The “Jetsons” cartoon series of the 1960’s was a fanciful glimpse of American home life in the 21st Century. George, Jane, Judy, Elroy and Astro lived in slick automated house that looked as futuristic outside as it was high-tech inside. Here in the twenty-first century it would seem logical that house design should be evolving towards a space-age look, but traditionally styled homes that model themselves after eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth-century designs are more popular than ever. Is the architectural design clock ticking backwards or are these classic exteriors simply attractive skins hiding twenty-first century muscles and bones?

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In the midst of the strong residential building market land developers are struggling to keep pace with the demand for developed property. But some homeowners aren’t waiting for new lots to come on line. Eager to build their dream home, they’re considering bypassing the traditional residential development and are building on larger plots of undeveloped land in rural or semi-rural locations.

In the simplest sense, developed land has been fully prepared for homebuilding while undeveloped land hasn’t; each has advantages and disadvantages. If you’re thinking about building your home on undeveloped land, be sure to consider the additional work and expenses.

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Good house design takes its form in part from the forces that act on it. Climate and weather are two of the strongest form-makers (there are no igloos in the tropics) since houses must be designed and built to repel the damaging effects of the world we live in. Mother Nature is always trying to tear our buildings down.

Climate and weather also affect the comfort of our homes, and cause us to seek out ways to maintain the temperature and humidity of our homes within tolerable levels. A great deal of design effort is devoted to keeping the heat in or keeping the heat out, depending on the climate and season.

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