Archive for July, 2009
July 31st, 2009
This month, (not so) Free Green added a payment structure to some of their offerings, but can you blame them? They’re providing high-quality home design for next to nothing! And with the roll out of this new structure, Free Green also introduced some tiny house plans that look pretty slick. You’re going to have to pay $19.95 / year to get the details, but here’s what we know. The tiny houses will be net zero energy homes with about 525 square feet of space and a bedroom and bathroom. Tell us which is your favorite:
Note: if you’re planning to actually build one of these tiny houses, let Jetson Green buy you one year’s worth of a Premium membership for $19.95. We’ll sponsor two, serious, tiny house purchasers, just email us at jetsongreen@yahoo.com and tell us your plans. While supplies last.
Rendering credits: Free Green.
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July 31st, 2009
Here are today’s picks for what’s wow in the world of green.
Europe’s First Floating Apartment is First Step to Real Floating Cities
Molecules that eats CO2 may help fight global warming
Kenya to build Africa’s biggest windfarm
US Military Seeks the “Zero Carbon” Camp
July 31st, 2009
The Weld House takes sheet metal from 20 year+ old cars and turns it into wild tables, beds, armoires and more. They do a lot of custom work and will help you find the perfect color of metal to build your dream piece of furniture.
Here’s a before:
and after:
See more work with works in progress on their flickr page …your imagination will be fueled and your wallet will never forgive you.
Tables start at $750.00 and Beds start at $1500.00 at The Weld House
July 30th, 2009
USGBC founder David Gottfried’s super green home received a total of 106.5 points and LEED Platinum certification, but this home, The Sage, just received 110 points. It’s the highest score west of the Rocky Mountains and the first LEED Platinum home in Eugene, Oregon. Designed by Arbor South Architecture, PC, The Sage is a demonstration home for the firm. It’s meant to give clients and the broader public an idea of what can be achieved through sustainable design and green building. Take a look inside, it’s beautiful.
The thoughtful, modern home has two bedrooms and two bathrooms neatly packaged in 1,447 square feet of space. And if you’re in the area, you can tour The Sage as part of the Home Builder’s Tour going on right now through August 2, 2009. Here’s a snap snot of what makes this home green:
- Advanced double 2×4 framed walls w/ foam insulation;
- Active solar water heating and solar photovoltaics;
- High efficiency electrical heat pump/natural cooling;
- Heat recovery ventilator and Energy Star appliances;
- Drought resistant landscaping and rainwater collection;
- Efficient low-flow faucets and dual-flush toilets;
- Reclaimed lumber flooring and recycled cork floors;
- FSC wood cabinets w/ recycled paper countertops;
- High-efficiency windows oriented for natural light;
- Accent siding reclaimed from Cuthbert Amphitheater; and
- Zero VOC paints throughout the house.
Located at 1261 Crenshaw Road, The Sage was designed, built, and developed speculatively by Arbor South on an infill lot. It’s price tag is $450,000, and Arbor South estimates that the home cost an extra $50,000-$60,000 to build it to such a high environmental level.
[+] Watch The Sage Twenty for Twenty on YouTube.
All photos: © Mike Dean Photography.
July 30th, 2009
A couple weeks ago, we mentioned you can buy the McGlasson weeHouse in Duluth, Minnesota, and now we have news that a weeHouse STUDIO is for sale — for the crazy price of $48,000. It’s currently located in Siren, Wisconsin, but the buyer can have it shipped anywhere the land will take you for $1,000, plus about $7 per mile. The 324 square-foot pad is just perfect as an artist retreat, guest/bunk house, yoga studio, or freelance workspace.
The weeHouse features natural bamboo on the floor, walls, and ceiling, as well as an IKEA kitchen wall, two stainless steel refrigerators under the counter, Andersen sliding glass doors, fully insulated walls, a weather-tight EPDM rubber roof, and a custom cedar deck that ships separately. The details.
But if you’re looking for something a little bigger, again, there’s the McGlasson weeHouse, or catch some inspiration from our other articles on the Johnson Creek weeHouse, Marfa weeHouse, Oeschger weeHouse, or the off-grid weeHouse.
[PDF] weeHouse STUDIO for sale – $48k
Photo credits: Alchemy Architects.
July 30th, 2009
NRDC Issues 2009 “Testing the Waters” Report
A day at the beach sounds good — as long as the waves aren’t contaminated by human or animal waste.
At the risk of raining on your beach party, and in the hopes of eventually improving it, the Natural Resources Defense Council issued its latest report on water quality at U.S. beaches. The good news: a 10 percent decrease in closing or advisory days last year compared to 2007. The bad: pollution remains serious, lea… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Go to Source
July 30th, 2009
Photo: Flickr, CC
What’s For Dinner, Honey?
California’s San Joaquin Valley has some of the highest natural levels of selenium (a chemical element that is highly toxic in large doses) found anywhere. It’s in the soil and the groundwater, and it ends up in plants. Some species have actually evolved to take advantage of this, building up selenium into their tissues to poison predators. But selenium also ends up in the pollen and nectar of the flowers. Is it poisoning California’s bees?… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Go to Source
July 30th, 2009
Summertime’s footwear staple gets a sweet-tooth upgrade from Planet FLOPS, an entire line of delectable flip-flops made from natural rubber. With mouth-watering names like Chocolate Cherry, Licorice, and Pineapple, who could resist? Started by Dr. Sylvie, a podiatrist and long-time flip-flop enthusiast, that saw the huge need for cozy, eco flip flops, Planet FLOPS carries options for men, women and even the tiniest toes in the family.
Since not all rubber is created equal (synthetic rubber is petroleum and chemical-based), Dr. Sylvie knew it’d be important to support your soles in flip-flops made from natural tapped rubber – a rapidly renewable resource derived from tapping the sap from the tree bark (think maple syrup). You’ve still got all the cushion and flexiblity you want in a pair of flip-flops, now in an array of candy-colored options!
July 29th, 2009
Seeking to domino the success of the i-house, Clayton Homes just announced a partnership with general contractor Empire Construction to create a new e-living concept for green, multi-family dwellings. In a couple months, the e-living concept will be applied to the construction of six units at Raintree Apartments in West Knoxville. With construction estimated to be complete by December 2009, five of the units will be occupied by families, while the remaining unit will serve as a model home.
Speaking about the e-living concept, Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton Homes, said in a press release, “E-living isn’t just a ‘feel-good’ concept. The energy-efficient and green benefits are real, but this makes good business sense as well, particularly when you look at the savings associated with the time reduction in construction schedules.“
The main strategy with e-living seems to be to marry the green benefits of factory construction with energy efficiency. With construction in the factory, Clayton Homes produces less than 2% scrap, which the company estimates is 50% less than typical site-built construction. E-living communities will also, as many would expect, have a property-wide recycling program.
Of note, the multi-family strategy is popular with factory builders and prefab companies these days. For instance, Michelle Kaufmann Designs closed its doors, but Michelle is continuing to work on prefab communities. Also, a new company, ZETA Communities, is building net-zero energy, multi-family housing in Northern California. Prefab, green multi-family is certainly the new black these days.
Rendering credits: Ackermann PR.
July 29th, 2009
Three years ago, Macalester College decided to build a new home for its Institute for Global Citizenship (IGC), a program that educates students to become global citizen leaders. The building, Markim Hall, which was named for Mark and Kim Stricker, was designed to attain LEED Platinum certification as a way of reflecting the program’s commitment to global leadership. Currently, there are 12 college campus buildings in the country that have achieved platinum-level certification, and Markim Hall is one of only two campus buildings in Minnesota designed to earn LEED Platinum certification.
At a cost of $7.5 million, the 17,000 square foot building houses the IGC classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, and civic engagement study abroad and international programs.
The open atrium is for campus events and features an original bronze bust of former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, who graduated from Macalester College in 1961. While the hall opens this summer, the official dedication and campus-wide convocation will be on October 1, 2009.
The current energy simulations predict that Markim Hall will use 80% less energy than a standard building in the same climate. Sustainable features include:
- Triple-glazed, low-e glass windows on the north, east, and west facades to prevent heat loss; south facing windows are double-glazed in order to collect more sunlight in the winter months and reduce heating costs.
- Super insulated building envelope, walls have R-40 insulation (as opposed to R-22, as required by code) and the roof has an R-70 rating (building code is R-13).
- Hydronic heating and cooling in ceiling panels and a radiant floor in the atrium.
- Low flow faucets and and plumbing fixtures that reduce water use to 45% less than a typical, code-compliant building.
- A drop off area but no parking to reduce car trips while also promoting the use of local bus lines.
- Floor tiles made from recycled porcelain, glass tiles made from recycled bottles, window sills made from recycled newspapers, and cabinetry made from recycled sunflower seed husk.
- Native or adaptive plants and no permanent irrigation system on site.
- Carbon offsets purchased to cover heating, cooling, and electrical consumption.
Markim Hall was designed by Bruner/Cott & Associates and built by McGough Companies. Markim Hall has won a Building of America Award and is scheduled to be featured in the upcoming Green Building of America-Midwest Green edition publication.
Photo credits: Macalester College.
