Balancing modern, popular home designs with the structural properties necessary to meet state and local codes is a challenge for even the most experienced engineers and architects.

	SHOWCASE 2006 will be held Nov. 5-8 at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Fla.

Breakout sessions at the Building Systems Councils' SHOWCASE conference and trade show in Miami, Fla. on Nov. 5-8 will highlight the dual sides of design — designing for codes and designing for consumers ― to help builders better achieve that balance.

Register online at www.nahb.org/showcase.

Event registration is open through Oct. 13.

Two SHOWCASE breakout sessions will give attendees a crash course on building code evolution and how products are tested to meet and exceed those codes, even in the most stringent jurisdictions:

• “Evolution of Codes & Product Testing,” presented by Steve Berg of Andersen Windows and Stanley Waddell of West Window Corporation, will examine how building codes have changed and been updated, particularly in coastal areas. The session will also detail how windows and patio doors are constructed and tested to ensure they make all applicable codes.
  
  
• “High Wind and How to Meet the ‘I’ Codes” will address pressing concerns for systems-built manufacturers and builders working in Long Island, along the Eastern Seaboard and in hurricane-prone areas. Norm Hall, of Simpson Strong-Tie, will review structural code requirements and examine current product offerings specifically created to help homes meet those requirements.

Two additional SHOWCASE breakout sessions address the changing needs of today’s home buyers:

• Issues such as universal design and accommodations will be presented by Universal Design & Education Network’s Shelley Siegel in “Transgenerational Design: The Changing Face of the American Family.” Siegel will lay out the challenges and obstacles home building companies must overcome when designing homes for multi-generational families.
  
  
• Another consideration for home building companies is who is really buying their homes? Reports show that women have a controlling interest in more than 90% of all new homes purchased. Paul Foresman, of Design Basics, will show how some companies are finding success in a softening market by orienting their homes to delight women buyers in “Women-Centric Home Design & Marketing.”

To register, or for more information, visit www.nahb.org/showcase. [ return to top ]