Green Galore Design-blogg-er

Jefferson's alcove bed: reThinking architecture

2014-01-15T11:23:00.000-05:00

Photo coutesty of Jim Merithew/Wired.com

Living in the midst of the phenomenally gorgeous Monticello, where he could have anything he wanted, Thomas Jefferson slept in the middle of a doorway. Located between two rooms, he stuffed his bed in between two walls. If he rolled out of bed on one side, he would end up in one room while rolling the other way would lead him to the other room.

Jefferson’s bed looks incredibly odd and “out-of-place” measured on an aesthetics scale. Yet Jefferson was an architect who clearly had respect for geometry and proportion. His mind was replete with the many lessons he learned from European architectural designs he assimilated from the Old World.

His bed is incredibly “out-of-place,” or my idea of a bedroom is far too narrow. I love Jefferson’s powerful ability to think outside of the box. He was so incredibly creative that he had a hard time accepting status quo.

Why was his bed located in a doorway? Simply because Jefferson believed that if his bed were located in between two utilitarian spaces, he would be able to conserve his time. The room on one side was his dressing room. The room on the other was his study.

Hmm. It does not matter what we think about where he positioned his bed. For him, it worked very well. But, as an architect, I should hope that we would put on a Jeffersonian thinking cap and throw up all preconceived notions about spaces we have come to know in order to rethink and redesign spaces that will be more meaningful for the changing times.

the architect can cook

2012-11-28T13:53:00.003-05:00

photo credit: Food For Kids

Joseph Ciminera is pictured here in his Taste This TV: There Are No Rules in Cooking Show on PBS. Great guy, great show by the way. But, what does this have to do with architecture? Right after architecture, my next interest is probably that of cooking and an appreciation for fine cuisine. On second thought, isn't that a common theme amongst architects? In social circles, I have noticed that architects cannot help but talk about food. I have noticed this pattern across the country from New York to Palm Springs to even Vancouver, Canada.

So, why do architects love to cook and what does that tell us about ourselves and our profession? Well, the first observation is that chefs use their hands. Chefs like to use their hands for their work. So do architects even though we are, most of us, restricted to the electronic mouse and the likes thereof. But, at our heart of creativity, we like to use our hands.

Next, cuisine is created with a variety of ingredients manipulated by tools. Isn't architecture created in a similar manner? Cuisine is created for the purpose of humankind's use. So is architecture. We need food for sustenance, likewise for shelter. But, most importantly what makes a chef popular? What creates a chef who is honored more highly above others? I believe it is their ability to recognize good tastes and flavors. Exposure to the great tastes and flavors of the world are likely the main ingredients found in the making of a great chef.

The same should be that for an architect. How can we be great architects without exposure to the great architecture of the world? How can we be excellent designers ourselves if we haven't cultivated the fine taste of superb design? I hope that we can be intentional when developing and fine-tuning our design sensibilities.

green education?

2012-07-26T19:00:00.001-04:00

Image courtesy of Brian Kusler via Flickr

Frustrated, a prominent mechanical engineer told me his version of a story about a project for which he designed cutting edge HVAC equipment. The client did not know how to program the technology to harvest any energy-saving benefits until this engineer personally drove to the site, personally fixed some of the equipment, and then set up a new computer monitoring program for them so that they could run their mechanical systems efficiently and save hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating costs.

Money Magazine recently published an article about the wobbling confidence investors have in green technologies because oil is “cheap” again. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but major green technology companies suffer from a depressed economy. Abound Solar filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy last month while First Solar downsized 30% of its staff earlier this year. So, how can design professionals help to turn around the tide and make green construction the indelible new norm?

While the USGBC has certainly trudged a cleared, rocky path ahead for green design, the work is not complete without the added efforts of each design professional. New sustainable technologies have to work well or they are useless. Maintenance managers need to know how to operate the systems. Third-party commissioners need to have precise discernment so that the systems operate as designed.

Green education was one of the USGBC’s main objectives. It’s creators realize that if the design professional can educate the public, their clients, and their coworkers effectively, green design will continue to grow. Let’s go over the current state of the building industry:

Developers are focused on the short-term investment. So, how can we change their focus to the long-term? After all, how many times has a building sold for more money because it can offer the new owner a greener future with lowered operating costs? How can the developer rethink the process such that they have some incentive to build green rather than to simply pass savings onto the end users?
Architect and engineers can be powerful if working together with a solid communications base. Unions between the professions need to augment so we can together be more influential for the client and ultimately for our own successful futures.
Owners are more likely to incorporate green technologies if they plan to be one of the building’s end users. Owners are a golden target for green educational efforts. If owners can see how a green building reduces stress in the future due to better construction and more devoted end-users, owners may be more likely to make the extra investment.
End users are the most likely group to benefit from green design, yet they are not always as committed as the owners and potentially the developers. End users sometimes need financial incentives to keep up the green design objectives weaved into the designs of the building they inhabit.

Is it an “impossible” reality that green design could phase away into the background again like it has in the past? Unfortunately investors are already considering the possibility. Be smart and be creative; don’t let it happen again.

This article will be published in the AIA Ohio 2012 Fall Architypes Newsletter.

imagine a new parking lot

2012-03-30T14:05:00.004-04:00

Image courtesy of Neville Mars, Director of MARS Architects in The Netherlands

The typical parking lot in the U.S. is a car's babysitter by day and a desert by night. While architects spend endless hours to perfect building designs, the parking lots are more than likely designed only to meet code and engineering requirements. While new parking lot materials such as pervious pavement that allow contaminants to filter rather than to runoff into our living spaces are now available, the trends in parking lot designs as they fit into our urban landscapes are, well, most often disappointing.

A new book entitled ReThinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking by Aran Ben-Joseph, professor of urban design and landscape architecture at MIT has recently been published. While he has enlightened a younger population of designers, much of his commentary is well supported by critics' works that have been published within the past two decades.

In particular, Lewis Mumford stated, "The right to have access to every building in the city by private motor car in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is the right to destroy the city." So indeed motor cars continue to be a "problem" everywhere from destroying the city's urban fabric, to polluting the environment both directly and indirectly (by eliminating the need for mass transit), and by creating the insatiable need for the ever ugly, and ever necessary parking lot.

Many are finding solar panel canopies as a popular solution to the parking lot. Renzo Piano views the parking lot as the building's first impression. Therefore, his parking lot at the Fiat Lingotto Factory in Turin is a beautiful display of shaded trees. Most endearing, however, is the suggestion for Shakespeare in the Parking Lot performances. Next time you drive into a parking lot, put on your thinking cap.

Look for a full article in the AIA Ohio Architypes Newsletter Spring 2012

the architect as a social activist

2011-12-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

Samuel Mockbee's Mason's Bend, Hale County, Alabama. Photo courtesy of Rural Studio.

“Architecture has to be greater than just architecture. It has to address social values, as well as technical and aesthetic values. On top of that, the one true gift that an architect has is his or her imagination. We take something ordinary and elevate it to something extraordinary.”
Samuel Mockbee, Architect, 1944 - 2001.

A visit I still covet, I was fortunate to meet the phenomenal architect Ana Escalante in Palm Springs, California a few years ago. Over the course of several days of conversations, she talked about architects as those who solve all types of problems with the same kind of creativity and rigour that we also use when designing a building. Dovetailing her wisdom with that of one of my favorite architecture professors, Jacqueline Gargus, at The Ohio State University, “Well, there was a woman who lived in a shoe.” That is to say that you can theoretically make a living space out of anything, even an old shoe.

Like many other families in the U.S., mine lives in a school district that is facing a new set of severe financial constraints set before them due to a November levy failure. One of my recent writing feats was to digest comments from parents that have children at an arts magnet school and then to make a 5 minute presentation before the Board of Education as to why it is important to “save” the arts-focused elementary curriculum. Each parent’s comments are based on the fact that there is a small portion of the population that think outside of the “norms” and that an alternative teaching philosophy can do magic for their out-of-the-box child.

Being an architect in the middle of an educational problem at present reminds me of the late architect Samuel Mockbee, who is perhaps best known for making “the most” on a shoestring budget. His work is acclaimed for its use of recycled materials that are come together to create ingeniously beautiful spaces designed especially for those of us in our society who have very little resources of their our own. Samuel Mockbee’s professional career embodied the predominant architectural thought of leading, influential that WE CAN make a difference both architecturally and socially.

Copyright 2012 Stephanie Aurora Lewis

fighting a new revolution

2011-09-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

Image credit: http://www.restorationhardware.com/rooms/?categoryId=cat1699014

Looking at a new catalog from Restoration Hardware, it is evident to me that the thoughts and intents of our beloved William Morris are surfacing at hand once again. No wonder either. In this day, when hand-held devices are the most essential wardrobe item, we have become very much estranged from the past, from handicraft, and anything that isn't digital.

Although, I do not necessarily appreciate tan neutrals throughout the home as Restoration Hardware is now advertising... I can appreciate the fact that they have taken notice that humans cannot ever do without real, true inter-personal relationships. So, RH has made an attempt to design our homes to reference a past that was built on human relations so that we can *feel* better.

What is the name of the Revolution that we are *fighting* against like that of the Industrial Revolution in Morris' era?

target finds a gold mine

2011-09-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

Image credit: Thomas Concordia/Getty Images for Target from the New York Times Article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/business/demand-at-target-for-fashion-line-crashes-web-site.html?_r=1&src=tp

Target is brilliant. That is all I have to say. Finally, a group of entrepreneurs have recognized the social phenomenon that people will pay for excellent design. And, in this case, we don't have to pay much at all. It is no wonder then that the Target website almost crashed with revenue equal to that of traditional Black Friday sales.

I am convinced that if architects can understand sales the way that the executives at Target understand it.... we too could have some type of revolution. I have rarely met a "lay person" who understood that good design does not have to equal a higher than average cost. So, it is up to us to lead the way. Design it - and they will come.

geothermal receives a bad report

2011-08-08T14:45:00.000-04:00

Image courtesy of Green Air, Inc. via Flickr

At one time if you had asked me what green building technologies do I recommend, I would have put geothermal heating and cooling systems on the top of the list... especially for buildings in Ohio. The system does work and does provide significant energy savings after all. In order for me to fully buy into a building technology such as geothermal, I would have to believe that this would be a great idea for all buildings. As such, I can no longer endorse geothermal.

Sadly disappointed, my opinion is rooted within the idea that the antifreeze chemicals flowing through the tubing, if erupted into the environment, would be too damaging for the gain we would receive from its energy efficiency savings. Once having a hydrogeologist for a roommate, I learned that our precious water tables are to be preserved at all costs. In order for many geothermal systems to function, the lines penetrate through the water table and reach down further into the earth's crust; which is especially true for the larger commercial projects.

If geothermal tubing should erupt and flood into the water table, we are contaminating our primary clean water supply. When at a seminar, I asked this critical question only to hear the following response from the manufacturer's representative, "Yeah, the EPA doesn't like us very much." The tubing can erupt especially within seismic regions of the country; bear in mind there are many seismic zones for which even the smallest tremor could be destructive for the tubing. Old age can also cause the tubing to leach antifreeze.

Creative design professionals who love all things green... let's come up with some other solutions. My previous post on passive house design is one solution for which I can recommend with confidence. Geothermal would be perfect if a water-only system could be invented. Look for my full article to be published in the Winter 2011-12 edition of AIA Ohio Architypes.

Le Corbusier Would Have Seen NASA's Final Launch

2011-07-16T11:30:00.004-04:00

Photo credit: Ben Cooper/Spaceflight Now

It wasn't my architectural interests that drew me to Cape Canaveral to watch the final viewing of NASA's shuttle Atlantis launch STS-135. Prodded by my science-loving 5-year old, I found the launch to be much more inspirational than expected. Was this probably one of the most inspirational moments of my life?... you betcha. Camping out in a minivan, watching from a private property on the Indian River, and experiencing the launch with tears in my eyes surrounded by cheers from others in the crowd is a memory that will endure.

Unfortunately, the 30-years of NASA's accomplishments are largely unnoticed. Even though 1 million people came and flooded the area around Cape Canaveral in anticipation of the final shuttle launch show, there are many Americans who don't understand that these missions have impacted our lives on many levels. The shuttles have supplied work on the International Space Station that has a laboratory that conducts experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, and meteorology. Bringing these experiments closer to home, it was in this laboratory that significant advances in breast cancer were realized, infant and child car seats were better designed, advances in muscles atrophy, bone loss, crystal formation, recycling water, plant growth, and much more were discovered.

An architect at heart, I can't help but remember Le Corbusier's legacy. He was inspired by the leading engineering feats of his day when thinking about Villa Savoye and beyond. L-C thought that his architecture could be made better by using leading ideas and materials of his day in his own work. In fact, he said in Towards a New Architecture, "Engineers unknown to the world at large, mechanics shop and forge have conceived and constructed these formidable affairs that steamships are. We land-lubbers lack the power of appreciation and it would be a good thing if, to teach us to raise our hats to the works of 'regeneration,' we had to do the miles of walking that the tour of a steamship entails."

How can we be inspired by NASA, digest their feats a bit, and use some of their great lessons in the work we do today?

My full article will be featured in Georgia Engineer and Georgia Contractor later this year.
Towards a New Architecture
The International Space Station (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
Creating the International Space Station (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)
Space Station (IMAX)

Passive House Seminar

2011-06-23T12:29:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of Matthew Engel blog

Yesterday, I started out on the road at 5am to attend a day-long seminar (presented by HalfMoon Seminars) in Cincy about the green building trend called Passive House that is soon to become much more of a mainstream practice... my prediction. While I could explain to you many of the facts and details about this new green building standard, I prefer to let you know why I am sold. Americans cringe at the idea of having to turn off their lights with hyper-maintenance, to wash our hands with cold water, to freeze during the middle of the night under a down comforter, and to just skimp on the comforts we have grown up with. I am the type of person who loves to skimp and save on energy whenever possible.. but this is just not a realistic expectation for the average American.

The crux of my admiration for Passive House is that the theory and the standard makes a home for a family that works to save 90-95% of the energy other homes of equal size use to heat and cool the interior. The air that circulates through the home has been purified and is monitored to circulate regularly. So, finally, a home design that performs with a very high level of excellence, yet does not require much (if any) more maintenance than any other home. May I also emphasize the fact that this housing design standard does not add much more initial building expense to the project... much less than slapping PV's onto your roof. It does take a professional to design this home... one who is well-versed with how to calculate the geographic traits of a particular site, one who can dance through mechanical equations, and one who wears an inventor hat. Afterall, that is what we should all expect from a design professional any way.

The CSC Design Studio in Lexington presented the workshop. www.cscdesignstudio.com.

My full article will be featured in AIA Ohio's Architypes later this year.

no-mow grass

2010-04-27T14:01:00.002-04:00

Photo Credit: Shades of Green Landscape Architecture

Find The Article At: "Buildipedia.com - No-Mow Grass: Sustainable Fescue Grasses" by Stephanie Aurora Lewis

robson square: how to design a successful city

2010-03-16T10:00:00.004-04:00

Photo Courtesy of David Godin, Vancouver Resident and Activist for Sustainable City Planning Design

Read the article at "Buildipedia.com - The Olympics: Crowds at Robson Square" by Stephanie Aurora Lewis.

how to install solar panels

2010-03-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy of Alison Morris

"Buildipedia.com - Solar Panels: Think Passive, Then Active" by Stephanie Aurora Lewis

2010-03-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

"Buildipedia.com - Going Google Over Green" by Stephanie Aurora Lewis

Vancouver Sets The Green Stage

2010-03-04T10:02:00.004-05:00

"Buildipedia.com - The Olympics: Vancouver Sets The Green Stage"

Green Desert Home

2010-03-04T10:00:00.001-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Ana Escalante

Read The Article: "Buildipedia.com - Green Desert Home"

becoming a LEED AP

2009-09-10T15:05:00.009-04:00

The editor of Green Building Insider, www.greenbuildinginsider.com, invites me to write about LEED topics primarily because I have been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2004. I took a class from the USGBC in 2002 taught by some of the founders of the LEED program because back then the program was quite new and experimental and instructors were few and far between. I greatly value the fact that I became a LEED AP so early so that I have first hand knowledge of how the organization has evolved.

I took LEED’s first version of the exam in 2004 and barely passed. One fourth of the exam was about general construction knowledge and probably one third of the exam was about general green and environmental knowledge. Nonetheless, I passed by 4 points by getting a nearly perfect score on the information regarding LEED itself because I had a study guide for that portion of the exam. Once I became a registered architect in 2007, I would have been much better prepared for the general construction knowledge.

The fact that one third of the exam was about general environmental information is an important point. Becoming a LEED AP is not the “end all” neither should it be. If we are truly interested in green building and if we are to take important roles in green building, we need to be well-rounded students of environmentalism topics from a variety of perspectives and sources.

LEED now is onto their third set of changes for the LEED exams… The first tiered exam covers the general construction and green environmental questions. Then any of the secondary exams offer specialty credentials, such as New Construction and Major Renovations, Schools, Retail, Interiors, Neighborhoods, Homes, etc.

My humble advice: Don’t just study LEED’s given study guide… chances are you may not pass even if you have the guide memorized. Secondly, take a class through the USGBC because the information you learn in one of those classes cannot be replicated anywhere. I would not have passed the exam without taking the class. Furthermore, I would not know nearly as much about LEED and the USGBC as I do now if I had not taken the class! The classes are expensive, but certainly worth every bit.

Now for the photo… I didn’t take a picture of the glorious moment when I found out I passed the exam, so I thought I would include one of my favorite green photos. The photograph was given to me by Dr. Bob Falk, who provides research and performs tests and studies on reclaimed lumber. For example, he provides structural data so that engineers can have something more substantial than guesswork to use for their designs. Dr. Falk also provides information about how to use reclaimed lumber in the field. I wrote about Falk and reclaimed lumber in an article for Northwest Construction, published in Feb. 09.

The article referenced in this blog post, “LEED Update Includes New Requirements for Accredited Professionals,” in Green Building Insider was posted on July 29, 2009.

http://www.greenbuildinginsider.com/articles/20090729

regionalism

2009-09-02T13:31:00.008-04:00

Rural Illinois (photo credit: SAL)

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) created a program called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) to serve the public as a green building assessment system. Therefore, LEED acts as a third-party verifier that quantifies just how “green” a building, community, or even a group of buildings are.

LEED was created in the US and has been in use amongst design professionals since 1998. Since then, the non-profit organization has made many changes. However, this year they unveiled their most significant system advancements. At the top of the list of changes made is a new concept called Regionalism.

In an interview with Bruce S. Fowle, FAIA and LEED AP of FX FOWLE, he talked about LEED’s need for a weighted point system that depended on a project’s regional locale. He had offered comments to the USGBC for years with suggestions.

In Fowle’s words, “It does not make sense for a building in New York City to get as many points for photovoltaic cells (PV’s) as it does for the same type of building that also has PV’s in Arizona.” The reason being that there is a much greater opportunity to harvest solar energy in the desert! Likewise, to make drastic efforts toward water conservation in New York City also doesn’t make as much sense as if one would save as much water as possible in Nevada.

The point of Regionalism is not to simply downplay some types of green building systems to then place others in the limelight. Rather, it is a system that helps to direct green building teams in different areas of the country to focus on what green systems would MOST benefit the society in that one particular region.

And so, we have been introduced to the 2009 V3 LEED’s most revolutionary idea since its inception… let’s see how it works now in the coming years. The USGBC promises, furthermore, to continue to refine their building assessment system so that we may better achieve our international environmentally friendly goals.

Article: "LEED Awards Extra Credit for Regional Considerations." Green Building Insider, June 25, 2009. http://www.greenbuildinginsider.com/articles/20090625

thank you Bruce

2009-08-28T14:04:00.005-04:00

Bruce S. Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP of FX FOWLE

Can you not tell by looking at his face that this man is approachable?

Indeed, all we want as journalists and young professionals is to meet an expert who is not simply willing to share their knowledge and wisdom, but someone who will do so with nearly no reservations.

Bruce S. Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP of FX FOWLE Architects in NYC is a beacon of light for young professionals.

Sometimes designers think that they should keep their ideas and experience under wraps for fear of it being stolen and capitalized upon. Afterall, this is what happened often to Renaissance artists and architects. Yet, back then, the only way an art progressed was through masters teaching apprentices.

Most of us are not so highly reputed designers and yet we still hold our tongues back from giving advice. I believe the design profession would be much better if we would better contribute to one another.

In short:

Bruce is always available for an interview.

Bruce will tell elaborate details about his projects.

Bruce will tell you about new research in which he is embarking.

Bruce will give you advice about how a green architectural office should be run.

Bruce will give you personal career advice.

He will not sugar coat his responses.

To find out about the details, visit:

AIA Ohio Architypes, Summer 2009 Issue

http://www.associationsites.com/page.cfm?usr=aia&pageid=5170

vinyl

2009-08-26T16:16:00.011-04:00

PVC extrusion plant. Photo courtesy of Vinyl Institute.

The controversy over vinyl is white hot.

Experts go back and forth as to whether vinyl is environmentally friendly. And, thus we see that much of what we think of today as a pollutant may be thought of as "green" tomorrow.

For the May/June issue of Fencepost magazine, I wrote an article on the, "Benefits of Vinyl Fencing," in which I interviewed Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, who is now chairman and chief scientist of Greenspirit Strategies of Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Moore believes so strongly in the many benefits of vinyl that he so much as walked away from Greenpeace over disagreements about this pliable synthetic material.

Vinyl is one of the most durable architectural products available.
Durability means less waste because there is less need for reproduction; which is also a Walter Stahel cradle-to-cradle concept.

Vinyl would cause harm to the environment if it were burned out in someone's backyard... but come on, who would do that? Sometimes it is incinerated at a disposal site, but incineration is performed in such a way as to protect the environment. Most commonly, gladly, vinyl is recycled. Since it is largely a pure material, vinyl manufacturers nearly always use recycled content in their products. Though not-so-glamorous, recycled content is usually the "backbone" material concealed by a thin layer of virgin vinyl.

Aside from its most obvious benefit - that of durability - vinyl is also a very clean material that resists mold and mildew and can be easily cleaned and sterilized. Look around the next time you step foot into a hospital... you will see vinyl, vinyl, vinyl. Neither does vinyl leach vapors, contrary to some suspicions.

Popular in the decking industry as well as for fencing, vinyl is a widely successful decking material used in areas prone to forest fires, such as in Southern California. Vinyl will not easily burn and will not therefore spread easily to the rest of the home.

Environmental Concerns Dispelled:
Chlorine, vinyl's controversial chemical component, is good.
The fact that chlorine is in vinyl concerns some people, but Dr. Moore points out, " Salt and chlorine are essential for life on earth. For healthcare, chlorine prevents water-borne diseases. Many medicines are based on chlorine chemistry. Chlorine is toxic, but it is toxic to bacteria that we do want to destroy." Several European countries that at one time banned chlorine have since lifted their bans.

Vinyl manufacturing is energy-efficient.

“Vinyl is composed of 51% chlorine derived from salt and 49% hydrocarbons derived from natural gas. Most other plastics are one hundred percent hydrocarbons,” says Dr. Moore. Aluminum products take up to three times more energy to manufacture compared to vinyl.

No need to worry about dioxin levels.

“The dioxin levels from vinyl are so small that they cannot be measured outside of the manufacturers’ gate,” says Dr. Moore, “Furthermore, the EPA does not have any issues or problems with dioxin levels related to the production of vinyl.”

Lastly, after careful scientific-based scrutinization Dr. Moore concludes,

“The resistance against phthalates is not supported scientifically either.”

This is a story illustrating the difference between fact and fable.

my paint preference

2009-07-29T16:19:00.008-04:00

Sometimes my opinions are edited out of an article... and understandably. I cannot solicit products specifically in my articles even if I think that everyone should have my same opinion.

In this article, I was asked to write about low-V.O.C. paints. A subject that many, many people talk about, yet few truly understand. My first point in the article is that V.O.C.s emitted from paint are not only harmful to the biological world and that specifically humans... but to the environmental air quality as well. So, if you think you can paint and then allow a two week full flush out, then you can use whatever paint you would like... V.O.C.s and all... you are wrong.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (from Southern California) has done extensive research on the damage caused by V.O.C.s in paint. Contrary to its most common reputation, paints with V.O.C.s are actually more harmful to the environment than they are to the human species, babies included! http://www.aqmd.gov/

But, at the heart of my article is my desire to promote a paint product that, in my evaluation, is truly a superb product. Eco-Brilliant from Fine Paints of Europe. Not only was I directed to their paint product by a very successful painting contractor in New York City, but I was floored to hear the details about this paint.

Eco-Brilliant is a water-based alkyd paint. So, it has low V.O.C.s like other water-based latex paints, but it lasts as long as the infamous, old stinky oil-based paints. This paint is inspired by examples from the Netherlands, a country that founded the first wall painting products! I am convinced. Each can will cost you much more than you want to afford. But, if you can find a shade you love, and you paint your walls with Eco-Brilliant, you will not need to paint those same walls again for decades, literally!

Fine Paints of Europe
http://finepaintsofeurope.com/

Painting & Wallcovering Contractor (PWC Magazine) May/June 2009 issue
This article may be found at: http://www.paintstore.com/article.php?item=2710

right sizing is key

2009-07-09T21:58:00.011-04:00

Nestled deep into the hillside, the sleek cantilevered nanotechnology laboratory’s building design grasps the awe of the landscape and offers brilliant views of San Francisco for the scientists and students who use the facility. First introduced in 1959 and put into practice in the early 1980’s, nanotechnology is a fairly new science. As such, there are yet only a few research centers in the U.S. devoted to its rapid development. Matching in scientific excellence, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) – The Molecular Foundry is the first LEED Gold laboratory in California, consuming 35% less energy than is required by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 (1999).

So, in my opinion, the new laboratory gets what I will call, "double points." One point for gorgeous design and one point for exceeding green requirements. This project is also a beautiful example of teamwork between the client and architect. LBNL conducted much the brainy green techno research while the architect, SmithGroup of San Francisco, created a breath-taking elegance.

LBNL took primary responsibility for the energy consumption design of their new Molecular Foundry building. “With in-house engineers focused on energy savings, they went on-site to three other campus labs and monitored their energy usage by tracking their lab usage meters. Then they averaged this usage to reasonable loads that the new building design should be targeted to meet,” says Napier of SmithGroup. Oversizing mechanical and electrical systems is often a reaction taken by engineers making conservative design decisions, not necessarily accurate decisions. As a result, oversizing accounts for wasted energy consumption, a weaker life-cycle economic advantage, and perhaps reduced human comfort from over-heating and over-cooling.

http://www.eco-structure.com/laboratory-projects/achievements-through-work.aspx

March 2009 Issue of EcoStructure

nature inspires handicap design

2009-03-19T14:43:00.004-04:00

Ramp in Chatanooga, Tennesee by George E. Norkus Photography

I was asked by the Editor of Deckworld Magazine to write a feature article on handicap ramp and deck design for the March/April Issue 2009. At first, I had to think about the different types of handicapped people. I became quite enlightened when interviewing Jacqueline Kehl of Barrier Free Design, an interior designer and universal design consultant. (Universal design is a term coined in the 1960's for architectural design catered to the physical limitations of an aging generation.) Jackie is handicapped herself and is a golden resource for all types of architectural designers who use her services. Most interestingly, she told me that the first step in designing a space for handicapped individuals is to understand for whom are we designing the space, what is their disease or disorder, what are their physical limitations, how can an architectural space (either indoors or outdoors) help their condition, and lastly in what ways will their condition transform in the coming years?

I stumbled across this quote by Helen Keller, “To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.” Her quote is invaluable if it is taken as inspiration for handicap design. She points out the fact that Nature is so entirely therapeutic and healing for humankind, no matter how healthy we are. Furthermore, if we look to Nature's delicate and intricate design, we can understand that creativity, elegance, and thoughtful design is essential for handicap spaces. So, for handicap spaces and that in particular for the ramps, we need to look beyond ADAAG and building codes in search of a way to make these spaces as pleasant as they are inhabitable.

geothermal is universal

2009-01-20T20:39:00.003-05:00

Photo credit: Exclusive Geo Works, LLC

Geothermal technology no longer consists of simply harvesting energy from the earth and underground water resources. The energy-efficient technology consists of a specialized furnace that circulates water through buried tubing to supplement the conventional source of either heat or coolness to achieve the optimum human comfort temperature.

Geothermal is also no longer associated with buildings, whether residential or commercial, that have acreage… a significant amount of acreage. When interviewing Troyce “Buck” Webster, President of Exclusive Geo Works, LLC in Centerburg, Ohio, I discovered that geothermal is a much more stabilized technology than even ten years ago.

Most interesting, however, is that geothermal can be installed anywhere. Even in an urban infill area? “YES, all I need is a 12’x 12’ area of land,” says Webster.

I was most impressed that Webster uses his own home for extensive experiments on which types of geothermal technologies, trench profiles, and tubing lengths and configurations work best. Upon settling with a two-stage geothermal furnace and extra-long tubing, he spends only approximately $500 per year total to both heat and cool his drafty, old 2,000 square foot farmhouse. “The extra costs for the technology are recovered between 2-7 years,” says Webster.

His experiments do not end at the foot of his driveway. Already, several of Webster’s clients are indebted to his innovative spirit. Particularly interesting, Webster installed geothermal tubing underneath an organic farmer’s compost pile. The compost reaches as high as 135 degrees during the dead of winter in northern Ohio. When water passes through the tubing, the water passes into the farmer’s radiant heat flooring system.

Look for the full version of this article in www.greenbuildinginsider.com.

building materials reuse and recycling

2008-12-19T09:37:00.003-05:00

Photo credit: Bedrock Industries, Inc.

Apparently, when we set our recycling bins out on our residential curbsides, our glass containers are often simply crushed and set to compete against stone aggregate for road construction. Chris Munford, Marketing Director, of Bedrock Industries, Inc. told me that it is a shame for glass - which is such a beautiful material - to be downcycled into a material that really isn't greatly needed for road construction.

As a result, Bedrock started a recycled glass tile company, where the glass they collect is upcycled. Bedrock pays for cleaned, label-less glass bottles from consumers. Once the bottles are collected, they are organized per nine different colors (there are even two different clear glass colors!) and crushed into grain sizes from sand to a flour consistency. Munford then explained that for their light green tile color, they take one scoop of chardonnay and 12 scoops of clear glass.

The glass tile they provide is absolutely gorgeous... Most glass tile, available for purchase in the building industry, is clear with a painted color on the back. But, Bedrock's glass tiles are solidly colored. Each new batch of tile has its own unique color based on the stock they have available. Sometimes, they get construction donations such as scrap window materials, old traffic lights, and lighting fixtures. Their prices are reasonable as well!

Munford's primary goal is to keep the material from ever reaching landfills. As such, Bedrock also collects used shipping materials to send out their supplies to customers both nationwide and internationally.

This bit of info is included in my article #77 to be published in Northwest Construction (a McGraw Hill Publication) in February '09.

http://www.bedrockindustries.com/