PATH - A Public Private Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology

PATH in the News 2005

Cross Section: After the Storm, Fine Homebuilding, December 2005/January 2006.
Experts from PATH teamed with Mercedes Homes to take the next step in storm-resistant construction. In June 2005, they completed two prototype houses designed not only to stand up to strong winds but also to prevent water intrusion from wind-driven rain.

The Push and Pull of Building Innovation, Builder/Architect, December 2005.
How does a new building innovation or technique graduate from the infancy of an idea into the maturity of reality? If you follow today's news, you might think government incentives or association-related research programs are the driving forces. But the people running these headline-getting programs readily admit that a new technology or new way of thinking will never reach the mainstream unless driven by homeowner desire.

BASF Chemicals Awarded Best Sustainable Practice Jobwerx Manufacturing Network, December 18, 2005.
Leading chemicals company BASF wins SBIC sustainable research, development, construction process and demonstration category award. The BASF Near Zero Energy Home-Paterson, N.J., incorporates Zero Energy Housing concepts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and building science principles from PATH/Build America expert Steve Winter, AIA.

Baje Sus Cuentas de Calefaccion en Invierno, Washington Hispanic, December 16, 2005.
¿Cuánto pagó el año pasado en sus cuentas de calefacción? $200, $300, . . . ¡hasta $500 al mes! Esto es lo que millones de personas pagaron el año anterior para mantener sus hogares calientes durante el invierno.

BASF, The Chemical Company, Presents Green Demonstration Home in Paterson, NJ, PR Web, November 30, 2005.
BASF announced that its green demonstration home, The BASF Better Home Better Planet: Near Zero Energy Home-Paterson, N.J., has been selected by the U.S. Green Building Council's pilot testing for the recently launched Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes (LEED-H) rating system. To achieve an expected LEED-H Gold Rating, BASF is currently working with a host of partners, including the Building America team at Steve Winter Associates through a PATH grant.

Installing Kitchen Cabinets, Fine Homebuilding, October/November 2005.
It's a good idea to talk with your plumbing inspector before adopting unfamiliar technologies in your building project. PATH listed air admittance valves as one of its top-10 building technologies for 2004.

Mercedes Homes is sought out for "Shelter from the Storm", HousingZone.com, October 20, 2005.
In the October issue of Professional Builder, senior editor Bill Lurz wrote "Shelter from the Storm" about Mercedes Homes and the technology it and its public and private partners, including PATH, spent eight years and millions of dollars developing - 6-inch-thick, cast-in-place concrete walls that can withstand hurricane winds of 200 mph.

Builders Save Time, Money, Energy with Panels, Study Finds, Business of Building e/Source, October 19, 2005.
Builders have found increased business opportunities using panels in construction, according to a new study from PATH. Because panels decrease project lengths and costs, many builders have expanded their businesses to supply and even fabricate panels, according to the study, "Integrating Panels into the Production Homebuilding Process."

Study Finds Panels Offer Costs Savings, Quality, Nation's Building News Online, October 10, 2005.
Builders looking for ways to increase their profits, improve their turn-around times and reduce callbacks should consider using panelized building methods, according to a new study by PATH. After surveying builders in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States, PATH concluded that home builders who are using panelized housing are deriving several crucial advantages from the technology.

Getting on the Same Page, Sustainable Home, October 2005.
Steven Winter, previously the chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council and currently co- chairman for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes Committee, is also the founder of Steven Winter Associates, Inc., a leading research/design firm specializing in energy efficient and sustainable housing. The firm is also under contract to HUD to conduct research under its PATH program.

Shelter from the Storm, Professional Builder, October 2005.
Florida-based Giant Mercedes Homes is betting the farm that home buyers are willing to invest an extra $3000 to $5000 to live in houses with cast-in-place solid concrete walls - 6 inches thick - that withstand hurricane winds of 200 mph. Keep your eye on how this plays out. Another hurricane season like the last two and we may see half the country living in houses like those.

2006 International Builders' Show to Feature Stronger, Safer 'Peace of Mind' Home, Yahoo! Finance, September 27, 2005.
After drawing more than 100,000 attendees from across the world this past January, the International Builders' Show -- the largest annual light construction show in the world -- will run again next year from Jan. 11 to 14 in Orlando, Fla. The show's attendees will most likely be gathering at a very timely exhibit: The NextGen "Peace of Mind" demonstration home. The home will showcase more than 15 PATH-approved technologies.

2006 International Builders' Show to Feature Stronger, Safer 'Peace, Daily Nebraskan, September 1, 2005.
Cecilia Rossiter is one of eight people who have already reserved lots for the 20-unit Liberty Village project, a brainchild of Fernando Pagés and the City of Lincoln that will provide cutting-edge low- to moderate-income housing designed around the needs of multicultural and nontraditional homeowners. The project broke ground in June and will be monitored by PATH.

Adaptable Architecture, Industrial Engineer, September 2005.
Instilling a desire for innovation with lean production as full-on philosophy in the home manufacturing industry is the purview of a new research project that HUD/PATH and the Manufactured Housing Research Alliance developed in 2004.

Builder Uses New Methods on 2 Hurricane-Resistant Homes, Orlando Sentinel, August 14, 2005.
Disaster-mitigating products and techniques were used in two showcase homes built recently by Melbourne builder Mercedes Homes. These prototype homes in Rockledge were unveiled in June to serve as examples of what can be done to minimize the impact of hurricanes. The builder collaborated with PATH, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the University of Florida and the Florida Energy Extension Service.

Tech Package Shows How to Improve HVAC Systems, Nation's Building News Online, August 8, 2005.
The latest Tech Set from PATH provides information on forced air HVAC systems that can reduce callbacks and speed construction. The third in a series of quarterly technical sets of information developed by the NAHB Research Center, "HVAC Package for New Construction--Forced Air System," provides guidance to reduce initial costs, improve energy efficiency, improve comfort, enhance indoor environmental quality, and reinforce best practices.

Easy Energy Upgrades Can Save Fistfuls of Dollars, Nation's Building News Online, August 8, 2005.
The August Tip of the Month from PATH provides households with simple, cost-effective steps that will quickly improve the energy efficiency of their homes and save them fistfuls of money.

BASF Breaks Ground in Paterson, N.J., Environmental Design + Construction, August 2005.
BASF broke ground for its Paterson Showcase project on Tuesday, June 28th at 262 East 29th Street in paterson, N.J., the site featuring "green" energy conservation building practices and technologies. The house will incorporate Zero Energy Housing concepts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and building science principals from PATH.

On The Right PATH, Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida), July 23, 2005.
Mercedes acted upon the experts' recommendations, and in June unveiled its first two "hurricane houses," designed not only to stand up to high winds, but also to turn back wind-driven rain. Teaming up with HUD's PATH, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the University of Florida and the Florida Energy Extension Service, Mercedes built the houses in a subdivision in Rockledge, near Cocoa in Brevard County.

Liberty Village Groundbreaking, HUD Homes and Communities, July 1, 2005.
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman was the featured speaker at the Liberty Village groundbreaking ceremony on June 28, 2005.

Mercedes Homes Unveils Hurricane-Resistant Homes in Florida, Builder Online, June 15, 2005.
At the beginning of what hurricane forecasters predict will be another active season, Mercedes Homes, in conjunction with PATH and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, unveiled two new hurricane-resistant home prototypes in Huntington Lakes, a Mercedes Homes community in Rockledge, Florida.

Florida Test Homes Built to Withstand Wind and Rain, Nation's Building News Online, June 13, 2005.
Two prototype homes incorporating technologies and practices that can make houses safer in Florida and other hurricane-prone areas were unveiled last week by PATH and Mercedes Homes in Rockledge, Fla.

Mercedes Unveils Hurricane-Resistant Homes in Brevard County, Orlando Business Journal, June 10, 2005.
With the 2005 hurricane season's first named storm already stirring up the waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Mercedes Home has introduced two new hurricane-resistant home prototypes. The Melbourne-based home builder unveiled the new homes--designed and built in conjunction with HUD's PATH and the Federal Emergency Management Agency--in its Huntington Lakes community in Rockledge on June 9.

Mercedes Homes Unveils Hurricane-Resistant Homes in Brevard County, Yahoo! Finance, June 9, 2005.
At the beginning of what hurricane forecasters predict will be another active hurricane season, Mercedes Homes, in conjunction with HUD's PATH and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, unveiled two new hurricane-resistant home prototypes in Huntington Lakes, a Mercedes Homes community in Rockledge, Fla.

PATH Unveils New Storm-Resistant Houses, HGTVPro.com, June 7, 2005.
PATH and Mercedes Homes will unveil two hurricane-resistant prototype homes on June 9, 2005. The houses, at 1170 and 1176 Serengeti Way in Rockledge, Fla., were built as the result of collaboration by PATH, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the University of Florida, the Florida Energy Extension Service, and Mercedes Homes.

PATH Provides Advice on Energy-Efficient Rehabs, Nation's Building News Online, May 9, 2005.
Homeowners and building professionals can find tips on how to integrate cost-effective energy efficiency into their next remodeling project through the Energy Efficient Rehab Advisor, a resource provided by PATH.

Special How-to Feature, Builder Online, May 1, 2005.
With more complex and tougher codes in the offing, builders need to combine their good instincts with a better understanding of the engineering principles that apply to new homes. Here's a primer.

The Living Is Easy, Hour Detroit, May 2005.
From wireless home networking and movable walls to "smart" houses that can adjust indoor temperatures, our domiciles of the future will work to ensure our health and comfort.

Great Ways to Use Home-Run Plumbing, HGTVPro.com, April 25, 2005.
The PATH Concept Home illustrates methods for disentangling systems to accommodate both current stability and future change in the homeowner's housing situation.

The Winds of Change, Chicago Tribune, April 24, 2005.
What, if anything, can be done to build houses that better weather powerful storms? The housing industry thinks it has an answer in systems-built houses.

New Building Method Brings Homes to the Market in Little Time, The Detroit News, April 23, 2005.
PATH, quarterbacked by HUD and the NAHB Research Center, promotes advanced building technologies, materials and products to make residential building more efficient and cost-effective.

PATH Releases Second Tech Set, HGTVPro.com, April 15, 2005.
PATH has announced its second release in its Tech Set series: Durable Building Envelope Details for New Construction or Additions. The new Tech Set details such features as insulated headers, "smart" vapor retarders and roof overhangs.

PATH Announces Series of Best Practices, HGTVPro.com, April 15, 2005.
PATH announced an upcoming series of building-technology best practices at the 2005 International Builders Show in January.

Carlos Martín on the PATH Concept Home (PDF, 178 KB), Dwell, April/May 2005.
We spoke with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development researcher Carlos Martín, PhD, about how prefab figures into PATH.

Mod Townhouses at IBS, Building Systems Magazine, March-April 2005.
Nationwide Custom Homes showcased the modular building system with the PATH Tutorial Townhouses in the IBS Show Village.

Agenda Journalism, Professional Builder, March 1, 2005.
An aggressive information campaign can help protect funding for programs vital to the residential construction industry, including programs like PATH.

Davidsonville Firm Working on Inner City Home of the Future, Annapolis Capitol, January 30, 2005.
Why move out of the family home when the kids are all grown and on their own? That's the question PATH is asking. And it's also working to come up with an answer.

International Builders' Show Features Energy-Efficient Homes, EERE News, January 19, 2005.
PATH built its two-unit PATH Tutorial Townhouses at the International Builders' Show. The modular townhouses feature such technologies as high-efficiency heat pumps; tankless water heaters; and Energy Star-rated insulation levels, windows, doors, lighting, appliances, and electronic devices.

Mod Townhomes At IBS, Building Systems Magazine, January-February 2005.
To alert builders to the technological advances in multifamily construction, Nationwide Custom Homes is exhibiting two townhomes in the IBS Show Village. The two homes showcase the modular building system and PATH innovative home building techniques.

Content updated on 2/22/2008

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