(pronounced eh-DOH-bee BAHN-koh) Adobe is an ageless building material comprised of clay, sand, water and straw, all of which are mixed together and allowed to dry in the sun to form bricks. Modern processes and materials have strengthened

(pronounced like the initials: ay-dee-yoo) As more Baby Boomers want to age in place, delaying or avoiding moving into assisted living communities and nursing homes altogether, the idea of the accessory apartment has grown, establishing itself in the

(pronounced like the initials: ay-ee-see) Although these initials also stand for the Atomic Energy Commission, the Association of Education Committees, and the African Economic Community, in our biz they mean “Architecture, Engineering & Construction.” You will see AEC used

(pronounced A-grih-geht) This versatile word has many meanings as a verb, adjective and noun, but for our purposes we’re focusing on a single definition — that of the materials added to plaster for the purpose of making it

(pronounced A-grih-bur-bee-uh) Agriburbia is a combination of the word “agriculture” with “urban” or “suburban,” this hybrid term describes the practice/movement of integrating food production with the planning of the built environment. Moving beyond a few tomato or rosemary

(pronounced eh-LAU-ehnts) Remember this term’s meaning by thinking back to the weekly “allowance” that your parents gave you in grade school. (You know, the one you blew on Twizzlers, Double Bubble, Jolly Ranchers instead of putting in your

(pronounced AND-irehrnz) From andier, the French word for iron. Whether purely utilitarian or highly decorative, andirons are a pair of metal supports for holding firewood within a fireplace.