Publisher’s Note: April 2021

Hello Readers, in print and online,

Spring has finally sprung, so weather plays less of a role in construction starts and home builders can get back to building. Production is being hampered by rising materials costs and scarcity of supplies, which are eroding profits and slowing the pace of new home construction across the country, as home builders bide their time to protect their investments. A diminishing supply of both new homes and resale homes continues to put pressure on home prices in every market and across property types. Inflation is now present in other sectors of the economy and consumers are really starting to feel the pinch. Notably gas prices and food costs at grocery stores have continued to rise this year. Economists suggest this is expected as the economy comes back to life, post lockdown. The implications are prices will adjust as supply chains return to normal. One expects home builders will resume higher production rates when materials costs are reduced to acceptable levels. NAHB and other trade groups are lobbying the administration to reduce tariffs and quotas on imported raw materials to help ease the supply chain strain. 

The continued interest in health and wellness has encouraged more design teams and home builders to revise their IAQ policies. The pandemic has made us all reconsider the air we breathe, especially inside our homes. The manufacturing community has introduced new products that filter all of the air inside a home through MERV 13 grade filters, reducing particulate matter and germs considerably. We worked with the nice folks at Panasonic and installed their filtration devices inside our own ABC Green Home 4.0 to achieve much improved IAQ and more easily pass our various certifications, including LEED Platinum. Bathroom fans, the range hood and the Energy Recover Ventilation unit work together seamlessly to continuously clean, filter and energize the air within the home efficiently. 

Our design team engineers at Green MEP worked with our installing HVAC contractors and architect to achieve the best results possible. I would like to point out that all of the materials we deployed in our home are readily available across the supply chain. Nothing made from unobtanium was ever used. I would like to acknowledge all of our product partners and design team participants for their contributions to the ABC Green Home 4.0 build. 10 advanced energy certifications, multiple awards and recognition are a reflection of the commitment by the professionals who put their time and energy into the project, for which I am most grateful—thank you all.  We are excited to share our next build, ABC 5.0 over the coming months. 

I hope you enjoy our revised format SourceBook. Inspired by sustainable and high performance building materials and the firms that make them. I hope you will consider these materials when making your own materials selections for your future projects. Thank you for the privilege of your readership, stay safe and slainte. 

   Nick Slevin