Frank Schiavo’s compact, tract-built, three-bedroom ranch-style home in a modest San Jose neighborhood demonstrates that remodeling to create a cutting-edge green home is neither difficult nor expensive. Heated with sunlight and cooled by night air, his home is comfortable, quiet and tasteful, filled with light and local art. With only modest investments in a sun room, extra insulation, new windows, a very small array of rooftop photovoltaic and solar hot water panels, his electricity bill for the coldest, cloudiest months of the year averages a few dollars a month. His gas bill is even more modest.

What’s most impressive about Schiavo’s house isn’t that it’s so comfortable and practical for him to own, it’s that it demonstrates that lofty resource conservation goals can be achieved on a modest remodeling budget.

Passive Solar Energy is Inexpensive

Schiavo’s remodel performs so well, and for so little, because it focuses on conservation, not features. San Jose has plenty of sun, so Schiavo’s house exploits passive solar design. First, Schiavo thoroughly insulated. Next, he added heat-collecting thermal mass (in the form of a small sunroom addition) to store heat energy in the winter and stabilize temperatures. In the summer, he stores the cool of the night air. Interior walls sport an unusual finish detail that, at first brush, appears to have been motivated by modernist aesthetics. Stacks of black, rectangular solids suggestive of consumer electronics protrude from interior walls extending from the floor to chair-rail height. As Schiavo explains, these are actually five gallon metal cans that have been painted black and fitted into steel support racks in key wall sections. The cans are filled with water, which has terrific thermal mass for its weight and volume. Many of these cans are situated in an interior wall that separates the interior from a south-facing sunroom. The water-filled cans store heat in the winter (and the cool of night air in the summer) and release it into the interior of his house.

Passive Solar Heating/Cooling: Operating the House

In the winter and early spring, Schiavo lowers special insulated doors in his sunroom, exposing the water-filled cans. Sun enters the windows of the sunroom and heats the brick-in-sand floor. The warm air in the sunroom then heats the water-filled cans. At night, Schiavo closes the insulated doors, and the water-filled cans radiate heat back into his house. This is an implementation of a passive solar Trombe Wall.

An added benefit of the sunroom space is that it makes an ideal place to hang laundry to dry. Schiavo admits he does use his gas dryer: about a minute or two per load, with no heat, to fluff-up his clothes and remove lint.

Schiavo Himself

A sustainability activist, passive solar design consultant, and retired environmental studies instructor from San Jose State University, Schiavo doesn’t shrink from publicity. A recent article in the San Jose Mercury News (4/5/2008, Is that a lion in the yard? S.J. fence-mural draws second looks) covers the extensive mural in Schiavo’s front and side yards, painted by a friend.

Schiavo first found the public eye in a well-publicized struggle with his local garbage company. Through a combination of disciplined purchasing habits, composting in his yard, and extensive recycling, he has virtually ceased to produce any trash. For years, he continued to pay the local garbage company for a service he wasn’t using. The mayor of San Jose found out and ordered the garbage company to stop billing him. His example led to the City’s composting program, run, incidentally, by a former student.

If you live near San Jose, you can see Schiavo’s house and mural at 1186 Bayard Drive. Look for footprints painted on the sidewalk, position your feet in them, and watch mural, building and landscaping meld into one large piece of art.

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Off the Grid Homes combines beautiful images with technical information for sustainable homes.

The book by architect Lori Ryker is less of a manual for systems to be used in off the grid homes (though it does include good information about the systems and strategies that are used in sustainable off the grid living) and more of a showcase of state of the art homes at the intersection of appealing architecture and high sustainability.

For many, the phrase “off the grid home” brings associations of a rudimentary, hand-built, rustic cabin. It usually suggests a rough hewn character and images of anything other than refinement and elegance. But that image is far from the case in examples presented in this book.

The case studies presented in this book offer examples of architectural works by firms such as Arkin/Tilt Architects, BLIP design, and the author’s own firm: Ryker/Nave Design. The book includes six case studies of reasonable-sized single family homes (from 1440 square feet to 4200 square feet). Each of these private residences is a comfortable example of an architecturaly appealing home that would catch the observer’s eye in any case. The fact that they are off the grid homes as well simply adds to the appeal.

The examples are well spread out, to showcase a variety of approaches and conditions where off the grid homes can be located, though from my midwestern perspective, they are all western homes, located in Montana California, Washington, and one in Tasmania. Two of the examples are situated in urban environments, while the other four are located in rural locations, more along the lines of what first comes to mind when the phrase off the grid is mentioned. In addition to numerous photographs of each house, there is also a section at the end of each case outlining both the passive- and the active-systems used in each project, as well as a listing of many of the materials used in order to make each project sustainable.

There are some surprises in the case study selections. For instance, the Capitol Hill House in Seattle might not immediately match with most expectations of an “off the grid” house. It is located in an urban neighborhood, and, although it is connected to the electrical grid with a net metering set-up, it’s photovoltaic panels provide nearly 100 percent of the energy the house needs on an annual basis. And not only is the Capitol Hill House an off the grid house, but it is also an example of a remodeled homerather than one that was built new; sustainable and off the grid in a home renovation.

Lori Ryker explained her criteria for what qualified as off-the-grid, saying, “it became clear to me that there are many aspects of energy and resource independence that are applicable to this term. For instance, rainwater collection, used to reduce a homeowner’s reliance on municipal water, provides a component of off-the-grid living, yet the house may not be 100 percent off the grid. In the same way, someone may elect to integrate a photovoltaic [PV] system that is large enough to support all of their electrical-energy needs but live within the city limits, which requires them to remain tied to the municipal infrastructure. They may not be living 100 percent off the grid, but they have found a way to produce their own energy while continuing to live within the density of the city.”

There are also clear, well explained sections discussing various technologies, with descriptions of Water Collection and Gray Water Reuse, Photovoltaic Systems, Wind Turbine Systems, Solar Hot-Water Systems, and Geothermal Systems. While a specific system is used in each case, the technical discussion addresses the system in a wider context, explaining various options and different methods that can be used to accomplish these systems.

The off the grid homes presented in this book are not the isolationist enclaves you might first expect, but are showcases of well designed buildings. The ideal of being off the grid is reflected in an approach to how the building works, and how it reduces impacts on the environment.

Lori Ryker has assembled a wonderful book that nicely bridges between an architectural book with fabulous pictures and a technical book on sustainable design. It shows how wonderful a sustainable home can be, both in its design and its operation, bringing together the best of both worlds and making for some truly remarkable homes.  It is an appealing combination, well recommended to anyone who is looking for examples of how other homes have incorporated sustainability.

Off the Grid Homes - Case Studies for Sustainable Living
Lori Ryker with photographs by Audrey Hall
128 pages, color photographs
Gibbs Smith, Publisher

Off the Grid Homes [Amazon]

Building with Awareness

Renewable Energy Handbook

Reviews on Green Building Elements

First 100% Off-Grid Green Building in San Francisco

You may not know it, but your kitchen is one of the biggest resource hogs in your house. You use electricity and natural gas for your appliances. You use water in your sink and dish washer. Your fridge is stocked with foods grown and transported from all over the world that require chemicals, water and fuel to be produced and transported. And then there’s the non-recyclable packaging that goes straight to a landfill.

Here is a list of things you can do in your kitchen to lower your environmental impact, and also to live in a healthier home. We have recommendations for appliances, products and new behaviors.

Any chance you are planning a kitchen remodel? We also have great recommendations for you– wonderful new materials for countertops,cabinets and floors, leads on top-rated green architects and interior designers, and more. Just scroll down if you’re focused on a remodel.

Get Green in the Kitchen

1. Use energy-saving appliances. You can greatly reduce your power and water usage and your greenhouse gas production by using Energy Star appliances. Energy Star appliances can save as much as 50% of your energy and water use, and can cut your carbon footprint by 1000+ pounds, compared to standard appliances. Click here to see Energy Star models.

2. Use compact fluorescent lighting. Compact fluorescent lights use 1/4 the energy and last up to 10 times as long as standard bulbs. And they come in versions that are dimmable, recessed-ready, and daylight spectrum–any version of light type you can think of. Each high-use bulb you replace will save up to $10 and 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, and they last for many years. Click here to see our wide range of CF lighting options.

3. Recycle and Re-use. Can you rinse that ziplock and use it again? Can you reuse the containers you got from take-out? And don’t get plastic bags every time you go to the store for groceries– take durable reusable sacks with you. Click here for reusable grocery bags..

4. Eat Organic, Eat Local. Not only is eating organic healthy for you and your family, but it keeps chemicals from running off into our oceans and rivers from non-organic farms. Eating food sourced locally–like from farmers’ markets– means tons of carbon dioxide are not released into the atmosphere in the process of transporting food to you. To learn more about eating organic,see our selection of great books on organic food and cooking. Also, you can find a farmer’s market near you to get delicious, organic, locally-grown foods.

5. Get green cleaners. Each time you spray a standard cleaner on your counter you breathe in a fine mist of harmful chemicals. Use non-toxic, organic dish soap, detergent and cleaners to protect yourself and your family. See our selection of green cleaners.

6. Compost. Don’t throw out those coffee grounds and banana peels– save landfill space and make your own rich potting soil using a composter. It’s easy! And there’s even a model that works right in your kitchen. Find the composter that’s right for you.

7. Only run your dishwasher when you have a full load. It takes the same amount of energy to run a full or a half load– so wait another day and fill up that machine. Also, remember that washing dishes or pots by hand takes more water than doing them in the washer– so go ahead and put them in the machine.

Remodel Your Kitchen the Great Green Way– it’s healthy, sustainable and gorgeous!

If you remodel a kitchen the “normal way” you’d likely use some combination of new woods for cabinets, marble or tile for countertops, and perhaps some new tile or wood flooring. These standard materials consume resources and contain many toxic chemicals. Fortunately there is a very different way to design and build your new dream kitchen– a way that is sustainable, healthy and jaw-dropping gorgeous. We’ll show you how.

First you should find an architect or an interior designer who is skilled in working with sustainable materials and knows how to build in an eco-friendly manner. Use our nationwide listing of green architects and interior designers to find a great one near you.

Now let’s focus on materials you should consider. Let’s talk about countertops.

Terrazzo is so beautiful you will not believe it is sustainable. Terrazzo consists of recycled glass and crushed stone held together by cement or epoxy. It is buffed to give it a smooth finish. Terrazzo is low maintenance, long-lasting, and has high recycled content. Recycled materials can make up as much as 95 percent of the materials in terrazzo. Terrazzo from EnviroGlas(pictured at right) and Icestone are particularly good for their high recycled content.

“Paper Stone” is another great countertop option. Comprised of paper and other fiber suspended in resin, these materials look surprisingly like stone and come in a variety of exciting colors. The material is heat resistant and very durable. It is also easy to maintain with a nonabrasive cleaner and a cloth. PaperStone and Richlite are two of the more well-known brands. Richlite (pictured at below) uses pulp from sustainably managed forests, and PaperStone incorporates up to 100 percent recycled paper pulp.

On to kitchen cabinets.

Everyone automatically thinks “new cabinets” when they start to plan a kitchen remodel. But cabinets are often made from wood harvested unsustainably and saturated with chemicals used in sealing, gluing, and painting. Many of the chemicals used can be cancer-causing and can offgas into your home for years. Fortunately there are some great, safe alternatives.

First, save whatever parts of your existing cabinets that are still servicable. Are the shelves okay but the fronts have to go? Already, you’ve saved a lot of wood and money. For the new cabinet elements, you can use reclaimed wood, or formaldehyde-free pressed fiberboard. Or you can even get cabinets made from compressed plant material (such as wheatboard).

For the best in wood cabinets, you want to find ones that use either reclaimed wood or FSC-certified wood (FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council–www.fscus.org– and they assure that wood is grown and harvested in a sustainable manner). For reclaimed wood, you can turn to several companies that make cabinets using salvaged wood. CitiLogs uses reclaimed wood and custom milling to produce beautiful products. A company that will sell you reclaimed cabinet-grade wood is Elmwood Reclaimed Lumber.

You can also go the “new but sustainable route” with cabinets. AlterECO manufactures cabinets out of bamboo (a fast-growing grass) and wheat board. (Pictured at right.) Check out AlterECO’s cabinet selection here. Another great supplier is Breathe Easy. Breathe Easy cabinets are made using bamboo, FSC Certified plywood and/or wheatboard (all formaldehyde free). Both companies offer low- or no-VOC finishes. Also check out Kirei board, which makes panels out of the pressed stalks of harvested Chinese sorghum. Visit www.kireiusa.com.

You also have some great flooring options.

Marmoleum is not your grandma’s linoleum. (Pictured at left.) It is made of linseed oil, rosins, and wood flour, affixed to a natural jute backing. It is durable, comfortable to walk on and comes in a mind-blowing array of colors and patterns. To learn more about Marmoleum and find a dealer near you, please click here.

Another great sustainable flooring option is bamboo. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass and is very renewable, durable and attractive. We recommend Teragren bamboo flooring, a company whose mission is to help reduce our dependence on dwindling timber resources by manufacturing flooring, stairs, and panels from bamboo sustainably harvested in the Zhejiang Province of China. Click here to find a Teragren supplier near you.

Also have a look at these amazing tiles made out of recycled rubber– they come in blue, gray, shades of orange, and many other colors. They are both durable and springy, which means they’re easy on your knees. Visit www.ecosurfaces.com to see samples.

Lighting is also critical

Why not use some skylights or solar tubes? Natural light is best for your health and for the environment. If you do need electric lights, there are many great recessed, track and decorative light fixtures that work great with compact fluorescent bulbs. You’ll save a lot of power and money going this route.

Last but not least, don’t forget about appliances. We’ve already mentioned them in the section above, but don’t forget that appliances will consumer energy for as long as they are in your kitchen, so make the right choices from the start and buy Energy Star appliances.

Thanks for learning how to green your kitchen. Please make sure to check out our new Green Products Ratings & Reviews on main site at www.lowimpactliving.com where we’re adding new and exciting features every day!

One of the jurors from the panel that selected this year’s COTE Top Ten wrote about her experience and some of the things that she saw in the jury. And the question of great architecture versus green architecture was also raised in the AIA weekly newsletter this past week as well. The COTE Top Ten showcases some very attractive buildings with some serious green building credentials (LEED Gold and Platinum buildings and a building that claims “carbon neutral opearations”, to name a few). But the larger question seems to be how much green building and good building design are, or can be, connected.

Architect Rebecca Henn is a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan and was also the “student” member of this year’s jury. She shared some of her thoughts about the COTE jury process at BuildingGreen. My lament that the winners were all too much of the same type seemed to be echoed in her comments, as well:

“Which was a larger accomplishment: a big federal agency who regularly produces dim bland boxes now getting a more sustainable and beautiful building, or yet another LEED Platinum-rated environmental center (yawn…)?

“What about the inspirational design done for a project that faced budget cuts (twice) and a hurricane, but still stuck to its sustainable goals? The house we wanted oh-so-badly to give an award to had 4,000 square feet for two people. The big box store that could have been an exemplar of sustainability was, frankly, really ugly. The history of environmental design has enough poor aesthetic examples for people to use in repudiation of environmental goals. We refused to feed that fire.”

Good architecture is not easy, but the balance of design and sustainability needs to take both into consideration. This was the direction of another relevant article. While not directly addressing the issue of this year’s COTE Top Ten, Michael Crosbie writes about The Duty to Beauty in the AIArchitect weekly newsletter. In his article, he quotes James Wines, from a recent visit to the University of Hartford architecture program:

“An aesthetically inferior work of architecture,” says Wines, “no matter how environmentally correct in terms of green technology, cannot justify the investment, enhance a client’s public image, or qualify as sustainable design, simply because people will never want to keep a boring building around.” Great architecture and green architecture are one and the same—you cannot have one without the other.

With the current bandwagon of green building rolling along, everyone is looking to get on board. In trade publications now, page after page of ads for every imaginable product in the construction realm are all trying to wrap themselves in the green mantle. Too often, green is being used as the determining factor in a project in place of good design, rather than melding the two and achieving something that surpasses the easy trade-offs and creates something truly worthy.

As Rebecca Henn writes: “Sustainability needs to be seen in our profession less as a technological fix reserved for the spec writers and engineers. Instead, it should be seen as our responsibility to society in exchange for the state-licensed monopoly we enjoy. If we don’t hold both beauty and sustainability as equal cultural commitments, then we might as well hand over our licenses and call ourselves aesthetic consultants.”

Image Source: Aldo Leopold Legacy Center via AIA COTE Top Ten

Relaxation!
Fashion!
Celebrity!
Botox!
Booze!
Interiors!
Green!

Yes, most of this list refers to the Brit series Ab Fab but if Eddy and Patsy turned in their smokes and cocktails for organic and sustainable munchies then they too would be excited for the opening of the Epi Center MedSpa, the first LEED certified MedSpa in the country. (Another LEED spa exists in D.C. but it isn’t a MedSpa). So, because fictional characters from a long ago Brit TV series couldn’t check out this just opened San Fran based spa, I decided that I had to do it.

In I ventured, bypassing the various creams, packs, rubs and treatments I instead focused my attention to the flooring. It took years off of my face (or rather my feet) to see the eco-friendly options like the Toscana Stone Designer Marble and Quartz line from EuroStone. Yes, it comes from Italy but the tile comes from an engineered material made of the more than 90% recycled marble chips gives the floor that luxe look.

In the treatment room dahhling, I found the floating cork tiles (these from Nova Distinctive Floors) to die for because they not only represent a renewable resource but Nova makes this floor from re-manufactured cork top. That’s double Green in my book. I kept my eyes down to find the Sisal Carpet Tile in the treatment hallway and waiting area. This agave based material makes an earth-friendly alternative to synthetic fibers and even absorbs whatever noise that dares to enter the spa. Even in the non-public areas they installed Sisal Twist Broadloom Carpet that contains post-consumer, recycled content backing, made by recovering mineral residuals from the paper recycling industry.

You might think that I only stared at the floor. Not me. I gazed upward at the ceilings suggested by Organic Architect Eric Corey Freed which sourced Homasote, a fiberboard made of recycled newspaper. Freed even helped apply the water based stain which gives it a chocolaty warm feeling.

I could and did continue to admire the spa’s overall green handiwork of architect Justin Martinkovic, from the FSC certified wood veneers to the EcoSmart Fire.

I did consider the green aspects of the actual beauty and medical products. They do offer some organic facials with ingredients such as 100% organic fruit and spicy masks. But then I saw a slew of Chemical Peels on the menu. That sounds painful and not so green. Oh well, I’ll have to report on the treatments in the near future. But for now, I’m tingly just walking though the green space.

But while I’m excited by some of the design presented in this year’s lineup, there are some troubling aspects of the roster as a whole that struck me almost immediately.

There is a strong slant toward a certain general kind of public building in this year’s COTE Top Ten. Of the ten winners (plus one honorable mention) almost all of the projects are buildings with a strong visitor component. Most of the buildings are Visitor Centers, Galleries and Libraries. Only one is a residential building, and the only office building is the honorable mention Internal Revenue Service Center in Kansas City MO.

Of the remaining nine, there are a Sculpture Building and Gallery, a Botanical Garden Visitor & Administration Center, a Learning Center, a University Center, a Center for Science and Art, an Environmental Education/Visitor Activity Center, a Discovery Center, a Library, and an Environmental Center. These are buildings which typically have a sizable budget and which are showpieces, meant to impress visitors. The inclusion of green building elements in all projects like this should be a given.

But do these really represent the best “examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment”? Or should the best buildings represent the whole range of building?

As a program of the AIA, superior architecture and design are going to be key in any national awards, whether related to environmental issues or otherwise. So expecting these to be more ordinary buildings may be a bit much to ask of COTE.

The best examples of environmental design should be found in a range of buildings and building types. Monocultures are rarely a good thing in the long run. Too much of the same kind of building runs the risk of developing a public perception of green building being limited to only certain types of buildings, a niche, rather than a direction in which all building must start moving.

All of these projects are fine examples of green building, and I do not want to detract from any of this year’s winners. But if the AIA is going to “Walk the Walk,” it needs to promote a broader range of sustainable building projects. The Committee should take a closer look at its selection process and the methods it uses to arrive at its Top Ten award winners. A wider range of the implementations of green building needs to be recognized as part of the program. Without a greater representation from a wider variety of project types, the COTE Top Ten recognition runs the risk of becoming a marginalized and insignificant award, rather than a standard of excellence for all building design and construction.

My congratulations to all of this year’s winners.

See Also:
What Makes It Green? 2008 Winners

Architecture Week 2008 - Is It Sustainable?

Image: Pocono Environmental Education/Visitor Activity - Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Architects, via: AIA.org

As climate change become a more central issue for people and governments around the globe, a lot of people are looking for solutions - fast solutions. If there were a quick and inexpensive way to dramatically reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, we should go for it right? Well a number of “quick fix” solutions, which have centered around hacking the environment to fight climate change, have been floating around for years. One strategy is to capture the CO2 with plankton and bury it in the ocean (which is much easier and cheaper than pumping it into the ground). Another is to change the composition of our atmosphere to reflect sunlight. Others tend to be more sci-fi and outlandish - but all of them might just turn out to be disastrous.

Even with more realistic alternatives, like carbon capture and sequestration from coal plants, have drawn criticism. But that hasn’t stopped some of the world’s wealthiest and most outspoken environmentalists from offering millions of dollars for a feasible and fast solution that captures CO2 out of the air after it’s released.

No wonder some are trying to use technology to solve our CO2 problem. While renewable energy and energy efficiency help prevent more CO2 pollution, several companies are looking to make money off off the inert gas. Not to be confused with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), these focus on the technology and economics of only capturing CO2. What we do with the carbon next is an open question. Fortunately “CO2 is the 19th largest commodity chemical in the United States”, according to the DOE, with numerous industrial, agricultural, and everyday uses - you can even make fuel out of it. So whoever first manages to harvest it cheaply could make a lot of money, even without millions in prize money.

Universities and academic collaborations compete with scientists and businesses to reach this goal. The Green Options network has featured promising technologies from Sandia National Labs before. While many are still in design or prototype stages, others are already being commercially demonstrated. Dr. Rona Fried points out in her Solar Today article that the technology is not new. Submarines and spacecraft use scrubbers and filters to protect their crews from their own exhalations. There’s even a famous scene in the movie Apollo 13 about repairing one such device in 1970.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/0dJUm73OFt0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

A better way to absorb CO2 on a larger scale is to use chemicals called sorbents. They soak up carbon dioxide on contact like a plant or sponge; then the CO2 can be separated from the sorbent and used. The trick is to build a machine that can do both without requiring excessive operation costs. If it needs too much energy, maintenance, etc., it simply won’t be profitable.

A company called Global Research Technologies (GRT) believes they have designed a viable system in that works at ambient temperatures (no cooling required) and uses about the same amount of energy as a power-plant flue scrubber - the type already available to clean power plant emissions. They call it the ACCESS (Atmospheric Carbon CapturE SystemS) device, which has already been demonstrated, and it’s exciting because it could be located almost anywhere. They could line our highways, form rows like wind farms, or be installed near industrial facilities that use or produce CO2. Better yet, the technology is scalable, so the larger you build them the more CO2 they collect. One such ACCESS device the size of a tree could capture 1,000 times more CO2 than a tree. Global Research Technologies even claims that 250,000 such models, each about the side of a wind turbine, would neutralize the CO2 we’re currently emitting. GRT hopes to produce 100 of these devices within 5 years. Unfortunately they’ll be expensive, about $250/ metric ton of CO2 captured, but like any industry, economies of scale could dramatically reduce that cost to $30-$50 per ton. GRT hopes their technology will be competitive on the carbon offsets market.

Klaus Lackner, a professor of geophysics at Columbia University, helped found GRT and design the ACCESS device. From the article: “Lackner outlined the potential of carbon capture as one piece of the portfolio of carbon reduction strategies”, which means of course that this is not THE ANSWER to climate change. We cannot and should not rely on this or any one solution to “solve” our CO2 problem. We still need to increase our energy efficiency, invest in renewable technologies, and work towards more sustainable lifestyles. But with all the depressing facts, figures and discussions surrounding our rising CO2 emissions and climate change, this is one technology among many that provide a ray of hope. Maybe, just maybe, with the plethora of resources at our disposal, we can begin to build a technological infrastructure that will not come back to haunt us with half-acknowledged or poorly understood consequences of unbridled development.

Images courtesy of
Solar Today
Physorg.com

This third location, located in SoMa, just opened and used zero-VOC paints to improve the air quality, and I could definitely smell the food and not the fumes. They even used recycled paint to cover their ceiling. I didn’t find any bamboo or cork for the flooring but something better as they used an unfinished concrete floor with 50% flyash content. That high flyash content along with the fact that the floor will last a long time (plus it’s easy to clean) makes that choice a no-brainer.

Although the dining area contains a slew of other green items (FSC certified wood, recycled steel, 3- compartment trash station) I most enjoyed the table tops made from 100% raw materials derived from recycled household materials such as milk and detergent bottles.

I won’t go into their menu with locally sourced, mostly organic, free range, items but they do promote a mostly sustainable philosophy. If I got on their case for anything, perhaps it would be the lack of a bike rack anywhere near the eatery or the fact that they carry Coke with some of their organic drink choices. How abut carrying the Mexican Coke in the glass bottles with real cane sugar instead of the GMO corn syrup? Maybe that will change but hopefully I’ll be seeing the fourth installment of Mixt Greens soon.

Below are the top 10 projects, along with short descriptions of ‘what makes them green’. (For more details on these projects, and to see all of the 2008 submissions, check out: http://wmig.aiaseattle.org/taxonomy/term/1).

1. Bertschi School, Seattle WA
   Because it is an urban infill project, the Bertschi Center reduces urban sprawl and provides the opportunity for families to live in the city and minimize their transportation usage. This project also takes advantage of its position as an educational facility, and provides features such as cutaways in the walls to showcase green features.
2. Center for Urban Waters, Tacoma WA
   This site will be almost completely porous, greatly reducing stormwater runoff. The Center will be located along the Thea Foss Waterway and will incorporate a public waterfront esplanade; views of the building from downtown Tacoma will emphasize its green roof, photovoltaic panels, and skylights.
3. Corvallis CoHousing, Corvallis OR
   This 34-unit housing project establishes a community that is based on the concept of shared resources. Automobile parking is marginalized, and the neighborhood’s nine residential buildings are organized around a pedestrian path. A community house includes a large kitchen and dining room for meal sharing.
4. Home on the Range, Billings MT
   Data on the cost savings achieved with this LEED Platinum building have been used to educate building professionals on the benefits of going green. Also notable is the fact that this building is almost entirely daylit.
5. Kitsap SEED, Bremerton WA
   SEED, or Sustainable Energy and Economic Development, encourages the development of clean energy alternatives through community-based projects (which will in turn act to stimulate the local economy). The Kitsap campus is intended to house clean energy technology companies. Its site is a former naval dumping ground, so the project aims to revegetate the site, and enable it to utilize all stormwater.
6. Lake Sammamish Park, Issaquah WA
   The concept of this park design, not yet built, is to emphasize the ‘connectivity’ between landscape and built forms.
7. Mosler Lofts, Seattle WA
   As Seattle’s first LEED- and Built Green-certified condominium tower, this project has attracted a group of homeowners who are committed to living green. The project revived adjacent Clay street, extending the project’s green effect beyond the footprint of the building itself. The Lofts’ financial success also provides a positive model for developers.
8. Portland City Storage, Portland OR
   This structure will provide dry storage for 350 boats, reducing the contamination that they cause when stored in the waters of the Willamette River. The project will reclaim a site which has been used for dumping concrete waste from a nearby concrete plant; the site will be reconstructed and revegetated, thereby improving salmon habitat.
9. Pringle Creek, Salem OR
   The Pringle Creek Community has achieved notoriety as a highly sustainable living environment; this new cottage meets the sustainability standards of the overall community. It maintains a small building footprint; is sited to preserve open space, existing tree stands, and water pathways to Pringle Creek; and meets the high energy efficiency standards established in the Community’s Design Guidelines. The cottage received LEED Platinum certification.
10. Staley-Vidas Residence, Bend OR
    An integrated design approach helped designers and contractors determine progressive green strategies from the project’s inception. Data on energy usage and product performance will be collected and used as a learning tool. A Platinum LEED for Homes rating is anticipated for this house; it is also registered with Earth Advantage.

The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce has a blog inviting the local community to discuss whether or not these winners (and the overall submissions to “What Makes it Green”) reflect the best of green building in the area.

Photo Credit: Seattle AIA

Related links:

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2007/12/29/design-competition-for-greener-concrete/

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2007/12/25/married-with-children-in-the-city/

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/01/08/greenbuild-2007-operational-building-winners/

Through the use of REGREEN case studies, interior designers can find how to make their current project more green. ASID does point out that the case studies are not to be used as a list of what materials and practices a designer should use, but rather a guideline of what has been used in the past. These case studies, along with a green product checklist and public comments, will provide interior designers with plenty of resources and strategies to tackle their own green remodel.

Though the case studies were done before the creation of REGREEN, it is clear that they were influenced by LEED for Homes. They tackle all of the areas of green, including energy and water conservation, interior air quality, and sustainable materials. Four of the case studies were done in California. The rest were from areas as diverse as Colorado, Texas, New York, Michigan, Georgia, and Florida.

Included in the program are in-depth strategies on, to name a few, how to “ensure durability,” “manage noise,” “employ universal design,” “design to support connection with nature,” “minimize site disturbance,” “make use of trees and landscaping to reduce cooling loads,” “landscape to minimize chemical use,” “provide rainwater collection system,” and “install on-demand hot water recirculation systems.” A read through the manual will show that the program offers specific answers to many green remodeling questions while leaving designers free to use the best materials for their remodel.

If you are looking for more resources on green remodeling or interior design, here is one on modern green living as well as a humorous one on New Levels of LEED.

If you have some experience with REGREEN, please leave your own thoughts. I’m interested in some feedback on the program.

Link: REGREEN

On March 18th, I posted the article, “Metropolitan Home Goes Green,“ discussing the magazine’s feature story on a Seattle penthouse.  Last week I had the opportunity to speak with Linda O’Keeffe, the Director of Design and Architecture at Metropolitan Home. Since Ms. O’Keeffe sees design trends as they happen, I asked her a few questions regarding what kind of changes she sees the green movement bringing to our homes.

Green Building Elements: Do you see a significant number of people opting for smaller homes?

Linda O’Keeffe: I do. Even people who can afford more are choosing to live in smaller spaces, sometimes because they are young or because they are empty nesters, but in general, just because it makes more sense now.

GBE: As people scale down, which rooms are they prioritizing, and which ones are they eliminating?

LO: I’m seeing fewer home offices and dining rooms. We were fooled into thinking we’d need a home office. But our offices are paperless now, so there is less to store. And there has been a change in technology, too; people are doing a lot of their work on a BlackBerry while they wait at the airport. Sometimes people with kids want a home office so that they can have a separate space, but even then, often everyone is in the kitchen. The kids can work on a laptop in there, and [parents] can see what they are doing.

Overall, people feel now that rooms should be adaptable: cozy enough for one person to read in, but able to accommodate 30 guests. Also, formal rooms are becoming less popular. They seem almost Victorian. Now we want every square inch of our homes to be usable.

GBE: With the surge of interest in recycled materials, are new types of finish materials becoming popular? (New kinds of countertops and cabinets, for example, or flooring?)

LO: Bamboo flooring is ubiquitous. And I am seeing a lot of recycled countertops; even Lowe’s has launched one of these products. I wouldn’t say that there is one particular material that is becoming popular, although I’m seeing a lot of concrete used for interiors. But it’s not industrial looking concrete; it has a patina and it’s touchable — it’s a sexier kind of concrete.

GBE: In general, what patterns do you see emerging as green design principles are applied to more and more homes?

LO: We’re at an interesting point in time. Everyone is talking about green. However, ’sound bites’ have a shock value, while the truth is very complicated. The New Yorker had an article recently that focused on some of these complexities: they were saying that buying locally may not always be best, because so many factors need to be considered when calculating an item’s carbon footprint. [The New York Times online has a good analysis of this issue, as well, in an article by Andrew Martin.]

As for Metropolitan Home, with every project we cover, now one of the first questions we ask is, “What about it is green?” We’ll continue to talk green; we won’t let it go away. It’s not a fad.

In one of our recent issues, we covered a renovation in which the owners re-used materials, and kept the original footprint of the house. These are green things. There is a lot of self-righteousness out there about being green; at Metropolitan Home, our attitude is, “Whatever you can do, do it.” It’s just a fundamental, sensible way of looking at the world.

Thanks very much to Linda O’Keeffe for taking the time to share her insights with Green Building Elements. Look for future issues of Metropolitan Home to offer more great advice on going green; in the May issue, check out “*word”, which provides data on how long it will take to recoup your investment on some popular green products.
 

Photo Credit: Mikkel Vang

Related Posts:

http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/03/24/met-home-gives-a-big-boost-to-green-companies/

http://jeffmcintirestrasburg.greenoptions.com/2007/03/22/the-green-options-interview-ed-begley-jr/

While the AIA has another program it also began last year titled “Walk the Walk” that offers a good number of resources on sustainability both for architectural clients and the general public, as well as for architects and other building professionals, the topic is not highlighted in the Architecture Week program in any significant way.

Architecture Week provides a chance for the architectural profession to draw some attention to the issues of buildings and energy use.  And while sustainability is only one of a number of issues that architects must address in meeting their clients’ needs, the opportunity seems to have been missed for a stronger message and more outreach to educate clients and building owners (from individual homeowners to corporate office managers) about the importance of buildings in the perspective of energy use and energy savings.

While increasing the efficiency of every vehicle on the road today by 10% would require a huge technological development, it would only save a bit less than 3% of our present national consumption of energy.  Transportation represents slightly more than 25% of the national energy consumption, while buildings represent nearly half of all energy used in this country.  So while research into improving vehicle efficiency is an important step to be taken, improving the efficiency of buildings will have a significantly larger overall impact.

Moreover, many of the developments needed to improve the efficiency of buildings are known and existing technologies, rather than requiring new technological developments.  By taking better advantage of daylighting, passive heating and cooling and other design techniques, we can build better buildings that will not leave a legacy of wasteful energy use.  And, new and improved technologies will help further improve building performance to be able to reach a goal of carbon-neutral buildings as a standard by 2030.

Better buildings need to be part of the steps we take today in order to move toward creating a sustainable future.  Architects should use the opportunity of being in the public spotlight to encourage greater public awareness of these issues.

Links:

AIA Architecture Week

Article about Architecture 2030

Architecture2030.org

It all started with the PlayPump, the water system that is a children’s merry-go-round attached to a water pump and storage tank that featured on Ecoworldly a while ago.

A see-saw that generates electricity when played on by children? Now there is this simple looking see-saw which when played on by children in Africa, generates electricity to help power up their school. It has no name yet but if this trend continues, it looks like Africa will be one very big playground for green play, literally.

You wanna play, somebody?

Daniel Sheridan, 23, a final year student of Consumer Product Design at Coventry University in the UK came from his volunteering stint in Kenya where he saw the suffering of poor students having to study under the moonlight or tiny kerosene lamps with a better lighted idea.

My thinking is that when he volunteered as a teacher, he probably saw the energy of these African children at play as something that could be put into good use, lighting up their schools easily and without any damage to the environment.

Sheridan recognizes that the current need for electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa is staggering. Without power, development is extremely difficult. The potential market for this product is huge and the design could be of benefit to numerous communities in Africa and beyond.

He is now thinking big: to solve the energy problems in Africa by enlisting the help of children in the playground. His innovation is yet to attain commercial viability but it won Sheridan a Coventry University undergraduate a prize for enterprise, at the college’s Enterprise Festival, an ideas competition launched in 2002 to encourage students to develop commercially viable ideas.

It is expected that this inspiring and cost effective product would be supplied as a central unit to the local community who will have a hand in building part of it and installing it. Not only does it involve local people into the creation, but it also considerably reduces logistical costs.

All this without any expectation of profit. The unique selling point of this product is that it is not intended as a profit-making design. It has genuine potential to improve the quality of life for those studying or working at the school where it is installed. Noble indeed.

Photo credit:
Tyger Lyllie via Flickr

The green traveling exhibit offered surprisingly educational and eye-catching examples of various water savings devices, energy star appliances, sustainable countertops, flooring, and furniture. Even though I didn’t stick around to hear the speakers (some of whom I know) the lineup offered an impressive array of green builders, designers and other knowledgeable types in the green industry.

Of course, here in SF these green exhibit folks basically preach to the choir (which doesn’t mean that I don’t listen). I discovered that when this traveling green exhibit previously set up shop in some southern and eastern cities where formerly non-green local denizens eagerly took to these Green products and demos. This education typifies the stuff that we like to hear. This whole Green movement isn’t about Cali although some people may think otherwise.

People pretty much like the moving Green house exhibit concept with friendly people answering questions about the products. Heck they even printed the program booklet on recycled paper (not sure of the recycled content).

There was a small issue with the Green Works natural, all-purpose cleaner bottles all over the place. Yes, the cleaner comes from the makers of Clorox. Yes, Green Works cleaners minimize the use of petrochemicals (99% petrochemical free). And yes, (or should I say Ruff?) they do not use animals to test the safety and efficacy of Green Works natural cleaning products. But why do they have to use corn-based ethanol as one of their main ingredients? Maybe it’s because Green Options just blogged about bio-fuels, the whole food-for-fuel thing, and the controversy of corn based anything that I am so riled.

Okay, everyone has their issues.

In April, Metropolitan Home is introducing its first entirely green issue. One of the feature stories, “Sustainable in Seattle,” details Greg Smith’s remodel of a downtown penthouse. According to the article, project architects Kyle Gaffney and Shannon Rankin “tried to avoid the burlap-and-Birkenstock earnestness that can afflict green projects.” And Smith, a developer himself, said, “The goal was for visitors to walk in and not recognize that it was a sustainable, green space.” To this end, attention was lavished on the selection of interior materials, with an emphasis on stylish as well as sustainable design.

Many of the products used in the renovation have already achieved popularity: low VOC paints, bamboo flooring, and organic fabrics. But since Smith works in the building industry, he had an opportunity to bring distinctive elements into the apartment’s interior by salvaging construction debris. Marble bathroom-stall dividers were turned into thresholds. A fir beam from a factory was large enough to be installed as a breakfast bar, and it serves as a focal point for the kitchen. Sandstone rubble was recycled as a hearth.

Salvage materials have a reputation for inspiring fine art, as the apartment’s powder room wall demonstrates. Artist Jo Braun created a woodland-themed mosaic by using pieces of old mirrors, taking the concepts of recycling and using local resources to a new level.

For more tips from Metropolitan Home’s green issue, see Leah Edwards’ post on Ecopreneurist.

Image Credit: Metropolitan Home

Image source | www.jiinjoo.com

An http://greenprinteronline.com dispatch.
When asked: how “green” are you, the brains behind accounting, IT and architectural firms who, kudos to them – both the closet greens or eco-warriors who proudly bear their eco-badge on their sleeve – jump up to say that they are helping their clients drive sustainability solutions.

Even lawyers are realizing their impact on their environment. No seriously, lawyers are sharp enough to know that using all that virgin paper cannot be good to the environment.

But when it comes to driving internal sustainability initiatives? Many still respond by: “we recycle”. Period.

A challenge? Entrepreneurs and businesses see opportunity to market and sell to the hot, relatively economically resistant and (not so new) marketing target market: the professional services market.

I say “not so new” because it relates to green business to business marketing.

But, the fact is, getting all professional partners to agree to a sustainability policy – let along all those brilliant minds in one room – is no easy task.

For other emerging trends about marketing to consumers and companies buying into the sustainability lifestyle, David B. Bohl makes a very interesting case for tracking trends in the luxury travel industry. Bohl suggests that trends that may start out in the luxury market have a habit of making their way into other demographic markets as well.

“Like luxury travelers, other consumers realize that not only is time money, but money is time. And we’re willing to spend our money on time.”

The opportunities
1. Make your pitch.
Happier and more productive employees. Willard, author of The NEXT Sustainability Wave: Building Boardroom Buy-In estimated that productively – which went up 10.50% amongst companies that adopted sustainability practices – is the biggest financial benefit of “going green” and ultimately creating a more socially vibrant workplace (think: the three “pillars” of sustainability).

2. Then, it’s about values.
“People want to work for companies that have strong values and care about sustainability,” says Madeline Turnock, vice president of Hill & Knowlton, a public-relations consultancy in Portland, Oregon.

3. Win through showing simple actions, never words.
It can start with something as simple as paper and move towards energy use, carpooling and retrofitting.

Paper
Forest Ethics estimated that largely due to deforestation, junk mail manufacturing creates as much greenhouse gas emissions annually as 3.7 million cars. Corporations and SMEs, I’m betting, are getting their fair share of junk mail every day. So, the EcoEco tireless creatives behind the Red Dot Campaign point us in the right direction and we at Green Printer use recycled paper exclusively (with the funky Eco-Calculator, of course) and print with dry offset printing - the eco-friendly choice.

Carpooling
Make it fun – sign up the dry humoured Accountant and mile-a-minue Marketing Manager in a car. You can also go more organized and still be green(er) with potentially less conflict by signing on to Car Share or Zip Cars.

Retrofitting, insulation, smart energy controls and more
Home ideas fit for the office – and WWF’s the Good Life measures it in terms of actual kilograms per year of greenhouse gases reduced.

Environmental action teams
Action teams that are actually fun to be a part of (think: setting up a cool “water cooler” spot where staff can have fun raiding the company’s locally sourced and healthy “junk food” rack), letter writing parties to get green laws legislated and even “change through challenge” as pointed out by Marilyn Gardner of the Christian Science Monitor on the always sharp Vancouver Green Business Journal.

Worth quoting in the article is Patricia Bjerrisgaard, a senior director at Business Objects, a software firm in Vancouver, British Columbia, who suggests that people also want to work for companies that ask for their green ideas.

“Anytime employees make a suggestion and vote on it, and the company acts on it, that’s really powerful in terms of building pride in the workplace”.

We’re in.

The design engineers project the Y2E2 to use 56 percent less energy and 90 percent less potable water for fixtures than a comparable “dirty building.” How will it do that? From foundation to rooftop, the building offers various energy recovery and on-site power generation, as well as passive and active systems.

From top to bottom, Y2E2 has an array of sustainable features that fall under five categories: load reduction, passive systems, active systems, energy recovery and on-site generation. These five approaches are expected to slash the building’s power consumption by more than half. The four large atriums which serve as central light wells made us and the interior bask in the glow of natural light. Although not as glamorous, the nifty light shelves catch additional light and reflect it into the building.

As for on-site generation, that refers to the three different kinds of solar panels mounted on the south-facing roof—including a system that tracks the sun. The system, which will probably generate about two percent of the building’s total energy usage, will serve for educational purposes.

Even beyond operational sustainability features, Y2E2 used a substantial amount of fly ash, a byproduct of coal burning, as a replacement for cement in the concrete of the basement walls and all the floors. This process produced 15 tons less carbon dioxide. Additionally, they used plentiful amounts of recycled steel. Finally, I like the carpet. What carpet? They left most of the floors uncarpeted which saved tons of raw materials.

Photo credit: Linda A. Cicero / Stanford News Service

In life, as in business, it’s important to have role models. Having people to look up to and guide you along in your career is one key to success. Admiring other businesses can help you understand the market and your competition, and can give you ideas for your own business.

Now, since I need a little motivation and inspiration while starting my green design studio, I present a smattering of my business role models in the field of green graphic and web design.

My Dream Business

When I graduated and starting looking for a job in the design field, I knew that I wanted to be somewhere that allowed me to make a difference through my work. I looked for like-minded design firms, publications, and non-profit organizations where I could start my career. In the process I came across several design studios with green ideals. A few years down the road, it seems like more and more sustainable and socially conscious firms are popping up. The few that I discovered in my job search are also thriving. It’s a good time to be in the green design business!

Some of the companies mentioned below cater to a specific industry, such as non-profits or green businesses. Others operate their business in a sustainable way and hold themselves to a triple bottom line. Some of them choose projects that address a public need or a social or environmental issue. All of them are my role models, and their ideas have sparked motivation to get my own design studio started.

• Free Range Studios: Washington, DC and Berkeley, CA. Free Range Studios is probably best known for their viral animated Flash movies, such as The Meatrix and Grocery Store Wars. They are a design firm out to change the world. In their own words: “our portfolio includes print, web and strategy materials for the planet’s most influential non-profits, political campaigns and socially responsible businesses… There’s a powerful movement building right now demanding a more just, healthy, sustainable planet. We’ve been part of it since 1999.”
• Celery Design Collaborative: Berkeley, CA. Celery is a green graphic design firm focusing on sustainable design for all kinds of clients. They also offer designers an ecological guide to paper. They take a cradle to cradle approach to design. According to their site, “At Celery, we consider the full life cycle of every project we work on, from its concept, to its execution, to its afterlife.” Amen to that!
• egg: Seattle, WA. egg is a design and branding firm that works with green and socially responsible businesses, those that “do well, and do good.” They help forward-thinking companies craft their brands all while helping society.
• Design for Social Impact: Philadelphia, PA.This aptly-named design company strives to make a difference, focusing on work benefiting the public interest. Their mission pretty much sums it up: “improving lives is more important than selling products.”
• Future Farmers: San Francisco, CA. Future Farmers is not your traditional design firm. They’re a group of interdisciplinary artists that not only produce design and art work, but they take an active role in promoting change by working on field projects. Future Farmers also has an artist in residency program that entails collaborating on socially-focused art projects.
• Conscious Creative: Berkeley, CA. Conscious is a good way to describe this green-certified creative services company. Employing sustainable practices in the running of their business and the production of their projects, Conscious Creative claims, “Our number one goal is to help our clients communicate their message in an effective way that leaves a smaller footprint on the earth.”
• PureVisual: Beverly, MA. This unique socially responsible communications firm works exclusively for non-profits. They are committed to support their clients in improving our world.
• Firebelly Design: Chicago, IL. Firebelly specializes in “Good design for good reason.” They are a socially conscious design firm with a generous heart. They even donate an entire year of design services to a new non-profit or cause each year.
• Digital Hive: San Francisco, CA. This design and marketing firm specializes in what it calls “EcoLogical design” for progressive companies. A group of nature enthusiasts focused on sustainable, smart solutions, Digital Hive is buzzing with eco-consciousness.
• The Change: Chapel Hill, NC and elsewhere. The Change is a design and strategy firm that works for businesses and organizations committed to making the world a better place. They also maintain a very informative blog called The Tao of Change.

Now, most of these design firms are much bigger than I’m planning on making my design studio, but I admire their big-picture thinking and sustainable business models. In addition, I look up to design entrepreneurs that are solo artists with a green focus, such as my friends Dani Nordin of The Zen Kitchen and Jess Sand of Roughstock Studios. These two individuals, as well as inspiration from the companies mentioned above, have been instrumental in the planning of my new green design venture.

This article is the third in a series entitled Green Dreams about my journey planning and starting a green graphic design firm. Read the first and second articles in the series here on Ecopreneurist!

Photo: a collage of screenshots of some green design company web sites. Clockwise from top left: egg, Conscious Creative, Free Range Studios, and PureVisual.