Thursdays

I can't wait for Thursdays -- the House& Home section of the New York Times arrives. Today's featured a ranch home renovation in La Jolla -- exactly the sort of renovation we'd like to undertake in the Steel City, but hopefully for a more reasonable price, with some additional space. I really liked the conversion of large windows, combined with pivot hardware from Rixson, to create front and back doors that pivot. I am also intrigued by the use of honeycomb polycarbonate (Lightben from Bencore) for countertops -- does anyone know how this holds up for a family with three young children? I'm also very interested in the use of polycarbonate as an exterior or interior wall material. Using reasonably priced materials in an innovative way could really help bring modern architecture to a more affordable point.