CSCH Home Featured in Texas Home & Living Magazine

A very special Christopher Sims home was featured in the December 2011 issue of Texas Home & Living magazine.

To view an online version of the magazine, click on the cover image above or click here.  The article is featured on pages 44-51.  Enjoy!

Project Updates: 3 New Home Starts

The month of December brought three new home starts for CSCH!  This is an especially exciting time for us as well as for our clients.

Our first new home to break ground is located in the Rivercrest subdivision of Houston.

The next home to begin construction is in the Memorial area.

This home, located in Piney Point Village in Houston, was our latest home to begin construction.

Stay tuned for updates on these projects in the new year!

National Custom Builders Council

Once again, Chris has returned from a National Custom Builders Council conference both energized and inspired!  Twice a year, this elite group of 16 premier builders from non-competing markets across the country meet to share their experience and best practices.

Having been a member of this group since its inception in 1998, CSCH has benefited from years of continuing education regarding effective industry technology and construction methods.  It’s been our goal following each conference to customize and incorporate what we learn into our everyday practices.  We are constantly aspiring to improve ourselves.

Chris has had the honor of serving as council president for the last two years and has gained extraordinary knowledge from the added responsibilities of this role.  Most importantly, he continues to be invigorated by the innovation and wisdom of his fellow members.

Click here for more information about the National Custom Builders Council.

Giving Hope for Three

Through the years, we have had the pleasure of building many beautiful homes for our fortunate and gracious homeowners.  Now more than ever we have recognized our duty to use our experience and resources to give back to our community.  ”These are difficult times and everyone should be willing to pitch in… starting with us,” Chris says.

The most recent community involvement project that was presented to us hit particularly close to home.  The beautiful grand-daughter of our very own Administrative Assistant was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder early last year, which prompted her family to beginning getting involved with an organization called Hope For Three.  The family that helped to create this organization was in need of a few home renovations in order to better accommodate their family of six, which includes identical triplets each diagnosed with Autism.  Recognizing a perfect fit, Chris decided to contribute by installing new tile floors throughout the family’s home.

We would like to thank Hope’s family for allowing us to play a part in this very worthy cause.  We would also like to recognize the little girl who spurred our involvement to begin with… she also happens to be the cover girl of the new 2012 Hope for Three calendar!

If you are interested in learning more about Autism and the Hope for Three organization, feel free to visit their website at http://hopeforthree.org.

Project Update: Sweetwater Home is Complete!

Another successful completion for one of our very special homeowners! This newly finished home was built in Sweetwater in the southwest Houston suburb of Sugar Land.  To see a snap shot of this home’s construction journey, 

CSCH Homes from the Air

For years, Chris has been talking about photographing some of our homes from the air.  A few months ago, he decided to make it happen once and for all.  Armed with a camera and a couple of very thick jackets, Chris and his son Michael, a CSCH superintendent, took a helicopter around the Houston area to capture birds-eye perspectives on several of our homes.

Community Spotlight: Lake Pointe

Lake Pointe in Sugar Land boasts intimate gated, waterfront communities with incredible retail, medical, and recreational amenities.

Residents of Lake Pointe enjoy nearly three miles of pedestrian trails which loop around the 27-acre Brooks Lake, as well as walking access to Lake Pointe Town Center shops and restaurants.  A host of new medical facilities are also located in Lake Pointe, enhancing the urban convenience that residents experience.

We have enjoyed building fine patio homes in Lake Pointe’s The Villas and Creekbend communities for the past five years, and would love to answer any questions you may have about available homes and lots.  With very little land still available for new home construction in the coveted Sugar Land area, we are delighted to offer potential home buyers the opportunity to build a life in Lake Pointe.

If you are interested in learning more about lots that we have available in the Lake Pointe communities of The Villas and Creekbend, feel free to call us at 281.242.7900 or visit the Properties Page on our website.

Going Green with Reclaimed Materials

Building a home using recycled materials doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality…

Case in point:

In 2007, we began building this home in Riverstone, a Sugar Land community, with two goals in mind:

• Create a home that was unique to the area in its architectural design and finishes
• Apply our eco-conscious principles to build an environmentally-friendly home

One way that we reached our second goal was by using recycled materials throughout the home.  We found that the advantages of doing this stretched far beyond preserving raw materials and saving energy.  The truth is, the reclaimed materials that we used greatly enhance the look and feel of this home as well.

Much of the exterior of the home is made up of “Old Chicago” brick, natural clay brick that was reclaimed from old buildings constructed in the Chicago area during the late 1800′s to mid 1900′s.  The many colors and quirky imperfections that show up in this brick only add to its appeal and charm.

Beams in the home’s Gameroom were recycled from the railroad trestle which used to cross the Great Salt Lake in Utah.  Upon close inspection, you’ll discover bolt holes, cracks, nail marks, and rust stains that give you a glimpse into its previous life.  Although reclaimed wood costs more than newly harvested timbers due to longer recovery and procurement processes, the final payoff has been worth it.

The flooring in the Master Bedroom was reclaimed from centuries-old homes in France.  While the buildings that this wood is typically recovered from are weathered, worn and decaying, the Oak beams and planks are extremely thick and sturdy.  We found that these floors have an unparalleled rich and authentic appearance.

To see more photos of this home, visit the Louisiana Acadian Portfolio on our website.

Our Tree Story

We believe the old Scottish poet Alexander Smith had it right when he attested, “Trees are your best antiques.”  There is nothing that evokes a stronger sense of peace and serenity than a beautifully mature tree, and a recent client of ours was willing to go to great lengths to save one.

He came to us a few years ago after purchasing one of the last available lots in Sweetwater, a luxury custom home community in Sugar Land.  With a beautiful decades-old pecan tree sitting nearly in the very center of his lot, he was a bit weary about the sacrifices he would have to make to preserve it.  Nonetheless, he was determined, and so were we.

His home was designed around the tree, with the plans meticulously drawn to allow for necessary space and future growth.  As Pecan trees are common in the Sugar Land area, we were very aware of how sensitive they typically are.  As a result, prior to the start of the project we set up a deep root fertilization program, carefully pruned the tree, and installed a temporary fence around the root perimeter of the tree to protect it during the construction process.

As we do for all of our clients, the home’s construction journey was documented.  The tree’s presence was truly the only constant during the construction process:

Staking Piers and Placing Forms

Foundation and Rough Grade

Framing

Spring has arrived…

 

Our homeowner has been extremely appreciative of the great effort we have put forth to ensure the survival of his tree.  It will surely be enjoyed for decades to come.

Tankless Water Heaters

In recent years, Tankless (also called Demand or Instantaneous) water heaters have become a larger player in today’s green building movement.  In this article, we try to highlight the advantages and possible disadvantages of using tankless water heaters in your home.