Kitchen countertops make a strong design statement in your home.  They are highly visible and tactile.  The material you use should be able withstand heat, stains, and intensive use.  And it should be a good fit with your home style.  The cleaner, greener trend in home design today has opened up new choices in kitchen countertops.  A big thank-you to Steve Rymer, the owner of Architectural Tile & Stone, who patiently shared his thoughts on new ideas in kitchen countertops.    

Granite 

Steve says polished granite is still the most popular surface for countertops, and for good reason.  Granite is a very dense stone made of crystallized minerals formed at extremely high temperatures.  It is not subject to etching by cooking acids, or to scratching by knives or pots and pans.  Steve says selections today have moved away from busy granite patterns.  This coincides with a housing trend toward modern styling with cleaner lines and simple, soothing colors and patterns.  Although non-shiny finishes are now available, he does not see a strong movement toward the use of honed granites on countertops.  When granites are matt finished, the natural colors and patterns are subdued or lost.  In granites, Steve sees the demand at about 95% for polished material, and 5% for honed.

 There are several finishes for granite: 

High Gloss Polished – This is the most reflective and the least porous of the surfaces available.  Fine polishing brings out the depth, color, and pattern in granite.  Each piece has it own natural movement of pattern and color.   

Honed Finish – To create a honed surface, the polishing process is not taken to its full potential.  Rather than a 3,000 grit polished surface, it is taken to a soft sheen 600-grit surface.  The result is a less formal, satin finish.  The surface is more absorptive, so it will show stains easier than a closed-pore polished surface. 

Leather Finish – A leather finish begins with a honed surface; then it is swept with diamond tipped brushes.  The process brings back the color and closes pores on the surface. The result is between polished and honed.  It has more sheen and is less porous than a honed finish.

Flame Finish – To create this surface, blowtorch-strength heat is applied to the granite surface.  This causes some of the granite crystals to explode and shatter, leaving a highly textured surface.  This surface is more suited for exterior paving, rather than for countertops.    

River Washed – To create this surface, the granite is first flamed; then it is wire brushed to smooth out the sharpness of the surface.  The result is a rustic texture with an aged, irregular finish.   

 Marble

The marble family – limestone, travertine, marble, onyx – starts out as sediment from shells and plant matter.  After millions of years under pressure, this forms into stone.  Because its main component is calcium, it will react to acids such as vinegar and citrus.  Marble can be used on kitchen counters as long as there is some tolerance for stains and scratches.  Steve strongly recommends the honed marble surface for kitchen countertops, rather than polished.  This is because the less perfect finish will accept wear and tear more naturally.  The honed surface offers a softer, less formal appearance.   

Slate & Soapstone 

A New York designer recently asked for Pietra de Cardosa.  This is a grey stone from northern Italy.  It is a type of slate – but very hard.  It must be cut with granite cutting machinery, rather than tile machinery.  This is a granite alternative that does not have a lot of pattern movement.

Soapstone is also a granite alternative.  It is a very dense stone – more so than even granite. Since soapstone is impenetrable, it will not stain.  It has been used for years as a work surface in chemistry labs.  The colors are mostly grays and blacks.   

 Limestone

 Limestone is an organic stone similar to marble, but not as hard.  It is readily available and easy to cut.  Limestone can be sealed and used for kitchen countertops.  However, there is likely to be some mottling and variations in color over time, as the calcium in the limestone is exposed to acids used in cooking.  Jerusalem Stone is a type of dense limestone found in Europe and the Middle East that is used for countertops.  It offers a warm, soft look in creams and earth tone colors.  Since limestone is absorptive, it should be sealed regularly.  Some staining and variations in color is a part of its organic, rustic look. 

 Engineered Stones

 The trend toward cleaner, greener finishes has led to greater use of engineered, or composite, stones.  Engineered stones are made from about 93% quartz, 7% epoxy, plus resin and color.  The use of crushed material is less wasteful, so it is considered a greener choice.  Quartz is readily available.  However, cutting and shaping of the material is done by fabricators.  So the cost is about the same as many granites or stone slabs. 

 Engineered stone is more homogenous in appearance than natural stone slabs.  There are no swirls and veining showing its creation over millenniums.  Some familiar names are:

 Caesarstone – evokes the look of limestone

 Cambria – a mock granite look

 Silestone – a very dense, polished surface

 Okite – introduces a veined marbled look

 Tile   

 Ceramic tile continues to be used mostly on backsplashes in kitchens.  On kitchen counters, it is scratch and heat resistant; however, the grout needs to be sealed for optimal stain protection.  Tiles cut from stone, such as granite or marble, can be set tighter together than ceramic tile, keeping the grout joints very narrow.  Stone tiles come in a variety of sizes, and are less expensive than slab material. 

Icestone

IceStone is a slab product made from recycled glass in a cement base.  It offers a clean, modern look, in a variety of colors.  Because it makes use of recycled glass, it is considered a green choice.  The cost is similar or higher than many natural stone slabs.     

Concrete

Concrete is a porous material that absorbs stains easily.  A good fabricator can build a beautiful, soft colored, well sealed countertop.  Although it is sealed, the homeowner should expect some mottling and staining over time.  That is a part of the more organic look of concrete.  A professional fabricator must be able to pour and finish the counter in place.  There is a lot of art and craft to making a concrete counter.  Although concrete is inexpensive, the labor brings the cost up to that of some stone slabs. 

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a good fit with today’s chic, contemporary look.  It has been used for years in professional kitchens.  Steel is stain resistant and durable, but does scratch and can be loud.  There are brushed or textured finishes that help camouflage scratches.  And, when attached to a wood under-layer, it is more sound resistant. 

Happy holidays to everyone!

 Thank-you to all of you who have sent us friends and associates who need to buy or sell houses!  Keep sending!

Please join me on  Facebook and Linkedin 

Thanks,

Roselind Hejl, CRS

Coldwell Banker United

512-327-0385 office

512-789-4563 cell

www.weloveaustin.com

Boulder; Green since day one

By Michael Hughes November 28, 2009

The first inhabitants in Boulder did something new and different. First populated by Miners who came to the area when gold was first discovered in the canyons nearby. The beginning of the green movement was 1859 when a group of Insightful settlers organized the Boulder City Town Company. Even back then, the town grew slowly, because lots were expensive and mercantile type companies were limited to selling to the mines and miners. Railroads came and with that the population tripled by the 1880’s. Boulder as a community began preserving land as early as 1898 with the purchase of the area now known as Chautauqua Park. By the end of the 19th century, Boulder had established itself as a center for health, recreation, and culture. In 1896, the Seventh Day Adventists built a sanitarium for tubercular patients on Mapleton Hill. In

1898, the Colorado Chautauqua opened on a 26-acre site donated by the city of Boulder at the base of the foothills. It is one of only 4 Chautauqua’s that have survived over the years.   In 1908, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (yes his father was Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. who designed and created central park in NYC) was commissioned

to advise the city on improvement to its physical surroundings. Olmstead envisioned a high-quality environment, with residential areas kept isolated from industry, in order to maintain clean air where people lived. Olmsted’s report served as a guide for growth in the coming years.  Boulder has been on the cutting edge of the green movement for quite some time. In 1910 there was a threat of an amusement park on the summit of Flagstaff Mountain and accessed by an incline railway that rallied concerned citizens to speak out.  This led to long range plans to protect the foothills and the mountain backdrop.  In the future Boulder citizens decided to prevent further development by acquiring land before it could be developed.  Collectively protecting the land and the ecological integrity of the area. The early settlers took their cue from the Chief of the Arapahoes.  Realizing that clear blue skys, pure water and land preservation be respected.  Smart growth, healthy living, smart children, it’s a wonderful life in Boulder, Colorado.  We are proud to call this our home.

Contact us today if you or anyone you know needs real estate help….
e-Mail michael.hughes@sothebysrealty.com Direct 303-359-6627 Website:www.bolderrealestate.com

Nexus Exhibitor Showcase: Buy Green, build Green. December 3rd, 2009, Boston, MA. Special Event Info.

ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) will be holding the 2010 Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida, January 23-27. You can find out all the pertinent details by visiting their events page.

US Army Corps of Engineers is having their 6th Annual Technology Workshop & Industry Forum: Energy Efficient Technologies for Government Buildings–New and Retrofits, in Olrand , Fl on January 21s-22nd. For more info, contact Annex46.org/workshops

Green Cities 2010: Melbourne Convention Centre February 21st-24th, 2010. The master classes look interesting: take a peak for yourself!

HVACR Instructor Workshop: Advancing Green Mechanical concepts. ACCA, AHRI, CARE, HARDI, HRAI, NATE, PHCC, RSES, SkillsUSA, Landowne, VA. March 24th-26th, 2010.  More info instructorworkshop.org

If travel is not in your future, you can always sign up for some online education. YouTrainOnline.com offers Engineers board approved PDH continuing education: 10 ASHRAE packages, 8 Greenguide courses and 51 individual courses. Engineer Continuing Ed.

Marriott, one of the largest hotel chains in the US, has started down the path to being green.  Every small step this huge hotel chain makes is going to be a big impact with hopefully more hotels will following in their footsteps.  Marriot is on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions close to 100 million tons by 2010, what an impact.  So they started in Washing D.C. where their headquarters is located.

By switching over to compostable plates and silverware they will be significantly helping the environment.  What a great way to leave a positive footprint in the ground!  They even went a step further by supplying their employees with re-usable coffee mugs and water bottles, to cut down the usage of paper ones.

Marriot headquarters even made an office model to how a green office should run.  With bubble cut outs in a carton like effect they showed which containers recycled what.  They even placed signs to show how shutting of a lamp that isn’t needed will save energy as well as their printers and monitors when not in use.

In the next five years Marriot plans to have their Marriot Courtyard hotels be LEED certified, they currently have more than 160 hotels in development.    The Courtyard Settler’s Ridge in Pittsburgh, Penn., will open next summer.  It will be the first hotel structured and designed with these standards. More than 30 of their hotels are being designed to receive LEED certification as of now – very impressive.

For a dollar a day Marriot is also offering their guest the ability to green their stay.  They have adopted a creative saying, “Green Your Marriott Hotel Stay for $1/Day.”  It is only offered to guests who book online and the $1 a day will go towards the preservation of a Brazilian rainforest.  By doing this it allows the guest to offset his/her carbon they generated throughout their stay.  What a fun an innovative idea!

By Kate Kiselka /  Follow me on Twitter

With soaring energy costs in the country the question is being asked more and more if an energy efficient home should be given special considertion when being appraised? The answer is yes. As energy costs continue to raise, the value of a home that is more efficient then the standard home should receive higher valuation and that is just where the industry is beginning to turn.

consumers about energy efficient home rating system is able to test the overall efficiency of a home is filled with products that meet government energy saving standards, not only are they saving money on their energy bill, but increasing money in their pockets monthly and thus giving their home energy savings. If a homeowner has a higher energy efficiency then the average home, then not only are they saving money on their energy bill, but increasing money in their pockets monthly and thus giving their home a higher energy efficiency then the standard home should be given special considertion when being appraised? The answer is yes.

As energy costs in the United States today that are not rated; however, it is surely a step in comparison to the over 128 million homes that have had an energy efficient home rating system is able to test the overall efficiency of a home and rank it based on one light bulb. When a home is filled with products that meet government energy saving standards, not only are they saving money on their energy bill, but increasing money in their pockets monthly and thus giving their home energy savings. If a homeowner has a higher value.

Energy savings begins at a much lower level though then complete home renovations. Savings can start with your everyday home appliances such as your microwave, light bulbs, DVD players and more. Did you know that even a small change such as switching from an incandescent light bulb to a longer lasting compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) can save you over $60 in an 8-year period based on replacement and operating costs? Incandescent bulbs use 4 times as much energy as CFL’s And that is just where the industry is beginning to turn.

An energy efficient products and practices.

Last Wednesday, the representatives of the European Parliament, European Commission and Council of Ministers came to an agreement on the final text of the new version of Energy Performance in Buildings Directive. The next step is for the Council to formally adopt the version, but in fact the major decisions were already taken. Our next 10 years are pretty much “shaped” when it comes to energy efficiency in buildings.

The final version is weaker than the version that was successfully voted by the European Parliament in April. We were expecting that the text to be modified in the negotiation process and some compromises to be made, but the final result is more a collection of recommendations than a powerful tool  that could significantly contribute to saving energy in the European buildings in the years to come. For the most advanced countries – were the national legislation and standards are very powerful (eg.  UK – all new buildings – carbon neutral starting from 2016) is not a big loss but for Eastern and Central Europe it is. In this region the national legislations are shaped mostly on the European Directives – if we have a strong Directive we have strong national legislation, if we have a Directive full of recommendations ….sometimes we listen and if we are lucky we look at the other Members States for best practices, we admire and start making a huge list of reasons for why not we cannot implement that measure or that mechanism or why we cannot allocate funds from the public budget …….and the list is long.

I presented briefly below the major changes (pro and cons) brought in by the final text of the EPBD:

Strengths:

1. Abolition of 1000sqm threshold – all buildings undergoing major renovation, irrespectively of their size will need to comply with the Directive (improve their energy performance)
2. Minimum energy performance requirements for minor renovations (practically when a building element that is part of the building envelope – windows, door, roofs – is replaced or retrofitted )
3. All new buildings must be “nearly zero energy buildings” by December 2020; new public buildings have to comply with the standard  by December 2018

Weaknesses:

1. No obligation for member states to amend the minimum energy performance requirements in their building codes to achieve the result of the Commission methodology. This practically means that there will still be differences between same energy levels (A,B,C..etc) on the energy performance certificates in different countries. The objective of assuring convergence towards higher standards will not be achieved (at least not through this version of the EPBD)
2. No concrete requirements for Member States to introduce targets to renovate existing buildings according to nearly zero energy buildings. They were not supposed to renovate the whole existing building stocks to this standard, but at least to consider this aspect to a minimum percentage of buildings that are renovated.
3. No obligation for certifying and displaying the energy performance certificate in case of public buildings, unless they are bigger than 500sqm (the threshold will be lowered to 250 sqm in five years) and visited by the public. However an important number of public buildings will not be included in this category.
4. Fiscal and financial incentives were introduced only as recommendations and not as obligations. Practically it will be up to each Member State to allocate or not funds from the state budget for putting in place measures to support the implementation of EPBD.
5. The terms for applying the provisions of the new EPBD were delayed with two years after it comes into force. Practically – if the law will be adopted in 2010 (expected to happen) the Member States are supposed to publish the transposing measures in 2 years after the entry into force.

Next stage already started –  we (RoGBC together with WWF Romania and other representatives of the non-governmental sector) will have to continue our initiatives at the national level and lobby for proper implementation of EPBD and adoption of real measures that will contribute to encouraging the energy efficiency in buildings and promotion of renewable energy production. The new version of EPBD offers some good arguments in the discussions, but it is a weaker tool than what it could have been.

Anca Bieru

The Department of Energy earlier this week announced $18 million in funding grants from the recovery act to support innovation coming from small clean energy businesses. Here’s a look at three of the recipients focused on the green building industry: Chelix, KaZaK and Trinity Thermal Systems. The technologies developed could find ready customers in the growing U.S. green building retrofit market, which is expected to reach $2.1 billion-$3.7 billion on an annual basis by 2014.

Chelix ($150,000): will develop transparent paints that are highly reflective and if applied to roofs could reduce the amount of heat buildings absorb. The Hawthorne, NY-based company (its R&D is based in Sunnyvale, Calif.) aims to develop a “full polymer system,” essentially advanced plastic materials, that can reflect the invisible heat radiation contained in sunlight. Yingqiu Jiang, general manager for Chelix, tells us that the company believes it can “break” these polymers into a pigment, or white powder, that could then be mixed with a clear ink to create a transparent paint.

So-called “cool roofs” have become increasingly popular recently. Most commonly, roofing materials are simply painted white so that the house underneath absorbs less heat than dark-colored roofs, thereby reducing the need for cooling. But many architects and consumers don’t want to paint their roofs white, Jiang said. “Our technology will have minimal impact on the design color of roofs,” she told us.

KaZaK Composites ($150,000): will develop a highly automated process for producing mass-market structural plastic building panels with high-performance insulating properties. The Woburn, Mass.-based company aims to build plastic panels infused with phase-change materials that could replace conventional plywood in the building industry. These advanced materials are capable of storing and releasing large amounts of energy as they change from solid to liquid, helping to stabilize the indoor temperatures in buildings by, say, releasing heat absorbed during the day at night when the outside air cools down.

Nth Power and the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, in a report published earlier this month, identified phase change materials as one of the “revolutionary innovations” on the horizon in green building. It’s unclear if KaZaK intends to develop the phase change materials itself or use an outside supplier. The company didn’t respond to requests for comment. What is clear from the company’s web site is that it specializes in designing, building and operating “low-cost manufacturing” equipment of composite materials. If KaZaK is aiming for the mass market with these next-gen building panels, then cheap production would be one step in the right direction.    

Trinity Thermal Systems ($150,000): will develop a “novel thermal energy storage system” that can easily and inexpensively be retrofitted onto smaller, unitary air conditioning units commonly used in small- to mid-sized commercial buildings. The Flower Mound, Texas-based startup calls its technology IceCycle. The system captures power from the grid during nighttime, off-peak periods and stores it in chilled water contained in a thermal reservoir. During hot days the cold water is then used as a refrigerant and can reduce air conditioning operating costs up to 20 percent, according to Trinity’s web site.

Thermal energy storage has been around for decades, but Trinity believes it can develop a simple and reliable product that can be adapted to the many commercial air conditioning applications on the market. The company says it’s done field demonstrations with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, a trade group, and the municipal utility Austin Energy.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user O b s k u r a

Intel has released an interesting whitepaper entitled Reducing Energy Use in Offices to Increase IT Sustainability.

As the white paper explains, Intel has performed some extensive research beginning with the measurement and sources of their carbon footprint. They have pinpointed avenues and tactics to reduce their carbon footprint, decrease office energy use with the focus being to reduce PC energy usage. After performing their research, they have found that employee awareness is a key factor in reducing energy use at the office. Intel has published their findings on their website. Why not read the PDF copy of Intel’s whitepaper, Reducing Energy Use in Offices to Increase IT Sustainability to see if there is any interesting news or tips that can be applied in your office building setting? This paper might be especially useful to those in the office building construction phase and would like to get some inspiration for building a green office. And as the whitepaper reports, employee awareness is key to implementing green practices so make you pass on your knowledge.

By Alison Novak

Green Building Meets Match in Green Furnishings: The Hudson Companies Inc. collaboration with the Pratt Institute yields a bountifully green pairing.

Sustainable top to bottom, inside and out, is what can be said about Third + Bond, the 44-unit condo project in Brooklyn, NY. Third + Bond is expected to be LEED-Gold and Energy Star-labeled (as a building) when it is completed next spring. But the effort toward sustainability doesn’t end there. Third + Bond partnered with four academic departments and over 90 designers from Pratt Institute to outfit two model residences with sustainable furnishings.

This collaboration has been covered by Metropolis, Interior Design, the soon-to-close Metropolitan Home, and Yanko design, among others. With furnishings from revered designers Eva Zeisel, Harry Allen, and Bruce Hannah, just to name a few, and prototypes from the newest designers on the scene, like Tawny Hixson and Thomas Stern, the collaboration is undoubtedly buzzworthy.

Pratt Institute, the prestigious art, design and architectural college, completely outfitted the model residences from wall coverings to home accessories, furniture, textiles, art, lighting, and clothing. All items were designed by Pratt alumni, faculty and/or students. Some of the items have been classics for years, such as the T Sling Lounge Chair by Bill Katavalos. Others were created specifically for the project, such as the wallpaper designed by Pratt interior design students who were inspired by legendary, local oysters. Not only do the colors and graphics embody an organic, natural sense, but the wallpaper itself was manufactured PVC-free by Carnegie.

Traditional Brooklyn Townhouse – Modern Eco-Adaptation

Third + Bond was designed by Rogers Marvel Architects as a modern adaptation of the traditional Brooklyn townhouse. The furnished models are a 2 bedroom, 2 full bathroom condominium with a little over 1,000 square feet, and a 3 bedroom, 3 full bathroom condominium with private yard that’s just shy of 2,000 square feet. Green elements include energy recovery ventilators, low-VOC paint, dual flush toilets, pre-fabricated construction and R-39 insulation.  

The Hudson Companies Inc. Paradigm:  Quality Greens

As the first green building project for The Hudson Companies Inc, Third + Bond has also been an experiment in expanding the 22 year old company’s paradigm about quality. Known for both luxury and affordable housing, Hudson has built nearly 4,000 dwelling units in New York City and is known for its quality work. The idea of doing a green building before green was mainstream and when the cost premium was thought to be considerable, was a leap of faith. Now all of Hudson’s projects planned or in construction are green.

For more on Third + Bond, the collaboration with Pratt, and what it’s like for an established company to go green, check back with us on the Green Blog Network.

Photos by Diana Pau, Pratt Institute

www.thirdandbond.com 

Tema arkitekter i Malmö har projekterat Skanskas nya kontorshus i kvarteret Forskaren 3 invid Ideon. Det är stadens första fastighet som lever upp till EUs miljöcertifiering Green Building.

Den nya fastigheten ligger i bästa möjliga skyltläge invid Ideon-området utmed motorvägen E22. Husen är i fyra plan och formade som ett H. Två vitputsade huskroppar kopplas samman av ett glasat mittparti. Nu flyttar Sony Ericsson Mobile Communication in. De hyr i dag hela fastigheten, men hissar och trappor har placerats i mittpartiet för att huset vid framtida behov enkelt ska kunna anpassas för fler hyresgäster. Totalt omfattar fastigheten cirka 12 000 kvadratmeter och cirka 700 personer får sin arbetsplats här.

Många små åtgärder
Byggherren Skanska Öresund har genom hela projektet haft starkt fokus på energieffektivitet och miljöhänsyn. Allt från system för fläkt, ventilation, fjärrvärme och -kyla, till material i väggar, fönsterglas och fasadens gestaltning har valts med hänsyn till energiförbrukning och annan miljöpåverkan. Resultatet är en ovanligt grön fastighet med en energianvändning som ligger 40 procent lägre än Boverkets normer, vilket mer än väl uppfyller Green Building-certifieringens krav på 25 procent under den nationella normen.

– Husens goda miljöprestanda är resultatet av att vi har tänkt till lite extra kring alla processer, säger Skanskas projektchef Marie Persson. Det är många små åtgärder som lett hit. En avgörande förutsättning för den höga energieffektiviteten är till exempel fönstersättningen och andelen fönster i husfasaden. Genom hela projektet har Tema arkitekter varit en mycket lyhörd samarbetspartner och lyckats uppfylla våra krav utan att kompromissa med husens gestaltning, som är tidlös och proportionerlig.

Kompetensutvecklande projekt
Tema satsar mycket på att utveckla sin kompetens inom gröna byggnader och har bland annat startat en särskild miljö- och energiavdelning som arbetar kontinuerligt med dessa frågor.

– Det är förstås mycket kompetensutvecklande att vara delaktig i ett så här ambitiöst projekt i praktiken, säger Agneta Åkesson, ansvarig arkitekt på Tema. Vad som är speciellt glädjande är att miljömålen har kunnat uppnås utan att vi för den skull måste bygga en kub. Vi har inte behövt ändra vår grundlayout, utan kunnat göra det vi ville från början med husen.

Lundasamarbetet med Skanska Öresund fortsätter nu med fler kontorsfastigheter i projektet Norra Terrassen, där Tema återigen är arkitekt. Den gemensamma ambitionsnivån på miljöområdet är minst lika hög där som i det nu avslutade projektet.

Kontakt: Agneta Åkesson, 040 664 12 00

Temagruppen Sverige AB – i dagligt tal Tema – är ett av Sveriges ledande företag inom arkitektur, landskapsarkitektur och projektledning. Med över 50 års erfarenhet är vi en stabil rådgivare genom hela plan- och byggprocessen, från första idé till slutfört projekt.

Skyland USA, LLC is the creator of rooflite® green roof media products, which are the only independently branded green roof media products available on a nationwide basis. The nationwide availability of rooflite® green roof media products resolves the issues of procuring a proven and tested green roof media for all of your green roof projects regardless of their size, location, or plant selection.

rooflite® is a product line of certified growing media designed specifically for green roof application. Precisely engineered and manufactured, they comply with all related ASTM standards as well as the German FLL¹ – Greenroof Guidelines. The history of modern green roof technology began over thirty years ago in Germany. The German FFL – Greenroof Guidelines reflect the latest developments and worldwide acknowledged state-of-the-art technology. The FLL-Green Roof Guidelines define exact requirements and testing procedures for all green roof components.

We are very excited to introduce you to a modern, innovative and sustainable community being developed in Redmond, Washington by YS Development.  The Taltree ecoVillage is the next in an impressive list of projects that have been brought to the eastside market by this pioneering modern-green development firm.  Having completed the first two Built Green 4-Star homes within the city of Kirkland, YS Development will be building the Taltree project as part of Redmond’s Innovative Housing Demonstration program. 

These 9 detached single-family homes will offer such features as underground parking, walking paths, a community house, native landscaping and a design sophistication rarely seen on the eastside.  The site has been designed by renowned Johnston Architects and will be built to the highest levels of Built Green and Energy Star home standards. 

For some time now we have seen green building gain a strong footing in many of Seattle’s urban neighborhoods, however development of this type is still very new to the communities east of Lake Washington.  The Redmond Innovative Housing Demonstration program is intended to encourage diversity in housing choices on the eastside.  The inclusion of projects like Taltree will help to raise awareness of the social, environmental, and financial benefits green building represents. 

The Taltree ecoVillage will offer three different floor plans ranging from 1600 to 2500 square feet with price points from $500,000 to $825,000.  The homes are currently being marketed as a pre-sale with a unique twist; the developer is seeking a “founders group” of sorts to contribute perspective and design priorities that will become part of the final design of the project.  The founder of YS Development, Yuval Sofer wants to bring a highly efficient development that truly fits the needs of its homebuyers and is pursuing this approach as a means of realizing the full potential of this community development.  One of the main goals is to create a high quality community of social living while maintaining privacy and seeking the input of it’s future homeowner’s is seen as key to the process.  “If people are going to be living in a community setting it seems right to give them the opportunity to play a part in the design process” states Sofer.  He continues “we can go with what we see as the priorities, but understanding how they resonate with people will help us to do something that really works for everyone, individually and as a group”.

We will be following the progress of this project as it goes along and will be organizing a number of public events and tours in the coming months.  If you would like to know more about the project please feel free to contact Yuval Sofer directly, visit the YS Development website, or you can also find it on the Real Estate pages of the GreenDwellingSeattle site.

Here are a few final impressions from GreenBuild 2009:

I talked with a number of exhibitors in the expo hall from engineering firms doing campus sustainability plans to automatic lighting control manufacturers to steel industry representatives to manufacturers of electrical systems that go in 150m(!) high wind turbines. One of the most compelling was the International Dark-Sky Association. Their mission is to combat light pollution through the use of efficient lighting that illuminates only the ground, rather than ground and sky. They reason that much current outdoor lighting wastes massive amounts of energy and can be harmful to humans and animals. It also makes it pretty hard to enjoy the night sky in most populated areas. It is a simple idea that should be promulgated. Please spread the word…

The Earth at Night

One highlight of GreenBuild 2009 for me was a gathering of Coast Guard attendees organized by Captain John Hickey (sustainability leader in the CG, mentioned earlier in this post). Coasties from Providence, Rhode Island to Juneau, Alaska, many of whom were civil engineers, came together to get acquainted and exchange ideas. There have been some great CG sustainability accomplishments (see the post referenced above), including LEED buildings, and so it was nice meet some of the folks behind them.

In all, it was quite an interesting conference. The size alone (28,000 attendees) makes a statement on how far green building has progressed. Thanks to LCDR Corinna Fleischmann and LT Brian Maggi for inviting me to join them on this trip and for the support from CG headquarters. Please note the opinions expressed here and throughout this blog are my own and are not to be construed as representing those of the US Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, or U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.

Obama keeps talking about “fixing what ails America,” by building alternative power projects.

To seemingly prove it…

On April 11, 2009 DOE announced a whopping $38.5 Billion dollars in loan guarantees to “encourages the development of new energy technologies and is an important step in paving the way for clean energy projects.” All a start-up company has to do is fill out reams of paperwork and submit it along with their justification of why they need the money and their $75,000 non-refundable application fee.

Let me repeat that last part: “… and their $75,000 non-refundable application fee.”

These projects include solar, wind, hydro, ethanol, and even algae fueled remedies. And, there are a lot of them out there. Some of them even make sense, but…

At the NSF (National Science Foundation) bio-energy research projects are being declined and disqualified right and left,  by Government-backed reviewers who throw crap on the progress, by using “verbal vinegar”  like this:

“To base the proposal on the theory that there will be a variety of low-value feed stocks available is, in the opinion of this reviewer and many other industry observers, a faulty premise. Biomass is cheap right now because no one wants it.

However, as demand increases, it will become more expensive. Further the laws of supply and demand mean that replacing a significant amount of gasoline with biofuels would drastically lower the demand for gas. This would, in turn, cause the price of gas to plunge, making biofuels less competitive.”

Bull! I could use that very same argument to reject the use of margarine, or ammunition, or even car tires. The same argument could be made to reject solar and wind energy research — or any alternative energy, for that matter — by trying to make the case that an overwhelming  public adoption of solar power or wind energy products would cause the price of coal to plunge… well… because that might make solar and wind energy less competitive!

Would too! I know it’s true, because I’ve even heard politicians say it!

And we all know that politicians NEVER lie.

“Margarine is baaaad! We Must Stop This!”… before it makes COWS obsolete.

And heaven knows, the increase in American Horse Breeding may adversely impact the price of cars! It must be stopped! I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna start shooting horses, before civilization as we know it comes to an end…

Oh wait, the American Government already does that. It’s cheaper to manage “wild horse assets roaming the plains” in America, if you kill them first…

You think I’m kidding? I’m not. Say goodbye to the Majestic Wild Mustang, kids… They only place you’re gonna see them regularly is on Disney Cartoons. BLM actually kills wild horses, rather than provide for them. Don’t even get me started…

So why do reviewers say things like I just quoted?

Because they are paid to DISQUALIFY projects. First, that $75,000 dollar application fee is non-refundable, remember? Second, that way, those jug-headed politicians in Washington DC can claim that they’ve put help in the pipe, even if NOBODY can possibly qualify for it.

Oh, I almost forgot; It takes 15 months to find out that you’ve been cheated out of your $75 grand…

… if the half-wits in the “processing department” at the DOE can get the process streamlined down to 15 months, as “promised”.

BTW:

Here’s what independent reviewers with credentials in their field, said about that bio-energy project request;

Reviewer #A: “This is a well thought out proposal supported by a well qualified team.”

Reviewer#B: “This is a well written proposal with good technical foundation to carry out the project. Project team collectively has good qualification and sound experience to advance the scientific work in a professional manner.”

Reviewer #C: “The proposed plan is sound and improved results are likely with further research.”

So…

Stop buying margarine! Stop riding horses!  Stop building windmills! Stop shooting your firearms! Stop buying car tires! You’re killing America! You whiny un-patriotic, self-serving, greedy, capitalistic bastards!

Stay Tuned.

Okay, you all know what’s going on with my family, so I’m not going  to beat you up with that…

If this blog has helped you, educated you, amused you, or even just made you shake your head and wonder why I’m not locked up in some room clad with rubber tiles…

Please know that this site has required a great deal of money, time and effort to develop & maintain. If it’s been useful to you at all, and you can afford to…  you can help my family and support this site by making a small donation by hitting that Paypal button up there on the right. Paypal is the BEST “secure” way to donate to any cause… like ours. This will help keep us alive while we try to remedy our own situation, and empower me to carry on writing, maintaining, providing countless hours of hard work, and including any updates or topics that you might suggest.

And… No anatomical impossibilities, huh? I’m not as young as I used to be…

]]> http://greenlifesmartlife.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/a-not-so-traditional-secret-garden/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:00:28 +0000 castercomm http://greenlifesmartlife.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/a-not-so-traditional-secret-garden/

A secret garden on the rooftop of Minneapolis Target Center, home of NBA Minnesota Timberwolves is making the view from up above beautiful.  The Minnesota heat which reaches 140 degree won’t be such an inconvenience anymore.  The 2.5 acres of plants will keep the same temperature as the air and this will reduce the significant cooling and heating costs of the building.  Besides lowering the bills it will also keep 3.68 million gallons of water from running into the Mississippi.    

This is a great opportunity for Minneapolis and will be even greater when hopefully this fad starts catching on nationally.  Toronto has passed a new law mandating “green” rooftops for all new developments.  Any new development with 2,000 square meters must make sure their roof top holds between 20 and 60% of vegetation.  This new law is for residential space, commercial space as well as industrial.  There are mixed reviews about this law, many grumbles due to the extra expense this will cost.  But to others they see this extra expense paying off in the end. 

Chicago has joined by having 600 green rooftops.  This could be the start of something great for our environment, and why not it’s unused space.  Although the US has not made it mandatory like Toronto, Chicago holds the highest amount of green rooftops. 

There are so many benefits to having a green roof.  They are such a great way to insulate buildings and homes, and they reduce energy bills.  It is a great way to release oxygen into the air so car pollution is decreased.  This will also create a great space for workers at companies with green roofs to be able to enjoy the outdoors on a lunch break.  It is also possible to grow flowers, herbs, vegetables on these roofs; the Fairmount Hotel in Vancouver used their roof top space for this and therefore saves their kitchen almost 30,000 a year in food cost. 

By Kate Kiselka. Follow me on Twitter

I stumbled upon this video of Nick Hodson doing a presentation on Energy Efficiency called “Energy Efficiency: Challenge and Opportunity” on UCTV and then searched it out on the internet.  I haven’t had the chance to watch the entire 50 minutes but the last 10 minutes were good and so are the first 10…  Check it out  at http://iee.ucsb.edu/content/nick-hodson-video-presentation

Symbiotic Green Wall for construction sites

To be quite frank, I don’t think that my home town has ever had construction extensive enough to warrant a wall separating it from the surrounding civilization. I have, however, experienced the eyesores around construction sites in larger cities that can put a definite damper on an otherwise enjoyable urban landscape. No longer, though! I predict that every city will be wracking its collective brain over what it can construct in order to try out the new Symbiotic Green Wall designed by Kooho Jung and Hayeon Kelly Choi. It’s promoted as an “urban ecosystem for construction areas” and its insightful design takes many environmental factors into consideration.

Symbiotic Green Wall "pods"

The Symbiotic Green Wall is a double-layered wall system whose interior wall collects rainwater and grey water from the construction site, filters and stores it and redistributes it around the site. Part of its redistribution includes a sprinkler system to control dust. The exterior wall has a variety of “pods” that house grasses or other plants (watered via the wall collection system), birds’ nests, lighting and even provide seating to passersby. Some of the pods contain gauges (shown in blue in the above rendering) for environmental sensors that monitor noise, air quality, dust, vibrations and odors; this information is made transparent for the public. The Symbiotic double-wall system also helps to control some of these environmental factors by absorbing heat and noise. Now I just need to hope that Cresco will soon be needing some long-term construction; I volunteer us as a test city!

Sources:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/11/23/symbiotic-green-wall-by-kooho-jung-hayeon-kelly-choi/
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/11/23/living-green-wall-buffers-filters-construction-zones/

This year at Greenbuild, Bluebeam Software exhibited to share a simple message with attendees: communication based on PDF, and not paper, is a greener practice that should be implemented into green building projects.

But in true Bluebeam fashion, we went all out to find a fun and unique way to get the word out. May I present Exhibit A?

The Mighty Bluebeam makes going paperless fun!

That’s right! We unveiled the Mighty Bluebeam, dubbed “the world’s greatest paper eliminator,” to help attendees see that project communication really should be digital, and not paper-based. Not only is this a greener way to share information, but more time-efficient and effective, too.

The great news is that Greenbuild attendees agreed. We met with so many designers, engineers and contractors – all looking for ways to banish the Paper Pusher from their projects. And they were so happy to seek refuge with the Mighty Bluebeam and his paper-fighting PDF editor, Bluebeam PDF Revu, as demonstrated in Exhibit B, the Greenbuild Highlights video:

Want to see more? Then check out our Greenbuild Flikr slideshow, which includes photos of our ED+C Readers’ Choice Award, and the Green Exhibitor Award we won for incorporating sustainable elements into our booth.

Pretty cool, huh? Well trust me, when it comes to Bluebeam and fun trade shows, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Thanks for reading our Greenbuild wrap up, and remember to keep on PDFin’!

-Karen

One of the most effective presentations I saw at GreenBuild 2009 was about Life Cycle Assessment by Adam Cone. LCA measures the energy and environmental impacts of a product from cradle to grave. After recounting some interesting history of LCA (which he traced back to Coke in 1969), Cone gave an overview of the methodology. Then he used two different LCA tools (EcoCalculator and BEES) to measure expected CO2 emissions from the concrete used in a very simple toy model of a building. Not only were the results different, they were vastly different. The discrepancies were caused by the differing assumptions each made (things like spacing of the beams). The point was quite compelling – using these tools without carefully considering their assumptions can lead to misleading results. True LCA requires a great deal of work.

LCA programs consist of databases and models. For instance, a given material will have a value for how much CO2 is emitted in its production. And given some basic information for something like a building, such as material and dimensions, a simple model will predict how much of the material is required. Again, the models make implicit assumptions that often can only be determined by reading the documentation, if then. LCA and Carbon Footprint software would seem to have considerable overlap. LCA can focus on a specific material and all of its energy and environmental impacts. Carbon footprinting can measure across an entire system, such as a supply chain, but will focus on CO2 emissions. A little searching turned up this related post on lamarguerite about carbon calculator inconsistencies.

I have not looked at these tools closely yet myself, but I would not be surprised to hear that they are already being coupled to O.R.-type decision tools. Sticking with Cone’s simple building example, CO2 emissions can be an objective to minimize, or a constraint level to stay beneath, while the decision variables can be the type of concrete to use, aspects of the building design, the size, etc. So decision-problem-solving capability could be linked to LCA models and data, and in fairly complex ways. This would seem to be a huge growth area.

–

Another GreenBuild 09 session on LEED applied to restaurants was probably the most puzzling of the ones I attended. It featured speakers from McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Brands (Dunkin’ Donuts), and Chipotle. Having been in the restaurants of all three, I had a rough idea on where each stood with respect to sustainability. Of the three, sustainability seemed to be a core value for Chipotle, which has a slogan “food with integrity” that impacts health, environment, energy, and animal welfare. The Dunkin’ speaker admitted that they “lag behind” in their sustainability efforts. (See this Greenopia review of Dunkin’.) McDonald’s case is perhaps more complex. The company has an extensive corporate social responsibility (CSR) site detailing their achievements. Inhabitant reviewed some of their efforts and challenges here, while the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) has recently called on McDonald’s to improve animal welfare standards.

The session was mostly about each company’s experiences at building LEED certified restaurants. If I recall correctly, Dunkin’ builit one, McDonald’s two, and Chipotle two. Chipotle’s speaker said they hope to incorporate sustainability ideas from the LEED buildings in all of their restaurants. The representative from McDonald’s stated that they must figure out how to lower the costs if they are to expand the scope.

This was a conference about sustainable building, yet sustainability has to be about an integrated approach that transcends buildings. In the fast-food restaurant model, it touches anything from packaging to coffee sourcing to animal welfare to the drive-through restaurant model, and more. This theme was barely mentioned during these restaurant presentations, and surprisingly not at all in the Q&A. Hopefully it will become more pervasive in the restaurant business and others over time.

coming up in Part III of this post: Dark skies, Coastie gathering, and more…

by Keith Bancroft

There is a lot of attention being focused on green building and green building materials lately. But do you know what makes a given product “green”? How do you go about finding green products and how do you compare different products once you do find them? 

The two resources listed below provide starting points for researching green products for your home or business. Neither directory charges for listing nor sells ads, helping to ensure that the product reviews are unbiased.

• “GreenSpec Directory” from BuildingGreen.com

The online GreenSpec Directory lists product descriptions for over 2,000 green products researched by the editors of BuildingGreen.com’s “Environmental Building News.”  (Much of the content is free, although a membership is needed to access detailed information and product reviews.)

• “Green Product Directory” from Build It Green

The Green Product Directory lists suppliers of green building products within the Bay Area and is regularly updated to reflect local availability of products, introduction of new products and other new information. (Please note: I found the Build It Green web site to be a bit slow loading at times.  Please don’t get discouraged—it’s worth the wait!)

Do you have other ideas and favorite resources for finding green products? Leave a comment below to share your tips.

Corporate Social Responsible News: Pepsico Saves Water in India; McKesson’s New LEEDS Center

Come join the William J. Clinton Foundation and the State of Arkansas by serving in their innovative residential energy efficiency retrofit program in Little Rock!!

In addition to creating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, families living in high-energy-use homes are forced to spend more on utility bills, often diverting resources from basic living expenses. HEAL AR is designed to decrease the cost of utilities for Low to Moderate Income (LMI) people by providing residential energy efficient audits. Once audits are performed, AmeriCorps members in service will retrofit the homes to be more energy efficient.

In addition to receiving AmeriCorps basic training, you will learn–(both on the job and in the classroom) basic building science; skills and theory of energy efficient retrofits and operation of specialized equipment (blower doors, duct blasters, etc.). Project specific training will satisfy all OSHA, EPA and HUD requirements for health (Lead, asbestos, mold and combustion), job site (personal protective equipment, stairways and ladders, scaffolds, fall protection, electrical and fire prevention), and tool safety. Additionally, Standard First Aid and CPR training will be provided, along with applicable “green” training/certifications throughout the project year. HEAL AR will promote a diverse work environment for all of its members.

For the HEAL AR project, your living allowance is $950 per month. In addition, HEAL AR AmeriCorps members may be eligible to receive health insurance, and members who complete a full-time term of service will receive an AmeriCorps Education Award currently valued at $4,725. The education award may be used to pay for schools you currently attend, as well as past loans or future enrollment. Additionally, if you currently have student loans, you may qualify for postponement, or forbearance, of the repayment of your student loans during your term of service.

To apply, go to www.americorps.gov, click on ‘Advanced Opportunity Search’ and search for HEAL AR under ‘Program Name’. If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Agard at tammy@healar.org or Johnnie LaCaze at johnnie@healar.org. Deadline for applications is December 18, 2009.