Eco-Building

Green Home Recap 10.27.10

by nan on 2010/10/27 · 3 comments

Lots of news and ideas for your green home this week! You can read more by following me on Twitter and Facebook!

> I have never owned a dishwasher, but have been contemplating it for about a year. New Energy Efficient Dishwashers From Miele & Baumatic

> Eco-friendly rugs and carpeting can improve your indoor air quality and your health. Shopping for Healthy and Colorful Eco-Friendly Area Rugs

> I’ve been heating with wood since 1976. Woodstoves and fireplaces get more efficient and clean-burning every year. Love Fireplaces? Get an EPA-Certified Wood-Burning Stove

> Almost all the furniture in my house is second hand, like 99% of it. I’d love to add this piece! Fridge Couch is a Recycled Refrigerator Sofa!

> More on making beautiful furniture from second hand pieces. Freecycling: Get a Great Green Look for Next to Nothing

> “The goal of minimal environmental impact and off the grid living led to, among other things, photovoltaic panels to provide the electrical power for the house and the collection of rain water as the water source.” Elegant Design, Asian Influences and Sustainability: Chuckanut Ridge House

{ 3 comments }

Green Building Recap 10.21.10

by nan on 2010/10/21 · 0 comments

Here’s a little bit of green building news I found this week. You can read more by following me on Twitter and Facebook!

> ‘High-scale design, sustainable principles and prefab can come together to create an attractive home.’ LEED Platinum Boulder House First in US to Use German System

> Martha Stewart goes green?! BUILDER Magazine Reveals New Concept Home

> MODERN Living showhouse – a home made from more than 80% recycled materials that was designed and assembled in just 45 days! VIDEO: The Road to Designing Sustainable, Modern Green Living

> Hemp, hemp, hurray! Hemp Makes a Lovely Design/Build Home

> I say efficiency first. The less energy you use, the smaller your renewable system will be, saving you money twice. Efficiency First, Renewables Second … or Vice Versa?

* * *

{ 0 comments }

Green Building Recap 10.14.10

by nan on 2010/10/14 · 2 comments

Here’s a bit of green building news I found surfing around this week – some news, some building info. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily newsfeeds!

> Before Dow Chemical came along about 1920, many things, from Levi jeans to buildings, were made of hemp. We are not discovering this truly sustainable and durable material, we are going back to it. Thankfully…. From Concrete to Hempcrete

> And speaking of durability when building or renovating: Green Building Priority #6 – Ensure Durability

> Green roofs intrigue me, because they don’t work so well in our dry environment. It is incredibly hot on a roof here in summer. The original roofs on adobe houses consisted of two feet of dirt, though! Some homes are still like that, and they grow weeds. Green Roofs are Changing Architecture and Planning

> Concrete and the materials needed to waterproof and insulate it are energy intensive and toxic. Here is an earthy alternative (I am tempted to build another house just to try this!). Insulated Earthbag/Geotextile Basement Walls

> I have personal ties to Tennessee, and I love a good green home, so this article about UT Knoxville’s zero energy home for the Solar Decathlon piqued my interest. University of Tennessee Students Build a Zero Energy House Check out the site for the UTK home, and read more about the 2011 Solar Decathlon.

* * *

{ 2 comments }

Green Building Recap 10.7.10

by nan on 2010/10/07 · 0 comments

Here’s a little bit of green building news I found this week. You can read more by following me on Twitter and Facebook!

> Solar-powered window shutters – brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?!

> The Southwestern CSP Solar Surge – The Department of Interior today announced final approval of two large solar energy projects in southern California that will produce 754 megawatts of clean renewable energy to power more than a quarter million homes and create almost 300 permanent jobs and about 700 construction jobs.

> Affordable Boston Apartments Being Renovated to LEED-Gold Standard

> Illinois Developer Breaks Ground on 132-Home Net-Zero Community

> World’s First Zero Carbon Conference Center Opens in Dublin

* * *

{ 0 comments }

ASES National Solar Tour, Saturday, October 2!

by nan on 2010/09/29 · 2 comments

You need to reserve the first Saturday in October every year for the National Solar Tour! This is a wonderful event around the country showcasing solar homes and businesses. It’s also a great time to volunteer and get to know like-minded folks.

There is no excuse, either, like ‘Our family is going to on vacation,’ because this is a national event! Practically everywhere you go in the United States, you’ll be able to attend a Solar Tour.

From the website:

The ASES National Solar Tour is the world’s largest grassroots solar event. This event offers you the opportunity to tour innovative green homes and buildings to see how you can use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change. More than 160,000 participants will visit some 5,500 buildings in 3,200 communities across the U.S.

Now in its 15th year, this event is coordinated nationally by the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society in collaboration with dozens of outstanding partner organizations. It takes place annually during the first Saturday in October in conjunction with National Energy Awareness Month.

> Find out the details of a tour near you.

> American Solar Energy Association (ASES), based in Scottsdale, AZ

> Find a local chapter, and get involved!

Here are the southwest area chapters:

> New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA)

> Arizona Solar Center (AZSC)

> Solar NV (Southern Nevada Chapter)

> Utah Solar Energy Association (UT Solar)

> Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES)

Get out this weekend, and learn! Having worked the Solar Tour and the Greenbuilt Tour of the New Mexico Chapter of the USGBC, I can tell you that homeowners LOVE to talk about their green homes! You can get quite an education by visiting these buildings and asking questions. And like I said before, you will meet a lot of like-minded people. I have made long-time friends on these tours!

Volunteer, not just on the tours, but for your local chapter. They are always holding educational events at schools, businesses and festivals, and volunteers are like gold. Solar education, as in all green building, is key to getting people to know about it, understand it, see the benefits and use it!

Have fun!

* * *

{ 2 comments }

Green Building Recap 9.23.10

by nan on 2010/09/23 · 1 comment

Here’s a new twist on my weekly recap – I’ll feature five green buildings once in a while. Gotta shake it up some. I found these while I was surfing around this past week. I read about many beautiful and innovative homes, and posted a lot of them on Twitter and Facebook already. Here are a few more to share!

Architecture inspired by trees.

Sweet, petite and LEED in New Orleans.

Curvy home office or studio.

A rooftop garden, and built around existing trees.

The high insulating properties of hemp.

* * *

{ 1 comment }

Eco Recap 9.17.10

by nan on 2010/09/17 · 2 comments

Lots of great eco news this week! Here is a sampling. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for the rest!

> This is the best story I have read in a long time. Helping others and recycling warms my heart. When both are done on a large scale, it’s humbling.

> Fall is the best time for hiking. Temperatures have dropped, so it’s more comfortable, and signs of changing seasons are everywhere. Use this checklist before you venture out.

> Last fall I wrote about the ecology of Manhattan in the 1600s. I have personal ties to the area at that time and had found a website about the island and the indigenous people who lived there. Now an interesting project has been launched that will carry that information further. The Welikia Project is ‘an effort to document the historical ecology of all of New York City and compare it to the current biodiversity of the city.’

> Most of my furniture is second-hand. I love yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores. Recycling furniture is eco friendly and lots of fun! Here are some excellent tips on furnishing your home with second hand furniture.

> I grew up in New England and appreciate what it stands for. This is a story and a slideshow of a unique custom home in Maine designed by a Harvard educated architect. New England is embedded in it.

{ 2 comments }

Green Home Recap 9.9.10

by nan on 2010/09/09 · 0 comments

What a short week! Even being self-employed, I can feel the effects of a Monday holiday. This week, I have all home things to share. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for a variety of eco news.

> I’m a huge fan of solar. I have solar hot water and passive solar heating as well as a solar greenhouse. I love them all! I don’t have PV, because it wouldn’t pay for itself in my lifetime. My electric usage is minimal, and my bill is about $30/month. But if you are in the market fo PV, here are some simple solar options.

> I have gone back to school for Residential Planning, because I want to design and consult. More on that later, though. The last class I took was Color Theory. I have always loved color, so I enjoyed this piece about using color for various effects in your home. Be sure to use low VOC paints!

> We had a discussion in our drafting class about how furniture needs are changing. My input was that people are more mobile, choosing smaller homes, and want compact, affordable and portable furniture. Then I ran across this!

> Remodeling junkie am I! I have a slew of stories to tell, and some of them sound like this one.

> A picture is how many words? Structural Insulated Panels, or SIPs, are a great way to build efficiently. It’s a modular system that produces a very cozy home with excellent insulation. Here are a series of green modulars built with SIPs. Scroll down about half-way to see how they are installed. People ask me about them all the time, and it’s hard to explain. This is a great shot.

> Frank Lloyd Wright built with the land. I also believe a home should take inspiration from and fit into its surroundings. This New Zealand home uses local stone, recycled timbers and native plants. It is also built into the hillside.

{ 0 comments }

Eco Recap 9.2.10

by nan on 2010/09/02 · 0 comments

Cool, cool morning of 43 degrees! The days are still in the mid-80s – good thing… There was lots of fun news this week! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook to read the stuff I didn’t have room for!

> I love my bicycle! I’d like to live where I could ride year round, but for now, I’d be content to move into town so I could run errands on it instead of using the car. Bikes are becoming very popular for practical use and good health.

> I grew up outside of New York City. The Empire State Building was a fascinating and grounding element for me as a kid. The architecture was incredible, and its status as the tallest building in NY was almost god-like. Remember, I was really little! I was not happy when the twin towers were built and took away that status, and I had this sick sense of joy when the Empire State Building’s rivals fell. This building was a big part of my childhood, especially since we scaled its stairs to and from the observation deck more than once. Now this favorite building of mine is undergoing a major green retrofit. Yay.

> I am anti-stuff. Anti-unnecessary stuff, to be more precise. I am horrified at the storage units that keep getting built. How much unused stuff do we have?! Get rid of it! But if you can’t, here are 10 eco-friendly ways to store it.

> Mmmmm…. ice cream…. I guess I won’t be buying Ben & Jerry’s anymore!

> If I had to live in a city, it would be San Francisco. I fell in love with it as a kid and visited several times as an adult. It’s on my radar for a visit or maybe a move in the near future. San Francisco is a progressive city, and they are working hard to be as eco-friendly as possible as quickly as possible. One more reason to love it.

Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.
Albert Einstein

{ 0 comments }

Eco Recap 8.26.10

by nan on 2010/08/26 · 0 comments

There’s a little bit of everything this week! You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook to read the stuff I didn’t have room for!

> Now THIS is closer to my idea of being green – holistic and progressive! I think all new construction should have sustainable features, but I also believe that taking care of each other is eco-friendly. Here is a green school that serves the children in a poor neighborhood of Bogota.

> Speaking of holistic… We all know we are moving at warp speed with technology fueling us. We have news in our pockets on our phones before a newspaper every hears of it. We we can communicate 24/7 with friends and relatives around the world via Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Slowing down is good for your health, and good health is eco-friendly.

> I’ve always been astonished and horrified at the energy use and waste in hotels. Towels and sheets get washed after one use, toiletries are thrown away after one use, empty rooms are heated or cooled, breakfast food is tossed in the trash – I shudder as I write this, and I haven’t even mentioned water and electricity usage! I can travel and relax now, though, since some hotels are going green, and there is even a Green Hotels Association!

> Autumn is on its way. The days are shortening, the mornings are chilly. Your house needs some attention to get it through the winter!

> Reduce, reuse, recycle, and strive for zero waste. I couldn’t have said this better than my friend Julie Urluab at Taiga Company – ‘Zero waste maximizes recycling, minimizes waste, reduces consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace.’

{ 0 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →