May 17, 2016

Architecture Montgomery County IRC R305.1

How Low can you Go!? Ceiling Heights in the Building Code

Recently one of our clients was put in a tough spot by an inspector.  The inspector was doing his job, trying to keep the house as safe as possible and after further discussion agreed with us that the design we had worked out with the client was per the IRC and local amendments. The debate […]

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What is the difference between STC, CSTC and CAC?

Ceilings have their own testing system (CAC) that is equivalent to wall ratings and more applicable to ceilings per the ASTM. Walls are rated using single pass tests to determine their STC rating because only 1 wall separates two rooms. This test isn’t really applicable to ceilings because sound has to travel through 2 ceilings to move

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Construction Cost Per Square Foot for College Dormitories

Our posts on construction cost data per square foot for various project types are so popular, that I will continue updating them more frequently as this is fairly time sensitive data. Please note the date on the blog posts so you know that you are viewing the most current information. Also, click HERE for other

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Architecture Residential Custom

A Foggy View of a Finished Genesee Residence

This weekend I was able to visit and photograph a house that I designed in Genesee. The house was completed in December, so it was fun to see the house after the owners had occupied it. The house is approximately 4,500 Square Feet (3,500 finished) and is situated on a very steep lot. The back

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