The golden years are a time to enjoy life, relax, and have a worry-free retirement. During our working years we plan for this time, save money and make investments for the future. But, naturally over time, the cost of living increases, u…
T he chant is familiar: In goes the good air, out goes the bad. But just how good is the air coming into your condominium? Ductwork and chutes are familiar elements of urban multi-family buildings, handling everything from heat to tras…
Though mostly unseen, a building’s plumbing and piping network is one of its most important systems—as anyone who has ever had to endure a no-hot-water shower in February, or who has come home to a flooded floor can attest. Plumbing cove…
At every condominium community it happens every hour; every day. Coffee gets spilled, mud gets tracked, windows get smeared. When residents move, errant table legs and oversized sofas can scrape black marks, and even divots, into paint…
National Public Radio recently ran a story about a piece of advice from the latest edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The suggestion was about how to stay warm throughout the winter with just one log: chuck it out of an upstairs window, r…
Technology is affecting the way we do business, how we go about our daily tasks, and even how our homes function. Putting existing technology to use in a home or residential building is the essence of what it means to be an “intelligent” bu…
There's nothing quite like a summer's day spent relaxing on your deck with friends. For many of us, it's like having a small piece of paradise right outside our doors. Condominium associations know that well-maintained and attractive dec…
In his book, "Paul Revere's Ride," David Hackett Fischer suggests that General Thomas Gage suffered from "stovepipe intelligence," or gathering information from the top down. The British Military Governor of Massa-chusetts asked que…
When the Puritans bought Muske-taquid from the Algonkians in 1635, they changed the name to "Concord" to signify the harmony of the agreement. The Massachusetts town has lived up to its name ever since, albeit rather unconventionally. It…
The building envelope, as many already know, is a term used to describe the six sides of a building which "envelop" the building (if the building were a perfect cube). The underlying goal of excellent construction is to makethe building …