When I took over as editor of Fine Homebuilding, editorial director Rob Yagid told me I had to move out of my cubicle and into an office with a door. I was hoping his reasoning was that I could now bring my dog to the office and have a place to keep him contained. As it turns out, the reasons were managerial, which is far less fun. In any case, I’m writing this note from my desk in my office with a door — a door that’s wide open. Truth be told, I never really close it. I like to be connected to the buzz of the FHB art and editorial staff.

The designers in our audience push each other to improve the flow of every floor plan and the proportions of every elevation. The builders push each other to better understand the ever-changing materials we use and the science that will make or break their success. While the conversations around here may be different than the ones happening around your design table or on your job sites, the energy is the same­­­—and just as contagious. I leave my door open so I won’t ever be far from the discussion about designing and building houses.

With the door open, I can still hear the arguments over semantics in the building code, chime in on countless revisions before settling on the best way to explain the required dimensions of a bathroom under a sloped roof (see the contentious second paragraph in “Drawing Board”), and encourage my team to think about whether thinset can still be called thinset if it’s applied in a thicker layer (See “Laying Large Tiles”). Some might call this level of detail crazy, but I think it’s crucial for all of us — here at FHB and out in the field.

This is why I’m starting off my role as editor by telling you my door is always open, and everything is up for discussion. If you like what we’re doing, chime in so we’ll know to keep it going. If you don’t like what we’re doing, chime in so we’ll know if we need to adjust our perspective. Every editor and art director on this staff reads every bit of reader/viewer feedback that we get — good or bad — so your thoughts will not go unheard. Give us a shout: [email protected].

­Justin Fink
editor