Coastal Living Idea House Photo Journal

Clearing the lot on 102 Latitude Lane, I'On Village, Mount Pleasant SC

NAHB - National Green Building Standard Approved

WASHINGTON D.C., Jan. 29 --The National Green Building Standard™ for all residential construction work including single-family homes, apartments and condos, land development and remodeling and renovation was approved today by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).


The approval signals a new era for the nation’s builders, remodelers and developers and also provides an extra measure of reassurance for home buyers, said Joe Robson, a home builder in Tulsa, Okla., and Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
“The National Green Building Standard is now the first and only green building rating system approved by ANSI, making it the benchmark for green homes,” said Ron Jones, who chaired the consensus committee charged with developing the standard.


“The standard provides home builders and remodelers with a much more expansive third-party rating system that they can use to achieve green certification under NAHBGreen and the National Green Building Certification Program,” said Mike Luzier, CEO of the NAHB Research Center.


The Research Center provides certification for NAHBGreen projects, which until now have only included single-family homes. “Consumers are looking for authentic, verifiable green building practices, and now they’ll find them with a true industry consensus standard for residential green building,” Luzier said.


The "Standard" defines what green practices can be incorporated into residential development and construction and how home owners can operate and maintain their green homes.
But the National Green Building Standard also provides for flexibility – allowing home builders and home buyers to make green choices based on climate and geography as well as style preferences and budget.


As part of the stringent process required by ANSI, NAHB and the International Code Council gathered a fully inclusive and representative consensus committee composed of a broad spectrum of builders, architects, product manufacturers, regulators and environmental experts. The work of the consensus committee was administered by the NAHB Research Center, an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer.


The consensus committee deliberated the content of the standard for more than a year, held four public hearings and evaluated over 3,000 public comments in the development of the standard.

As the owner of Structures Building Company, it was through my own research and curiosity that caused me to take the necessary steps to be one of the first purveyors of the green building movement in the Charleston area. Quite simply, the more I discover and learn about the benefits of building a green home for the health and financial investment of my clients, as well as the environmental stewardship, the more I'm committed to learning and implementing energy conservation practices for the homes we are privileged to build.

Favorite Superbowl Commercial

Shedding a Little Light

Sunset over the Downtown Charleston Harbor
NY Daily News ran an interesting article on January 19th which listed the 25 strongest housing markets in the United States according to Forbes. The 25 markets that are listed are those they project are closest to recovery in 2009. It was great to see that Charleston, SC was ranked 8th out of 25! To check out the complete article, click here to read more. . . So unless you're looking to move to Texas or NY, Charleston might be the best place for you!

Reflecting On Their Renovation

"When we first contacted Structures about our home renovations, while still living in Connecticut, we did so based on the excellent recommendations we had received from people living in the I'On neighborhood. What we didn't realize at the onset of this comprehensive project was the degree of care and concern Structures would bring to our project. Structures exceeded our expectations. Initially we felt we were entering into a purely business relationship, but it didn't take long for us to realize it was more personal. Structures demonstrated through not just words, but actions that our home was being cared for as if it were their own. The attention to detail and the quality of craftsmanship were superb. We have highly recommended the Structures team to others and we continue to enjoy living in a home that they truly brought back to life."

~ Tom & Wanda Martin

Renewed Resolutions

It's that time again and yes, I made my list of resolutions and goals that I'm hoping to keep over 2009. One of my goals was to continue my daily early morning workouts. I have to say this morning I didn't feel like going, but sometimes picking myself up by the nape of the neck helps me get it out of the way. As I arrived at the gym, it was funny seeing the influx of new people who evidently made exercise one of their resolutions. For all the "regulars", I hope they allowed themselves a moment to experience the feeling of a little victory, it was encouraging to see the habit that so many of us have worked hard to form has stuck, we didn't need to add it, just continue it.

During my workout, my thoughts jumped to Structures and some of the new resolutions we should add to our list for this brand new year. As my mind started that list, I also reflected on the fact that we're a company that's not ok with the status quo, standing still or just settling. I had the same encouraging feeling that we're working hard with integrity, passion and a commitment to each client, to autograph our work with excellence. It was a great feeling knowing that we're not in need of drastically changing "unhealthy business habits or practices", but rather "renewing our resolution" and continuing to look for new ways to build upon a great foundation that began 10 years ago this year!

Happy Holidays - From Our Family To Yours!

The Structures Team

all vying to be Santa's newest Rudolph

(left to right) RP Newton - Production Manager, Deborah Way - Sales and Marketing Coordinator - Dave Hargis - Project Manager, Kristy Gorsuch - Design Manager, Steve Kendrick - Owner, Amy Jenkinson - Accountant

Kristy couldn't contain her excitement to get her very own red nose!

R.P. with his sad face when Steve told him he couldn't wear his Rudolph nose all day long.

Amy eager to be in a picture to show off her new style!

Dave - as always, adding his own style to everything he does.


Deb trying out her holiday flirt face. Whatcha think?



Left to themselves, the girls get out of control!
Steve - Calm and cool as always, The Leader of the Pack of these Crazy Nuts

R.P. marching to the beat of his own drum.

Thanks for being a part of our lives! We hope you have a great Holiday Season!