‘Masterpieces’ on hold, waiting for better times

By Kyle Almond, CNN http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/06/15/architecture.economy/index.html (CNN) — Some stunning buildings have appeared in American cities the past four years — buildings, like the Aqua skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, that attest to the creativity of 21st-century architecture. But there might be fewer of them in the near future, because the recession has forced many architects to…

Home size declines; buyers opt for single story

WASHINGTON – June 15, 2010 – The size of new single-family homes declined again in 2009, dropping to a nationwide average of 2,438 square feet, according to information about new home characteristics released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/const/www/charindex.html). For nearly 30 years, the average size of new U.S. homes increased, peaking at 2,521…