Firefighters make a stand in the backyard of a home in front of the advancing CZU August Lightning Complex Fire Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The CZU Lightning Complex fires erupted on August 16, 2020, the result of a thunderstorm that produced close to 11,000 bolts of lightning and started hundreds of fires throughout California. These lightning strikes initially started fires separately known as the Warnella Fire near Davenport, the Waddell Fire near Waddell Creek, as well as three fires which would merge with them to become conflagration now known as the CZU Complex Fire destroying approximately 1,490 buildings. In response to the CZU Complex Fires the County of Santa Cruz implemented a Recovery Permit Center (RCP), a resource dedicated to rebuilding after the fire. In order to accelerate its efforts, the County Planning Department outsourced the fire-recovery permitting efforts to the Pleasanton-based consulting company 4Leaf, Inc. This article outlines the goals and objectives of the Recovery Permit Center (RCP) and it’s procedures, particularly as they continue to evolve. Continue reading
Drywall is a construction material used to create walls and ceilings. It’s also used to create many design features, including eaves, arches and other architectural specialties. It’s quick and easy to install, incredibly durable, and requires only simple repairs when damaged. In the commercial building world, drywall is used to wrap columns to conceal steel beams and is an easy and inexpensive way to top off masonry walls above ceilings. Drywall is also used to add fire resistance at walls and ceilings, containing the spread of fire so people can evacuate safely during an emergency. 
Tile flooring is manufactured from a variety of materials such as clay, stone, metal, terrazzo, and quartz. Each type of tile flooring has its own defining characteristics. Generally speaking, the two most commonly used types of tile flooring are ceramic and natural stone. 
Construction 3D printing refers to various technologies that use 3D printing as the method to fabricate entire buildings or parts of buildings. There are a variety of 3D printing methods used at construction scale, with the main ones being extrusion (concrete/cement, wax, foam, polymers) and powder bonding (polymer bond, reactive bond, sintering). 3D Printing advantages include faster construction, lower labor costs, increased complexity and/or accuracy, greater integration of function, and less waste produced. 
Within the context of an ongoing global affordable-housing crisis, communities across the world are looking at ways to contend with the issue. What can be done to provide affordable housing? The book “Emerging Ideas in Architecture & Design”, produced by Archhive Books in the U.K. includes case studies, interviews, and results from numerous design competitions focused on solutions to affordable housing. There are some many interesting, creative, and mind-altering ideas. Here are but a few. 
Homes have always made use of natural materials. But these days you can find many products and techniques incorporating tried and true materials in surprising ways. Many of these techniques were used historically and are making a come back. In fact, the percentage of construction firms expecting to have more than 60% of their projects certified green has grown from 16% in 2016, to 32% in 2018 to upwards of 45% by 2021. With more people building green, more sources are also developing innovative, green materials to take advantage of this growing market opportunity. 
