Building SUSTAINABLE is now available on Amazon. This book illustrates the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in the same building found in Building SIMPLE. It combines animations, interactive 3D models, short videos, 3D illustrations, and captioned text to give readers a visual tour of the building systems supporting the operation of a building. This includes the design, construction, and the operation of a variety of sustainable technologies with a focus on their integration and interaction, rather that the details of any one system. More information:

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Building SIMPLE is now available on Amazon. The book uses a building information model (BIM) to show the step-by-step construction of a commercial office building. The building is designed to show the details of serveral different construction techniques. Construction starts with a surveyed layout, and continues through excavation, foundations, both concrete and steel frames, and exterior curtain walls. The CD includes the complete building information models and 35 Shorties and tutorials animating the model and the advanced modeling techniques used in the virtual construction.
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Living SMALL is now available on Amazon. It uses Dennis's graphic narrative style and three dimensional building information models (BIMs) to survey the evolution of 18 small houses. The book and models show how these houses served their owners as functional homes from early settlers to the tiny house movement of today. The design and construction of each house can be quickly visualized using the book's 3D illustrations and interactive building information models (BIMs). More information.

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3D Construction Modeling is in its 11th printing and is again available on Amazon. It is a virtual framing manual that includes 123 pages of step by step illustrated panels to walk through the construction of a virtual model, The book is a must have for anyone wanting to learn more about building information models (BIM) and construction modeling. This book is a classic training tool that works equally well with any version of SketchUp, including the Google's free version. It is a must have for anyone wanting to learn more about building information models (BIMs) or construction modeling. More Information

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Watch for these books coming (soon).

"ConXTech: A Revolution in Building Construction" is a book about a revolutionary steel framing system that rethinks the entire construction process. May 2008

"Construction Modeling for KIDS" is an interactive CD comic book to shows kids of all ages how to view, assemble, explode, and build a real 3D building model. Nov 2008

For detailed information on SketchUp and a community of support from other SketchUp Users, please visit the SketchUcation website at< http://www.sketchucation.com/scf/ >

 

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The NEST and the related small, simple, and sustainable design-build projects we do are research tools we use to test ideas for various visual information systems.*

This little house is therefore more an idea than a product. It's built locally by an odd crew of design-builders (and me). Unfortunately, it's just too much trouble to ship a NEST and deal with the liability of codes in jurisdictions outside the north central region of (the real) Florida.

We'd be happy to help you find a small house solution however. The NEST is only one example of one tiny home that can fit in your backyard or in a remote location. There are many more on our resource page.

A tiny house can be a private space, a hideaway to do with what you want, a home for a loved one, house for overnight guests, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), nanny or granny house, or a shelter for a homeless family.

Small houses like the NEST can also be prefabricated and engineered to be simple, strong, and durable. And can be designed to meet the highest standards of residential and commercial construction.

If you're having problems finding, designing, or building a small house, email us and we'll be happy to help -- if we can.

 

*The NEST and other small house projects are used to explore different methods of construction documentation and communications. Especially the ability to define scope and support the construction process. These projects are important to research on piece-based construction modeling (now called building information models) and has helped to define the two and three-dimensional construction documents I use on real-world projects.

 

This page is a collection of resources we use for publication and design-build projects.

See especially the organization and news groups for valuable information on:

....Small building companies

....Sustainable Organizations

....Small House Designers

....Healthy House Construction

....Books on Small Houses

....Books on Training and Outreach

There is so much knowledge and information out there that it is hard to absorb it all. But nothing is more important than a well written book.

(Sustainable resources )