Split-face concrete block residential buildings are the parking meter lease deal of Chicago architecture: ugly, regrettable—and something we’re stuck with for decades to come. This blight first popped ...

Q: I’m thinking of buying a dilapidated old frame house in the country. It has a stone foundation that seems to me to be too close to the ground. Are stone foundations adequate and strong? Is it ...

More Than Gray: 15 Projects That Explore Red Pigmented Concrete A Trombe wall is a passive solar building feature that enhances thermal efficiency. Positioned on the sun-facing side of a structure, it ...

DEAR TIM: I live in a very common home here in Florida. Most are built from concrete block. Twenty years ago, a room was added to the home and the rear exterior concrete block wall became an interior ...

John Sullivan, a 27-year-old renter in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, hopes the third time is the charm. Twice in the past three months Sullivan has put in offers on condos in his neighborhood, ...

Concrete blocks. Ever since manufacturers developed techniques to make them cheaper than traditional clay-fired bricks, concrete blocks have been one of our most ubiquitous construction materials.