Ask the Pros Builder How should homeowners select exterior materials to withstand the elements on a waterfront home? First and foremost, look into swing-out casement windows and out-swing doors on […]

Simple Roots Architect Mark Buchanan remembers tramping through a barn and wandering around a pond, fields and outbuildings on his client’s horse farm near Middleburg when he first visited to […]

Perfect Panorama “Come in, you have to see this,” beckons architect Christian Zapatka, standing at the door of a recently completed project in McLean, Virginia. He and the homeowner are positively […]

Out on a Limb On a whim, while visiting a client’s job site in 2001, architect Mark Kohler walked down to the end of the wooded street to see a […]

Writer's Refuge A Virginia-based screenwriter needed a quiet space where he could work at home with a minimum of loving distractions from his three young daughters. He found refuge—and more—in […]

Sun Catcher Located on a bluff high above a mighty river, a multi-tiered stone, wood and stucco home would look right at home in Aspen or Big Sur. Which is […]

A Hands-On Approach When partners Ben Esh and Daniel Glick founded B&D Builders in 2000, their goal was to create a hassle-free experience for their clients. “We interact with clients […]

Ask the Pros: Construction What challenges do you face when building on the water and how do you overcome them? Corrosion and weathering from driving wind and salt spray is […]

Custom Builder 2012 Awards Sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association, the annual Custom Builder Awards honors quality construction, architecture and design by custom builders and remodelers in the […]

Ask the Pros: Construction What materials best withstand the elements in a waterfront setting? Most traditional siding materials are suitable for waterfront homes, but the amount of maintenance varies. Natural […]

Raw & Refined Wayne Andersen has long been an architecture buff and admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright. So it should come as no surprise that the physician, author and co-founder […]

Water's Edge A winding, tree-lined drive is the first hint that something special lies ahead. When the road opens up to reveal a stately white clapboard home, expectations are fulfilled. Nestled […]

Past Perfect The farmhouse was a holdover from early in the last century, haphazardly altered over many years by eight different owners to fit the needs of their families. Countless […]

Over the years, homeowner Ruth Suttle has repeatedly lent her classic English sensibility to her two-and-a-half-acre property in Potomac, creating lush gardens, family play areas and more. When a tree […]

Modern Clarity Miles of tranquil waters mesmerize visitors to a light-filled Edgewater, Maryland, home—even in the middle of January. A forested road leads to the site, which forms a point […]

A Custom Approach Paradigm Building Group’s founder and president, Tim Winter, was with NVHomes for six years and had built at least 150 houses for clients when he decided it […]