Precision planning and design principles are underpinned by Japanese philosophy at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch.
The homes designed and built by Sekisui House, a global residential builder, epitomize the synergy between architecture and engineering. There are also synergies between the company and Green Builder Media.
Sekisui House and its SHAWOOD brand focus on building homes that are durable and resilient and support wellness in every aspect of their owners’ lives, while Green Builder Media’s mission is to support sustainable homes for better living.
SHAWOOD, Sekisui House’s home brand was introduced to the U.S. market in 2021 and operates across 16 states as one of the largest homebuilders in the country. Credit: Sekisui House
At VISION House SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch in Chatsworth, California, Green Builder Media and the SHAWOOD brand of Sekisui House are working together with manufacturers to showcase homes of exceptional livability and performance.
“SHAWOOD’s philosophy is centered on creating homes that support long-term safety, comfort and wellbeing, bringing together Japanese design principles with precision engineering and resilient construction,” says Paul Peterson, chief operating officer for Sekisui House, U.S. “At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, that philosophy is adapted specifically to the Southern California landscape: the homes are designed around light, balance and connection to the surrounding canyon environment, with expansive windows and open atriums framing sunlight, sky and mountain views.”
Green Builder Media created the metric ofValue Per Square Foot™, which focuses on the true value and cost of homeownership rather than the upfront cost to build and buy a house. Through the VISION House SHAWOOD project, Green Builder Media will showcase how homes built with a focus on long-term value enable homeowners to lower operating costs, utility bills and insurance premiums; enhance efficiency, wellness, resilience, safety and independence; and reduce their carbon footprint.
“What makes SHAWOOD different is that design and engineering are considered together from the outset; our proprietary post-and-beam structure provides a strong, precision foundation while enabling open spaces and greater architectural flexibility,” Peterson says.
Those elements enhance resilience, durability, wellness and long-term value.
SHAWOOD offers walk-throughs of its under-construction communities to showcase the company’s unique laminated timber with precision metal joints and open-concept floorplans. Credit: Sekisui House
“SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch is designed around the idea that the home should support wellbeing throughout different stages of life,” Peterson says. “The homes’ architecture brings nature indoors, with gathering spaces introducing natural light and spaces for serenity. Great rooms feature soaring ceilings and flow to covered outdoor patios, while primary suites incorporate spa-inspired baths and customizable wellness features.”
This approach by SHAWOOD connects particularly well with Green Builder Media’s health and wellness, resilience, investment and community pillars, which are part of the Value Per Square Foot metric.
“Biophilic design, daylight and nature-inspired spaces support wellbeing, while SHAWOOD’s precision framing, direct foundation connections and durable Bellburn ceramic exterior panels support resilience and longevity,” Peterson says.
Architecturally, post-and-beam construction allows for wide-open spaces and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, helping make SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch’s light-filled interiors, open volumes and connections to the landscape possible. Credit: Sekisui House
Living Well at VISION House SHAWOOD
Every element at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch and other SHAWOOD communities is carefully vetted to ensure that the entire home lives up to the company’s “Living Well” standards. These standards include:
Healthy Home: For SHAWOOD, a healthy home supports physical comfort and overall wellbeing through the way that the spaces are designed and experienced, Peterson explains. “At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, expansive windows, atriums, natural light and nature-inspired interiors help connect residents with the outdoors, while spa-inspired primary suites and customizable wellness features create additional opportunities for restoration within the home,” he says.
Daltile’s durable interior and exterior tiles, porcelain slabs and quartz countertops, which will be used in multiple areas at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, are allergen-free, resistant to mold and bacteria, formaldehyde-free and VOC-free.Mohawk, a company committed to sustainable, low-maintenance products, will provide flooring at VISION House SHAWOOD that is easy to keep clean and pet-friendly.
Work+: “Work+ is about giving residents spaces that can accommodate the different ways life happens at home,” Peterson says. “SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch plans incorporate dual offices and flexible spaces designed for work, creativity and connection, alongside fitness rooms and studios.”
Home Oasis: At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, the idea of the home as an oasis is expressed through a strong connection to the surrounding landscape, Peterson explains. “Clearview architecture, open atriums and covered outdoor patios bring nature into daily life, creating dedicated spaces for serenity and restoration,” he says. “The community extends that experience beyond the home through mountain views, hiking trails, a pool and other outdoor amenities.”
Creative Mines will include their manufactured stone and wood products in the house, which include natural elements and contribute to the biophilic design of the home. Their products are durable, low-maintenance and fire resistant.
Soothing Spaces: SHAWOOD creates soothing spaces through daylight, openness, natural materials and visual connections to nature.
“SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch’s light-filled interiors, soaring ceilings, atriums and spa-inspired retreats are all designed to create a sense of calm, while the surrounding canyon setting gives residents privacy and access to nature,” Peterson says.
Conscious Comfort: The term “conscious comfort” combines the experience of the finished home with the engineering behind it, Peterson explains.
“At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, precision-engineered framing, direct structural connections to the foundation, metal joints and durable Bellburn ceramic wall panels are designed to provide safety, strength and long-term performance,” he says. “Those systems work alongside flexible floor plans and wellness-focused design so that comfort is built into both the structure and the everyday living experience.”
Conscious comfort for residents at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch will also be enhanced by efficient systems that work together for temperature control, clean air, energy efficiency and resilience for peace of mind and financial security.
For example,Carrier’s highperformance variable speed heat pump and smart thermostat will deliver exceptional comfort, efficiency and intelligent control of the heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems.Westlake Roofing’s resilient concrete tile roof andRheem’s efficient heat pump water heater will add to the energy efficiency and comfort in each home. In addition,Sunrun will provide solar, storage, smart panel and EV charging solutions, all of which generate financial savings, control over energy costs and a feeling of security in case of power outages.
SHAWOOD’s proprietary metal joints, pins, and fittings connect precision-cut posts and beams to directly to the foundation, supporting the home’s structural integrity and long-term resilience. Credit: Sekisui House
Intentional Design Durability
Delivering on each category of Living Well: Healthy Home, Work+, Home Oasis, Soothing Spaces and Conscious Comfort depends on coordinated planning; from before the first shovel of dirt is turned to the day homeowners move in, and beyond.
“These qualities cannot simply be added after a home is built; they depend on decisions made at the earliest stages of engineering and design,” Peterson says. “SHAWOOD’s framing system provides the structural strength and flexibility that make expansive windows, open interiors and indoor-outdoor connections possible, while precision manufacturing and durable materials support resilience and longevity.”
Engineered before they reach the jobsite, SHAWOOD’s pre-cut posts and beams reduce field fabrication, improve consistency and help minimize material waste. Credit: Sekisui House
Today’s homebuyers understand the importance of resilience, safety and durability, all of which contribute to the sense of comfort offered by a home. In a recent Green Builder MediaCOGNITION Smart Data™ survey, buyers' top priorities besides safety and resilience were energy bills and savings, along with health and indoor air quality. The home design and floor plan is another important factor in the decision to buy or remodel a home.
Safety, resilience and durability, energy savings, and healthy indoor air lead respondents’ priorities when buying or remodeling, with more than 80% rating each important or very important.
“Integrating those elements from the outset allows the finished home to balance safety, adaptability, comfort and wellbeing while creating value rooted in long-term performance,” Peterson says.
Framing for Resilience and Biophilic Design
In every development, Sekisui House stays true to their core value of building homes that are not only resilient, durable and high performing, but also grow more beautiful over time. An essential element that provides the durability and design options for VISION House SHAWOOD and other Sekisui House homes is the company’s proprietary framing system.
“Our post-and-beam framing system is manufactured with a level of precision you simply cannot achieve with conventional on-site framing,” Peterson says. “The wood posts, beams and metal joints are engineered and pre-cut before they ever arrive at the jobsite. On the ground, this significantly shortens certain phases of construction, reduces material waste and eliminates variability from house to house.”
The innovative building practices are a result of more than 30 years of research and development, Peterson explained.
“The system includes fire-resistant exterior panels and advanced safety reinforcements designed to address the state’s distinct environmental challenges,” he says.
The benefits of the Sekisui House framing system go beyond initial construction.
“The framing influences both how the home performs and how it feels,” Peterson says. “Structurally, SHAWOOD’s direct foundation connections, proprietary metal joints and tight construction tolerances are intended to create a stronger and more resilient structure. Architecturally, post-and-beam construction allows for wide-open spaces and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, helping make SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch’s light-filled interiors, open volumes and connections to the landscape possible.”
Sekisui House’s framing system begins with engineering the structure for the individual home and creating posts and beams from layers of wood selected and graded for strength, Peterson explains.
“Each beam is then precision-cut off-site, including the holes and slits needed for its metal fittings, and the proprietary joints are prepared according to the home’s specific design,” he added. “At the site, posts are securely connected directly to the foundation using metal fittings, and the posts and beams are then assembled using SHAWOOD’s proprietary metal-joint system and pins. Because the major components arrive pre-engineered and pre-cut, less fabrication is required in the field, helping improve accuracy, consistency and construction efficiency.”
Engineering for Performance and Architectural Beauty
Precision planning and design principles are underpinned by Japanese philosophy at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch.
The homes designed and built by Sekisui House, a global residential builder, epitomize the synergy between architecture and engineering. There are also synergies between the company and Green Builder Media.
Sekisui House and its SHAWOOD brand focus on building homes that are durable and resilient and support wellness in every aspect of their owners’ lives, while Green Builder Media’s mission is to support sustainable homes for better living.
SHAWOOD, Sekisui House’s home brand was introduced to the U.S. market in 2021 and operates across 16 states as one of the largest homebuilders in the country. Credit: Sekisui House
At VISION House SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch in Chatsworth, California, Green Builder Media and the SHAWOOD brand of Sekisui House are working together with manufacturers to showcase homes of exceptional livability and performance.
“SHAWOOD’s philosophy is centered on creating homes that support long-term safety, comfort and wellbeing, bringing together Japanese design principles with precision engineering and resilient construction,” says Paul Peterson, chief operating officer for Sekisui House, U.S. “At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, that philosophy is adapted specifically to the Southern California landscape: the homes are designed around light, balance and connection to the surrounding canyon environment, with expansive windows and open atriums framing sunlight, sky and mountain views.”
Green Builder Media created the metric ofValue Per Square Foot™, which focuses on the true value and cost of homeownership rather than the upfront cost to build and buy a house. Through the VISION House SHAWOOD project, Green Builder Media will showcase how homes built with a focus on long-term value enable homeowners to lower operating costs, utility bills and insurance premiums; enhance efficiency, wellness, resilience, safety and independence; and reduce their carbon footprint.
“What makes SHAWOOD different is that design and engineering are considered together from the outset; our proprietary post-and-beam structure provides a strong, precision foundation while enabling open spaces and greater architectural flexibility,” Peterson says.
Those elements enhance resilience, durability, wellness and long-term value.
SHAWOOD offers walk-throughs of its under-construction communities to showcase the company’s unique laminated timber with precision metal joints and open-concept floorplans. Credit: Sekisui House
“SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch is designed around the idea that the home should support wellbeing throughout different stages of life,” Peterson says. “The homes’ architecture brings nature indoors, with gathering spaces introducing natural light and spaces for serenity. Great rooms feature soaring ceilings and flow to covered outdoor patios, while primary suites incorporate spa-inspired baths and customizable wellness features.”
This approach by SHAWOOD connects particularly well with Green Builder Media’s health and wellness, resilience, investment and community pillars, which are part of the Value Per Square Foot metric.
“Biophilic design, daylight and nature-inspired spaces support wellbeing, while SHAWOOD’s precision framing, direct foundation connections and durable Bellburn ceramic exterior panels support resilience and longevity,” Peterson says.
Architecturally, post-and-beam construction allows for wide-open spaces and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, helping make SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch’s light-filled interiors, open volumes and connections to the landscape possible. Credit: Sekisui House
Living Well at VISION House SHAWOOD
Every element at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch and other SHAWOOD communities is carefully vetted to ensure that the entire home lives up to the company’s “Living Well” standards. These standards include:
Healthy Home: For SHAWOOD, a healthy home supports physical comfort and overall wellbeing through the way that the spaces are designed and experienced, Peterson explains. “At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, expansive windows, atriums, natural light and nature-inspired interiors help connect residents with the outdoors, while spa-inspired primary suites and customizable wellness features create additional opportunities for restoration within the home,” he says.
Daltile’s durable interior and exterior tiles, porcelain slabs and quartz countertops, which will be used in multiple areas at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, are allergen-free, resistant to mold and bacteria, formaldehyde-free and VOC-free. Mohawk, a company committed to sustainable, low-maintenance products, will provide flooring at VISION House SHAWOOD that is easy to keep clean and pet-friendly.
Work+: “Work+ is about giving residents spaces that can accommodate the different ways life happens at home,” Peterson says. “SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch plans incorporate dual offices and flexible spaces designed for work, creativity and connection, alongside fitness rooms and studios.”
Home Oasis: At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, the idea of the home as an oasis is expressed through a strong connection to the surrounding landscape, Peterson explains. “Clearview architecture, open atriums and covered outdoor patios bring nature into daily life, creating dedicated spaces for serenity and restoration,” he says. “The community extends that experience beyond the home through mountain views, hiking trails, a pool and other outdoor amenities.”
Creative Mines will include their manufactured stone and wood products in the house, which include natural elements and contribute to the biophilic design of the home. Their products are durable, low-maintenance and fire resistant.
Soothing Spaces: SHAWOOD creates soothing spaces through daylight, openness, natural materials and visual connections to nature.
“SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch’s light-filled interiors, soaring ceilings, atriums and spa-inspired retreats are all designed to create a sense of calm, while the surrounding canyon setting gives residents privacy and access to nature,” Peterson says.
Conscious Comfort: The term “conscious comfort” combines the experience of the finished home with the engineering behind it, Peterson explains.
“At SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch, precision-engineered framing, direct structural connections to the foundation, metal joints and durable Bellburn ceramic wall panels are designed to provide safety, strength and long-term performance,” he says. “Those systems work alongside flexible floor plans and wellness-focused design so that comfort is built into both the structure and the everyday living experience.”
Conscious comfort for residents at SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch will also be enhanced by efficient systems that work together for temperature control, clean air, energy efficiency and resilience for peace of mind and financial security.
For example, Carrier’s high performance variable speed heat pump and smart thermostat will deliver exceptional comfort, efficiency and intelligent control of the heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. Westlake Roofing’s resilient concrete tile roof and Rheem’s efficient heat pump water heater will add to the energy efficiency and comfort in each home. In addition, Sunrun will provide solar, storage, smart panel and EV charging solutions, all of which generate financial savings, control over energy costs and a feeling of security in case of power outages.
SHAWOOD’s proprietary metal joints, pins, and fittings connect precision-cut posts and beams to directly to the foundation, supporting the home’s structural integrity and long-term resilience. Credit: Sekisui House
Intentional Design Durability
Delivering on each category of Living Well: Healthy Home, Work+, Home Oasis, Soothing Spaces and Conscious Comfort depends on coordinated planning; from before the first shovel of dirt is turned to the day homeowners move in, and beyond.
“These qualities cannot simply be added after a home is built; they depend on decisions made at the earliest stages of engineering and design,” Peterson says. “SHAWOOD’s framing system provides the structural strength and flexibility that make expansive windows, open interiors and indoor-outdoor connections possible, while precision manufacturing and durable materials support resilience and longevity.”
Engineered before they reach the jobsite, SHAWOOD’s pre-cut posts and beams reduce field fabrication, improve consistency and help minimize material waste. Credit: Sekisui House
Today’s homebuyers understand the importance of resilience, safety and durability, all of which contribute to the sense of comfort offered by a home. In a recent Green Builder Media COGNITION Smart Data™ survey, buyers' top priorities besides safety and resilience were energy bills and savings, along with health and indoor air quality. The home design and floor plan is another important factor in the decision to buy or remodel a home.
Safety, resilience and durability, energy savings, and healthy indoor air lead respondents’ priorities when buying or remodeling, with more than 80% rating each important or very important.
“Integrating those elements from the outset allows the finished home to balance safety, adaptability, comfort and wellbeing while creating value rooted in long-term performance,” Peterson says.
Framing for Resilience and Biophilic Design
In every development, Sekisui House stays true to their core value of building homes that are not only resilient, durable and high performing, but also grow more beautiful over time. An essential element that provides the durability and design options for VISION House SHAWOOD and other Sekisui House homes is the company’s proprietary framing system.
“Our post-and-beam framing system is manufactured with a level of precision you simply cannot achieve with conventional on-site framing,” Peterson says. “The wood posts, beams and metal joints are engineered and pre-cut before they ever arrive at the jobsite. On the ground, this significantly shortens certain phases of construction, reduces material waste and eliminates variability from house to house.”
The innovative building practices are a result of more than 30 years of research and development, Peterson explained.
“The system includes fire-resistant exterior panels and advanced safety reinforcements designed to address the state’s distinct environmental challenges,” he says.
The benefits of the Sekisui House framing system go beyond initial construction.
“The framing influences both how the home performs and how it feels,” Peterson says. “Structurally, SHAWOOD’s direct foundation connections, proprietary metal joints and tight construction tolerances are intended to create a stronger and more resilient structure. Architecturally, post-and-beam construction allows for wide-open spaces and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, helping make SHAWOOD at Deerlake Ranch’s light-filled interiors, open volumes and connections to the landscape possible.”
Sekisui House’s framing system begins with engineering the structure for the individual home and creating posts and beams from layers of wood selected and graded for strength, Peterson explains.
“Each beam is then precision-cut off-site, including the holes and slits needed for its metal fittings, and the proprietary joints are prepared according to the home’s specific design,” he added. “At the site, posts are securely connected directly to the foundation using metal fittings, and the posts and beams are then assembled using SHAWOOD’s proprietary metal-joint system and pins. Because the major components arrive pre-engineered and pre-cut, less fabrication is required in the field, helping improve accuracy, consistency and construction efficiency.”
By Michele Lerner, Associate Editor
Michele Lerner is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and author who writes about real estate, personal finance, and business.Also Read