most likely one of us will get the LEED AP accreditation, and the other will get the LEED for Homes AP accreditation.