Consumer technology companies have been making products for home automation for quite some time, no doubt a smart move to carve a place within an industry that is currently valued at around $200 billion. Major brand names are now literal household names thanks to home assistant products like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri devices, as well as through complete home automation packages like Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, or the Apple HomeKit. What these packages offer is something that is highly sought after in the smart home space, which is a unified ecosystem of control. This means that every aspect and device within a smart home setup works together to create the ideal experience for a customer, which echoes how IoT is understood with today’s technology.

A unified ecosystem in home automation usually either refers to or includes the concept of interoperability, which is the ability of sensors in each aspect of home technology to communicate with each other in a manner that supersedes market competition. In an article for Internet of Things magazine, authors Dario Russo, Vittorio Miori, Gabriele Tolomei, and Dimitri Belli say that the goal of interoperability is “to implement solutions that allow users to introduce any HA device without worrying that it is incompatible with the current system.” This makes it so that each device can work seamlessly, even if the setup includes piecemeal solutions from different companies.

This level of device interoperability is made possible by efforts like the Matter Protocol, a universal open-source smart home standard that many large companies in the home automation space have agreed to adhere to. This agreement, developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), assures communication between different brands of devices to operate, functionally, as one. The Matter Protocol is being consistently updated and has recently moved to version 1.6; previous versions, like 1.4, allowed for these ecosystems to automate device access sharing with just a single user consent. Its near-universal adoption by big tech suggests that these companies understand how lucrative the market is and how valuable interoperability is for customers (and to their bottom lines).

Within these home automation systems, there are various aspects that technology companies are emphasizing to appeal to modern consumers. One such aspect is energy management, wherein smart devices are used for both energy conservation and user comfort, from smart thermostats that automatically adjust a house’s temperature based on various factors, to smart lighting that can set schedules for home light usage with an emphasis on greener energy decisions. One of the top trends in smart home LED technology, according to American Bright LED, is tunable, full-spectrum bulbs and fixtures that can automatically adjust colour temperature and brightness. These LED items integrate seamlessly with home automation systems and can therefore modify interior or exterior lights to a customer’s desire, even to the point of matching sleep patterns or working to enhance productivity.

One of the more popular home automation systems has to do with another growing consumer value: security. This can be seen widely across social media with the increased usage of consumer-grade home and porch cameras like the popular Ring Camera. Such products offer considerable variations on their base models to fit customers’ energy and internet preferences, from wired or wireless cameras to solar-powered models. These cameras can be used in concert with other smart security devices like automated door locks to provide a greater sense of comfort for homeowners whether at home or away.

Another trend in home automation is device management going local; that is, storage and memory moving from the cloud to localized apps within the home. In a piece for BGR, Jason Schneider says that open-source technologies like Home Assistant are growing in popularity thanks to this localized control, wherein “you can pull all the devices you may already own together into one interface.” Further features in the HA app also allow for greater interoperability than cloud-based home automation. Having a private, local connection for smart home devices also avoids potential cash sinks like subscription services and can be a way to bolster cyber-security among various connected devices.

Beyond brand names and singular items, much is evolving underneath the hood of home automation technology. For instance, this technology is often reliant on built-in sensors that can sense the presence of a person in or out of doors and account for their whereabouts; however, while sensor technology has often been good at detecting solitary and still objects, it has not necessarily been adept at dealing with a body in motion. A newer development in the space has been the rise of mmWave, radar-based sensors that are better suited to tracking movement. These mmWave sensors send out electromagnetic radio waves between 30 and 300 GHz, which allows for the tracking of tiny changes in movement and, as such, finer-point switches in a device’s smart features. This kind of technology needs to continue evolving and improving to meet and lead industry standards.

Of course, something else powering smart home technology in recent years is AI (artificial intelligence). It is these AI systems that are programmed to undergo machine learning, which is a kind of pattern recognition that enables the AI to make predictive changes based on user data. This also allows technology to not only detect changes but to make changes in an environment and even, over time, anticipate user needs. AI can be used to anticipate the changing of air quality in a house and filter in more breathable air, or to bolster detection software to differentiate friend from foe. As smart home manufacturers continue to offer more robust and diverse products, it is often a form of AI that is powering the home’s internal systems and delivering the customizable package that so many consumers want out of their smart home ecosystem today.

The possibilities for home automation technology seem almost limitless right now and more continue to be developed as hardware and software capabilities keep improving. A blog post for manufacturer Jabil says that, in the future, home-based smart appliances will be able to perform hyper-specific functions based on user need and desire, like smart ovens that cook food to the exact right temperatures or smart fridges that suggest recipes. “All these developments are teasing us from just around the corner. We just have a few more things to figure out before then.”

In a market that is valued highly and seemingly poised to expand ever further, homeowners looking to step up their at-home technological capabilities will continue to have no shortage of options to make life easier and streamline daily activities.

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Data centres are not a new phenomenon, but date back to the mid-1940s and the dawn of the computer era. For decades, few people paid much attention to data centres: there weren’t many of them, and they weren’t particularly large.

The rapid advancement and widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) drastically changed this landscape. In recent years, AI has become increasingly popular for research, creative endeavours, and everyday applications. Extensive computing power is required to train or simply use AI models, fueling demand for additional data centre capacity.

As of May 2026, there were 5,427 data centres in the United States and roughly 337 in Canada, estimates the Canadian online news source EnergyNow.ca. Virginia, Texas, and California house the highest number of currently operating data centres in the U.S. There can be discrepancies in the number of data centres, depending on how the term is defined.

Data centre growth, however, might have hit a roadblock. “Only about 50 to 60 percent of data centre capacity scheduled for the next one to two years is expected to come online on time amid delays and cancellations,” reported Goldman Sachs Commodities Research on May 20, 2026.

This is due to a variety of factors, including supply chain issues, trade battles with China, labour shortages, lack of electrical capacity, and local opposition. Regarding the latter, some communities view data centres as a boon to their economy, while others seek to ban such sites due to excessive water, land, and electricity use.

Data centres vary widely in size, with some sites small enough to fit onto a tennis court and others reaching colossal proportions. The campus of the Meta Prineville Data Center in Oregon sprawls over 4.6 million square feet, while the Switch Tahoe Reno 1 site in Nevada features a building nearly 1.3 million square feet in size. The latter is considered among the largest data centre buildings in the U.S. Even larger sites are planned within North America.

Just as they vary in size, data centres also vary in function. As the article What Is a Data Center and Why Are They Suddenly Everywhere? posted July 9, 2026, on Forbes.com explains, most data centres fall into the following categories:

Enterprise Data Centres are constructed, owned, and controlled by one organization, be it a hospital, bank, or any company that maintains sensitive data that needs to be securely stored. Such centres don’t come in a single size but are frequently small and found on the property of the organization that runs them. Often, they aren’t very noticeable and blend in with the surrounding buildings.

Colocation Data Centres are larger sites that rent space to multiple clients who provide their own servers. Such centres appeal to businesses and organizations that want high-level computer services without the cost of building and maintaining their own on-site facilities.

Hyperscale Data Centres are the bull elephants of data centres, comprising hundreds of thousands, even millions, of square feet, and packed with equipment. Such sites handle data for AI and cloud storage and are frequently run by huge corporations such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. These are the centres that typically raise hackles among critics.

Cloud Data Centres “deliver computing as an on-demand service,” explains Forbes.com. Clients don’t own their hardware but rent servers, software, and other equipment, paying only for the services and gear they use.

Edge Data Centres are relatively small, highly focused, and situated close to the clients who use them. Such specialized sites appeal to online service providers, such as live streaming or gaming platforms, that want to avoid the delays or glitches that can occur when data is sent to a distant data centre.

There is considerable overlap between these categories, adds Forbes.com.

All data centres, regardless of size and function, use microchips to store and process data. These components, in turn, consume electricity and generate heat, especially when used in large quantities around the clock. As such, cooling is a vital part of data centre operations. Some data centres use cooling towers filled with water for this purpose rather than more expensive air conditioning units. Unfortunately, water in these cooling towers tends to evaporate, requiring a constant inflow of fresh water. According to the Massachusetts-based Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the largest data centres can guzzle upwards of five million gallons of water a day, straining regional water resources.

Electrical demands are equally staggering. While a conventionally sized data centre might draw about 10 to 25 megawatts (MW) of electricity at any given time, its larger counterparts can require more than 100 MW, states the recent report Energy and AI by the International Energy Agency (IEA). To put this in perspective, 100 MW is sufficient to power roughly 100,000 households.

Increased electricity demand can generate more carbon emissions if a fossil-fuel-driven power source is used. Some data centres, for example, use diesel generators to help power their operations. In addition, hyperscale data centres need lots of space, sometimes amounting to hundreds of acres, and can produce a significant amount of noise in the form of a constant, loud hum. For these reasons, opposition to data centres is on the rise across North America.

In late July of this year, for example, the city council of Mississauga, Ontario, unanimously approved a motion directing staff to prepare an Interim Control By-law (ICBL) that could pause approvals of new digital infrastructure construction projects, including data centres. The pause would last one year. The motion was introduced following concerns from residents about a proposed data centre site.

As of mid-summer 2026, some 15 U.S. states, including Georgia, Michigan, and Minnesota, had considered or were debating moratoriums delaying or banning data centre construction, reports the Brookings Institution. While some of these moratoriums failed to pass, data centres have become a hot-button political issue.

Not every community opposes data centres, however. Northern Virginia, for example, now hosts over 300 operational data centres and has been dubbed “the data centre capital of the world.” For the state, the benefits appear to outweigh the harms. In 2025, data centres “generated nearly $40 billion in total economic impact statewide,” supported over 110,000 Virginia jobs, and contributed more than $1.5 billion in annual state tax revenue, notes a March 3, 2026, press release from the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC).

Going forward, the popularity of AI shows no sign of abating, even as construction of new data centres hits roadblocks. Goldman Sachs estimates that power demand at American data centres will more than double, from 31 gigawatts (GW) in 2025 to 66 GW by 2027.

Building better data centres seems to be the best path forward. To this end, the U.S. government’s ENERGY STAR program offers a list of “16 More Ways to Cut Energy Waste in the Data Center” on its website. Recommendations include consolidating lightly used servers and removing unnecessary hardware; implementing better data storage techniques (“Deduplication software… can reduce the amount of data stored at many organizations by more than 95 percent,” states the list); managing airflow for greater cooling efficiency; implementing server energy-saving modes; and adding sensors to HVAC systems to raise or lower airflow depending on demand.

Plexiglass curtains can prevent cold air inside data centres from mixing with hot air, reducing cooling costs, while air-side economizers can draw in outside air in an inexpensive fashion. High-efficiency Power Distribution Units (PDUs) can also reduce electrical use, adds ENERGY STAR.

Water demand can be reduced through closed-loop water networks (which admittedly require more electricity) or through immersion cooling. In the latter process, “servers are submerged in a bath of liquid, such as a synthetic oil, that conducts heat but not electricity. Immersion cooling allows for a denser installation of servers as well, but is not yet widely used, largely due to cost,” explains the October 17, 2025, paper Data Drain: The Land and Water Impacts of the AI Boom by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Location can also play a role in making data centres more palatable, particularly when facilities are situated where adequate electrical, water, and other infrastructure is already available and where their impacts on surrounding communities can be minimized. Similarly, using renewable energy sources to generate electricity for data centres would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help align the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure with broader environmental goals.

These methods can be costly, and there is no single solution capable of addressing every challenge associated with data centre development. As demand for AI, cloud computing, streaming, and other digital services continues to grow, however, simply building more facilities is unlikely to be enough. The industry will increasingly need to consider how those facilities are designed, powered, cooled, located, and integrated into the communities around them. Greater efficiency, more responsible resource use, and continued investment in new technologies could help reduce the environmental footprint of an industry that has become fundamental to modern life.

The post The Data Centre Boom Hits a Wall<p class="company">Demand Keeps Building, But Can Construction Keep Pace?</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Five years after its founding, the organization established its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system to promote practices and certify projects that improve the health and wellbeing of building occupants as well as the economic, operational, and environmental performance of the buildings themselves. Now in its fifth iteration, LEED v5 was launched in April 2025 and features changes to the rating system for Building Design and Construction (BD+C), Interior Design and Construction (ID+C), and Operations and Maintenance (O+M) which more closely align with environmental goals and business priorities.

Further, LEED v5 embeds resilience into the decision-making process through credits such as the Climate Resilience Assessment Prerequisite, which is required for all projects and helps teams identify and evaluate climate and natural-hazard risks early in the planning process, driving long-term value for the building owners, occupants, and the greater community.

The changes have shifted how credit points are weighted. The points are now aligned around three impact areas: decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration, with resilience and equity integrated within the quality of life area and woven throughout the rating system. These are the areas in which the organization feels the building industry needs to lead to accelerate the positive impacts therein.

Building intentionally
Each version of LEED has incrementally leveled up the degree of thoughtfulness and intention behind a building’s design and function and that is also true of v5, which addresses the changing circumstances building owners face as the urgency of climate change grows. The goal is to ensure that buildings perform under normal conditions, as well as the extraordinary ones.

“We know that buildings need to do more to perform well under normal conditions, but they also need to be prepared for future climate risks, for acute and chronic stressors, to support occupant health and safety and contribute to stronger communities,” Associate Director, LEED Technical Development, Karema Enos, explains. “We’re asking teams to really think more intentionally about the risks [to] their building, the acute and chronic risks that they may face over time, including hazards like extreme heat, like flooding, like wildfire and storms, all these things that we’ve been seeing more and more of.”

LEED v5 requires project teams to assess observed conditions as well as projected future climate and natural-hazard data, offering a more holistic approach to building performance over the life of an asset. The framework also goes beyond risk identification to consider how those challenges may affect long-term performance and resilience. But the implications of that approach extend beyond the building itself.

“Buildings are a part of a larger social and ecological system and when they’re designed and operated well, they can reduce harm, support recovery, and contribute to community wellbeing,” notes Enos. “It’s about protecting people and operations and investments and communities.”

More operations, specifically the physical building assets, need to be prepared for the new reality. Texas is a great example of a region where unique climate challenges and vulnerability to extreme weather can have a devastating effect on public health, infrastructure, and economic strength. The state is subject to extreme heat and drought conditions which place undue pressure on the energy grid and pose challenges to the agricultural productivity of the state. These unique conditions also contribute to the growing risk of wildfires and can strain emergency-response resources.

And while Central and West Texas deal with immense heat and drought, Texas’ Gulf Coast is exposed to hurricanes, storm surge, and coastal flooding, as climate change produces storms that stall, intensify, and carry greater volumes of moisture. Intense storms can also result in significant inland flooding. Paired with accelerated sea-level rise, the storm surges become ever more damaging, particularly where there is energy infrastructure. To make matters worse, lands that are prone to extended periods of drought have less absorptive qualities and thus can experience flash flooding and conditions of soil erosion that can lead to billions of dollars in damages and lives lost.

“Earlier approaches to building performance often focus on reducing environmental impact under expected conditions, and that remains important, but today, it also needs to ask how buildings perform during stress, during disruptions, during loss of electricity, or during changing climate conditions,” explains Enos.

Investing early
As climate risks continue to grow in number and severity, resilience becomes a core driver of asset performance and operational continuity, which is why USGBC has integrated it earlier in the decision-making process to better mitigate risks that pose a threat to productivity, profitability, and ecological wellbeing, both inside the built environment and beyond.

On the subject of business continuity, Deisy Verdinez, Public Relations & Communications Director, explains, “If you don’t invest in the beginning, then a flood, a hurricane, a storm, or whatever comes through and knocks your power out even for just a couple of days, that’s lost revenue. That’s not nearly as important as human lives, but it matters to a community whether a business can still continue to operate after some sort of weather event.”

Research on post-disaster business recovery demonstrates the importance of risk mitigation and proper preparation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that 40 percent of businesses will not reopen following a disaster, with 25 percent of those that do reopen failing within the first year, which demonstrates the importance of risk mitigation and proper preparation. While many concerns exist over the “first costs” associated with implementing these kinds of standards, when it comes to resilience, the value is demonstrable throughout the building’s lifecycle and performance.

“What you find is that over time, it saves you a lot more money putting these [resilience strategies] in place. It’s far more expensive to replace a building than it is to protect it,” notes Enos.

Resilience as a requirement
Indeed, resilience is not a “nice to have,” but a “must have,” serving as an essential component and core principle of sustainable building practice that LEED v5 seeks to advance.

LEED v5 helps project teams move from awareness to action through the Climate Resilience Assessment prerequisite, which requires teams to identify risks early and use those findings to inform decisions that may be rewarded in later credits within the rating system, improve overall building performance, and reduce the impacts of hazard risks. “We’re helping the industry deliver buildings with lower carbon [emissions], that are healthier, that are more equitable, that are more ecologically responsible, that are more resilient—and that has a domino effect on the industry,” says Enos.

As the LEED v5 rating system is implemented by more project teams, USGBC can begin to learn from early adopters and collect more performance data to inform future versions of LEED. “Those experiences will help demonstrate what resilience looks like across different project teams, in different regions and communities, so we look to learn more and see how things shape up for v6,” notes Enos.

A test of time
As projects pursue LEED v5 certification, the market can expect a new standard for building operation, function, and aesthetics to emerge, while reaping the countless advantages of truly sustainable (and resilient) design.

For Enos, “What LEED v5 does is help make those strategies more consistent, measurable, and scalable. It’s intended to be rigorous, but it’s also flexible enough to recognize that strategies look different depending on your geography, your building type, your site conditions, and your community’s needs. That is the entire purpose of having a ‘Certified’ to ‘Platinum’ scale.”

As implementation takes place, USGBC will continue to offer education, tools, and support to project teams to encourage and promote its adoption, raising the bar for projects and accelerating market transformation in the process.

And, as the market navigates this change, USGBC will continue to identify new ways to advance the standards that push the industry and the performance of the built environment forward for the wellbeing of all.

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Accoya is a high-performance, sustainable acetylated wood designed to overcome these challenges. Offering exceptional durability, dimensional stability and reliability, it provides the beauty and versatility of natural wood with performance typically associated with far more resource-intensive man-made materials or tropical hardwoods.

Accoya has been steadily gaining popularity in North America and has gained traction through its use in landmark projects ranging from hospitality and residential developments to major restoration and public infrastructure projects including the Rivington Hotel in Manhattan, the zero-carbon Marisol Malibu, and the restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol.

“Accoya is the most durable and stable wood in the world,” says Sergio Munhoz, North American Sales Director. “It’s a modified wood made with radiata pine that goes through a process we call acetylation. After the reaction and change on a cellular level, this wood becomes extremely strong and durable, ideal for outdoor use.”

Changing wood at the cellular level
The acetylation process permanently transforms wood at a cellular level by increasing its naturally occurring acetyl content. This changes how the wood interacts with the elements, minimizing rot and decay. The result is an exceptionally durable material backed by a 25-year warranty for in-ground use and up to 50 years for above-ground use. The finished wood is completely non-toxic, contains no plastic, and can be recycled at the end of its life as normal wood.

Acetylation, in contrast to many preservative systems, penetrates the board’s thickness rather than acting as a surface layer. Because Accoya is transformed at the cellular level, users can drill, profile, and cut it without compromising its performance. This gives designers and manufacturers greater flexibility than many other wood species, for which exposed end grain and re-cut edges can become vulnerable.

“This is a unique product in the marketplace that customers love,” adds Munhoz.

These customers include landscape architects and manufacturers of siding, decking, windows, and doors, all citing the versatility of this product when compared to other woods in the market. “It’s workable and machinable but with the power of a hardwood,” Munhoz says. “People love it because it’s extremely stable, durable, and long lasting.”

Specified for high-profile projects
Some notable Accoya projects include the Bow Bridge and Gothic Bridge—both featuring Accoya decking—in New York’s Central Park, as well as the MOLLIE Hotel in Aspen siding; the Ark Encounter in Kentucky; and Google’s UK headquarters. The Google development is particularly distinctive. “It’s called a landscaper, similar to a skyscraper but in landscape mode,” Gillian Edwards, Head of Communications and ESG at Accoya, says of the Google project.

Growing investment in outdoor living is increasing demand for siding and decking that combine long-term performance with a natural look and feel. This preference for wood over plastic or metal gives Accoya a strong fit with the way homeowners and designers are approaching exterior spaces.

“That’s something we have seen as a trend in natural design, and it’s helping us grow faster and make Accoya a good solution,” adds Munhoz. The radiata pine used to manufacture Accoya also allows for a beautiful grain and a light color that in turn permits a wide variety of different, beautiful finishes.

On top of offering the regular natural look, a newer product, Accoya Color Gray, goes through an additional process that impregnates pigments on the wood all the way through, meaning it can be cut and sanded and is colored through from surface to core without requiring a coating. “It’s natural. It’s beautiful—the soft touch, the feel—it’s amazing, and it offers the same warranty and the same properties, and it’s extremely popular,” Munhoz shares. “People love it.”

Local production supports wider adoption
Until recently, Accoya supply in North America was relatively constrained because all material was imported from Europe. That changed in September 2024 with the opening of the Accoya USA facility in Tennessee. With local production now fully operational, customers can benefit from improved availability, faster delivery, and responsive service.

“We’re growing significantly,” says General Manager, Rod Graf. “It’s about being able to let people know that we are here and we’re much more available. We’re still providing that special product, but now you can get your hands on more.”

Sustainability and performance hand in hand
Accoya’s performance is supported by strong sustainability credentials. All of it is made from responsibly sourced, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood, coming from well managed plantations in New Zealand. “Even as we grow and expand, the reason we choose New Zealand is that the wood grows very fast, so it’s on a 25- to 28-year cycle,” Edwards explains. “It can grow quickly and it can replenish quickly, and that makes it very sustainable.”

Accoya is low carbon over its lifetime. Because of its long service life of 60 years and excellent stability, the need for repair, restoration, and maintenance is dramatically reduced. Several coatings manufacturers even offer up to 15 years’ warranty for coatings on Accoya.

Accoya holds Cradle to Cradle Gold V3.1 certification, one of the strictest and most stringent eco labels to exist. “Accoya is one of the very few building products that is Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold, which is very difficult to get,” says Edwards. “It takes us about a year and a half to go through the certification process, which looks at all aspects of manufacturing, the ingredients of the product, whether they can be recycled, and the energy we use.”

The process even looks at health and safety, making sure the company is looking after its people and workforce. “It’s a really, really rigorous standard, and one we’re very proud to have.”

Accoya’s EPD can also help specifiers to achieve LEED v5, meeting high standards for environmental sustainability. “We have a verified EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) which is becoming very important for architects,” says Edwards. “There’s a lot of regulation now that’s looking at the whole embodied carbon of a building, so having an EPD is essential for people to be able to factor in the impact of our product.”

Its high performance attributes position Accoya at the premium end of the market. “It’s a premium product because of the performance attributes—the 50-year warranty, the 60-year service life, and the extremely low maintenance costs over the life of the building,” he says. “When the customer understands these benefits across time, they understand that it’s going to be cost-effective for them and their projects, and they love it.”

Now, Accoya is focused on expanding its range of products as it grows and attracts more customers, with different profiles and sizes to suit a broader range of requirements. The company is also continually exploring new, local species that may work as well as radiata pine.

More than a product, however, the personal belief in what Accoya is doing for the industry—and the environment at large—is vital. “I’m Brazilian, and I grew up in Brazil seeing a lot of tropical hardwoods around when I was a kid, and I don’t see those when I come back to see my family anymore because they’ve harvested those trees that live 150 years,” says Munhoz. “Every time I sell Accoya, I believe people are cutting fewer trees from my home country. That for me means a lot. I have some emotions behind it myself. I believe in this company. I was drawn by that.”

Edwards also has a personal connection to the company and its product. “We’ve got a purpose statement, which is ‘changing wood to change the world,’ and I was very drawn by that,” she says. “But I’m also a product advocate as well. Before I joined the company, I had some Accoya sash windows installed. I live in London, UK and we have Victorian housing where windows get jammed when it gets hot or wet. The Accoya ones I can vouch for have never gotten jammed and move perfectly like the day they were installed.”

For Graf, joining Accoya USA meant building a strong local business, creating skilled jobs, and increasing access to a product that offers something distinctive. “It’s the best substrate, the best wood fiber in the world,” he says. “It’s gold. It’s just a fantastic product.” He has also been struck by employees’ desire to work for a company with a sustainable product, strong environmental credentials, and recognized certifications.

“It has also impressed many of our clients,” says Munhoz, who have heard it’s the only wood that allows architects in New York City to not use metal or aluminum in some of their projects because of the product’s stability and other properties. “That’s powerful because we know that metal and aluminum are not really sustainable products… that’s super powerful.”

The post Addressing the Need for Sustainable, High-Performance Materials<p class="company">Accoya</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

For nearly 40 years, John Cannon Homes has been bringing prestige to Sarasota and Manatee Counties. With exquisite craftsmanship and refined service, it has established itself as the standard of luxury along Florida’s Gulf Coast. With over 3,000 homes built, 450 of which can be found along the coastline, discerning clients who expect nothing but the best turn to John Cannon Homes to fulfill their dreams and cement their legacies in homes that impress and inspire.

Building the foundation of luxury
John Cannon Homes was founded in the late 1980s, 10 years after the company’s namesake and driving force graduated from Michigan State University. Having gained experience of his own in the market, alongside his wife Phillippa, John Cannon launched the company out of his own home and quickly grew its reputation and impact on the market.

“They were able to do that because of their attention to detail, which is really what we’re known for, and their hard work, which is the foundation that they’ve laid for the business. We owe it all to my parents,” explains Jack Cannon, who serves as Manager for the firm.

In no time, the company was recognized by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as Best Home Builder in the area, a nod it has now received for 35 years running, an acknowledgement of the exquisite homes it crafts and the overall excellence the firm strives to achieve in all that it does.

Clients turn to John Cannon Homes for its full-service approach to custom luxury. From site selection through to design and construction, the company has curated a white-glove approach that is as remarkable as the homes that it builds.

The firm’s in-house architectural services, design teams, and trusted network of subcontractors bring immense talent and experience to projects, enabling John Cannon Homes to tailor its services to client needs every step of the way. As its website states, “It’s your dream, we just build it.”

Dream fulfillment
John Cannon Homes are synonymous with luxury, prestige, and an impeccable attention to detail that is unmatched in the market. This level of artistry is only possible because of the talent contained within its ranks and the commitment to excellence that permeates every level of the organization.

From Jack Cannon’s perspective, “I can’t stress that enough, how much the people we work with make such a difference in delivering that experience to the customers.” He credits the team’s “construction knowledge and understanding of the bigger picture,” for being able to consistently deliver projects that inspire. “We have many employees who have been here for over 30 years, so we’ve kind of had a lot of the same people and a lot of the same leadership in place to help continue to deliver the exceptional homes that our customers expect,” he shares.

While national builders are challenged with securing skilled talent, John Cannon Homes has some of the best in the market and has held onto them for decades to ensure that the level of artistry and craftsmanship it promises is delivered every time. The ability to work on projects that embody such a high standard of quality and luxury is a big draw for this top talent, and this goes a long way to ensuring quality is prioritized in every aspect of every build—and always backed by an industry-leading warranty.

“The homes we build are exceptional. They truly are, in terms of the size, quality, interest, attention to detail. It represents an opportunity for people who are exceptional at what they do to showcase how exceptional they are,” says Cannon. “We take a lot of pride in working with great people and we just try to do a great job to let the experience and the product speak for itself.”

Award-winning luxury
Indeed, the quality of John Cannon Homes does speak for itself, which is why the firm continues to amass countless awards for its work as a builder and for the culture it has fostered as an employer.

“The very best part is, of course, not just the end product, but the experience itself, so we really take that to heart in wanting to deliver a white-glove experience where we are the experts and are there to guide clients through the process and make it as fun as possible,” explains Cannon, who acknowledges the emotion and stress that goes into building a dream home.

With more than 450 industry awards over its history, including its 35-year reign as Sarasota’s “Best Home Builder” in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Community Choice Awards, John Cannon Homes is also a nationally ranked top workplace per Pro Builder magazine, one of Tampa Bay’s 50 Fastest-Growing Companies per the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and most recently, a two-time Aurora Award winner for its Oulina and Pindari II models.

The Oulina Model, a contemporary design that features clean lines and integrated glass to create interplay between the interior and exterior of the home, received the Grand Aurora Award, which is reserved for only the best. Ranging from 2,500 to 4,999 square feet with a private backyard boat dock, the Oulina is the pinnacle of coastal living, which is why it received top honors for its design and function.

John Cannon Homes was also the recipient of the Silver Aurora Award for the Pindari II and its elevated luxury interior design, which was created in collaboration with Clive Daniel Home. The warm, organic contemporary design of this home balances clean, modern lines while adding inviting warmth through the integration of natural elements and natural light that bring the outdoors in, placing it among the foremost architectural and design projects in the Southeast.

A legacy in the making
With projects like the Oulina and Pindari II, John Cannon Homes is renowned for thoughtful architecture, innovative design, and unmatched craftsmanship, which is made possible only because of the people and the processes that bring its projects to life. Now, with the second generation of Cannons in the business in Jack and his sister Rachel, who also serves as Manager, the company is looking to continue building its own legacy long into the future.

The immediate goal is to enable John and Phillippa to retire, though Jack acknowledges that his father will surely never fully retire from the work and the business that he loves so much. “I’d like them to be able to enjoy themselves after such a long and successful career doing what they do and the foundation they’ve laid—not only for me and my sister, but for this community, for the employees, just all the success they’ve had,” he says.

This means more than just ensuring profitability; it means continuing to give credence to the reputation that John Cannon Homes has become synonymous with, upholding the quality homes and service that it has come to be regarded for, while also working to “shape the future of Sarasota and Manatee Counties.”

As a member of the Board of Directors of the Suncoast Builders Association, Jack is part of a collective working to establish an apprenticeship program in the area that will enable firms like John Cannon Homes to continue to secure industry-leading talent long into the future, which is paramount to its continued success.

Understanding that at the heart of every John Cannon Homes home is talent and artistry, experience and knowledge, and the ability to repeatedly bring dreams to life through their builds, people are the key to delivering projects that exude luxury and embody the dreams and visions of the people who call those projects home.

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Legacy businesses don’t survive through happenstance. In fact, the rate of failure of these generational businesses speak for themselves, which means the Strauch family has unlocked the secret to longevity. Now, with brother and sister team Ethan Strauch and Kelli Strauch Kadlec onboard alongside their father Mark, they are looking to take the business to the next level in a big way by reinvesting in capacity and people to make their mark on the legacy of the company for generations to come.

More than a commodity
Certainly, Floor Craft specializes in flooring, but it is the level of service delivery that sets it apart from the rest.

From its 30,000-square-foot facility in Colorado Springs, which includes a 10,000-square-foot showroom, a 5,000-square-foot area dedicated to in-house customization, and an adjacent warehouse, the company offers the foremost selection of carpet, hardwood, LVP, tile, laminate, and the various installation materials needed to create an impeccable finish. It has the products and the know-how to get any job done.

Serving everyone from DIYers to builders and contractors and commercial clients, the team at Floor Craft can support projects from start to finish and over the last several years, there has been a major push to build in-house capacity to be able to scale the company to deliver even greater impact. “A huge part of our growth is definitely attributed to our dad,” says Kelli. “He’s really the one that took it from a small mom and pop place that did well, but wasn’t nearly as big as we are now,” which is attributed to his ability to build relationships and his integrity as a person.

Speaking with Ethan and Kelli, you quickly get a sense of the person Mark Strauch is. Categorically one of those “salt of the earth” types, he is responsible for a significant part of Floor Craft’s growth and success and laid the groundwork for its future trajectory.

Credited for being process-oriented, which has enabled the company to remain service-centric as it has grown, his children now look to do the same through modernization and strategic hiring. And the timing was right, too.

“We went paperless in 2019 via PDF editors and a cloud-based ERP system, and we had no idea COVID was coming, but it did and that enabled us to have a couple of employees who worked remotely,” notes Kelli.

“A lot of credit to Dad,” Ethan reiterates. “He could have easily been resistant and told us to wait until he was out of the business, but he’s given a lot of freedom for us to implement ideas.”

The siblings pay credit to their father for being a remarkable and present dad, knowing what it takes to achieve a work-life balance in that role, which is another motivating factor for why they wanted to modernize company processes—they want to be able to run the business and enjoy life with their families at the same time. “It’s not like we overhauled the workflow; we just basically digitized it,” explains Ethan, which enables them to work remotely and more efficiently.

Kelli and Ethan also credit their mom, who held down the fort at home while Mark handled the business. With no stay-at-home parent to undertake those duties on their behalf, Kelli and Ethan are consciously investing in capacity so that the business and their families can both thrive. “What we’ve done over the last five years with our growth is find the right people and treat them in a way that lets us hold onto the right people and allow good people to run a good business,” says Ethan. This approach supports growth “without all of that growth going through our inboxes.”

Investments have also been made in a new ERP system, which Ethan refers to as “the last piece of the legacy technology puzzle.” With high interest rates, rising costs, and greater economic uncertainty having an impact on the market, the time was right to implement a change of that magnitude without interrupting business, which would have otherwise been impossible between 2021 and 2024 when COVID backlogs dominated the day to day.

Investing in the future
By investing in people and capacity, Floor Craft continues to ensure it brings quality flooring and service that is second to none to the market, all while creating an environment where people succeed. As a family-owned and operated company, the sense of family and belonging extends beyond the bloodline to those who drive value for the company each day, which results in loyalty from customers and employees alike.

Certainly, the company’s longevity is impressive, but so too is the tenure within its ranks. Throughout the years, Floor Craft has had several 40-plus year employees, with one having worked with all generations of Strauchs. This level of expertise plays well at every level—whether a small project or a substantial one, every customer receives the same high-end service.

According to Ethan, the goal is to “set things up where the high tide raises all boats,” ensuring that when the company wins, everyone wins. “If we’re doing well, we’re sharing that with the company,” he says of an incentive program that extends to the entire team, as well as a generous benefits policy to take care of the people who take care of their customers. “We believe that everyone from the warehouse to the accounting team makes the job happen, whether or not the customer directly interfaces with them or not,” he continues.

This reinforces the commitment of the team to drive value day in and day out for customers and further emphasizes that integrity is at the heart of everything Floor Craft does.

A path forward
For Floor Craft, the path forward is simple: continue to live the values that have served the company and the market for over 80 years. Its people-first focus from start to finish is why the company continues to ride out challenging market conditions to remain on top.

“We’ve been very fortunate that we’re a generally pretty stable company. We’re not immune to the economy’s variations any more than any other company, but the fact that we do retail remodel, new construction, and commercial, it’s generally a pendulum: when the builders slow down, the remodels pick up, or when the builders are booming, the showroom might be slower,” Ethan explains of the market diversity that sustains the firm.

And, while some things might change, like ERP systems and modern processes, one thing will always remain the same, just as it has for more than eight decades: the core of the business will be built upon integrity.

“At our core, that’s what I feel is most important, is being a company of integrity. We’re always trying to do the right thing and do right by our customers,” says Kelli, who takes it to heart that this is more than just a family business; it’s a legacy in which she and her brother are playing a major part.

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As such, Framaco’s work has been predominantly focused on the Middle East in Qatar and Bahrain, participating in mixed-use projects valued in the billions as well as in U.S. military installations in the region. The company is poised to respond to recent requests for its services at the United States’ largest naval base in the area in Bahrain and its largest air force base in Qatar, alongside the United States embassy currently being constructed. Despite an increasingly complex geopolitical environment and significant logistical challenges—including shipping times that have in some cases doubled—Framaco continues to move projects forward, adapting quickly and managing the risks inherent in operating across global markets.

Indeed, difficult work conditions are nothing new for this seasoned team.

“We’ve successfully completed over 1,500 projects over the years,” says Chief Executive Officer, Gilles Kacha, affirming that, irrespective of challenges and complexities, “there has not been a single project we have not delivered.” He ascribes this ability to his formidable team and loyal partner vendors, without whom success would not be possible.

With nearly 80 percent of Framaco’s business coming from returning clients, the company’s success is rooted in relationships built on dedication, integrity, and professionalism. “I greatly value the relationships we have built with our vendors, and that commitment is mutual,” Kacha says. Over the years, Framaco has developed a trusted network of longstanding, exclusive vendor partners across the United States—relationships strengthened by loyalty, mutual success, and the significant international opportunities Framaco brings through its extensive global reach.

This commitment to maintaining good relationships recently translated into the company’s doubling its revenue from 2021 to 2025. In the process, Framaco has gone from having worked in 80 to 90 countries—a breathtaking number considering the scope of its projects and the logistics involved. Beyond its extensive experience in this field, the company’s solid financial standing further contributes to the trust that is so appealing to its partners.

The business is structured to optimally serve its customers: the CM Division, established in 2003, acts as prime contractor for the U.S. government and is managed by partner Paul Kacha, while the second division has provided EPL services for three decades to other construction contractors serving the Department of Defense and is managed by Gilles Kacha. The Kacha siblings are equal stakeholders in the firm.

With this approach, Framaco is a genuine boon to other contractors bidding on government projects, as it offers more than basic services. The team also offers a far-reaching and in-depth understanding of industry requirements gleaned from decades as a construction management leader that has provided the U.S. government with over $1 billion in construction projects while remaining an active contributor to the market.

Framaco’s clients know that they are secure in the hands of these capable teams that specialize in solving complex challenges. Together they dissect every aspect of a project, with project managers, architects, and quality assurance personnel providing value engineering, drawing surveys, and more.

“We take full ownership of every project, immersing ourselves in every detail to the point where we often know the project as well as—or even better than—the client,” Kacha explains. “That level of commitment is central to our mission.” He credits EPL’s team of over 30 dedicated in-house professionals as the driving force behind the division’s expertise, responsiveness, and continued success.

To stay on top of the field, regular investments in sophisticated technologies including artificial intelligence allow the company to improve connections between its systems, including estimation and financial forecasting. Moreover, state-of-the-art management and tracking software means that the firm can maintain detailed records of all its processes. It also enables the company to provide project estimations that are more comprehensive than those typically provided by the competition.

Of course, global politics impact the company’s international presence. After targeting the Indo-Pacific around the onset of COVID-19 (informed by decade-long murmurings from the U.S. government about strengthening its military presence there), Framaco correctly predicted a rise in opportunity in the region. The company had been waiting for a decade for the region to become a viable option for expansion. Now, its work in the region is well underway while it expands its influence.

Certain challenges are only intensifying; climate change, for instance, is driving requirements for buildings to resist typhoons of up to 250 miles per hour, and companies must adapt to such needs. To achieve the precision called for by the nature of this work, Framaco cultivates its teams’ professional development through ongoing education and research, ensuring that employees take part in industry-leading courses at premium institutions. These efforts keep the team current and on the cutting edge of the latest technological and industry developments.

Kacha sees the company’s success as “a significant accomplishment for a New York-based company with such a broad international reach. Wherever our clients’ projects take them, Framaco is ready to support them.” Having developed its EPL capabilities into a sophisticated offering, the company can now also handle a comprehensive selection of functions from engineering to delivery, anywhere on the globe.

Around 2020, the company made its “Pacific Quest” debut in Guam, and life on this island in the Micronesia region of Oceania had been brought to a halt by the pandemic. Nonetheless, Framaco bid on more than 200 contracts that year. Once vaccines made travel possible, the team flew into Guam again, and this time they were nearly the only people entering the region. Negotiations with partners started, and the outcome is a reputation for excellence across the Indo-Pacific region.

The following year, the U.S. government invited the company to partake in an important project in Okinawa, Japan. “We teamed up with a Japanese group. Today we have a Framaco representative office in Okinawa, Japan,” Kacha shares. As a result, the firm is now collaborating with some of the Japan’s leading companies on projects for the U.S. government across the country.

Its two divisions also completed the procurement of materials and full ground-up construction on the $140 million United States embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea two years ago, constructed by Framaco’s CM division. Its EPL division has also completed procurement on diplomatic projects for the State Department across 75 world locations.

Achieving Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 1 and 2 compliance for construction and defense contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) related to Department of Defense projects requires implementing 110 security controls from NIST SP 800-171, which directly helps lower cyber insurance premiums and streamline risk renewals. According to Kacha, it is uncommon to find contractors who comply, but Framaco International employs two experts dedicated to maintaining such compliance requirements, “making us well ahead of all competitors.”

Moreover, Framaco’s CMMC Level 2 compliance certification means that CUI passing through its systems is safeguarded by a rigorous security controls protocol that mitigates the risk of information leaks when handling defense and other high-security construction projects. The process is complex.

Gilles Kacha is clear about the company’s future in handling all Division 8, 9, and 10 elements in addition to its construction work. For instance, the company can provide everything from a standard entry to multi-million dollar aircraft hangar doors, all on the same project. “My focus right now has been predominantly on the Indo-Pacific region and Japan, as well as other markets like Europe. We value engineer, procure, coordinate, and ultimately deliver highly complex building packages anywhere in the world,” he says.

Looking ahead, Framaco remains firmly focused on expanding its international presence while continuing to demonstrate its value to contractors and partners in the markets it serves. “I never take competition for granted. On the contrary, I welcome it,” Kacha says. “Competition keeps us sharp, pushes us to continuously improve, and ultimately makes us a stronger company.”

The company is also expanding its presence across Latin America and Europe, with new projects taking its teams to Spain, Portugal, and Germany. This includes supporting the construction of a naval base near Cádiz in southwestern Spain, as well as projects in Portugal’s Azores. With the United States maintaining approximately 750 military base sites outside its national territory, Framaco is well positioned to continue supporting the expanding and evolving needs of U.S. military infrastructure around the world.

Despite its work in politically fraught areas, Framaco considers itself apolitical. “We focus on engineering, construction, logistics, planning, and things of that nature,” Kacha says of the company’s continued commitment to remaining a loyal partner to the U.S. Government. Following a generous annual growth rate of 20 to 25 percent, its 2030 goal is to double its revenue again, and the achievement is well underway. “The credit I give is to our dedicated team in all our locations. I have a very strong technical team based in Turkey. Company turnover of less than five percent,” Kacha says, noting that many of the EPL division’s team members have been here for more than 20 years.

Framaco’s ability to pivot at high speed while consistently delivering high-quality services across even the most far-flung regions remains its main differentiator. Continuing to build its reputation as a premier service provider in its field, armed with adaptability and trustworthiness, this trailblazer continues to make waves in military and government construction around the world. Gilles Kacha confirms this vision: “We continue to achieve the impossible daily,” he says.

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