Home 2.0 Blog Archive

Friday, June 24, 2016

MATERIAL MATTERS

Exploring Exterior Selections

This past week has been largely dedicated to developing the exterior elevations on the Starter Home 2.0 Oakley house, which while similar in many respects to the SH2.0 Pleasant Ridge project with its use of James Hardie fiber cement siding and trim, has some subtle variations in sizes and color (as evident in the renderings below) that I am in the process of working through and will discuss in more detail in this post.
Whereas the Starter Home 2.0 Pleasant Ridge house only used one siding type, which was James Hardie 'Hardie Plank' lap siding with a 6.25" width and 5" exposure in the Monterey Taupe Colorplus Technology color, the SH2.0 Oakley house is going to have two different siding types that will vary in color and potentially in size depending on pricing and availability. The initial thought is to go with a 4" exposure throughout, except at the front bumpout, which will jump up to an 8" exposure. I am also leaning towards just getting the siding pre-primed and painted on site, than in a pre-finished color to give me more flexibility in the ability to coordinate colors with other exterior elements such as the windows, handrails and gutters. 
Another difference between the two homes will be the trim. While the Pleasant Ridge home only had one trim color, which was James Hardie 'Hardie Trim' in the Arctic White Colorplus Technology color, the Oakley home will have three different trim colors for the main house element, the garage bumpout, and the front porch/rear deck. Similar to the siding, the plan is to get these pre-primed and paint them in the field. More information about the James Hardie product line can be found on their website and McCabe lumber is one of the local dealers that can provide additional assistance for anyone that might be interest in using the product on a future project.

Friday, June 17, 2016

NEIGHBORHOOD SCOUTING

Potential Future Starter Home 2.0 Sites

One of the more unique experiences I've had recently as a member of the Pleasant Ridge Development corporation was the opportunity to participate in the City of Cincinnati's annual Neighborhood Business District Improvement Program (NDIP) grant competition, which is open to neighborhood business districts seeking funding for projects ranging from gateway signage, to parking lot improvements, to building acquisition. The 3-part application process requires interested participants to fill out a funding request form, take part in a bus tour to visit the proposed project sites, and make a formal presentation to city officials and fellow business district representatives justifying the requests.
I was selected on behalf of the Pleasant Ridge Development Corporation to take part in the bus tour portion of the program, which was awesome because it not only gave me the opportunity to showcase the plans for the Pleasant Ridge business district, but because it also allowed me to see and gain insights on the growth and plans for other districts that could one day become locations for future Starter Home 2.0 projects.
Below are three neighborhoods on the tour (outside of Pleasant Ridge and Oakley) that stood out to me as potential candidates for expansion of the Starter Home 2.0 Program along with reasons that make them attractive long-term options.
  • Madisonville: Madisonville has the advantage of being surrounded by some Cincinnati's most desirable neighborhoods with Indian Hill to the east, Madeira to the north, Mariemont to the south, and Oakley to the west. It has several large-scale developments in the pipeline to bring an influx of commercial space and residential units to the neighborhood, and a large historic business district along Madison Road that has great potential for redevelopment. There is also a large inventory of inexpensive residential vacant land in the area.

  • Northside: Northside has the advantage of being one of the most attractive destinations for students, creatives and young professionals in Cincinnati with a thriving walkable business district and close proximity to the University of Cincinnati and downtown. There is a decent amount of vacant infill lots in the neighborhood that are prime for development, and new homes have been built in Northside in recent years that could be used as comps when trying to finance new construction. 

  • Walnut Hills: Walnut Hills might be the Cincinnati Neighborhood where the Starter Home 2.0 project has the most long-term growth potential. With immediate access to downtown and the University of Cincinnati, an influx of new development and commercial tenants moving into the area, and an abundance of affordable vacant lots for sale, the beginnings of an Over-the-Rhine style renaissance for Walnut Hills are already starting to take shape. The difference being, that Walnut Hills has a zoning density much more conducive to family life than does OTR, which will drive up the demand for new single family infill homes in the community.

Obviously, my current focus is on the design, financing, and construction of the Starter Home 2.0 Oakley project, but it is always important to be keep an eye out for future opportunities.

Friday, June 10, 2016

GEN-Y HOMEBUYER DESIRES

Millennial Home Preferences Survey Results

Dwell Magazine recently posted an article to their website publishing survey data on Millennial home buyer preferences, which was conducted by Ketchum Global Research and Analytics. I found the results to be both interesting and validating in the way many responses aligned with my own personal observations and research on the topic. Here is a link to that article, and below are 5 takeaways as they relate to the Starter Home 2.0 project.

Takeaway #1: The survey found that outdoor space was the top request in terms of home features, which bodes well for the Starter Home 2.0 Oakley project that features a front porch, rear deck, and 2nd floor roof terrace above the garage for a variety of outdoor living arrangements.
Takeaway #2: Despite common beliefs that Millennials prefer urban settings, 53% of those surveyed cited suburban environments as their top choice, suggesting that there are aspects of both settings that Millennial home buyers find appealing. The Starter Home 2.0 project sites in Cincinnati's first ring suburbs of Pleasant Ridge and Oakley are a nice middle ground with the walkability of urban neighborhoods, as well as the privacy of more suburban areas with back yards, garages, etc.
Takeaway #3: 71% of the surveyed group expressed a desire to have a customizable house that could change to suit their needs over time. This is central to the mission of the Starter Home 2.0 project, which provides a home that is comfortable for single living, but also has the flexibility with 3 bedrooms and 2-1/2 baths (and the ability to convert to 4 bedrooms and 3-1/2 baths) to meet the needs of growing families.
Takeaway #4: After outdoor living, an open-plan kitchen was the second highest requirement that Millennials listed in the survey, which is standard practice for all Starter Home 2.0 projects, where the kitchen is the heart of the living space.
Takeaway #5: Interestingly, smart tech was lower on the priority list, with 48% considering it important, while quality construction was key for 86%, along with the home being low maintenance (76%). Added measures in the Starter Home 2.0 project like making use of James Hardie Color Plus technology (which eliminates the need to repaint the exterior of the house) and having highly durable and cleanable flooring finishes throughout, help ensure the house will stand the test of time with minimal required maintenance. 

Friday, June 3, 2016

FRAMING PLANS

TJIs, LVLs, and LSLs

As I continue to move forward with developing the construction documents for the Starter Home 2.0 Oakley project, I've spent the past week focusing a lot on the refinement of structural framing plans for the floors, roof, porch and deck components. While there are many similarities between the original SH2.0 Pleasant Ridge and new SH2.0 Oakley framing plans, the increase in span from 18' to 21' requires the use of an engineered floor framing system composed of TJI floor joists, with LVL headers and trimmers at the stair openings, and LSL rim joists around the building perimeter (as compared to the 2x12 floor joists, headers, trimmers and rim board used throughout the Pleasant Ridge project).
There is a bit of an up charge going from dimensional lumber to engineered joists, but the ability to maintain a large clear span throughout the home without the use of intermittent interior posts or bearing walls is well worth the additional costs. I do have experience using TJI floor framing systems in the past on new homes while I was an assistant construction manager at Cincinnati Housing Partners from 2010-2011, so it is nice to have that comfort level with the product as well. Below are images of the framing plan and the different floor framing systems referenced in this post.

SH2.0 Oakley First Floor Framing Plan

SH2.0 Pleasant Ridge Floor Framing with 2x12 Joists

Cincinnati Housing Partners Home Floor Framing with TJI Joists

SH2.0 Oakley Floor Framing with TJI Joists