This page is a collection of thoughts on a wide ranging list of topics related to architecture and building. It’s really background ideas that are incorporated into the Reimagined Homes building system, but are not essential to understanding the system. Click on the topics that are interesting to you, and skip the rest. The following topics are divided into four categories: Home Costs, Architecture and Design, Sustainability and Disaster Resistance:

Home Costs

• Why do houses cost so much?

• The problem with subcontractors

• Designing for less experienced construction workers

Architecture and Design

• The problem with wood

• Water is the enemy

• Why do houses have sloped roofs

• Transforming a concrete box into a home

• Designing a home that could last centuries

• Coming full circle- architecture thousands of years old that is still relevant

Sustainability

• Isn’t concrete really bad for the environment?

• Isn’t expanded polystyrene foam really bad for the environment?

• Is it sustainable if it burns down?

• Understanding life cycle vs. embodied carbon in homes

Disaster Resistance

• The randomness of wildfires

• How do houses burn?

• The benefits of a two hour fire rating

• Sheltering in place