BIG Is Back!
The market for big homes is slowly gaining steam. This is the subject of a recent story in the Wall Street Journal.
Even the nation’s builders are surprised at how buyers are upsizing again, favoring home models that exceed 3,500 square feet. This may be due to the improvement in the economy, which has somewhat erased consumer anxiety in the property market.
However, although buyers are upsizing, they are still being practical and budget-conscious. Instead of going for expensive options like sunrooms and vaulted ceilings, they only want to pay for more space, say an additional bedroom. The bottom line is – consumers choose products that give better value for their money.
When practicality and value for money is concerned, steel frame buildings are not far behind. Steel frame buildings are the best choices for structures that provide maximum space without sacrificing structural integrity and aesthetics.
Steel structural framing are pre-engineered based on existing buildings codes and loadings. The pre-engineering process involves the use of computerized design and engineering software that computes the precise specifications of the structural framing to produce structures that are not just straight and true but also sturdy, durable and able to withstand extreme weather conditions.
With steel framing, space is maximized through clear-span construction. Steel has the highest strength to weight ratio among all construction materials. As a result, steel frame buildings can have no interior columns up to 300 feet wide, perfect for big houses.
Also, steel frame buildings are capable of accommodating popular architectural materials for their walls (interior and exterior) and roofs. Going back to the story, the most preferred design for big houses is the Colonial style. This style of steel frame buildings has been around for a long time now.
Two examples of steel frame buildings with Colonial style are the US Post Office building located at Frankfort in Herkimer County, New York and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce building in Queens, also in New York. The US Post Office building in Frankfort is a Colonial style one-story steel frame building on a raised foundation. It was built from 1940-1941.
On the other hand, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce building, located in the Jamaica section in Queens, New York is a historic building that was designed in 1928. It is also a steel frame building with a red brick façade trims made of stone and terra cotta.
These two famous structures are testaments to the durability, strength and flexibility of steel frame buildings. Indeed, they are the perfect choice when building big homes.
