From the Desk of the Founder
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. The older I got, the wiser my father seemed to be, and the more I was able to see how much he truly loved my mother and his kids. He did the best he could with the four of us, and that's ok. Being a parent is a difficult job, and everyone handles it differently. Each child brings their own challenges and rewards. My husband and I have six children between us, as well as five grandchildren. Soon after I had my first child, something had happened that wasn't covered in any of the parenting books. I called the doctor, and calmly he told me, "Sheila, there isn't a book that has all the pros and cons or tells you what to do if something goes wrong. You just do the best you can. Don't panic." Well, after almost ten years, I decided to have my second. By the time my fourth came around, he practically came with knee pads.
At Owner Builder Network, we understand these challenges. With most of our staff being parents themselves. And as many new homeowners know, these are challenges faced by many parents in a different sense. Some of our homes are built with no problems, while some have rain delays, delivery issues, or city inspection issues. We have set up a safety net to keep your new life as custom homeowners as hassle-free as we can. We require the use of a third-party inspector that works only for you and is paid for by you. We have some on our list, but we also let you pick your own as long as they are properly documented. The inspector works for you, not for the city, not for the workers. That way, if something is wrong, you are made aware of you, and it doesn't become a hassle. Remember, we do not help people build homes; we help them build THEIR
homes. We want it done right and how you want it done! You are always in the "know" of what work is going on, where your money is, and what is happening with your home. We work as a team, always supporting you and helping you each step of the way. Just like our fathers did for us.
Designing for All Learners:
5 Myths of Education Design Debunked
By: Building Design and Construction
March 2020
When it comes to designing for education, it's time to flip the model. The "average learner" is a myth. Our Forthcoming Education Experience Index research has shown that if we are to design for all learners, we must design to the edges.
By engaging more than 100 undergraduate students from 35 different institutions
throughout the U.S. through surveys and ethnographic shadowing interview, it became evident
that each student has a jagged profile that uniquely describes how he/she best engages with
learning. Instead of designing to the mythical "average learner" and adapting to accommodate
outliers, it's time we design to the edges. By designing to the edges, to the extreme users, we
design for everyone in between.
The biggest danger of the notion of the "average learner" is that it kills curiosity in the
designer. The notion of average learners fosters the illusion that, as designers and facilitators of
learning, we know what "most students" need to collaborate, to focus, and to engage. Our
research reveals five myths of what many of us think we know, but in fact doesn't hold true
when we seek to engage and design for all learners.
- Myth 1: Focus spaces are distraction-free spaces.
Though focus work is typically a solo activity that does not involve direct interaction with
others, many learners seek high-energy, noisy spaces like coffee shops, open coworking spaces,
and studio or workshop environments to be able to focus best. These spaces, filled with other
productive workers, provide some students the motivation to engage in their work, while also
providing distractions and amenities when they need a break.
- Myth 2: Collaboration spaces are open, high-energy spaces.
When learners seek a space to collaborate with a project team, many express the need for
enclosed, calm spaces where the group can come together and feel ownership of the space.
Teams often prefer distraction-less spaces where they can be loud or quiet, have access to
technology if needed, and have the freedom to arrange the space to meet their needs.
- Myth 3: Introverts like to see; extroverts like to be seen.
Across the range of students who self-identified as introverts, extroverts, and everything in
between, the theme of seeing and being seen was recurrent in shaping their optimal
environment for focus or collaboration. Some prefer the ability to observe others without being
seen, while others prefer the opportunity to see everyone, everything, and be seen by others.
Every combination of seeing/not seeing others and being seen/not being seen by others was
expressed, with no correlation to extroversion. No matter the preference, however, the
importance of providing choice to allow for a full spectrum of experiences was a consensus.
- Myth 4: Grouping learners by similarities aids in the design process.
Embrace complexity. Grouping learners based on a set of similarities (age, extroversion, cultural
background, etc.) doesn't mean they engage and learn in the same way. By focusing on the
extreme traits, we can more adequately provide choice, variety, and flexibility in the built
environment to engage all learners.
- Myth 5: Designing to the average is inclusive of more people than designing to the outliers.
It is not that the average is never useful. Averages have their place. But the moment you need
to decide about any individual, the average is useless. Worse than useless, it creates the illusion
of knowledge, when in fact the average disguises what is most important about an individual.
If we are to design the optimal learning experience for everyone, we must ensure the voices
shaping the design are as diverse as possible and include individuals who have a lived
experience of the "extreme users."
Ultimately, it is not about designing one optimal learning experience for all people, but
designing multiple, diverse pathways so that every learner can engage. "The higher the
engagement a student has with their learning, the higher their success rate is going to be." As
we design the next generation of learning spaces, fostering deep engagement in each learner is
critical to our practice.
By designing to the edges, we provide the space for each learner to take ownership over
their learning, igniting innovation and invention. "A group that includes diverse perspectives,
especially perspectives from the margins, trumps a group of the 'best and brightest,' in
decision-making, accurate prediction, and innovation." By designing to the edges, we design the
future of healthier, wealthier, and wiser societies.
Texas Strong: Through Good Times and Challenges
JULY 2020
Scott Norman, TAB Executive Director
The last 10 years have been a great decade for both the national and Texas economies.
Unemployment rates at the beginning of March were at near-record-lows. Interest rates were
at an all-time low, and the housing market, especially in Texas, continued to boom. 125,182
single-family permits were issued in 2018 (the latest yearly data from the Rest Estate Centre at
Texas A&M University), and we expect even greater numbers from 2019 when they are
released.
Realator.com predicted that millennials' share of mortgage originations would surpass an
unprecedented 50% in the spring of this year, outnumbering the share of total homes
purchased by members of Generation X (32%) and baby boomers (17%). 4.8 million millennials
will be turning 30 this year, are starting families and are starting to buy homes. (Anyone born
between 1982 and 2000, which is now 83.1 million people, or more than a quarter of the U.S.
population, are considered millennials by the U.S. Census Bureau.)
The homebuying behavior of millennials are also the foreshadowing of an evolution in
homeownership. Millennials are environmentally conscious, are interested in energy
conservation, open spaces, walking trails and sustainability in their homes. They also expect
smart home products to be a part of the home's basic features.
Surveys report that 84% of all buyers consider a home purchase a good investment. Debt,
however, is an issue among every buying group. According to a survey by the National
Association of Realtors®, 13% of all buyers reported having student loan debt with a median
amount of $28,000. Buyers aged 39 to 53 also had the highest amount of debt at $30,000.
However, this had not slowed the demand for new homes over the last two years.
"Low resale inventory, favorable mortgage rates, historically low unemployment and
accelerating wage growth are driving builder sentiment and point to single-family production
gains in 2020," said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz at the International Builders' Show® in
January. "At the same time, builders are still underbuilding as they continue to struggle with
rising construction costs stemming from excessive regulations, a chronic shortage of workers
and a lack of buildable lots. These affordability headwinds are impeding more robust
construction growth."
All of this added up to a very good economic outlook for the Texas housing economy when this
article was first being written. And then, as I write this column in mid-March, the United States
has been dealt a blow to its economic vitality with the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
This world-wide pandemic sent the stock markets into a tailspin, caused companies of all sizes,
along with cities and states, to lose billions of dollars in revenue, and has resulted in all of us
wondering how long the impact and economic after-math from this crisis will last. On top of all
that, tumbling oil prices will have a negative impact on the Texas economy and state budget.
Throughout all of this uncertainty surrounding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
massive economic disruption caused by the months-long shuttering of large segments of our
state and national economies, your state association has continued to serve as a voice and
resource for your industry. Working with out 27 local home builders associations and NAHB to
respond to changing circumstances on an almost daily basis has been an unprecedented
challenge, but I am proud of the work our volunteer leadership and staff have been able to
accomplish. While our members have been working remotely and adjusting to a very difficult
situation, we have been able to provide them with valuable information.
Although it is impossible to know with any certainty the extent to which the homebuilding and
land development industries in Texas will be affected by the current state of the economy, we
have been through downturns before – the most recent being the Great Recession of 2007-
2009. In almost every circumstance, we have been more fortunate than most states to have
emerged in a better position and prospered quickly once the markets have stabilized. This crisis
to shall pass, and I fully expect our members to lead the way as Texas housing continues to
serve as an economic driver as we build the future in this great state.
As we enter the summer months, I am optimistic about the future of our state and industry,
While there are many uncertainties around the world right now, one thing you can count on is
that the Texas Association of Builders will continue to advocate for your vital and essential
businesses interests, and we will keep our members updated on the issues of concern to your
livelihood. It is what we have been doing for most of you, our membership, for almost 75 years.
We have weathered wards, pandemics, hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, drops in oil prices and
uncertain economic times more than once in the history of our state (and association), and we
have always bounced back and been a model for the nation. We will do so again and remain
Texas Strong!
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