Description: "While building trends may change, one thing does not: the need to build quality homes at affordable prices. And in today's building market, sustainability is an important part of building homes that last so homeowners can keep long-term costs down. Building an Affordable House, 2nd edition helps readers do that with insight from the people who work in the field every day. This new edition provides an updated sensibility to the building decisions every homeowner must make in today's challenging construction environment, whether they are building a brand-new house or renovating one they love. This update includes all new code information, techniques that honor sustainable building practices, cost-saving methods that are safe and effective. This book reveals the secrets of building better for less and developing your own cost-cutting approach that balances marketability, quality, and price"--
Brief description: Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fernando Pagés Ruiz immigrated to the United States in 1970 and became a US citizen in 1984. Over a 30-carear in construction, he has become a dedicated proponent of building innovation in low cost housing. Pagés Ruiz speaks, writes and consults internationally on how to build high-quality, affordable and energy-efficient homes. A builder with 30 years of experience and an expert on how to cut costs and keep quality when building or remodeling, Pagés Ruiz is the author of two books published by the Taunton Press: Building an Affordable House: A high-value, low-cost approach to building (2005) and Affordable Remodel: How to get custom results on any budget (2007). As a builder, his projects have numerous award, including the 2008 "Green Building Single Family House of the Year" and the 2007 "Workforce Housing Award" from the National Association of Home Builders. In 2006, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's PATH project chose him to build America's first PATH Concept Home, a home that is affordable to purchase and to maintain, while meeting the criteria of LEED for Homes, ENERGY STAR, MASCO Environments for Living, and the NAHB's Green Building certifications.
Review Quotes: A Masterful Guide to Building Affordably, Green and Profitably
When Fernando Pages Ruiz published his first book on building affordable homes, it made a big splash in the construction industry. I was among the thousands of builders who benefited from the strategies it put forth for minimizing cost while delivering value. I had tired of building homes for wealthy people and wanted to build a home that was affordable for wage workers, made the smallest environmental footprint I could manage, and that I could produce at a profit. The project's success on all three counts was in good part due to the guidance provided by Pages in his book. Now, two decades later, Pages has given us another book about building affordable homes. Nominally it is a second edition (same title, same publisher). But it is so thoroughly updated with respect to the latest codes, budget-friendly construction, environmentally friendly practices, and business opportunities that it is best viewed as an essential new book. All that experience and learning has been distilled into the new Building an Affordable House. The result is the sort of down-to-earth wisdom you get from a talented guy who has worked relentlessly for five decades pursing his dream. His book is a masterwork.--David Gerstel is a veteran builder and author of highly regarded books for construction contractors.