The history of interior design dates back to the early era of human civilization. For instance, rich furniture made of priceless metals and stones, colorful paintings, and elaborate symbols decorated ancient Egyptian homes. These interiors had great cultural and philosophical importance in addition to being functional; every piece was carefully picked to suggest riches, power, and spirituality. Read on to learn how home design has evolved over the ages, and how history still influences interior design today.
These five duplexes we are building on Indian Rocks Beach consist of a foundation and first floor made of concrete and masonry, with the second and third stories constructed with wood framing. This is common building practice in Florida.
In most parts of the country, structures are built primarily with wood framing from the foundation to the roof. In Florida, however, it is very common to see homes built with concrete block. It is done minimally on the first floor, but sometimes the entire structure is built out of concrete masonry units (CMU). We are asked often why it is done that way down here. Is it required by law? Do Florida contractors just like to go the extra mile? Is there simply an over-abundance of masons?
The answer is, none of the above. Building code allows for both concrete block and engineered wood framing down here in Florida, as long as they comply with hurricane codes. However, there are many reasons why concrete block is the more popular building choice. We’ll discuss a few of the main ones here.
