The main image showcases the controllers of a fully installed Frontline Wildfire Defense System.

The Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) is an annual industry event which brings together builders, developers, architects, entrepreneurs, investors, marketers and manufacturers to California for a few days of knowledge sharing on home building topics.

This production of the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) encompasses a wide range of educational sessions, buyer meetings, keynote presentations and trade show product exhibitions. The conference is also well known for uniting all entities of the homebuilders industry and influencing nationwide housing trends.

As was repeated many times throughout the event:

 “As California leads, the rest of the nation follows.”

This can be true for both innovative products and building methods, as well as public policy decisions that may have both positive and negative consequences. Influential innovators from Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Utah were also represented in this impressive collection of participants and attendees.

One of the highlights for the Purgula team at PCBC, was meeting various exhibitors and speakers in the homebuilding industry with products or services that were either new, innovative or rarely publicized.

Although there were hundreds of vendors at the show, we chose 10 favorite products that we feel are especially important for homeowners to discover and understand in terms of their significance to homeownership.

Purgula’s 10 Favorite Products from PCBC 2023

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Azure Sustainable Printed ADUs

ADUs continue to be a topic of major importance for homeowners across the country, especially in western states. However, there continues to be ample confusion on how to build an ADU best in order to get an optimal return on your investment, and to meet tight time constraints.

Azure Printed Homes offers a viable solution as 60% of the construction material is derived from repurposed plastics, not concrete, so it is safe for the environment. Fiberglass and carbon fibers are also added for strength and durability, and then sealed with a UV protective coating.

Rendering of a gray Azure 3D printed ADU

Rendering of an Azure 3D printed ADU

In terms of off-gassing, Azure structures are made from recycled PETG which has been shown to be safe for food and drink consumption. Additionally, the company applies a low-VOC coating on the exterior of all structures, while adding insulation and dry wall to the interior, so there is no exposed plastic on either the interior or exterior surfaces.

Furthermore Azure actually “prints” their homes versus using stick construction. This enables ADU owners to have an efficiently built, sustainably constructed dwelling that can be completed in a fraction of  the time and for a fraction of the cost as that of a traditionally constructed ADU. Current sizes range from 180 SQ FT to 900 SQ FT.

To get familiar Azure’s design options, be sure to play around with their online interactive design tool.

Azure Printed Homes: Their Process

Azure Printed Homes - Our Process

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BrandGuard Ember-Resistant Vents

We first learned of BrandGuard Vents through a neighbor who told us of a friend’s property that was left completely undamaged during a typical Southern California wild fire, while the immediate neighborhood was decimated. Key to point out is that BrandGuard Vents block floating embers which are a key cause of fires spreading into the interiors of homes.

BrandGuard ember-resistant vents photo of vents underneath eaves

BrandGuard Ember-Resistant Vents

The salient point of this story is that the fortunate homeowner had received and heeded a tip from a firefighting professional to install BrandGuard products in his home, well in advance of that year’s fire season.

Founded by a veteran California firefighter, BrandGuard  offers a complete line of ember-resistant vents, including gable, soffit, undereave, foundation, ridge, and dormer vents, that are designed to stop embers from entering your home during a nearby fire event.

The products use an overlapping metal baffle system that resists flying embers, unlike traditional vents that allow air flow directly into the home’s interior. In addition to vent installation, BrandGuard provides inspection services for high fire severity zones throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Colorado.

The inspiration for inventing and launching BrandGuard was that the founder grew weary of his firefighting teams being unable to reach a fire in time due to how quickly fires can jump from property to property.

Wildfire Readiness Ember Resistant Venting

According to Wildfire Defense Sprinklers, most homes do not ignite from direct contact with a fire. An estimated 90% of homes are destroyed indirectly by wind-borne embers that are carried miles ahead of a fire’s perimeter.

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Digs Digital Home Binder

Have you ever needed to purchase a replacement part for your home, but were unsure of the manufacturer’s product model or part number? Are you often in the dark of not knowing when your major appliances or systems were last serviced, or exactly what work was performed, or which parts were replaced? 

Digs helps builders and homeowners create and maintain a “digital binder” (AKA digital twin) of information for every aspect of their home which can be passed on and maintained for the next property owner.

Digs digital binder, digital twin screenshot showing kitchen appliance warrant information

Providing continuity of service, maintenance and upkeep, Digs helps you decrease the total cost of ownership of your property, while maintaining valuable, accurate service records for current and future homeowners. Be sure to keep an eye on Digs as they will play an increasingly important role in the category of residential digital twins.

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Frontline Wildfire Defense System

Homeowners in fire-prone areas are persistently concerned over rising insurance rates, and the possibility that their properties may be deemed “uninsurable”, all while being in a constant state of angst during fire season.

Frontline Wildfire Defense is an answer to all three of these issues, as their customized, automated, exterior wildfire sprinkler detection system alerts you when a fire is nearby, allowing you to activate a highly effective wildfire defense system.

Frontline Wildfire Defense Sprinkler System with eave sprayers enabled

Frontline Wildfire Defense Sprinkler System with eave sprayers enabled

Specifically, Frontline’s firefighting system is architecturally integrated into the structure of a home with the purpose of proactively fighting fires from your home’s exterior.  When activated the system sprays water in combination with a Class A, biodegradable, non-toxic, firefighting foam that effectively protects the structure and surrounding landscape, without the need for firefighters to be present.

At the touch of a button, you can remotely activate the system to release water and fire-fighting foam that saturates your property’s exterior and renders it too wet to burn. The patented technology was developed by a group of firefighters, technologists and ecologists that makes it a smart, ecological and powerful tool against nature’s annual conflagrations.

Diagram of the Frontline Wildfire Defense System

Components of the Frontline Wildfire Defense System

The system consists of rotating rooftop sprinklers, eave sprayers, an intelligent water management controller, and an environmentally safe Class A firefighting foam. If a primary water source becomes unavailable, the system can continue to run as long as it’s connected to a secondary source, such as pools, wells, and tanks.

Frontline Wildfire Defense Brief Overview

FWD Intro

Frontline Wildfire Defense System Testimonial Santa Rosa, California

Frontline Wildfire Defense System Testimonial

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HomeTeam TAEXX Built-In Pest Control

Pest season is right around the corner in many states, but in some areas, the pests never vacate the premises. If you’re tired of pest season, and want a more effective way of treating your critter problem, HomeTeam has a solution that is available for new constructions only.

HomeTeam’s TAEXX Built In Pest Control is an advanced external hub that connects to an in-wall network of pest control distribution tubes within the home’s interior walls. There is never a need for a skilled pest control technician to access the inside of your home, as on-demand pest services are performed through an external access hub.

HomeTeam TAEXX Pest Control System Illustration internal siding view

Illustration of the HomeTeam TAEXX Pest Control System

Since treatments are performed within the internal walls of your home, there is no safety risk to humans or pets, as there is no contact with the pest control materials within the home’s livable environment. The best part is that the company offers both a 24-hour response time and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

What is the TAEXX Network? – The Original Contactless Pest Control Service System

What is the TAEXX Network? – The Original Contactless Pest Control Service System

 

The Landing at Tustin Legacy by Brookfield Residential

Though Brookfield Residential did not have an exhibitor booth at PCBC, their new development, The Landing at Tustin Legacy was one of several new home communities visited as part of a PCBC-sponsored home community tour.

The Landing is focused on providing flexible housing for homeowners who are seeking a more convenient lifestyle, while living closer to points of interest, such as quality retail, grocery, community, employment, and entertainment options. Key to making this type of housing more affordable was making the allotment denser (e.g. building more units per acre).

This objective was largely achieved by offering a mix of well-designed home types: elevator-served flats/condominiums; townhomes; and single-family homes. Though the units are high density for the land space, the placements of entrances, windows, decks, and patios overwhelmingly tended to give a sense of spatial privacy.

The Landing at Tustin Legacy by Brookfield Residential Terra Condominium Units from street view

Street view of Terra condominium units at the Landing at Tustin Legacy by Brookfield Residential

The Landing’s overarching value proposition is also a good match for current consumer preferences as shared in PCBC market research sessions. Specifically, an increasing number of new home buyers are preferring quality, functionality, and low-maintenance over more space. For example, seeking a large home or a bigger yard is currently not as important as finding a home with more functional space.

The Landing at Tustin Legacy by Brookfield Residential street view of Luna townhome units

Street view of Luna townhomes at the Landing at Tustin Legacy by Brookfield Residential

The Landing at Tustin Legacy by Brookfield Residential street view of Cira Single Family Homes

Street view of Cira single-family homes at the Landing at Tustin Legacy by Brookfield Residential

 

Livabl New Home Community Listings

Livabl, owned by Zonda, a data services provider for the residential home building industry, is touted as having the largest, most accurate catalog of new construction homes, which leverages innovative virtual technology consisting of interactive floor plans, digital community maps, and 3D virtual reality home renderings. (Livabl is the re-embodiment of BuzzBuzzHome which Zonda purchased in April 2021).

In tandem with incorporating helpful visualization tools, Livabl is addressing the historically fragmented new home shopping experience by unifying new communities within one integrated platform:

“…hundreds of thousands of listings in nearly 50,000 new build communities” – Zonda website

Convenient aggregation of new developments, with key search filters (e.g. pre-launch pricing; preconstruction; under construction; etc.), make it easier for new homebuyers to discover new communities early in the development process. Early discovery is imperative to increase one’s chances of gaining access to the most coveted properties within competitive residential neighborhoods and markets.

Livabl Rendered Interactive Model of New Home Community in Arizona

Livabl screenshot of an Interactive Rendered New Home Community in Arizona

What we especially like about Livabl’s potential is that their visual technology can further assist homebuyers make well-informed decisions early on specific lots, properties and communities. To enhance future appreciation, it is critical for homebuyers to be able to identify the most valuable lots and property types within a given planned community.

With Livabl’s interactive visualization capabilities it is not only possible to tour to-be-built homes inside and outside realistically, but the surrounding community, as well. It is even possible to view time-lapsed sun patterns over specific lots for a given time of the year!

 

Masonite M-Pwr Smart Doors

Residential exterior smart doors were an inevitable product invention, as we’ve monitored the various components of smart doors gain adoption, such as Ring video camera security systems and Yale keyless entry locks with audit features.

Masonite Blue M-Pwr Smart Door with Welcome Lights enabled

Masonite M-Pwr Smart Door with Welcome Lights enabled

Masonite M-Pwr Smart Doors have incorporated these “best of” home security features from Ring and Yale with additional safety elements, such as:

  • Motion-activated LED welcome home lighting
  • Fully-integrated power with a 24-hour battery backup
  • Door sensors which alert you when your door is ajar and
  • Smart app to allow you remote access and functionality

The award winning M-Pwr Smart Door is available in a variety of stylish designs and colors, all constructed with premium fiberglass to protect any style of home.

Masonite has also designed their doors to be able to adapt to changing technology over time, such as handling future instances when a homeowner may want to upgrade their integrated camera or lock.

Introducing Masonite’s M-Pwr Smart Door

Introducing Masonite's M-Pwr Smart Door

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Matterport Pro3 3D Camera

As we have written previously, Matterport is the leading platform for creating 3D virtual models for both residential and commercial real estate properties, a critical component of digital twins. On the residential side, Matterport has continued to propagate the popularity of virtual home tours and interactive models, with their best-in-class 3D camera equipment and software.

Matterport Pro3 3D Camera with outdoor spaces

Matterport Pro3 3D Camera

Matterport’s latest 3D camera, the Pro3, released in Q3 2022, in particular, improves the capabilities of creating 3D outdoor models. Their high-precision LiDAR sensor enables the capture of millions of measurements in various lighting conditions, from dim light to direct sunlight and up to a range of 100 meters at less than 20 seconds per sweep. The camera is so capable that it is being used for capturing large outdoor venues from stadiums to campuses.

Given the importance of indoor-outdoor living, being able to showcase more accurate representations of outside spaces will prove to be another competitive advantage for homesellers.

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Reliable Residential Flat Plate Sprinkler Covers

California Residential Code section R313. 2 (CRC R313.2) requires automatic residential fire sprinkler systems in new one and two family dwellings, causing many homebuyers to ponder:

How will this affect the aesthetics of well-appointed rooms?

Reliable Automatic Sprinkler has the answer with their Residential Flat Plate Concealed Sprinklers with the body of the sprinkler completely hidden above a cover plate.

Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Custom Flat Panel Pendant Sprinkler Covers

Reliable Custom Sprinkler Covers with “Never Seen, Always There” tagline

Available in a variety of finishes, the concealed pendants can also be custom printed to match any design for your particular ceiling to allow the sprinkler to virtually disappear in camouflage. They are easy to install and easy to conceal, with the quality that has made Reliable a leader in fire protection products.

Reliable’s Printed Concealed Sprinkler Cover Plates

The Only Limit is Your Imagination: Design with Reliable's printed concealed sprinkler cover plates!

 

PCBC 2023 Resource Links

 

Recommended Reading

 

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