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The Behind the Walls House is back and bigger than ever. Spanning approximately 2,200 square feet in the parking lot of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, this edition at the International Builders' Show was more than 30% larger than its predecessor at the 2001 event.
As in previous years, the Behind the Walls House is a semi-finished shell of a structure, configured -- as its name implies -- to highlight a host of building material products that often go unnoticed in a conventional model home. However, the overall design and layout of the 2002 showcase was dramatically upgraded. Allison Ramsey Architects of Beaufort, S.C., re-created its Woodley design, with double side porches and a comparatively narrow 25-foot width to evoke the look of historic Charleston and Savannah.
After the Builders' Show, the Behind the Walls House was donated to the Captain Planet Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing hands-on environmental learning for children worldwide. The showcase was disassembled and relocated to an Atlanta residential neighborhood where the three-story home's neo-traditional look will fit especially well. There, the Woodley will be finished, fully appointed and decorated, resulting in a total cost of roughly $300 per square foot.
At that juncture, the relocated structure will serve as a demonstration home for Captain Planet, which plans to publicize it through various Atlanta print and electronic media. That way, the house, its sponsors and their featured products will enjoy an extra six months of exposure to the general public.
 Prime Sponsor: LP Corporation
Few industry manufacturers can match the depth and breadth of product that LP Corporation brings to builders. That diversity is displayed at the Behind the Walls House, which showcases 19 separate and distinct LP items: from core commodities such as oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing, LPI Joists and Finger-Jointed Studs to value-added specialty items such as vinyl and wood-composite sidings, cedar and wood-composite decks, polystyrene mouldings and cellulose insulation. Each of these items is profiled on the pages of this special advertising supplement.
Builders generally know LP as a manufacturer of lumber, plywood and especially OSB. LP did not invent the concept, but since 1973 it has been at the forefront of OSB's rising popularity among builders, largely at the expense of plywood. Today, LP is the global leader in the category, with a production capacity of approximately 6 billion feet at an international network of mills.
LP's successful pursuit of the OSB market has provided a strong platform for the company's equally aggressive forays into specialties. Many of these high-quality products with their breakthrough technologies carry commensurately higher price points than the older, more established commodities they're meant to supplant. But consumers will pay a premium if the benefits are clearly demonstrated.
An excellent example is TechShield, the industry's only patented laminated radiant barrier roof sheathing. This product's primary payoff comes in lower energy bills. The consequent savings serve not only as a payback on the TechShield sheathing, but also on the buyer's overall HVAC investment. "Our mission is to develop specialties that allow builders to create value," says Steve Weinstein, vice president of marketing for LP's specialty products. "This, in turn, should enable them to make more money on the homes they build while also boosting customer satisfaction."
No Plain-Vanilla Boxes
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The builder of this Behind the Walls House is Julius Poston of Certified Living Inc. The Woodstock, Ga.-based firm constructs up to 100 homes annually within a 60-mile radius of Atlanta. Yearly production is split evenly between entry-level and custom projects, but all of them are dedicated to maximizing energy efficiency and sustainability.
