I'm planning a home addition but would like peruse building material sources beyond what's available in consumer hardware stores. What sources do architects and contractors use for non-standard windows and other items? Is there a McMaster-Carr-equivalent for building materials? [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on Jan 30, 2009 - 4 answers

How much does it actually cost to commission an architect to design an "interesting" home? [more inside]
posted by electric_counterpoint on Dec 31, 2008 - 10 answers

How would I build a three-story high cat structure? That's three human stories, 25 feet or so high. [more inside]
posted by Araucaria on Aug 5, 2007 - 18 answers

What US neighborhoods are best known for interesting examples of Craftsman homes? I know about the various bay area neighborhoods - the Maybecks of the Berkeley hills, Westwood Park in SF, etc.; I'm familiar with Pasadena and its Bungalow Heaven, as well as Santa Barbara's many restored bungalows - and I'm familiar with similar neighborhoods here in Sacramento, where I live now. What I'm mainly looking for are out of the way, underrated or less-known neighborhoods with interesting historical and architectural character, specifically expressed in homes built in the Craftsman aesthetic - from the conservative late Victorian through the Prairie and Mission revival. [more inside]
posted by luriete on Jun 7, 2006 - 21 answers

Is it cheaper to buy a house or build one from scratch? [more inside]
posted by designbot on Nov 14, 2005 - 18 answers