Online idea exchanges like Pinterest and Houzz are great resources for inspiration. There's so much information on these sites that is easily gathered, collected, and used by clients to create wish lists of images that need to be included in their "dream home". However, as an architect, I feel it is my duty to point out to my clients and all of you: Use with caution! The disparate images served by search terms may represent homes from all over the country -- or even all ove

How high is high enough? Here on Long Beach Island, it's a Post-Sandy reality where the prime directive is to get all new homes and renovations above the new Base Flood Elevations (BFE). Part of the challenge in doing something so sensible is that the BFE has been a moving target. The magic number determined by FEMA as the minimum height required to raise one's home has changed at least three times since Sandy revealed how vulnerable the Jersey Shore is to flooding. The first