Hot off a season of trade shows, including the International Builders’ Show (IBS), manufacturers have debuted new products—or improvements that make existing products cleaner and more energy-efficient—on the systems side of a smart home.

In this Studio Session, ARCHITECT Editor-in-Chief Paul Makovsky discusses five of these innovations with residential builder and HGTV and DIY Network host Matt Blashaw and the Propane Education & Research Council’s Bryan Cordill. On the design side, see a fireplace with a firebox that can have zero clearance to combustible materials. Then see how the latest hydronic solutions efficiently deliver heat and hot water, as well as a powerful fuel cell that can work in concert with the grid. Learn more about the products discussed in a tour with Blashaw.

Matt Blashaw has experience in nearly every field of the residential construction industry – from his original trade as a contractor to earning his real estate license. A native of Orange County, California, he grew up around construction and worked in his father’s lumberyard.

After graduating from Chapman University, Matt had a short stint in the entertainment industries, and opened his own construction company, Blashaw Residential. He went on to host a number of DIY Network and HGTV shows. Matt lives with his family near Leawood, Kansas, just outside Kansas City, where he has returned to his roots as a contractor.

Bryan Cordill is the director of residential business development for the Propane Education & Research Council. In his role, Bryan leads efforts to support propane demand in the residential and construction markets, and he facilitates the development and adoption of propane-powered equipment and appliances through business development, product development, and market development activities.

Before coming to the PERC in 2019, among other roles, Bryan spent 17 years working as a sales manager for his family’s propane business, Cordill Butane-Propane Service. He has a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Louisiana Tech University and lives in Monroe, Louisiana.

This Studio Session is underwritten by Propane Education & Research Council.
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