Green Building Elements

Special release of the Green Tax Guide, 2009

GO Media Sponsor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:09:24 +0000

Green tax incentives at the federal and state levels are finally helping to convert our country to a green collar economy. In the wake of the recent Stimulus Package, and economic rescue legislation of 2008, several energy efficiency and renewable tax incentives have been extended to encourage energy efficiency, green buildings and renewable technologies. The Green Tax Guide helps you to understand these incentives and positively impact your bottom line. This useful resource can be downloaded at: www.GreenTaxGuide.net

Read more of this story »

Greening Your Home

Kelly Vaughn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:17:27 +0000

How lessons-learned from a state-of-the-art net-zero project can help us all reduce our impact

Now that everyone is finally talking about green buildings, the question becomes “Where do we need to go from here?”

The answer? Net-zero.

That’s what a panel of experts told an audience assembled last month at Rocky Mountain Institute’s symposium in San Francisco, RMI2009.

Read more of this story »

Architectural Firm in Barcelona Drafts Solar Media Screen for Taipei’s New Music Center

Lucille Chi — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:29:39 +0000

Taipei Pop Music Center has opened up an amazing architecture design competition for it’s new building. Nabito Architects has drafted and shared their vision of the new Taipei Pop Music Center composed of a “photovoltaic screen and a wall of LED panels”

The screen of the Pop Music Center may:

have a LED media wall reporting news, weather, event info and ads.
be powered entirely by the sun and set an example for green energy in the city of Taipei
include photovoltaic cell technology, with an LED wall
have controls set by a central computer, to show all events scheduled and more

Read more of this story »

Three Rivers Eco Resort in Dominica

Lucille Chi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:43:27 +0000

3 Rivers Eco Lodge is an enchanted sustainable hotel encampment consisting of hillside terraced cottages. Rainforest preservation, indigenous tree planting programs and organic gardens are at the heart of this green resort.

Retreat features include:

solar water heaters
self composting toilets
biodegradable, locally made soaps and furnishings
environmental education through conservation
a yoga studio
indigenous tree planting projects
green globe info
organic gardens
rainforest preservation

Read more of this story »

Coco Eco Bed and Breakfast in Australia

Lucille Chi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:58:02 +0000

Coco Eco is an award winning bed and breakfast named both after the area it is located (Coconut Well, Australia) and the ecological principles that it embraces such as:

solar powered facilities
black & grey water recycled and purified in Wastewatergarden®.
plantation & recycled timbers
solar passive design principles
building footprints designed to minimize impact on local flora and fauna
reduced use of chemicals & PVC products
recycling programs
organic vegetable garden & free range eggs

Read more of this story »

The Green Elements of CAR Expo 2009

Keith Rockmael — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:15:58 +0000

Attending the recently concluded CAR Expo in San Jose CA we could see that things weren’t exactly hopping, especially in the Green seminars and Green expo booths. Who could blame everyone, with the still lingering effect of the economy, unemployment and overall uncertainty? The Expo offered a bevy of economic forecasts, short sale sessions and new DRE laws going into effect but of course we went to check the green goings on. How’s the Green movement within the ranks of the real estate world? If my Green colleague and I would guess from the sparse attendance at the few green sessions and Green display booths then the state of Green Real Estate isn’t exactly on everyone’s radar.

Read more of this story »

New York City Starts “One Year, One Thousand Green Supers” Green Building Program

Lucille Chi — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:22:16 +0000

New York City plans to train one thousand superintendents on green buildings this year. City managers of commercial and high-rise residential buildings now have the chance reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city on a sky high level.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg took part in the program, “One Year, One Thousand Green Supers” which was also approved by the U.S. Green Building Council and the Building Performance Institute. It’s also made possible by the Thomas Shortman Training Fund. This is part of NYC’s huge goal to reduce their building-generated carbon footprint.

Read more of this story »

West Coast Green 2009 Comes Back to San Francisco

Keith Rockmael — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:57:44 +0000

It’s good to have West Coast Green back in SF. Not that San Jose didn’t play a fine host to last years bigger conference but the show lacked something last year, call it a vibe, or energy but something didn’t gel. So, this year’s scaled down but energetic and education West Coast Green found itself a new home at the Fort Mason. Maybe the ocean air and bay views added a green spark to the conference.

The economy definitely had an impact on this year’s West Coast Green with less venders but with less money that mean that people just had to get more creative with less moola such as the floating island, show gardens and even the sustainability built Jewish Sukkoth. The usual green rock stars like Eric Corey Freed and Michelle Kaufman made their presences felt with their energetic personalities.

Read more of this story »

The Cool Hunter’s Treelife 2010 to be a Global Show of Modern Prefab Tree Houses

Lucille Chi — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:31:31 +0000

Psyched to announce thier first offline event, TreeLife by The Cool Hunter, will be unveiled sometime in 2010 (city to be announced). Hey all you tree house builders and fanatics, your time has come for an inspirational modern prefab tree house playground made exclusively for forest loving, fresh air and sky dwelling mavens.

Read more of this story »

Prefab Resources, Tiny House Ideas, and Small Dwelling Design Links

Lucille Chi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:59:23 +0000

Check out the prefab community blooming online these days! Tiny House Village is trying to connect communities of creative small dwellings. Ideas are abound for these eco communities with Resources For Life’s Small House Society.

Tiny House design has a great set of resources all linked here as well. Check out the plethora of architectural resources,

Read more of this story »