Photo courtesy CRL

Fashioning homes with high-performance materials provides the high-value proposition needed to engage today’s buyer.

A Port in the Storm

It is no secret that the construction market is currently an uncertain place to be for the design professional, residential builder, and prospective homebuyer alike. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) /Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) was designed to provide a measure of health for the single-family housing market. In June 2024, builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes was 43 out of a possible 100, down two points from the May 2024¹ survey. Likewise in June, the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) indicated that only nineteen percent of consumers felt that now is a good time to buy a home, up from 14% in May. which represented a new survey low.² According to recent surveys conducted by NAHB and the U.S. Census Bureau, there is also a distinct discrepancy between the prices of homes being built, and the prices home buyers expect to pay. While 38% of buyers expect to pay less than $250,000 for their next home, only 5% of homes that started construction in 2023 are priced under $250,000.³

Nevertheless, the desirability of new homes continues to grow. Faced with the alternative of choosing between an existing home and a newly built home, 61% of home buyers surveyed in “What Home Buyers Really Want, 2024 Edition,” by NAHB, signified that a new home is their first preference. That marks the highest share of buyers leaning toward a new home since 2007 when 63% of buyers preferred new construction.⁴ To compare, in 2018, 54% of buyers preferred a new home. A single-family detached home remains the first purchase option for two of every three buyers (66%) surveyed. Far smaller numbers are looking to buy a townhome (16%), a multifamily home (10%), or a manufactured home (5%).⁵

Photo courtesy ProWood

Despite challenges to homeownership, home remains the base where everything begins. Having a home means comfort, safety, and stability, according to Habitat for Humanity.

Success in uncertain times often involves providing a beacon amidst the chaos. Improved high-performance design and prudent material selection offer ways to inject security and confidence back into the design and building process. Providing homes with value-added features, like improved durability, indoor air quality (IAQ), and resilience resonates with anxious buyers, which results in more stable sales and reduced warranty and call-back issues for the builder. Resiliency issues have become increasingly prevalent in the building industry over the last decade.⁶ A majority—85%—of homeowners support the adoption of the latest building codes by their communities to ensure new construction meets stringent disaster-resilient standards. Additionally, 75% of homeowners are willing to upgrade certain home materials to meet building code standards, enhancing their properties’ resilience.⁷ Changes to regulations, codes, and consumer demands to ensure homes are prepared to better withstand weather extremes and other natural disasters can offer opportunities for both builders and home buyers.

Capturing Benefits and Expanding Horizons with Glass

For many buyers (39%), accepting a smaller lot is the path to affording a home. Another 35% will accept a smaller house if that equation makes ownership a reality. This trend is backed up by survey data: in 2003, the typical home buyer wanted 2,260 square feet of finished area. In 2023, that number was down to 2,067 square feet.⁸

Photo courtesy CRL

Large expanses of glass are a hallmark in today’s designs. Movable glass walls capture daylight, maximize views, and expand the boundaries of any space.

To offset the reduction in overall home size, however, an open floor plan and ENERGY STAR windows⁹ and doors are top priorities for buyers. The increased glass, which provides connection outside and blurs the limitations of a home’s footprint, is important for buyers, who may be examining both the immediate asking price and the long-term costs of ownership.

Architects are responding to this demand for openness by designing newer homes with large-scale, movable glass walls. New innovations in movable wall installations allow for a sophisticated design that makes a visual statement, using remarkable simplicity. These installations create expansive outdoor views, improve daylighting, and offer minimal framing for aesthetic appeal. Often synonymous with contemporary homes, movable glass panel doors or wall systems offer exceptional perceived value for buyers. Leading door and glass manufacturers create sliding door and bi-folding door series that produce innovative solutions to enhancing sustainability, energy efficiency, and occupant welfare in contemporary single-family housing. Because of their minimal frames, these door systems allow for ample daylight to enter the interior space, so that the use of artificial lighting is reduced, lowering energy consumption. Slim, minimal frames maximize views and, when opened, provide seamless transitions to the exterior. These benefits combine to improve the health and welfare of occupants. To architects, movable glass walls offer the added benefit of high thermal performance to help insulate homes during all seasons, which can reduce energy consumption. Additionally, these systems improve indoor air quality through natural ventilation, are low maintenance, can reduce costs, bolster energy efficiency, and promote occupant health by facilitating greater access to natural light. Because of their thermal properties like thermally broken framing, many of these movable walls can reduce wear and tear of air conditioning systems via less use.

Modern sliding doors and bi-folding doors represent two innovative solutions for design professionals. These systems enhance sustainability, energy efficiency, and occupant welfare. Certain units are demountable, which allows for the recycling of aluminum extrusions, besides incorporating recycled glass. Movable glass walls can feature distinctly slim frames and panels that impart the expansive views that occupants look for. At the same time, they offer exceptional thermal performance using thermally broken frames and 1-inch insulating glass units that together can produce U-factors as low as 0.36.

“By placing high-performance design first and selecting durable and visually appealing fenestration systems such as movable walls, we can help ensure today's homes will exceed expectations for years to come,” says Mark Suehiro, technical director of architectural hardware at CRL.

Forging a Durable Connection to the Outside

The importance of connecting outside and inside is a pervasive trend that has permeated the residential market. For 2024, a patio ranks as one of the two “most wanted” features in a home, according to NAHB’s latest study on buyer preferences.¹⁰ Buyers in the study were given a list of more than two hundred features of the home and the community and asked to rate each one on a consistent scale—essential, desirable, indifferent, do not want—in order to produce comparable results. In addition to a patio, rated as “Essential” by 86% of buyers, three additional outdoor features rounded out the list: exterior lighting (82%), a front porch (81%), and landscaping (80%).¹¹

Photo courtesy ProWood

Outdoor living has been propelled to the top of homeowner wish lists reports NAHBand, subsequently, has become a top priority for architects and design professionals focused on residential design.

Spending more time outside not only maximizes space but it is also viewed by owners as critical to health. When asked which home features are important to personal wellness, potential homebuyers identified outdoor space (67%), conserving energy (65%), conserving water (54%), and eliminating chemicals (54%) as prioritized opportunities to connect sustainable features with greater well-being.¹² The deck has quickly become the new family room and acts as additional living space. A cost-efficient alternative to a full home addition, it’s an easy way to add square footage for cooking, dining, and entertaining in the sun or under the stars.

Manufacturers are providing new tools that maximize the outdoor environs. Color-treated lumber technology gives architects a higher-quality finish for projects where treated wood could be a viable option. Color-treated wood uses a durable pressure treatment with added infused color, where an in-solution colorant penetrates the wood deeply beyond the surface, leaving the natural wood grain visible. The resulting finish requires very minimal maintenance and yearly touch-ups, as opposed to standard lumber. Color-treated lumber comes in several finishes. Depending on the manufacturer, finish warranties for color assurance are available.

Homeowners are increasingly diligent about reducing chemical exposure. Color-treated lumber uses a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered waterborne wood preservative system, with the help of an environmentally preferred Micronized Copper Azole (MCA) solution, to protect against termite attack and fungal decay. The finished lumber is building-code-approved for decking, aluminum building materials, and general above-ground and ground contact applications. Additionally, the material is certified for points toward the NGBS Green Certification and the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard.

Using color-treated lumber in lieu of standard pressure-treated lumber removes the burden of annually staining decks, railing, fences, or pergolas. Color-treated wood is compatible with aluminum building materials, meaning it’s less corrosive to fasteners. The treatment also prevents termite attacks and fungal decay. Saving time and maintenance and enhancing every inch of a homeowner’s investment creates a win-win for builders and occupants.

Photo courtesy ProWood

Color-treated lumber can enhance the resilience and durability of a home. Using certifications that validate the quality and performance of treated lumber, such as the American Wood Protection Association Standard, provides the design team and buyer with assurance.