Last week, I attended the Texas Building Science Symposium. In addition to being incredibly insightful and full of banter, the show also stood out to me for its emphasis on community. The room was filled with building professionals supporting one another, sharing a desire to build something great with an emphasis on doing it well from the very beginning.

The need for community when building is essential—a team to build or run your business well, but also a group to learn from, so you can avoid repeating mistakes, grow something impactful, and make a difference.

I appreciated everyone’s willingness at the symposium to share information and insights instead of fiercely guarding acquired knowledge and learned experience. One speaker offered up his discovery questionnaire for vetting leads. Every speaker shared examples of their work, what they’ve seen, and what they’ve learned. Each presentation was about doing great work while showing exactly what great work and attention to detail looks like. This willingness to share is essential for community, but also to the growth and future of the profession. As Paul Wellstone said, “When we all do better, we all do better.” And isn’t that the truth.

This group, with its shared passion for building science and vision of what a well-built home is, serves as an example for the industry. Coming together with others who share your values, who seek to learn and grow, is exactly what a community is about. This really is the heart of the content we produce and the vision behind Fine Homebuilding—a medium for sharing knowledge and discovery and asking questions. We are excited to see this movement happening in a variety of spaces and even more excited about the ways we can continue to help this community grow and thrive.

FIND COMMUNITY

• FHB Podcast
• FHB Forum
• Green Building Advisor

Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products

Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Handy Heat Gun

This heat gun is great for drying joint compound, primer and paint when patching drywall and plaster walls. Plus it can soften adhesive, get a very cold small engine to start, and shrink heat-shrink tubing.

Buy at Amazon

Reliable Crimp Connectors

These reliable, high-quality connectors from Wirefy work on 10-22-gauge wire have heat-shrink insulation to keep out water and road salt.

Buy at Amazon

Affordable IR Camera

This camera is super useful for tracking down air leaks in buildings. The one-hand pistol grip arrangement frees your other hand for steadying yourself while maneuvering tricky job sites.

Buy at Amazon