How Long Do the Parts of a House Last?
A few years back, I wrote an article called "Building Blind," that exposed some major flaws in the...
Matt Power, Editor-In-Chief
Veteran journalist Matt Power has reported on innovation and sustainability in housing for nearly three decades. An award-winning writer, editor, and filmmaker, he has a long history of asking hard questions and adding depth and context as he unfolds complex issues.
Housewrap: What's the Difference?
It's a connundrum: How do you prevent water from entering a building, while also allowing any...
Road Rage: The 16-Minute Rule
For commuting to and from work, 16 minutes is most people's limit. photo by Randy Chiu
Urban Biking: The Fear Factor
Just creating bike paths is not enough to increase ridership. You need to understand what keeps...
Equilibrium: Living with Nature
Simply invoking the word nature can get you in trouble these days. Entire books have been written...
Homeowner Associations Can Damage Local Ecosystems
New research suggests that homeowner associations can use their unchecked power to wipe out—or...
White Roofs' Cooling Power Quantified
One of the best tools for combating climate change is right over our heads. Many cities have begun...
Just the Right Pressure
I've learned a lot from my failures as a gardener. Back before I knew better, I used to unleash the...
The 8-Second Attention Span
New reports from GlobeScan.com and GreenBiz.com show yet another way that politicized claims about...
Solar Energy: Time to Open the Blinds
This year's solar decathlon has a different feel than previous years. The entries have become more...
Five Myths about Home Fire Sprinklers
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is helping to dispel five common myths...
Rise of the Megacity
We live in a new age of cities. Around the world, urban areas are growing faster and larger than at...
Building Science: Crunching the (Good) Numbers
It’s easy to think of “significant” numbers. But often the numbers burned most acutely into our...