Winner Announced!

The winner of our Parade of Homes contest is…   Linda Houston

Inspiration Photos – Kitchen Remodel

Inspiration photos from our newest Kitchen remodel, which included matching some existing trim work and rock work.  See if you can tell which was original and which is new…

Aggie100 Winners

This is the Press Release that was sent out last weekend:

Luxury home builder, Jenkins Custom Homes, was honored today as the 6th fastest-growing Aggie-owned business in the world, with an average compound growth rate of 94.13%!  The luxury home builder was recognized at the seventh annual Aggie 100 program, sponsored by Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University. The Aggie 100 focuses on growth as an indicator of job creation, product acceptance and entrepreneurial vision. Recipients of the award were selected based on verified compound annual revenue growth for the 2008 to 2010 period. In addition to this honor, Jenkins was also recognized as one of only three companies which have been named in the Aggie 100 for five out of the last seven years since the program has been in existence.  This is the longest sustained growth of any Aggie100 recipient.

Nearly seven hundred people attended the awards luncheon in The Zone Club at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. Texas A&M University Women’s Basketball Coach, Gary Blair, presented the keynote address at the luncheon. After leading the Aggie Women to a 2010 NCAA National Championship, it was only fitting that he inspire the group of entrepreneurs by sharing his thoughts on true leadership. Kelsey Assarian, a member of the winning basketball team, sat at the table with Shan & Bethany Jenkins, along with Porter Garner, CEO of the Association of Former Students, and other distinguished faculty.

Earlier that morning, Jenkins had breakfast with the Dean of the College of Architecture, along with the Department Heads, which include the Department of Construction Science, Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban

Planning, and the Department of Visualization. After breakfast, Jenkins was given a personal tour of some of the technology being used to design homes and commercial buildings in the Department of Architecture.  One such technology, called the “BIM Cave” (Building Information Modeling Cave), surrounds students with display screens which allow them to be immersed in the design from multiple sides.  Such technology allows aspiring architects to envision spaces within the home or commercial structure during the design process, a very useful technology which could be used to assist the luxury home builder’s clients as well.

This year’s Aggie 100 companies posted an average compound growth rate of 41 percent. The complete list can be found at aggie100.com. The Top 10 Aggie 100 companies include:

“Since the founding of Texas A&M University, Aggies have been leaving a legacy across all businesses and industries,” said Dr. Richard H. Lester, Executive Director of Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship. “Over the last seven years, the Aggie 100 companies have continuously proven that even in tough economic times, solid business ideas and hard work pay off.”

To be considered, companies (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships) must operate in a manner consistent with the Aggie Code of Honor and in keeping with the values and image of Texas A&M.  After receiving the award five out of the last seven years, Jenkins Custom Homes is a shining example of the legacy of leadership.

Do it Right or Don’t do it at ALL

Custom Luxury Homes Lessons to be Learned

“Do it right or don’t do it at all!”  Growing up, if my Dad said this to me once, he said it a thousand times. It’s no wonder that phrase consistently permeates my thoughts, even subconsciously.

We recently started doing some renovation work on a home our client acquired for $2.5M. Just a few years ago that same home appraised for approximately $5 million. “Wow, things in Austin are worse than I thought,” you might say. Well, not really. What happened is that the original builder neglected to install the proper flashing and waterproofing, so what started out as a beautiful luxury custom $5M home, soon lost half of its value when the underlying water damage began to surface (see photo of removed window sash below). The home sat vacant for several years, and during that time, it’s value steadily plummeted.  It turns out that there isn’t much demand for $5M leaky, moldy, rotting homes.

The sad part is that none of this should have ever happened. Proper construction techniques could have prevented all of it. This luxury home was originally constructed in 2001 when demand for custom luxury homes was high and supervision spread thin. What many consider to be the “small details” seemed to have gotten overlooked and in some instances completely left out. Unfortunately, we live in a time when very few plan drawings detail the proper flashing and waterproofing requirements for each specific job. Many architects and designers these days leave those details to the builder to figure out. Unfortunately, most builders leave it to the framing contractor to figure out, and most framing contractors assign the work to their least skilled crew members, the carpenter helper. Fast forward 8 years, and the “small details” ended up costing this home owner $2.5 million.

I’m frequently disappointed with the overall lack of skill within the Building Sciences as a whole, both residential and commercial construction. In the State of Texas, for example, there aren’t any licensing requirements for general contractors, so anyone can be a “builder”! Furthermore, with little capital requirements, there are few barriers to entry, so it’s easy to see how, in what should be a professional industry, there are many that are not.

Thankfully, Texas has licensed Architects and Engineers, but their services aren’t always required by municipalities, and few clients choose to pay for “flashing details”.  Certainly, clients understand the art and creativity the architect brings to the project, and they understand the structural integrity the engineer brings to the project, but who is responsible for the mechanical systems? Who is responsible for flashing and waterproofing details? My favorite engineering example is concrete design. The engineer will commonly specify concrete to a design strength of 3,000 psi at 28 days and conform to ACI 302.  This means that, at 28 days, the concrete should achieve a minimum hardness of 3,000 pounds per square inch. That’s all well and good, but what does it take to achieve 3,000 psi concrete? What if it’s 110 degrees Fahrenheit the day you are scheduled to pour concrete? Does that require a different concrete mix than if it’s 40 degrees Fahrenheit? Who makes the call to the batch plant to alter the mix design for the given weather conditions? What if 3 crew members don’t show up that day, should you change the mix design then? These are the realities that all builders face, but only the true professionals with years and years of experience know the answers to. Maybe a good interview question for a potential builder might be, “Do you know what the ACI is?” or at least, “Do you know the factors in achieving 3,000 psi concrete?”

These kinds of issues drive me crazy… If you are a builder of custom luxury homes reading this, don’t let $12,000 worth of missing or improperly-installed flashing and waterproofing ruin your client’s multi-million dollar investment.  Do it right, or don’t do it at all!

Shan Jenkins is President of Jenkins Custom Homes, Inc.  Shan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Science from the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University. While Shan has been in the commercial & residential construction industry for almost 25 years, he has owned and operated Jenkins Custom Homes (which designs and builds luxury custom homes), SL Jenkins Construction (a commercial construction company), and Jenkins Waterscapes (a pool building company) since 1992 and this January celebrates 20 years in the industry.

Cool New Contemporary Home Design in the Floodplain

This fun contemporary home design was created for a client requesting floodplain house plans for a lot on Lake Travis.  This client does a lot of entertaining and has very close friends who spend time with her at her home after they have spent the day on the water.  The wine room is a place for them to sit and enjoy conversations and fine wine while watching the sun set on the lake and Hill Country.  The concept for the wine room is an open round room with wire racks holding the wine.  The backing is planned to be a small glass tile lit with cove lighting from above to give the room some pizzazz!

Notice, also, how the house is laid out.  Originally, these clients were going to sell the lot, after a large home went in next to them, blocking their view (or so they thought).  We really had a vision for that lot and house design, and they allowed us to show them what we were envisioning.  Once they saw how we were able to keep their view of the lake, give the house that contemporary flair they wanted, and keep the house out of the floodplain, they were on board.  We are really excited about this amazing project!  We are so fortunate to be us and get to do what we do!

To see the detailed floorplan for this house and more, check it out at Contemporary Home Designed for the Floodplain.

Designing and Building in a Floodplain

Waterfront properties are among the most desirable home-sites in the world. Living on the water offers incredible views and recreational activities. However, they may also be in the floodplain. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), ranks Travis County (including Austin, Texas) in the Top 10 % of counties in the nation that are at risk for significant flood damage. Along with the beauty and allure of owning waterfront property comes the challenge of building within an established flood zone or flood plain area.

The two primary documents for designing & building in the flood plain (zone) are ASCE 24-05 (American Society of Civil Engineers) andFEMA 54 (Federal Emergency Management Agency). ASCE 24-05 & FEMA 54 engineering standards are broken into two basic categories: Step 1: Function and Step 2: Form / Aesthetic. (“It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” -Steve Jobs)

STEP 1 – FUNCTION

• All structural components must be adequately connected to prevent flotation, collapse, or permanent lateral movement. FILL DIRT MUST REMAIN STABLE UNDER FLOOD CONDITIONS!
• All service equipment must be elevated above the flood zone – including heat pumps, air conditioners, hot water heaters (tankless), circuit breakers, electrical junction boxes, outdoor appliances, etc.
• Any space designed for habitation MUST be elevated above the Flood Zone.
• Permitted in the Flood Zone: vehicular parking, limited storage and building access (stairs). Elevators are permissible subject to separate design guidelines.

REDUCING HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE

Constructing a crawlspace beneath the first floor will raise the lowest floor of the structure above the surrounding grade. Openings in the foundation walls are then required. If flooding reaches the building, the openings allow flood waters to enter the area below the lowest floor and equalize the hydrostatic pressure on the foundation walls.

WIND:

Buildings elevated above the ground can be more vulnerable to wind!

STEP 2 – AESTHETIC

Design to meet performance standards, but don’t forget:

• VIEW (We paid for lake views, we want lake views)

• SUN ORIENTATION

• WIND

• NEIGHBORHOOD / DESIGN GUIDELINES

Technique #1: Raise the lowest floor

Technique #2: Design lower level of house as non-habitable and build habitable home above floodplain

How Do I Get a Permit to Build in the Flood Zone?

IT’S COMPLICATED…

1. See City of Austin Land Development Code 25-7-92, 93, 94, 95 & 96…….

OR

2. Call Jenkins Custom Homes.