Jetson Green

Some of you may be accessing this site via http://jetsongreen.typepad.com and it will not look good. I want to tell you that the site has migrated to a new server on Wordpress. You can access this site at: http://www.jetsongreen.com Also, please update your feed subscription, if you need to. Many of you won't need to do this, but the feed is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/jetson_green If you have any problems or questions, please let us know. Preston Koerner

In the past year, we’ve discussed several certified green projects but here’s the creme of the crop, 19 LEED Platinum ones.  These projects, mostly homes, all vary — new, old, big, small, modern, traditional, single family, multifamily, certified, pending.  Long story short, LEED Platinum, although difficult to attain, is where it’s at.  If you’re going to pay for certification, why go for anything less than the best?!

Net-Zero Modern House in South Korea

Samsung Green Tomorrow project is the first in East Asia to achieve LEED Platinum certification and the first zero-energy house in South Korea.  Read more.

Modern Ellis Residence Earns Platinum Award

With a vegetated roof, this is officially the first LEED Platinum single family home in the state of Washington outside of Seattle — it’s on Bainbridge Island.  Read more.

Marin Hillside House Earns LEED Platinum

This rich and contemporary residence — the first LEED Platinum home in Marin — spans four levels on a hill and incorporates a number of green elements.  Read more.

Net Zero Sungazing House in Park City

Sungazing House is attempting net-zero energy and pursuing Passive House, LEED Platinum, and NAHB Emerald certifications.  Read more.

LEED Platinum Townhomes Hit San Francisco

This seven-unit multifamily project in the Presidio was GreenPoint rated with smart systems that monitor electricity, water, and gas.  Read more.

The OC Gets a Luxury Platinum Home

The Costa Mesa Green Home exceeds California Energy Code by 40% and is the first custom residence in the OC to receive LEED Platinum certification.  Read more.

Luxury LEED Platinum on Preston Way

Solar-powered and green in Venice, this 3,115 square-foot home blends indoor and outdoor living seamlessly and features tons of green elements.  Read more.

Platinum Near Net Zero Energy in VA

This Alexandria home was built to near net zero energy standards using SIPs, efficient windows, hydronic heating and cooling, rainwater harvesting and purification systems, and a geothermal system.  Read more.

Bastyr Platinum Project Earns Top Award

Bastyr University‘s new student village was named Outstanding Multifamily Project of 2010 by the USGBC and is expected to be about 34% more efficient than code.  Read more.

First LEED Platinum Home in Fort Worth

This new home is the first and only LEED Platinum home in Fort Worth, Texas.  The minimalist home has fiber cement siding, natural daylighting, Energy Star windows and doors, and xeriscaping.  Read more.

Newport Beach LivingHome Earns Platinum

Designed by KieranTimberlake, LivingHomes announced that this solar-powered prefab in Newport Beach received LEED Platinum certification.  Read more.

New World LEED Platinum Home in Georgia

This 2,869 square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home was built for efficiency first, skipping costly green gadgets, and received LEED Platinum certification.  Read more.

Platinum Timber Frame Home in Oregon

The Vermont Street Project, a show home for New Energy Works, is thought to be the first timber frame home in Oregon seeking LEED Platinum certification.  Read more.

Solar Sufficient LEED Home in Houston

Award winning Virginia Point is net-zero energy, near net-zero water, and the first home in Houston to receive LEED Platinum certification.  Read more.

Affordable Housing Meets LEED Platinum

This impressive 66-unit apartment project, Silver Gardens, is the first affordable housing development in New Mexico designed and built to obtain LEED Platinum certification.  Read more.

Prescott Passive House in Kansas City

The most recent Studio 804 project, this Passive House has had a tough time selling on the market but it’s a great home designed to LEED Platinum standards.   Read more.

First LEED Platinum Multifamily Project in LA County

Casa Dominguez, an affordable, solar-powered development in Los Angeles County, is the first LEED Platinum multifamily project in the county.  Read more.

LEED Platinum Remodel in Wilmington

This North Carolina home is one of the greenest remodels ever certified by the LEED for Homes program, earning 113.5 points and a 28 HERS rating.  Read more.

Large Luxury Home Earns LEED Platinum

HGA House is nicely done, traditional, and wired up with all sorts of green gadgetry, showing others in the luxury market what it takes to secure a high level of certification.  Read more.

If you have a newly built or renovated LEED Platinum home, make sure to submit your green home to the editors for publication in 2011.

Technology and design are inextricably intertwined in the world of green building.  During the last year, we’ve seen some fascinating technologies and clever designs that have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment in a new way.  I hope you enjoy this review of innovation culled from our archives of the last year.

Innovative Lifewall Living Facade Tiles by Ceracasa

Ceracasa unveiled Lifewall, a modular living wall tile for exterior applications made in one square meter panels that uses drip-water irrigation and can support a variety of plants. Read more.

Woolly Pockets Showing Up Everywhere!

Simple vertical gardens for interior applications can now be installed by a crafty DIYer. Various sizes and options are available for a few hundred dollars or less.  Read more.

Niagara Has a Stealthy New Efficient Toilet

Niagara Conservation unveiled Stealth, a WaterSense product and the world’s only 0.8 gallon per flush high-efficiency toilet. It’s quiet, too.  Read more.

Roof Integrated Solar Goes with Ceramic Tiles

Area Industrie Ceramiche introduced “tegolasolare” with roof-integrated solar panels that blend in nicely with ceramic tiles.  Read more.

CertainTeed Unveils New Solar Roof System

At IBS, CertainTeed announced their new EnerGen Photovoltaic Solar Power Roofing System, which combines lightweight UNI-SOLAR panels with traditional asphalt roofing shingles.  Read more.

New Thermally Broken rSTUD Lumber Announced

While tinkering with SIPs, Ec Manufacturing came up with a thermally broken rSTUD, which is a stud made with laminated veneer lumber and a polyurethane foam bound by a patent-pending structure pack process.  Read more.

Next Gen Whole House Energy Monitor Unveiled

PowerHouse Dynamics launched eMonitor with circuit level monitoring — the package includes hardware, software, and service elements — to provide home electricity use, electricity cost, and carbon footprint information by the minute.  Read more.

PowerPly Peel and Stick Solar Lumeta Hits the Market

Lumeta, Inc. received UL certification and started shipping PowerPly, which is a solar panel backed with an adhesive and applied directly to the roof, resulting in time, material, and cost savings.  Read more.

SoloPower Announces Lightweight Flexible Solar

SoloPower launched its inaugural thin-film, CIGS-based solar product called SFX1-i. It’s lightweight and flexible and the modules have an efficiency of 10.5 to 11 percent.  Read more.

Lumboo Has a Strong Bamboo Lumber Product

Cali Bamboo developed the “world’s first engineered bamboo dimensional lumber” made with 100% compressed bamboo and a low-VOC resin. The product can be used in a variety of applications.  Read more.

LSG Unveils $30 60-Watt Equivalent LED

LSG unveiled a new omnidirectional A19 LED bulb, a 60-watt replacement, that’s dimmable, has an output of 850 lumens, uses 13 watts, and lasts up to 50,000 hours, beating the competition in these areas and in price by about $10.  Read more.

Glass Tile Rooftop Solar by SolTech Energy

SolTech Energy makes an innovative roof tile that harvests solar energy with a traditional looking glass tile that works in conjunction with most common heating solutions on the market.  Read more.

New Honeywell Turbine Installed in Kansas City

18Broadway, a demonstration of storm water management, urban agriculture, and energy independence, incorporated solar panels and the new WT6500 Honeywell Wind Turbine. Read more.

Going Green with Exposed Designer Plumens

Hulger started selling Plumen 001, a designer CFL, that saves 80% on energy bills and lasts eight times longer than a regular incandescent. The 11-watt bulb outputs 680 lumens with a color temperature of 2700k.  Read more.

Cogenra Product Mixes Solar PV with Hot Water

Cogenra’s new technology has silicon PV cells, concentrating optics, single-axis solar tracking, and a thermal transfer system.  Solar rays reflect off parabolic mirrors toward two strips of solar PV cells, generating power that’s fed into the grid.  Read more.

Starck Unveils Two Small Wind Turbine Models

Philippe Starck unveiled two, new Revolution Air residential scale vertical axis wind turbines to a crowd in Milan. The micro turbines were designed to be nearly noiseless, small, and capable of capturing wind from most any direction.  Read more.

I’m sure you’ve seen or used something in your green project that others need to hear about.  Get in touch and share your green building innovation with us.  We’ll pass along the good stuff to readers.

FreeGreen, a provider of free and premium green house plans, recently unveiled a new premium plan called Loop House.  The modern design features a two-story rectangle covered in fiber cement panels with a loop of cedar that creates a covered porch space.  It’s easy to envision using this space in several ways — watching movies, gathering around a fire pit, and relaxing with friends.

Loop House includes 1,800 square feet and four bedrooms, allowing for a larger family, overnight guests, a home office, or something like a studio space.  Depending on options and upgrades, Loop House could cost anywhere from $180,000 – $250,000 or more to build.

All homes designed by FreeGreen perform anywhere from 30-50% better than prescriptive building code energy performance, again, depending on options selected by the plan user.

Loop House is one of many modern designs available at FreeGreen.  Ben Uyeda, Chief Architectural Officer of FreeGreen, told me in an email, “FreeGreen is just trying to make better designs for bargain shoppers who want something a little different but aren’t willing to commission a work of art or architecture.“  He said options are limited for people that don’t want generic traditional homes but that can’t afford a custom modern home.

In fact, something like 30% of all single family homes built in the America come from stock plans, according to Uyeda, so FreeGreen is nicely positioned for the green market with energy-efficient plans built with eco-friendly products and materials.

This plan can be downloaded by anyone with a Premium subscription to FreeGreen.  A Premium subscription starts at $9.95 per year and includes access to floor plans, renderings, virtual tours, cost-to-build estimates, and PDF plans.

Credits: FreeGreen.

Charles & Hudson, an excellent DIY resource with sites on such things as tools, home security, and green building, noticed our new look and was kind enough to publish a short interview.  Visit Charles & Hudson for some quick thoughts on green home certification, the home energy score, global inspiration, and green renovations.  Thanks, Timothy!

I thought there would be a slowing of container projects, but I’ve been wrong.  They’re popular and some are well done.  That said, as mentioned last year, containers are difficult to work with — here’s a list of considerations — and some folks don’t like how they look like.  Perhaps some of these will change the general perception of that, though.

Container Crossbox with a Green Roof

Crossbox in Brittany was built with four containers — two of which cantilever over the others — and is covered with a green roof.  Read more.

One Cool Shipping Container Habitat

New Zealand-based One Cool Habitat makes tiny container habitats and ships them across the world.  Base models start at about $29,500.  Read more.

Reflective Container Studio Space in New York

An artist with a limited budget needed an “inviting and reflective” studio and eventually used containers to get it done.  Read more.

MEKA Tiny Container House in NYC

Toronto-based MEKA unveiled a 320 square-foot show house in the West Village area of New York City.  A home like this sells from about $39,000.  Watch the video.

Lakeside Container Retreat in Sri Lanka

Built with used containers and timber from weapon boxes, this ultra-simple container structure was built by soldiers in Sri Lanka.  Read more.

Industrial Green Frame House in Verona

This two-level container showcase with 1,500 square feet was built with six containers and several products from DuPont.  Read more.

Low Impact Container Studio in Texas

This container space in San Antonio has a green roof, bamboo floors and walls, a mini-split, and an electric Sun-Mar composting toilet.  Read more.

Green Home of the Future [Olympics]

The Home of the Future for BC Hydro Power Smart Village was made with two shipping containers and wrapped in cedar and pine beetle wood cladding.  Read more.

Custom Container Studio Pod in Austin

A Texas motorcycle builder and mechanic put his skills to work on this Studio Pod made with soy-based foam insulation, green materials, and a mini-split for about $16,000.  Read more.

Upcycled Container House in Malaysia

Ken Kwok designed this 2,551 square-foot project with rainwater harvesting, natural ventilation, water-efficient fixtures, dual-flush toilets, and abundant natural lighting.  Read more.

Eco Cabin for Camp Emerald Bay Scouts

Camp Emerald Bay scouts received this container cabin with reclaimed lumber, rubber floors, LED lights, and solar photovoltaics.  Read more.

Old Containers Get a New Scenic Life

OceanScope in Korea was built with three containers adjusted to three levels for scenic viewing of one of the largest harbors in the area.  Read more.

Puma City Revised for World Cup 2010

Puma City NY was built with two containers for FIFA World Cup 2010, creating another high-profile display of ISBU architecture.  Read more.

The Moderne Container Sales Center

This vibrant container structure was used as a temporary sales center for a mixed-use tower in Wisconsin.  Read more.

Off-Grid Container Cabins from $15,000

New Hampshire-based LEED Cabins is making container retreats for as low as $15,000 using FSC woods, energy-efficient windows and doors, LED lights, and other green materials.  Read more.

If you’re using shipping containers for a project — whether a house, retreat, tiny home, or otherwise — make sure to let us know.  If it’s unique, green, and visually stunning, we’ll share it with readers.

• The efficiency dilemma.
• Oregon to get a subdivision of tiny houses?
• Minimalist homes: antidote to housing market.
• Using a blower door to help with air sealing.
• Chemicals found in several cities’ drinking water.
• European green homes take root in Brooklyn.
• Saving energy with a fireplace insert.

Also, check out the latest green jobs and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates, article summaries, newsworthy links, and other site news.

Amazon is expected to sell more than 8 million Kindles this year, according to Bloomberg.  That’s a lot of people and millions more will use Kindle apps for the iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.  As a Kindle 3 owner and avid reader myself, it’s nice to have a good book lined up ready to go.  So for all you new Kindle owners and app readers, here are five green books to pick up for your new gadget:

Under the Dome by Stephen King:

Allison Arieff, founding editor-in-chief of Dwell, recently said this book “may well be the best environmental book of the decade.“  Being a Stephen King book, what more do you need to know than that?  Buy it for $9.99.

The Passage by Justin Cronin:

In this new novel, you’ll read about a virus that wipes out most of the population and a group of quarantined survivors that live on power generated by Californian wind turbines.  This book will suck you in, seriously.  Buy it for $9.45.

The Mesh by Lisa Gansky:

Gansky explains that “some things are better shared” and describes “mesh” businesses that are good for communities and our planet.  Seth Godin randomly sent me a copy, and I’ve enjoyed it.  Buy it for $12.99.

The Tiger by John Vaillant:

In The Tiger, Vaillant tells the true story of a hungry tiger that attacks a distant Russian community in the late-1990s and the men in charge of tracking the tiger down.  It was named a best book by Amazon in August 2010.  Buy it for $9.43.

Greening My Life by David Gottfried.

In this memoir, Gottfried applies the principles of conservation to himself and shares what he describes as “shocking” and “surprising” personal details.  The aim of Greening My Life is to create a new dialogue about personal sustainability.  Buy it for $9.99.

If you received a good green book or have another recommendation, feel free to share it below.  Happy holidays!

Credit: Kodomut.com (top).

Happy holidays and all the best from Jetson Green! Stay healthy, keep warm, and enjoy friends and family. We’re going to publish some year-end coverage over the next week that will be great. And we’ll take a look forward. It’s been a fun year and the next will be excellent.  In the mean time, if you have a green home or bathroom/kitchen project, submit it for possible publication.

After several years of concept and development, architect Ed Binkley came up with “the shelter series” — small, green, affordable abodes — to be used as relief housing, guest housing, small scale developments, or pretty much anything else.  These homes range in size from 300-1,400 square feet and can be built without breaking the bank.

Ed binkley design partnered with Miami-based Cabin Fever to manufacture the shelter series at an affordable price — potentially as low as $40-50 per square foot, plus permitting and land.  Indeed, the systems-built approach allows for assembly with reduced on-site labor costs.

The purpose of the shelter series is to “bridge the gap between mass market housing and very low-end housing that often does not address the livability or design style factor,” according to Ed Binkley.  Materials to be used include corrugated siding, Hardi panels, and SIPs roofing.

Though the shelter series is suited for any region or demographic, Cabin Fever and ed binkley design envision these homes in both Haiti and as far away as Africa.  Parts and components for up to six homes can be squeezed into a single shipping carrier, balancing the cost of transportation among several homes.

Credits: ed binkley design.

This month 37 Parkside Avenue in Southampton – the HGA House – received LEED Platinum certification with a sizable 104 points.  Sadly to say, it was built after David and Saundra Dubin’s original home was destroyed in a fire a couple years ago.  The green home is nicely done, traditional, and wired up with all sorts of green gadgetry, perhaps showing folks in the jumbo luxury market what it takes to secure LEED Platinum certification.

The Hamptons Green Alliance boasts that HGA House is “one of the largest LEED Platinum homes on record,” according to a press release, adding that size is “what sets HGA House apart.”  It’s a 4,800 square-foot mansion that achieved a HERS Index of 25, which is impressive, many will agree.

With the means and a robust project team, you can build a large green like this that’s net-zero energy on an annual basis.  The owners incorporated thin-film solar on the south-facing roof; solar photovoltaics on the east- and west-facing roofs; solar thermal for domestic hot water, pool water, and primary heating; an open-loop, two-stage, variable-speed geothermal system; and a high-efficiency wood-burning fireplace providing 50,000 BTU per hour.

Without the means, perhaps an alternative strategy to net-zero energy would be to build smaller, use less materials, insulate properly, seal everything up, and use on-site green technology to produce enough energy to cover what you can’t minimize through design and construction.

But, to be fair, the HGA House did some of these things.  It has high-efficiency windows, spray foam insulation, LED lighting, home energy monitoring, Energy Star appliances, and overhangs to maximize solar gain in the winter and shading in the summer.  The Dubins enlisted the help of Telemark as general contractor and Richard Stott and Craig Lee as the architects.

HGA House also has low-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets, and a water storage tank that holds water harvested from gutters for irrigation.

The home was awarded a declaration of carbon negativity in the form of a Phase I Embodied Carbon Negative certification showing that the construction of the home reduced more carbon emissions than carbon emitted.  Certainly, the owners and project team put a lot of effort into HGA House showing folks in the region what it takes to build greener.

[+] More background and construction detail of HGA House.

Photos: Richard F. Stott, AIA, LEED AP.

I’ve been working with a fantastic web designer, Dave Onkels of Dotvita, to migrate this massive four-year blog from Typepad to WordPress.  After Typepad’s parent company was bought by VideoEgg, I decided it was finally time to make the move.  So here’s what you’ll find as you start using the new and improved Jetson Green.

The Site Focus is Now Clear

Over the last four years, this site has published articles on everything tangentially related to “green building.”  That is still true and always will be.  However, the focus will be residential.  Going forward Jetson Green is a “design-oriented site for sustainable homes, natural materials, and green technology.”  Please view the revised about page and tell me what you think.

A Simple and Standard Layout

The layout balances content, images, navigation, advertising, and sharing while still keeping things simple.  Top navigation groups topics together.  Articles include galleries, contributor bios, related links, and share buttons.  The footer showcases popular topics and articles.  If you experience a bug, please comment below or let me know.

Easy and Vivid Image Galleries

With all articles going forward, you can click an image and rotate through the gallery without having to open and close each photo.  Plus, there’s more space, so photos and videos appear larger.  I’m doing this because projects and products deserve to look great.  Test the new gallery out on this page.

Making Contributors Look Great

All articles now include a short contributor box with background information.  In addition, I’m looking for three new contributors – a materials editor, technology editor, and building science expert.  I want contributors to look great and receive credit for their contribution.  In addition, I’d like to curate more community authorship – like this article by Fellow Chad Floyd – and will showcase them in the process.

Letting Tags Do the Heavy Lifting

I’d want to leverage WordPress tags to help readers drill into topics of interest.  Let’s say you want to read more about LEDs or tiny houses or chicken coops.  You can do that now.  In the next few months, I’ll be updating the categorization of prior articles so that they become a true resource for readers.

On the Hunt for Innovative Projects

I’m looking for the best tips.  This site has all new form submissions that you can use if you like.  Submit your green home, bathroom remodel, or kitchen renovation.  Share your project with the world!  Myself and the new editors will curate these projects and post only the best.  Here’s a tip, though: excellent photos will increase your chances of being published.

Under the Hood (if you’re interested)

This site is built and made possible with the help of some great technology, including WordPress.  In case you’re looking to start a blog or website, perhaps this list will help.  Jetson Green uses the Standard Theme, 1and1 domains, Gravity forms, Constant Contact, Bit.ly Pro, Pixelmator, and Feedburner.

And that’s about it.  Again, shout out to the team at Dotvita and Dave Onkels for making this possible.  Please contact me if you have any problems.  There will be some hiccups, but hopefully nothing too drastic.  Thank you for your continued readership!

On average, water heating is the second largest energy expenditure behind heating and cooling, according to information on the Energy Star website.  Folks spend anywhere from $400-$600 per year on water heating, so it's a good area to scrutinize when trying to save energy at home.  In South Carolina, thanks to a grant from the state energy office, 60 homes received a shiny, new Velux solar water heating system to showcase the benefits of this technology. 

Southern Energy Management, a certified B corporation (SEM), partnered with Velux to install the systems at a rate of one per day.  One system recipient, Ken Newell, said, "anything that can save money is a real godsend.  I'm going to be very interested to see my power bill," according to a press release.   

His power bill will certainly fall.  The average water-heating bill drops about 50-80% upon the installation of a solar water heater, according to the Department of Energy. 

Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (CEPCI) will monitor 25 installations for a year to track how much solar hot water is produced and how much electricity is saved.  CEPCI will then use that information to help local customers understand the potential energy savings that can be captured with solar water heating.   

In support of the economic proposition, there is a 30% federal tax credit for the purchase and installation of qualifying solar water heating systems placed in service through the end of 2016.  On top of that, there may be state and local incentives that make these systems even more financially attractive. 

Credit: CEPCI. 

On average, water heating is the second largest energy expenditure behind heating and cooling, according to information on the Energy Star website.  Folks spend anywhere from $400-$600 per year on water heating, so it’s a good area to scrutinize when trying to save energy at home.  In South Carolina, thanks to a grant from the state energy office, 60 homes received a shiny, new Velux solar water heating system to showcase the benefits of this technology.

Southern Energy Management, a certified B corporation (SEM), partnered with Velux to install the systems at a rate of one per day.  One system recipient, Ken Newell, said, “anything that can save money is a real godsend.  I’m going to be very interested to see my power bill,” according to a press release.

His power bill will certainly fall.  The average water-heating bill drops about 50-80% upon the installation of a solar water heater, according to the Department of Energy.

Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (CEPCI) will monitor 25 installations for a year to track how much solar hot water is produced and how much electricity is saved.  CEPCI will then use that information to help local customers understand the potential energy savings that can be captured with solar water heating.

In support of the economic proposition, there is a 30% federal tax credit for the purchase and installation of qualifying solar water heating systems placed in service through the end of 2016.  On top of that, there may be state and local incentives that make these systems even more financially attractive.

Credit: CEPCI.

On average, water heating is the second largest energy expenditure behind heating and cooling, according to information on the Energy Star website. Folks spend anywhere from $400-$600 per year on water heating, so it's a good area to scrutinize when trying to save energy at home. In South Carolina, thanks to a grant from the state energy office, 60 homes received a shiny, new Velux solar water heating system to showcase the benefits of this technology. Southern Energy Management, a... Preston Koerner

Here’s a quick note to modern enthusiasts.  Gilt Groupe just listed plans for a Dwell Home by Turkel Design for 50% off the normal rate.  That’s $12,500 for the Finisterre 1115 plan and architectural services to customize the plan.  The plans are for a contemporary home that can be used as a first home or weekend retreat, depending on an owner’s situation, and doesn’t require much land to make it work.

Finisterre allows for 1,115 square feet of living split between two levels.  The first includes a kitchen, partial bathroom, dining area, and living room, while the second has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a sizeable roof deck.

Turkel Designs offers several other homes through the Dwell Homes Collection made by Lindal Cedar Homes.  They’re modern, warm, and built to optimize site orientation using smart framing, energy-efficient systems, and green materials.

As for Finisterre, Gilt’s description explains that the home will have “sustainable design elements.”  Other than that reference, I wasn’t able to locate what may or may not be “green.”  Perhaps, if curious, one could get a list of standard materials, designs, and components from Turkel Designs prior to purchase.

If you need access to Gilt Groupe, feel free to use Jetson Green or ask one of your friends for an invite.  This sale ends on the 23rd or earlier, if sold out.

Credit: Turkel Design; Gilt Groupe.

Here's a quick note to modern enthusiasts.  Gilt Groupe just listed plans for a Dwell Home by Turkel Design for 50% off the normal rate.  That's $12,500 for the Finisterre 1115 plan and architectural services to customize the plan.  The plans are for a contemporary home that can be used as a first home or weekend retreat, depending on an owner's situation, and doesn't require much land to make it work. 

Finisterre allows for 1,115 square feet of living split between two levels.  The first includes a kitchen, partial bathroom, dining area, and living room, while the second has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a sizeable roof deck.

Turkel Designs offers several other homes through the Dwell Homes Collection made by Lindal Cedar Homes.  They're modern, warm, and built to optimize site orientation using smart framing, energy-efficient systems, and green materials. 

As for Finisterre, Gilt's description explains that the home will have "sustainable design elements."  Other than that reference, I wasn't able to locate what may or may not be "green."  Perhaps, if curious, one could get a list of standard materials, designs, and components from Turkel Designs prior to purchase. 

If you need access to Gilt Groupe, feel free to use Jetson Green or ask one of your friends for an invite.  This sale ends on the 23rd or earlier, if sold out. 

Credit: Turkel Design; Gilt Groupe.

Tiny houses are popping up all over the country.  Students at Green Mountain College built one with reclaimed materials last semester.  They spent $1,927 on materials, acquiring insulation at half price and lumber and windows from the local salvage store.  The 8-foot by 12-foot house still needs a solar-powered electrical system, which will be installed early next year.

When complete, the tiny house will be off-grid.  Rainwater from a low corner of the roof will be collected and processed in a water catchment system for domestic use.

The home was designed and built through a field-based, interdisciplinary program called REED – Renewable Energy and EcoDesign.  It’s a 22-credit program that gives students the opportunity to work on actual green projects.

So far, 19 students worked on the project in Professor Lucas Brown’s design & build course.  If you’re interested (a video on the GMC’s website indicates that interest has been strong), it will be sold next Spring when completed.

Credits: Green Mountain College.

Artemide recently introduced a refined-looking, energy-efficient table lamp called Egle, which has adjustable direct LED lighting and is available in polished white, black, or chrome finishes. Notice the concave base, a feature included in the lamp by designer Michel Boucquillon for two reasons. It can hold tiny objects and spreads light when the lamp is adjusted downward.

Egle’s stem rotates 150 degrees vertically and 40 degrees horizontally. The diffuser rotates 300 degrees, giving the user the ability to point a beam of light in just the right place.

This lamp arrives with several other LED task lamps on the market or coming soon. Indeed, the energy-efficient lighting market is estimated to grow 35% per year through 2012, according to a press release by lighting retailer YLighting.

Sean Callahan, CEO of YLighting, said modern design enthusiasts have been early adopters of LED lighting, so his company continues to add new lamp offerings – like Egle – “as quickly and economically as possible.” This one is a little more pricey than some, but I guess it all depends on what you need.

[+] Buy an Egle LED Table Lamp from YLighting from $575.

Credits: Artemide.

Tiny houses are popping up all over the country. Students at Green Mountain College built one with reclaimed materials last semester. They spent $1,927 on materials, acquiring insulation at half price and lumber and windows from the local salvage store. The 8-foot by 12-foot house still needs a solar-powered electrical system, which will be installed early next year. When complete, the tiny house will be off-grid. Rainwater from a low corner of the roof will be collected and processed in... Preston Koerner