Archive for September, 2009
September 30th, 2009
Leave it to Jerry Yudelson to write what is probably the clearest articulation of the business case for green buildings you could ever read. Jerry Yudelson is the author of several books that we’ve given away in the past, including Green Building A to Z, The Green Building Revolution, Choosing Green, and Green Building Trends: Europe, as well as about six others worth reading, too. He was a board member of the USGBC and chaired Greenbuild for about five years; he now heads Yudelson Associates, a consulting firm that is dedicated to “growing the business of green building.” Most recently, Yudelson authored The Business Case for Green Buildings, and this is his conclusion:
“The business case for green buildings is solid, no matter whether one builds directly for a corporate client or constructs speculative office or commercial space. By 2012, certified green buildings will hold the dominant market share of new commercial buildings. Now is the time to begin getting experience … ”
Most people think the business case for green buildings is purely economic or financial, but Yudelson explains that the business case actually rests on five legs: (1) economics, (2) risk management, (3) marketing, (4) government relations, and (5) employee relations. Further, there are at least 10 major benefits of green buildings, each of which could be assigned to at least one of these five legs:
- Energy and water cost savings;
- Increased building valuation from higher profits owing to savings;
- Possible incentive payments from government and utilities;
- Increased rent and occupancy;
- Productivity and health benefits for office occupants;
- Risk management (economic, financial, market, legal, political, etc.)
- Marketing and public relations;
- Increase in reputation value for public companies;
- Recruitment and retention of key personnel; and
- Access to capital from responsible party investing funds.
Of course, a serious analysis of these benefits must necessarily occur from the perspective of the stakeholder because some benefits only accrue to certain parties. For example, a tenant may not benefit from increased building valuation, or the landlord may not benefit from productivity or health gains of tenant employees. For this reason, the business case is particularly strong for buildings that are both owned and operated by the same party, such as with government, school, and large corporate buildings.
In any event, if you’re looking for a succinct and sufficient enunciation of the various business benefits to green buildings, make sure to download and read The Business Case for Green Buildings by Jerry Yudelson. You’ll be glad you took the time.
[pdf] The Business Case for Green Buildings by Jerry Yudelson.
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September 30th, 2009
If you’re a regular TreeHugger reader you undoubtedly know the importance of rainforests in regulating climate, being one of the most biodiverse ecosystems out there, and a potential cornucopia of medicines and other useful products. And you probably also know that defor… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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September 30th, 2009
Whether striking a business deal in the sandbox or minding his manners at the “grown-up event” he’s been dragged to, your little man will look sharp, and stay comfy, in one of Fat Tie’s hip organic cotton t-shirt & necktie combos.
Taking the K-5 generation by storm, the LA-based company pairs pre-washed and pre-shrunk organic cotton tees with either vintage ties, or jersey and thermal knit ties. With the days of tacky clip-ons and printed tuxedo shirts behind us, the toughest decision you’ll have to make when planning for your next formal event is which one to order. We love the old school styles like simon, dexter, and oliver, but paired with a wee-sized fedora, rusty makes us swoon every time.
The Fat Tie team has reported that “kids who wear our Fat Tie shirts are clearly acing their kindergarten calculus exams and revolutionizing the “link n’ log” possibilities, simply because they’re wearing our shirts!” Available in sizes 2T and up, it’s never too early to start dressing to impress.
Regularly priced between $20-$25, many styles are on sale right now for $10-$15!!
September 30th, 2009
Scottsdale, Arizona is one of a growing number of American cities that have inserted LEED into their building code. Scottsdale set the bar quite high with a LEED Gold requirement, but that wasn’t going to limit these architects. When father-and-son architects Laurence and Lance Enyart of LEA Architects were chosen in 2005 to design the 14,350 square-foot firehouse, they decided to shoot for LEED Platinum. Lance Enyart said, “Gold was the mandate, but for us it wasn’t about points that we could achieve, it was about implementing strategies that were project appropriate.“
You’ll be interested to know that LEA Architects met its LEED Platinum goal, and the building, according to Fire Chief, is the first LEED Platinum fire station in the world. Some of its green features include the following:
- 5 kW photovoltaic array on the roof that provides 9% of total energy;
- Solar hot water that meets 95% of the domestic hot water demand;
- Operable windows for added indoor environmental quality;
- Majority of occupiable space located along the perimeter of the building to take advantage of natural lighting;
- Arizona sandstone brick sourced only fifteen miles from the site;
- Interior brick used as thermal mass to capture cooling and heating loads;
- 100% of the irrigation sourced from shower and sink graywater;
- Low flow fixtures, waterless urinals, and dual flush toilets throughout;
- Water harvesting pipes that double as shading devices as part of exterior trellis; and
- A design intended to use 40% less energy than a code-compliant firehouse.
When I spoke with architects Lawrence and Lance, they described the unique nature of designing a LEED Platinum firehouse. Lawrence Enyart said, “a fire station is different than other building, it’s not an eight-hour-a-day office. A fire station is used 24 hours a day, which is almost double what a normal building would use in energy.“
Brick is favored over drywall because firefighters carry metal equipment while running which would destroy a conventional gypsum wall assembly. The brick interior walls also lower heating and cooling loads by absorbing energy and radiating it out when the air handlers are off. The air conditioning system has a “governor” on it because firefighters have to wear layers of hot, protective gear, even in the summer and can be tempted to turn the air conditioning to the highest possible setting. Hot air is allowed to escape through a cooling tower, which also doubles as a climbing tower for firefighter training.
Lawrence Enyart has a long history of working in solar design. The energy crunch of the 1970′s left a big impression on him. He is one of the first degree holders out of Arizona State University in Solar Architecture and graduated the same day that his son, Lance, was born. While Lance received his training from the University of Arizona, the two have been able to collaborate despite school rivalries.
Photo credits: LEA Architects.
September 30th, 2009
Photo: Jason Taylor’s sculptures, now in Mexico.
Mexico has announced plans to build the largest underwater museum in the world, with around 400 figures made of concrete submerged in the Caribbean sea, near Cancun. The goal? Protecting the regions coral reefs…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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September 30th, 2009
Image via BBC
The BBC has just opened doors to the world’s largest zoo…online. Zoos have their charm and wonder – and of course their importance for research and species conservation – but they aren’t always accessible, practical, or healthy for visitors or residents. So the BBC has gotten techy with their natural history photography and film archives, and put together the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/wildlifefin… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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September 30th, 2009
Photo via Glen Bowman
Bad news for dragonflies and damselflies as the global water crisis crunches down on us. Due to climate change and poor land management leading to habitat degradation, one fifth of Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies are threatened with extinction, according to a report by the IUCN.
September 30th, 2009
photo: David Morimoto via flickr.
A little bit late to the game, but glad they’ve arrived… The world’s largest exporter of meat products, Brazil’s JBS-Frisboi has pledged to no longer buy cattle raised from areas of the deforested Amazon which were cleared after September 23rd of this year, <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/releases2/world-s-largest-meat-expo… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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September 30th, 2009
It’s hard enough remembering to guzzle down 8 glasses of H20 each day, let alone force yourself to do it when the stuff is tasting like old pipes. And nowadays, yucky stuff like heavy metals and pharmaceuticals are being found in agua from the tap! Makes a girl want to throw up her hands and refuse to sip on anything without an umbrella in it. Don’t worry ladies, he may not be masked and arrive on horseback, but Zuvo will save the day.
The Zuvo Water Purator uses a patented five-step puration process with ultraviolet light to provide clean, delicious tasting water straight from your tap. While the upfront cost is a little more than you’re used to with other filtration systems, the initial $299 will save you in the long run, since each filter lasts for 500 gallons and you receive an additional filter free with your purator purchase (a Brita faucet filter typically lasts for 100 gallons).
The ecofab preference? Next run Zuvo filtered water through a sodastream machine for the perfect glass of sparkling water. Your afternoon indulgence never tasted so sweet (and calorie free!).
*Photo credit: theplumbingstore.com
September 29th, 2009
Today, Blu Homes and Michelle Kaufmann announced that Blu Homes has purchased the rights to build several Michelle Kaufmann Designs (MKD) homes, including the Glidehouse, Breezehouse, mkLotus, and mkSolaire. With the news, Michelle Kaufmann has joined the advisory board of Blu Homes and will consult the company in applying the MKD designs to Blu Homes’ fold out modular technology. Michelle will also start her new practice, Michelle Kaufmann Studio, where she will focus on custom, net-zero energy homes, sustainable communities, and eco resorts.
As you might imagine, the terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
The team at Blu Homes, according to Michelle, has been working on an unfolding modular technology in order to ship homes with more efficiency. Homes with 8′, 10′, and 12′ widths arrive on the site and are unfolded to enable spaces that are 16′, 18′, or 22′ wide. The image above shows an “Origin” home by Blu that has been unfolded.
Although MKD homes may change a little when offered by Blu, the idea is to remain true to the originals. Most of you may be wondering whether these now iconic designs can be replicated at a more approachable price, but that’s what Blu is trying to do. We’ll so where this all goes.
Blu Homes has homes under construction in Colorado, Utah, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. We’ve been talking about them since July 2008, but we haven’t been able to see or blog about anything that they’ve built yet (except for the Origin pictured above). Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that soon.
Photo credit: Michelle Kaufmann.
