Post #1: The Illusion of Progress
What Looks Better Isn’t Always Built Better
Series Installment: What’s Wrong with the American Home?
Brought to you by The High-Performance Home
Join the Movement here.
We think we’ve made progress.
Walk into a newly built home today and you’ll see what looks like an upgrade: open floor plan; quartz countertops; stainless appliances; recessed lighting; and more.
We embrace trend-driven finishes from the design catalog of the moment.
It feels fresh.
It feels modern.
It feels like progress.
But most of the time, it’s not.
What we’re calling “modern” is often just surface improvement. And beneath that surface—behind the drywall, under the tile, inside the walls—much of what’s being built today is actually worse than what was built a generation ago.
We’ve Traded Substance for Speed
To meet demand and maximize margin, the production housing model has accelerated. Builders are under pressure to move fast, source cheap, and stage well. What you see on day one is polished. What you get after year one is a different story.
Behind the paint:
Off-brand valves that corrode in two years
HVAC systems improperly sized or poorly sealed
Fixtures that look solid but are plastic underneath
Cabinets that delaminate in Florida humidity
Water systems assembled without coordination or certification
This isn’t just a matter of budget.
It’s a failure of standards.
A failure of systems thinking.
A failure of responsibility.
The Performance of Progress
We’ve gotten good at performing quality.
But we haven’t improved actual performance.
A kitchen might look sleek, but the airflow in the home is poorly balanced.
The bathroom tile is Pinterest-worthy, but the grout is already cracking.
The water heater “meets code,” but barely serves a full household.
These are not isolated issues. They are the logical outcome of a system that rewards volume over durability, aesthetics over integration, and inspection checklists over long-term livability.
What Does Real Progress Look Like?
Real progress isn’t decorative. It’s measurable.
It shows up in how a home performs over time—not how it’s photographed at sale.
It means:
✔ Thoughtfully tested assemblies
✔ Trade contractor coordination from day one
✔ Certified components working as an integrated whole
✔ Systems designed for longevity, repairability, and upgrade
✔ A homeowner who understands what they own—and why it matters
This is the future we’re building with The High-Performance Home.
It’s not the fast path. But it’s the right one.
We Don’t Need More Trends. We Need More Truth.
If we want to build homes that last, support wellness, and truly serve the people who live in them—we have to stop pretending that progress means putting lipstick on a blueprint.
We need a new definition of modern.
One grounded in performance, not polish.
One that rewards integrity—not just finishes.
The illusion of progress is seductive.
But the reality of progress is far more powerful.
Let’s build that.
Next Up: Post #2 – “Planned Obsolescence Has a ZIP Code”