1.6 Million Americans Are Living Without Indoor Plumbing

In a recent article written by Christopher Ingraham for the Washington Post,  "According to the latest American Community Survey, nearly 630,000 occupied households lack complete plumbing facilities, which means that they are without one or more of the following: a toilet, a tub or shower, or running water. The Census Bureau says that the average household contains 2.6 individuals, which means that today, in 2014, in the wealthiest nation on Earth, upwards of 1.6 million people are living without full indoor plumbing." (To view the full article click here.)

So why is this important? Complete plumbing facilities are defined as hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower. Data collected by the this survey are used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to identify areas eligible for public assistance programs and rehabilitation loans allowing the government to allocate Section 8 and other federal housing subsidies to local governments. These programs help to provide families with safe, decent, affordable, sanitary housing. Public health officials also use this information to locate areas in danger of ground water contamination and waterborne diseases.

So, the next time you use your indoor lavatory think of the 1.6 million Americans that don't have that luxury! And they don't all live in Alaska!

Latest Houzz Trends in Denver

This beautiful shower belongs to a stunning Spanish Casita in Ravenna.

Houzz recently hosted a seminar on current kitchen and bath design trends in the Denver market attended by Godden Sudik designers Alex Jewett and Doug Walter. Overall, 89% of people looking on Houzz are homeowners between the ages of 35 to 64. This age demographic is typically more established and has more disposable income providing them with more ability to change their living spaces. Of all Houzz's traffic, 8% of people are looking to build a new home with 20% looking to hire an Architect for their project. So, most Houzz seekers are remodeling or simply looking for ideas for their next project.

The immense photo galleries of kitchens and baths are a huge draw for idea seekers going to Houzz. 75% that visited Houzz are looking for a neutral kitchen. Younger buyers are interested in modern kitchens with the most popular trend right now being extra storage. According to Houzz, what people are really looking for is an abundance of storage in a cool way, such as an over sized pantry. As far as baths go, 40% of Houzz subscribers, are going tubless. They believe this trend may be due to a willingness to give up the tub in order to conserve space and achieve a luxury spa like bath. 80% of people prefer a glass shower enclosures and 45% of them like the frameless glass shower enclosures most. Over half of Houzz visitors want a window in their shower, like the beautiful shower pictured above, and almost half want sconces at their vanities. All these trends are easily achievable for your next remodel!

Check out Godden Sudik on Houzz by clicking here.

Scott Sudik Wins Professional Builder 40 Under 40 Award!

This month's issue of Professional Builder acknowledges 40 outstanding individuals in the building industry all under the age of 40. Scott Sudik was nominated and picked from a prestigious group of industry professionals nationwide as one of this year's 40 Under 40.

These 40 represent the next generation of leadership and innovation in the home building industry and we are so proud to have Scott be part of this group!
 
To view the online addition of Professional Builder and see all the 40 Under 40 Winners please click here.

International Builders Show Recap

Over 82,000 industry professionals descended on Las Vegas the first week in February for the 50th annual International Builders Show (IBS). This year, IBS shared the convention center with the Kitchen & Bath Show (KBIS) for the very first time.  Principals Gary Godden and Paul Brady were part of the crowd, as was Senior Architect Doug Walter.  “IBS is the one show each year you MUST do, if you’re serious about keeping on top of new products and trends for housing”, said Brady.

Doug, Gary and Paul at the live design charette.

In addition to the 1,700 exhibitors spread out over the 650,000 square feet of exhibit halls, the conference offered a wealth of educational opportunities.  IBS offered 100 educational sessions across three days.  Among them was a session taught by Paul Brady, along with engineer Ed Fronapfel of SBSA, titled “Avoiding Construction Defects: 15 Lessons Learned the Hard Way”. Paul and Ed shared photos and case studies collected over the years, along with suggested details to improve construction quality.

This was the rare year in which Gary Godden did not present, so he had time to visit the New American Home 2014, an over-the-top idea house just completed in Las Vegas.  Gary reports “Each year they try to outdo last year’s show home, featuring the most innovative, sustainable, and aesthetic features. This year was no exception: a stunning 6,700 desert contemporary with outdoor living on three levels, a 16kw pv system that supplies 83% of the home’s energy, and a LEED Platinum rating”. A virtual tour is online at www.newamericanhome2014.com .

On the KBIS educational side, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Chief Executive Officer Bill Darcy boasted, “Our Voices of the Industry’ educational sessions sold out before the show opened”.  Doug Walter presented a course to the KBIS audience titled “Lighten Up! Daylighting your Kitchens & Baths”, which was a primer on the science and health benefits of natural light, illustrated with scores of good kitchen and bath examples from Godden|Sudik projects and others from around the US.

On the second day of the show, Gary, Paul, and Doug joined forces to participate in a live design charette right on the show floor in the South Hall. The charrette was focused on designing an accessible home for a deserving Army veteran, Sgt. Joseph Grabianowki.  The charette went from 9 to 5, while expo visitors stopped by to watch and comment on the plans throughout the day.  “This was the most rewarding part of this year’s show,” said Brady.  

USA Today wrote of Grabianowski, “So much of Joseph Grabianowski is gone; lost to war. Doctors nearly cut him in half to save him- the worst loss of lower body removal by amputation from either the Iraq or Afghanistan wars”. A Washington area non–profit, Building Homes for Heroes, will be building a new home for Grabianowski.

The Godden|Sudik home was a “contemporary colonial”; all brick and designed to fit into the character of its northern Virginia neighborhood.  An oversized two-car garage had plenty of space for a side-loading van, while all entries into the home are no-step doorways.  The heart of the home was a large L shaped great room/dining/kitchen space that opens to a screened back porch. The client had expressed the concern that the home not “look accessible”, so accessibility was discreetly designed throughout, and included things like hard surface flooring, three-foot doors, lever hardware, rocker switches, 34” counters with roll under spaces in strategic locations next to sink and rangetop, shower benches, hand-helds, and grab bars, among many other features.

Finally, Gary and Paul attended the 50+ Housing Council Awards ceremony, where Godden|Sudik’s Verona project picked up a Gold Award for “Best 50+ Attached Home up to 1800 Square Feet”. They also networked with industry colleagues from all over the country.  Gary has also accepted a nomination to the 50+ Housing Council Board for 2014-2015.

Godden Sudik Architects Wins Another Best of 50+ Housing Award!

Verona's 10-Plex Joins the 6-Plex Among 50+ Winners 

 

Paul Brady and Gary Godden accept the award at IBS.

Gold Award winners were named at the Best of 50+ Housing Awards presentation on Feb. 5, 2014, during the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas. NAHB’s 50+ Housing Council launched the Best of 50+ Housing Awards to encourage quality and innovation in the 50+ housing market. The Council provides information, education and networking opportunities for its members and provides advocacy support to NAHB on key 50+ housing issues. Finalists were selected from entries in 43 categories representing active adult housing, service-enriched housing, lifestyle and marketing activity. The judges also singled out select entries for Innovation Awards.

Godden Sudik brought home the Best 50+ Attached Home Up to 1,800 Square Feet for the Porto Residence at Verona.

The open floor plan is one of many excellent selling points for this Active Adult condo.

Located in Highlands Ranch, CO, Verona introduces a fresh concept of retirement living. Here adults 55 and over can take advantage of the active lifestyle Coloradans know and love, without the worry of exterior home or yard maintenance. Priced from the $300s to $500s, and currently offering 8 distinct floor plans ranging from 1,240 square feet to 2,857 square feet, Verona is proving to be a huge success.

Paul Brady to Present at the 2014 International Builders Show!

Our very own Paul Brady together with  Ed Fronapfel of Solutions Before Soultions After in Golden, CO, are presenting at this year's International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas February 4th-6th.

Paul and Ed are present Avoiding Construction Defects: 15 Lessons Learned the Hard Way Wednesday February 5th, from 8:00-9:00 AM. If you're planning on attending IBS don't miss this program!

Through a series of case studies and illustrations, Paul and Ed will examine 15 of the most reoccurring, problematic construction details, and how you can avoid defects and improve construction quality. Additionally, procedures and strategies will be shared that will help ensure your field team and subcontractors avoid these problems. And as construction activity picks back up, you should be prepared for strained and untrained subcontractors and increased construction-defect litigation. In this session, panelists brought together through litigation and efforts to avoid it will share their hard lessons learned from the field.

For more information about IBS and for more information about Paul's presentation  click here.

Sports Authority Field at Mile High: What You Don't Know

Encompassing a total of 1.8 million square feet, Sports Authority Field seats 76,125 fans.

 
Facts about Sports Authority Field:

Cost to build : $400.7 million
Seats: 76,125
Cubic Yards of Concrete : 85,000
Miles of Post Tensioning Cable : 256
Tons of Structural Steel : 12,000
Bricks : 130,000
Plumbing Fixtures : 1,500
Lighting Fixtures : 25,000
Square Footage : 1.8 million - The largest house Godden Sudik Architects has ever designed was 22,000 square feet located in Cherry Hills Village. This mansion would fit in Sports Authority Field an astounding 82 times!

Although Sports Authority Field is more than twice as large as the original Mile High Stadium it only seats two more fans.

The new stadium sits a mere 50 feet from the site of the original stadium.

At an elevation of 5,280 feet above sea level, a characteristic that remains today as one of the most internationally recognized of any sports venue in the world.

Architects for the project were  HNTB, Fentress Architects, and Bertram A. Burton and Associates.

For more information about Sports Authority Field and famous Stadium Traditions click here.