SMART DESIGN

Designing a home is very challenging when trying to achieve each of these three worthy goals: energy efficiency, good looks, and affordability. To meet these goals, our homes incorporate all of the smart design features discussed below.

Using the best ideas from building science experts, Fokus Builders concentrates its design efforts on achieving a super energy efficient building envelope. We then save money from the ground up by keeping the house shape simple and using other cost-controlling measures. Our customers personalize their homes with their own ideas for floor plans and interior and exterior finishes. Throughout this process, we work closely with our customers to ensure the final design looks great inside and out.

Simple Shapes

Simple shapes lend themselves to energy efficiency and affordability. The less complicated a building envelope shape, the less opportunity exists for air leaks and areas that are difficult to insulate. And very importantly, the fewer corners, dormers, angles, etc., the faster and easier the construction, which translates into direct cost savings to our customers.

We don't build miniature castles because they're expensive, they require shortcuts on energy efficiency details to stay on budget, and frankly, they're out of touch.

Smaller Sizes

Architect Sarah Susanka and her "Not So Big House®" books continue to bring sensibility to the home building industry. A smaller size accomplishes a design aesthetic of comfort and livability, and serves as an important component of overall energy efficiency. Fewer materials and less labor also results in greater affordability.

Space Efficiency

Designing for space efficiency is essential in a smaller home. Every space should have a function and be used effectively to meet the needs of the homeowner. We can work with customers to help them accomplish this goal.

Resource Efficiency

Building a house or remodeling uses a lot of resources. Fokus Builders tries to lessen its consumption by incorporating resource efficiency directly into the design process-using advanced framing techniques that maximize energy efficiency and minimize the amount of wood used in a home, using selective dimensions to fit a home on a two-foot grid matching dimensional building materials (for less cut-off waste), and using simple shapes and smaller sizes, all of which use less resources and generate less waste from the ground up. Our use of Good Wood framing lumber helps support local and responsible timber harvest. We also pay attention to reducing embodied energy in our homes by using locally-sourced products, including reclaimed materials, where possible.

Healthy Indoor Environment

Our simple approach to a healthy indoors involves proper mechanical ventilation of the home and reducing the amount of "volatile organic compounds" (VOCs) and other chemicals released into your home through building products and finishes. Fokus Builders minimizes the amount of OSB and MDF products inside each home, and recommends American Clay products and low- or no-VOC paints and floor coverings to our customers.

Professional Design

When you save money in the right places, you can afford professional help with design details such as pleasing proportions, appropriate massing, interior space-efficiency, and exterior good looks.

Whether we are working directly with you or with architects like Kibo Group Architecture, we want to make sure your home looks polished.