Here are a few green home tidbits from this past week. There is always more on Twitter and Facebook!
> Got clutter? We all do. Here are some ideas on reducing clutter by getting organized.
> Small, green & affordable. The title says it all!
> Urban development meets ecology. Finally! Sustainable cities in China with the Eco-Smart City Master Plan.
> Another compact home. This itHouse is off-grid, solar powered, prefab, 800 square feet, and elevated to not disturb the earth.
> The ultimate fixer-upper. An old mill in France gets a new life.
> Body heat. Just like a passivhaus, body heat can be used for heating buildings. What is a passivhaus?
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First of all, Happy Holidays! It has been a great year, and I’m looking forward to 2011. Big changes are in store for me. I wish you and yours good health, happiness and lots of love! Here are a few picks from the week. I post more on Twitter and Facebook!
Here are a few of my favorite things…….
Minimalism
Prefab
Passivhaus
Renovation
Recycling
EVs
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Despite a hectic week (nothing to do with Christmas, believe me!), I still read the news and found you a few things to read. I post more on Twitter and Facebook!
> A green roof, natural light and minimalistic design and furnishings attracted me to this Max Brunner home!
> Over the last several decades, woodstoves have gotten cleaner as far as emissions. Now the manufacturing process at Morsø in Denmark is more eco-friendly, too.
> Your zero energy home can supply all your energy needs AND charge your electric vehicle!
> Here are some excellent solutions in the design of a small, energy efficient house to maximize space and keep it from feeling too… well… small.
> Have you ever heard of an eco-hut? I hadn’t!
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There is so much inspiring green building news to share! I could do a recap every day! Here are a few things I found this past week. There is more on Twitter and Facebook!
> Bamboo is a virtually indestructible material. Here is a unique, woven building of bamboo in Vietnam.
> There are many reasons to simplify your possessions. We all have too much stuff, things we don’t use, things we hold onto ‘just in case,’ and other things that mean we need larger homes or storage units. Here are a few thoughts on minimizing your clutter.
> Natural building materials have a small carbon footprint. Here is a complex yet simple home that is built into the hillside and uses materials from the immediate area.
> Passivhaus construction is the only way to build. The style of architecture can be as creative or traditional as the homeowner desires.
> Prefab and modular design is economical and eco-friendly. One way to use it is in a remote location where access to the site is difficult.
It’s hard to believe we are already into December! Especially when the temperatures are tickling 60! Here’s a few things I found this past week. There is more on Twitter and Facebook!
> A pre-fab sustainable cabin by the College of Architecture, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the College of Engineering at Texas Tech University.
> Fabulous little off-grid cabin off the beautiful coast or Oregon.
> Shipping container home in another one of my favorite places, New Zealand.
> More on modular housing and shipping container building.
> Building with the site, not on it.
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Greenbuild 2010 and the LA Auto Show just passed. Great stuff to share! I post green news all week on Twitter and Facebook! Join me!
> I have been to the remote islands off the coast of Maine. What a perfect place for an eco-friendly home! Solar PV, water catchment and on-demand hot water are just a few of this one’s green features.
> It never hurts to have too much info when you are renovating. It doesn’t hurt to mix numbers with a sense of humor, either.
> Save water! Low-flow showerhead news from Greenbuild 2010.
> More from Greenbuild: Batt insulation of recycled plastic bottles. Insulation is so important, and so is recycling. Win/win!
> As electric cars get developed and enter the market, charging stations will have to be included in home design. I can’t wait for that!
* My friend, David, self-described car nerd, went to the LA Auto Show last week.
* Toyota is bringing back the electric RAV4. Yay!
* The electric Chevy Volt was named the 2011 Green Car of the Year.
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Wow, a year has gone by. I can’t believe it! I have learned so much by writing about green building and green lifestyles, and you all have made it possible! Thanks for the comments, emails, book suggestions and basic cheering on!
I contemplated doing a recap for the year, but that would take me six months to write! So I’ll give you my usual handful of green home news that I found this past week. Maybe I’ll start planning now for next year’s 2 year anniversary recap. ;) I wonder what kind of energy, renewable and building advances we’ll see by then…..
> Not all of us are homeowners able to retrofit, add renewables and replace windows to save energy, but you can green your rental.
> Adobe is an ancient building material. Here are some adobe structures inspired by Rumi.
> Hemp is another old, durable and sustainable building material. There is a hemp house in Ohio.
> Do you spend a lot of time in your kitchen? Brighten it up with natural light! Natural light in the home reduces daytime electric use.
> I love a good remodel, especially of a small space, a modernized 1950s home.
I post green news all week on Twitter and Facebook! Join me!
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It’s always hard to choose what to post here, since there is so much inspiring green home news every week! You can find what I could not include on Twitter and Facebook!
> I have always thought the area underneath a staircase was wasted space. It has an odd shape and may not be easily accessible, but there are creative and beautiful solutions to that dilemma.
> Recycle! Shipping container buildings are getting more and more popular.
> One more example of recycling shipping containers.
> Living in the desert, I don’t see many green roofs, unless it is weeds growing from a dirt roof on an old adobe. I have green roof envy.
> One good thing about this recession/depression is that people have learned to live with less. We are cutting back everywhere, even in home size. Yay!
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