Building Fundamentals

Alex Schreyer's Online Construction Site

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Construction Mockups are Now on buildingfundamentals.com

Construction mockups are temporary structures used to test materials and assembly processes during building projects. Recognizing their educational value, I have curated a digital collection of these ephemeral structures. Now hosted on buildingfundamentals.com, this dedicated category serves as a virtual museum, preserving detailed images of mockups to help others understand building layers and design decisions.

‘Fundamentals of Residential Construction’ Book

Fundamentals of Residential Construction Book Cover

'Fundamentals of Residential Construction' by Allen / Schreyer / Thallon is the definitive guide to residential construction. The fully updated and revised fifth edition is now available.

‘Mass Timber’ Book

'Mass Timber: Materials, Design, and Construction' by Clouston / Schreyer is the most authoritative guide to building with mass timber. This book is now available wherever books are sold.

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Always consider wood grain orientation!

Wayfinding sign, made from a laminated panel

Yesterday I came across this very nice looking wayfinding sign in a recently constructed building. As you can see, it is a beautiful use of material (solid wood) that adds a contrasting warmth to an otherwise very contemporary design. One thing I noticed, however, was that the panel was cupping (as you can see in […]

Worcester Dining Commons at UMass Amherst (Mockup)

Opened in October 2020, the Worcester Commons building at UMass Amherst is an 87,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility designed by Perry Dean Rogers Architects to anchor the Northeast Residential Area. Replacing the original mid-century dining hall, this $68 million, three-story building functions as a vibrant student life hub that seamlessly blends award-winning dining with campus community spaces. […]

Talking Mass Timber on MassCEC’s Thoughtful Climate Interview Series

A little while ago, Peggi Clouston and I joined Galen Nelson, MassCEC’s Chief Climate Officer, to talk about mass timber. This was part of their Thoughtful Climate Live Interview Series, which is a dialogue that features experts, pioneers, and practitioners from a variety of existing and emerging climatetech sectors and disciplines, as well as subject […]