Preparing for Future Changes in Codes and Standards
Insights from the 2011 Alliance Annual Meeting
The Alliance Meeting’s Codes and Standards presentation, by IBACOS CTO Brad Oberg and Dean Potter, VP of K. Hovnanian’s Quality and Home Production Process, pointed out a hard truth: ENERGY STAR v. 3 is due to kick in for some new homes January 1, 2012, and most builders there agreed they had a lot of work to do if they hoped to meet that deadline.
4 Alliance Award Winners Profiled in Professional Builder
Recipients of Builder of the Year and NHQ Awards
Alliance members have picked up several major industry awards over the past year. Four of them are profiled in the October and November issues of Professional Builder, including DSLD Homes (LA, MS), Charter Homes (PA), Schumacher Homes (IN, KY, LA, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA and WV) and Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes (Clovis, CA).
2011 Alliance Annual Meeting - Thinking Differently
On November 2 and 3, the fifth Alliance Annual Meeting brought sixty of the homebuilding industry’s thought leaders to Pittsburgh for networking and idea exchange on the topics members told us were most critical to them—topics like preparing for future changes to building codes to marketing energy efficient homes.
The Alliance Welcomes M/I Homes
We are pleased to welcome M/I Homes (FL, IL, IN, KY, MD, NC, OH, TX, and VA) to the Alliance.
Making Quality and Performance Your Field Team's Business
A 5-step Process for Setting and Implementing Q+P Standards with Perspectives from Pulte
Covering a lot of ground, this presentation by IBACOS Services Manager Anthony Grisolia touches on every aspect of the process required to set and implement quality and performance standards, as well as presenting real-world examples from PulteGroup’s Director of Research and Development Jim Petersen.
Preparing for Future Changes to Codes and Standards
Benefits of Thinking Ahead, Process/Logic Behind Changes, and How Some Builders are Preparing
Both IBACOS CTO Brad Oberg and VP of K. Hovnanian’s Quality and Home Production Process, Dean Potter, say the key to meeting the challenges of new codes and standards is to test home performance and institute higher standards now, rather than later, since racing to catch up is more expensive than planning to exceed.
Optimizing Design, Minimizing Waste and Improving Performance
This joint presentation by Alan Laing, one of the industry’s leading consultants, and IBACOS Research Manager Duncan Prahl shows that Value Engineering has come to mean a lot more than standardizing a home’s design or cutting waste.
Marketing and Selling Energy Efficient Homes Parts 1 and 2
Best Practices, Pardee Homes Case Study and Exercises
This two-part presentation included homeowner/homebuyer statistics, a case study on Pardee Homes, a high level list of Best Practices for messaging and delivery and exercises.
Charter Homes Wins NHQ 2011 Builder of the Year
Also Wins ENERGY STAR, Safety Excellence Awards
Q&A from the HVAC Right-Sizing Part 2 Webinar
Equipment Selection and Sizing
The September 7 webinar, the second in our 3-part series on HVAC Right-Sizing, featured Arlan Burdick, Building Performance Specialist, and Brad Oberg, CTO, and covered best practices for equipment selection and sizing.
K. Hovnanian Homes® Starts Construction of Energy Efficient Test Home
Marks 7th Project with Building America Program, IBACOS
The Alliance Welcomes HearthStone Homes™, Taylor Morrison and Toll Brothers
We are pleased to welcome HearthStone Homes (Omaha, NE), Taylor Morrison (AZ, CA, CO, FL and TX) and Toll Brothers™ (AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TX and VA) to the Alliance.
Featured Winner of the Quality + Performance™ Award: K. Hovnanian Homes®
In 2010, five homebuilders were recognized as inaugural winners of the Best Practices Research Alliance Home Quality + Performance award. This month we're featuring K. Hovnanian Homes®, one of the country's top ten builders. We'll examine what makes them an Alliance award-winner, including how they brought together their trade partners, suppliers and manufacturers in a collaborative forum by founding the Trade Partner Council. To learn more about the Home Quality + Performance awards, visit here.
New Builders Join the Alliance
We're pleased to announce that Addison Homes (Greenville, SC), David Weekley Homes (CO, FL, GA, IN, NC, SC, TX) and Westport Homes (IN, OH) have joined the Alliance.
Professional Builder Launches Top "40 Under 40"
Representatives of 6 Alliance Builders Recognized for Contributions to Homebuilding Industry
Representatives of six Alliance builders were recognized in Professional Builder’s first annual list of the top “40 under 40 in Residential Construction.”
Featured Winner of the Quality + Performance™ Award: Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes
In 2010, five homebuilders were recognized as inaugural winners of the Best Practices Research Alliance Home Quality + Performance award. This month we're featuring Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes in Fresno/Clovis, CA. We'll examine what makes them an Alliance award-winner, as well as winner of the EVHA Builder of the Year award and the National Housing Quality award this year. To learn more about the Home Quality + Performance awards, visit here.
Research Spotlight on HVAC Flex Duct Design
Project Aims to Set New Standards for Junction Boxes
In working with production homebuilders, IBACOS has seen poor air distribution and comfort-related issues in flex duct HVAC systems that use a type of equipment for which ACCA Manual D provides few guidelines: ductboard distribution boxes, also known as junction or “splitter” boxes
Cornell Homes, Providence Homes Join Alliance
We are pleased to welcome Cornell Homes (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) and Providence Homes (Jacksonville, FL) to the Alliance.
Profile: Home Quality + Performance™ Award Winner – S&A Homes
In 2010, five homebuilders were recognized as inaugural winners of the Best Practices Research Alliance Home Quality + Performance award. This month we're featuring S&A Homes, based in State College, PA. We'll examine what makes them an Alliance award-winner--aside from building the Alliance's flagship project, the Energy Efficiency Lab Home.
The Alliance Inaugurates “Ask the Experts” Feature
One of the greatest values the Alliance provides is the ability to ask a question about high performance homebuilding and trust the answer that you’re getting – whether it’s related to business and quality management, construction best practices, energy standards, specific technologies and systems, etc. To facilitate this process among Alliance members, IBACOS created an “Ask the Experts” email box.
Q&A from the High Performance Lighting Webinar
Differentiating High Performance Homes with Lighting and Controls
The July 7 webinar on High Performance Lighting featured Brad Oberg, Chief Technology Officer at IBACOS, along with Erik Anderson of Lutron and Todd Roy of Progress Lighting for a look at the leading edge of lighting technology, including how lighting strategies and innovative controls can differentiate homes in a competitive market and save energy.
Q & A from Top 5 Construction Quality Hot Spots Webinar
In a webinar led by Richard Baker and Anthony Grisolia, the top five construction quality issues encountered in the field were covered, with a list of technical and business best practices to prevent them.
Profile: Home Quality + Performance™ Award Winner - Imagine Homes
In 2010, five homebuilders were recognized as inaugural winners of the Best Practices Research Alliance Home Quality + Performance award. This month we're featuring Imagine Homes, a southwestern builder based in San Antonio, Texas. We'll examine what sets them apart from other homebuilders and what makes them an Alliance award-winner—as well as a winner of a 2011 NAHB® Green Building Award for Project of the Year, Single-Family Production Builder.
Schumacher Homes Joins the Alliance
Largest Custom Homebuilder in the U.S.
We are pleased to announce that Schumacher Homes, custom homebuilder in 13 states, has joined the Alliance. Schumacher is the largest "on your lot" homebuilder in America, having built more than 6,000 homes since their founding 17 years ago.
Q&A From IBACOS/Department of Energy’s Webinar
HVAC Right-Sizing Part 1: Calculating Loads
Presented by IBACOS’ Arlan Burdick, Building Performance Specialist and Anthony Grisolia, Services Manager, with the support of the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program, this webinar highlighted the importance of creating accurate heating and cooling load calculations and examined the criteria required to do so. Current industry rules of thumb, and perceptions and barriers to right-sizing HVAC were also discussed. This is the first in a 3-part series, to be followed by Part 2, Choosing Equipment Size and Part 3, Choosing the Right Distribution System.
The Alliance Welcomes Three New Homebuilder Members
The Alliance is pleased to announce the addition of three new homebuilder members. New homebuilding leaders in the "club" include Citizens Homes (North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee), D.R. Horton (28 states), and Keystone Custom Homes (Central Pennsylvania).
Profile: Home Quality + Performance™ Award Winner - Meritage Homes
In late 2010, five homebuilders won the Best Practices Research Alliance Home Quality + Performance award. This month we're featuring award-winner Meritage Homes, which offers homes across the southern and western United States and is one of the ten largest homebuilders in the country. We'll examine what sets them apart from other homebuilders and what makes them an Alliance award-winner.
The Alliance Welcomes Another Homebuilder Member
The Alliance is pleased to announce that Highland Homes – (Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, TX) has become an Alliance member.
Best Practices Shared During Quality Management Webinar
During our March webinar, we took a look at tools and techniques, and best practices of National Housing Quality Award winners, who have successfully implemented Quality Management as a business strategy. Take a look at slides, Q&A and an archive of the event.
A Systems Engineering Approach
Not Just for High-Efficiency Homes
"A Systems Engineering Approach" tells how an integrated design approach should be a fundamental part of the process to ensure design efficiencies are recognized for homes at any level of performance. It appears in the April 2011 "Framework," the newsletter of the Builders Association of Central Pennsylvania (BACP).
Additional ENERGY STAR® Version 3 Q&A
Clear Answers to Homebuilder Questions
In a webinar led by Ari Rapport, an IBACOS Building Performance Specialist, we looked at ENERGY STAR® Version 3 from a homebuilder’s perspective. This is the second article to examine the questions and answers that came out of that session.
Eight New Homebuilder Members Join the Alliance
The Alliance is pleased to welcome eight new homebuilder members: Charter Homes & Neighborhoods, Darling Homes, Doucette Communities, Hubbell Homes, Mistick Construction, Orleans Homes, Richmond American Homes and Veridian Homes.
Lively Q&A During ENERGY STAR Version 3 Webinar
EPA's Sam Rashkin Fields Questions
In a webinar led by Ari Rapport, an IBACOS Building Performance Specialist, we took a look at ENERGY STAR Version 3 from a homebuilder’s perspective – touching on three key areas: the relationship between ENERGY STAR® and the evolution of codes, how to use ENERGY STAR’s Performance Path to your advantage, and the most confusing conditions of the program and how to address them. Here's a recap of that session.
Two Alliance Members Take Home NHQ Bronze
Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes and Charter Homes & Neighborhoods made an impressive showing at the International Builders Show this year, taking home Bronze in the National Housing Quality Awards.
Four Builder Members Recognized through EnergyValue Housing Awards
Alliance members were well-represented at the EnergyValue Housing Awards® (EVHA) this year. Four homebuilders were recognized: Cobblestone Homes (MI), Imagine Homes (TX), Meritage Homes (AZ) and Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes (CA).
Alliance Welcomes 8 New Homebuilder Members
New homebuilding leaders in the “club” include Cobblestone Homes, Dominion Homes, DSLD Homes, History Maker Homes, KB Home, Shea Homes, Wayne Homes, and Winchester Homes.
Alliance Homebuilders Receive National Recognition
Kudos to Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes for taking home the Bronze Award in the 2011 National Housing Quality Awards, and to Cobblestone Homes, Imagine Homes, Meritage Homes, and Wathen-Castanos for becoming finalists in the 2011 EnergyValue Housing Awards.
Industry Leaders Converge in Pittsburgh for Alliance Annual Meeting
Roughly 45 industry leaders – including homebuilders, product and material suppliers, and business and technical experts from throughout the U.S. – joined IBACOS in Pittsburgh for the 2010 Alliance Annual Meeting, which included a networking reception and tour of the Energy Efficiency Lab Home and a series of presentations and interactive discussions on Putting Energy Efficiency to Work in Your Business from an operational and technical perspective.
IBACOS Launches Home Quality + Performance™ Leadership Recognition Program
At the 2010 Alliance Annual Meeting, IBACOS introduced a new program recognizing Alliance homebuilders who have demonstrated their commitment to improved quality and performance in homebuilding. At that meeting, five homebuilders were recognized as inaugural winners of the Best Practices Research Alliance Home Quality + Performance award.
Interactive Quality Management Discussion Held in Pittsburgh
In late October, a number of Alliance members joined IBACOS, Building Excellence Consulting and other experts to discuss best practices for implementing quality management in homebuilding companies and evaluate a number of resources developed to help builders.
Best Practices for Using Energy Efficiency as a Competitive Advantage
Construction guys as sales agents? Keeping a homebuyer engaged for 3 hours? 1-hour realtor training sessions? Selling more value for more money in this economy? Earlier this month, Alliance members John Friesenhahn of Imagine Homes, Mike Nimon of Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes, and Michael Dickens and Brad Oberg of IBACOS participated in a panel discussion entitled "How to Use Energy Efficiency as a Competitive Advantage" through BUILDER Online's Presidential Seminar Series.
"Integrated Design Process" or "Lean Design" - You say Tomato...
Duncan Prahl, leader of Quality and Business Management research for IBACOS and the Alliance, firmly believes that the overall operational profitability of a company building high performance homes can be as good as or better than a company building simply to code. One way to help pay for higher performance strategies and get the most bang for the buck is through Integrated Design Process (IDP).
