As one of Hawaii’s premier design+build companies for the past 21 years, Graham Builders is a leader in identifying new building trends and keeping up with ones that trickle down from the commercial sector. Graham Builders uses this knowledge to educate homeowners while encouraging them to think realistically about their home building or renovation needs.
With green building entering a mature stage of development, the latest buzz words in building are “disclosure” and “transparency.” This translates to how manufacturers, designers and builders should integrate design, specifications and installation methods in construction projects and establish standards on how to best communicate and validate the benefits of those decisions.
“Many companies promote proprietary products or materials based on stated benefits, but are the claims genuine and verifiable?” said Evan Fujimoto, Graham Builders president. “Homeowners can be easily swayed by what is the hottest trend or based on hearsay, even though it might not be the best option given long-term economic, environmental and health impacts.”
A forward-thinking company, Graham Builders provides more value to homeowners by giving them additional information about the products, materials and methods that are being used for their home and an explanation of the benefits based on budget, need and life-cycle analysis.
A second trend, as identified by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), is the bottoming out of home sizes. With the housing downturn coming to an end, residential architects report an increase in requests for bigger houses.
“People build homes of sizes they think they need, which is often overstated or over-estimated,” said Fujimoto. “Big homes often result in underutilized spaces. Homeowners need to recognize over-building will give them a temporary heightened perception of increased enjoyment and value, but the real costs of construction, maintenance, furnishings, debt service and underutilization will diminish that perception over time.”
To many of its clients, Graham Builders is a breath of fresh air as the company encourages homeowners to consider their needs before the start of each project. Oftentimes, people don’t realize that bigger homes do not necessarily translate to long-term happiness or satisfaction.
Homeowners interested in learning more about the latest trends in design and renovation, including Graham Builders’ expertise in multi-generational living, can visit Graham Builders’ booth at the 2013 BIA Home Building and Remodeling Show at Neal S. Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, Jan. 25-27.
For those who cannot make it to the show, please attend Graham Builders’ free upcoming “Building Your Home for Life” seminar on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Honolulu Country Club. Seminars are free, but reservations are required. To register, visit www.grahambuilders.com or call 593-2808.
GRAHAM BUILDERS
contact // 593-2808
address // 1144 Young St.
web // www.grahambuilders.com
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