building

Hi everyone!!!

I am thrilled to announce our prefab Green Cottage Kit design is here!

Although a modern enthusiast, I grew up (and my parents still reside) in a home built in 1801. A Virginia native, I appreciate old farmhouses, Victorian brownstones, colonial and happy, yes, exuberantly happy cottage architecture.

So, when people came to me on GreenModernKits.com asking for a cottage, I understood.

So I kidnapped Eric Drivdahl, an award winning architect with a heart of gold, and he designed a gorgeous, passive solar, SIPs, cottage kit with so many thoughtful details:

- 2,000 sq. ft. (and less: this house has 3 configurations)

- 3 bedrooms (or less)

- Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) for energy efficiency

- Passive Solar

- Trombe Wall

- Nooks and Crannies where you can curl up and read your books!

We haven't even named it yet, but we're so happy.

If you have any names you'd like to suggest, we'd love to hear them!

Sincerely yours,

Copeland

aka Green Modern Kits! : )

Part 3 of our 15-part Q&A series on all aspects of green building from the publishers of HealthyHouseInstitute.com. Click here for the introductory post and furthur details.

Question: What is the healthiest type of foundation?

Answer: There are four basic foundation types: concrete slab, crawl space, basement, and pier. In general, pier foundations are the easiest to build in a healthy manner because they lift a house up off the ground. When a house is well separated from the soil, it’s more difficult for radon, subterranean termites, and ground moisture to get into the living space. Pier foundations are often used on hillside lots or in hot/humid climates.

Actually, any foundation can be healthy—if constructed and maintained carefully. You need to be concerned with moisture (both liquid water and relative humidity) which can lead to mold or rot, radon (a cause of lung cancer), subterranean-termite control (toxic chemicals should be avoided whenever possible), energy savings (to minimize heating/cooling expenses, and reduce the potential for condensation), and selecting materials that are inherently healthy.

Question: Don’t concrete slab foundations tend to be damp and moldy?

===========================================================
GreenerBuildings News: March 13, 2008
===========================================================

Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed
to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full
spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities.
Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news,
tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building
practices.

A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST GREEN BUILDINGS NEWS =-=-=-=-=-=-=

SMBs Save Energy and $700K
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55695
More than 2,500 businesses in a suburb southeast of San Francisco participated
in an energy efficiency program that will save one megawatt of energy annually.
That translates to roughly $700,000 a year in energy savings.

New Software Helps Companies Control Energy and Emissions
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55705
PeopleCube and Building Sustainability Ltd. have joined forces to offer software
that will help companies better manage their energy consumption and greenhouse
gas emissions.

AMB Opens Southeast's First LEED Industrial Building in Port of Savannah
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55718
The real estate investment company's 347,000 square foot facility will be
certified to LEED-Silver levels, and is the first building in a planned green
business park at the fast-growing shipping facility.

ACE USA Offers Green Restoration Policy
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55694
The insurance company is now one of many to allow certain policyholders to
upgrade their buildings in environmentally friendly ways after being damaged.

Insurance Company Adds Eco-Friendly Coverage for Commercial Buildings
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55674
Lexington Insurance Company's Upgrade to Green coverage now applies to
commercial buildings, allowing sites to meet green building standards.

London Aims for a 25 Percent Energy Cut in Public Buildings
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55662
Through the Clinton Climate Initiative, London is partnering with energy service
companies to reduce the energy use of its public buildings.

ICC to Develop Green Building Certification
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55686
The International Code Council will unveil a certification program to ensure
that code officials understand the application of green building technologies.

Summit Boasts Green Real Estate Opportunities
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55698
The most cost-effective ways to use green building practices and available
incentives for sustainability were some of the topics at the 2008 Green Real
Estate Summit.

New Green Building Classes Added in Pacific Northwest
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55683
A Pacific Northwest green building group will add a nine-month certification
course to the newly formed Cascadia Sustainability Academy.

Calif. Awards Green Schools Grant
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55670
California's State Allocation Board issued the first award under the High
Performance Incentive Grant program aimed at encouraging green building
practices in schools.

CarbonLite Programme Boosts Low Energy Building
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55659
CarbonLite offers resources and assistance in building low-energy and low-carbon
residential and commercial buildings.

U.K. Group Helps Builders Meet and Exceed Waste Legislation
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55653
The Waste & Resource Action Program is offering a free template for Site Waste
Management Plans, which will soon be mandatory for construction, as well as best
practices for cutting waste.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/news.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TOOLS & RESOURCES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Users' Guide to Green Performance Contracting
http://greenerbuildings.com/tool_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=97382
This guide from the Leonardo Academy addresses how all interested parties can
bring sustainability into performance contracting.

MORE TOOLS & RESOURCES... http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tools.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-= NEW FEATURES & COLUMNS =-=-=-=-=-=-=

How BIM and Green Tech Will Change the Construction Industry
By Scott Boutwell
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55702
Building Information Modeling, coupled with an array of alternative energy and
green building technologies, is quickly changing how construction and
renovations happen, and bringing high performance buildings to a new level.

LEED Certifi-able vs. LEED Certified
Simi Hoque, Environmental Design + Construction
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55720
In Boston, a new code requires all new construction over 50,000 square feet be
LEED certifiable (note the suffix), which is a little like saying that buildings
must be greenish. The code's stipulation of certifiable is a missed opportunity,
a weak gesture by city leaders to promote sustainable development in Boston.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FEATURED EVENT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ecobuilding 2008
http://greenerbuildings.com/event_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=94969

Host: ANAB-Brasil
Date: May 23-25, 2008
Location: Paulista University/Sao Paulo/SP/Brazil

The conference is designed to enlarge the knowledge and discussion national and
international level on sustainable construction and design, since the basic
concepts up to the most advanced and contemporary architecture.

MORE EVENTS . . . http://www.greenerbuildings.com/search_events.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= GREENERBUILDINGS AND YOU =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

We'd like your feedback, questions, and ideas. Got a resource, tip, or
tool you'd like to share with others? Please write to
GreenerBuildings@GreenerWorldMedia.com, or click on the "Contact" link
on the home page.

We'll look forward to hearing from you.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

You have received this e-mail because you (or someone) subscribed your
e-mail address to this e-letter. IF YOU WISH TO UNSUBSCRIBE, please
e-mail GreenerBuildings@GreenerWorldMedia.com with the subject line
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you would sign up for your own subscription. This helps us track our
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TO SUBSCRIBE: Simply enter your email address in the space provided on
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swap your address with others without your permission.

GreenerBuildings is produced by Greener World Media, Inc., Copyright
2007.

Part 2 of our 15-part Q&A series on all aspects of green building from the publishers of HealthyHouseInstitute.com. Click here for the introductory post and furthur details.

Question: Are there any particular products that stand out as being serious indoor polluters?

Answer: Offenders include manufactured wood products, which give off a lot of formaldehyde, such as particle board and furniture-grade plywood. These materials are almost universally used in paneling and cabinetry.

Combustion appliances can be bothersome—if they aren’t totally sealed. This includes wood stoves, fireplaces, gas ranges, and many gas and oil hot water heaters and furnaces. They’re potentially dangerous because they can inadvertently introduce noxious gases such as carbon monoxide into the air you breathe. Eliminating these items will help to create a house that is considerably healthier than most homes. However, it may not be healthy enough for people who are more sensitive than average, or for people who want the best possible indoor air quality.

Question: Do you have a particular set of guidelines you follow?

This is natural clay plaster over compressed earth block, I left a small amount of block showing. This brown coat is a mixture of 1 part straw, 1 part clay, 2 parts sand... ad water makes it's own sauce. It is easily applied with a mud trowel and then smoothed with a wood float, however it is very labor intensive, but a lot of fun. You can cover it with a natural clay plaster color coat, clay paint or leave it raw.

We applied this plaster mixture over raw compressed adobe / earth block, as well as drywall that we primed with a BBS plater primer. we then used the air hose to blow sand on the freshly primed surface and allowed it to dry. This Natural Clay Plaster over Adobe / Earth Blockcreates great grab for the fresh plaster coat and increased production. Solstice Develoment Group www.SolsticeDev.com

===========================================================
GreenerBuildings News: November 29, 2007
===========================================================

Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed
to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full
spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities.
Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news,
tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building
practices.

A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST NEWS & FEATURES =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Greening Buildings, One Step at a Time
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36319
By Sarah Fister Gale
Small moves toward daily sustainability are a part of a growing trend toward
sustainable facilities management that goes beyond high-profile green
initiatives, such as installing a solar power system or achieving LEED
certification. This trend instead focuses on the daily minutiae of how a
building is operated.

Managing Risk in Green Building Projects
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36320
By Tim Corbett
The green buildings boom has opened up a wide market for professionals of all
kinds to begin working on sustainable projects, but with this boom comes a host
of new risks ands expectations that must be considered and managed throughout
the project.

Green Builds a Community
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36329
By John Davies, AMR Research
Looking back at the Greenbuild Conference in Chicago gives great hope,
considering how many governments and individuals are quickly and thoroughly
adopting green building principles, and just how big a movement has coalesced
around the goal.

Green Roofs Growing in Popularity, Study Finds
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36325
A Michigan State University study recently found that the area covered by green
roofs increased 80 percent in 2006 over the year before. Although use is
spreading, cost remains a barrier.

Chicago Puts Plans in Motion to Green 1,900 Miles of Alleys
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36318
The city, which says it has the most alleys of any city in the world, will have
refurbished 46 of its back streets to conserve water and reduce summer heat by
the end of this year, and will gradually improve the rest of the city's alleys.

New Group to run LEED Accredited Professional Program
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36289
Starting in January next year, the U.S. Green Building Council will allow a
third party to administer the LEED Accredited Professional program.

Portland Launches New Green Building Hotline
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36311
Portland's regional government and surrounding counties unveiled a green
building hotline earlier this month targeting businesses, developers and
residents with information about green materials, renewable energy, energy
efficiency and indoor air quality, among other topics.

Green Building Projects Will Skyrocket in Next Five Years: Survey
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36252
Green building as a commercial real estate strategy is gaining traction and will
increase significantly in the next five years, according to a survey published
this month in Real Estate Investor and Retail Traffic magazines.

Largest Chicago Buildings Plan Energy Retrofits
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36297
The Sears Tower, the Merchandise Mart and housing buildings will receive
energy-saving improvements through a partnership between the Clinton Climate
Initiative and the city.

USGBC Proposes New LEED Standards for Existing Buildings
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=36259
The U.S. Green Building Council has announced the newest version of LEED for
Existing Buildings, and the William J. Clinton Presidential Library earns
LEED-EB Platinum Certification.

USGBC Teams With Cities, NGOs for Green Playbook
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36243
The City of Seattle joined the U.S. Green Building Council and more than 20
partners to launch an online resource to help municipalities and counties that
want to explore sustainable building and planning.

Green Cleaning Network Launches Industry Climate Initiative
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36239
At the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild Expo, the nonprofit Green
Cleaning Network joined with eco-consultants the Leonardo Academy to unveil a
plan to help the industrial and institutional cleaning industry reduce and
offset its emissions.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/news.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TOOLS & RESOURCES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Preliminary Standards and Guidelines for Sustainable Landscape Design &
Architecture
http://greenerbuildings.com/tool_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=94925
This first report from the Sustainable Sites Initiative offers over 200 in-depth
strategies for enhancing the ecosystem services around residential and
commercial building projects.

MORE TOOLS & RESOURCES... http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tools.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FEATURED EVENT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Idaho Environmental Summit
http://greenerbuildings.com/event_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=94967

Host: Idaho GEMStars Program
Date: Dec 11-13, 2007
Location: DoubleTree – Riverside in Boise, Idaho

National, state and tribal professionals, environmental conservation groups,
businesses, academics and citizens will gather for the second, annual Idaho
Environmental Summit.

MORE EVENTS . . . http://www.greenerbuildings.com/search_events.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= GREENERBUILDINGS AND YOU =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

We'd like your feedback, questions, and ideas. Got a resource, tip, or
tool you'd like to share with others? Please write to
GreenerBuildings@GreenerWorldMedia.com, or click on the "Contact" link
on the home page.

We'll look forward to hearing from you.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

You have received this e-mail because you (or someone) subscribed your
e-mail address to this e-letter. IF YOU WISH TO UNSUBSCRIBE, please
e-mail GreenerBuildings@GreenerWorldMedia.com with the subject line
"Unsubscribe GreenerBuildings News".

IF THIS MESSAGE WAS FORWARDED TO YOU BY OTHERS, we'd appreciate it if
you would sign up for your own subscription. This helps us track our
circulation and attract sponsors.

TO SUBSCRIBE: Simply enter your email address in the space provided on
the homepage and click "SUBSCRIBE." We promise NEVER to sell, rent, or
swap your address with others without your permission.

GreenerBuildings is produced by Greener World Media, Inc., Copyright
2007.

Architects and builders: C'mon: I propose we only install light colored roofs. Amazing how something *so* simple as painting buildings a light color can make such a difference… kinda one of those “doh!” moments like the second the huge but simple concept of passive solar design sinks in!

From http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/innovations/data/000024

Furnace Cities
Bjørn Lomborg
12/03/07

It's possible to see, right now, what global warming will eventually do to the planet. To peek into the future, all we have to do is go to Beijing, Athens, Tokyo, or, in fact, just about any city on Earth.

Most of the world's urban areas have already experienced far more dramatic temperature hikes over the past few decades than the 2.6°C increase expected from global warming over the next hundred years.

It's simple enough to understand. On a hot day in New York, locals sprawl out on the grass fields of Central Park, not on asphalt parking lots or concrete sidewalks. Bricks, concrete, and asphalt—the building blocks from which cities are made—absorb much more heat from the sun than vegetation does in the countryside.

Across an entire city, there's much more tarmac than there is grass. So the air above the city heats up. This effect, called an "urban heat island," was discovered in London in the early 1800s.

Today, the fastest-growing cities are in Asia. Beijing is roughly 10°C hotter than the nearby countryside in the daytime and 5.5°C warmer at night. There are even more dramatic increases in Tokyo. In August, temperatures there climbed 12.5°C above the surrounding countryside, reaching 40°C—a scorching heat that affected not only the downtown area, but also covered some 8,000 square kilometers.

Looking at a fast-growing city like Houston, Texas, we can see the real effect of the urban heat island. Over the last 12 years, Houston grew by 20 percent, or 300,000 inhabitants. During that time, the night time temperature increased about 0.8°C. Over a hundred-year period, that would translate to a whopping 7°C increase.

But, while celebrity activists warn about the impending doom posed by climate change, a more realistic view is offered by these cities' ability to cope. Despite dramatic increases over the past 50 or 100 years, these cities have not come tumbling down.

Even as temperatures have risen, heat-related deaths have decreased, owing to improved health care, access to medical facilities, and air-conditioning. We have far more money and much greater technological ability to adapt than our forebears ever did.

Of course, cities also will be hit by temperature increases from CO2, in addition to further warming from urban heat islands. But we have an opportunity to act. Unlike our forebears, who did very little or nothing about urban heat islands, we are in a good position to tackle many of their effects.

While celebrity activists focus entirely on cutting CO2, we could do much more—and at much lower cost—if we addressed urban heat islands. Simple solutions can make a vast difference to temperatures.

Cities are hotter than the land around them because they are drier. They lack moist green spaces and have drainage systems that efficiently remove water. In London, the air around the River Thames is cooler than it is a few blocks away in built-up areas. If we plant trees and build water features, we won't just beautify our surroundings, but we'll also cool things down—by upwards of 8°C, according to climate models.

Moreover, although it may seem almost comically straightforward, one of the best temperature-reducing approaches is very simple: paint things white. Cities have a lot of black asphalt and dark, heat-absorbing structures. By increasing reflection and shade, a great deal of heat build-up can be avoided. Paint most of a city and you could lower the temperature by 10°C.

These options are simple, obvious, and cost-effective. Consider Los Angeles. Re-roofing most of the city's five million homes in lighter colors, painting a quarter of the roads and planting 11 million trees would have a one-time cost of about $1 billion. Each year after that, this would lower air conditioning costs by about $170 million and provide $360 million in smog-reduction benefits. And it would lower Los Angeles temperatures by about 3°C—or about the temperature increase envisioned for the rest of this century.

Compare that to the $180 billion cost of implementing the Kyoto Protocol, which will have virtually no effect.

At the moment, we don't hear much about the smartest choices when it comes to addressing global warming. That needs to change. We do get to choose which future we want.

© 2007 Project Syndicate. Republished with kind permission.

The average person spends 80% of their lives indoors. Public awareness about the health effects of poor Indoor Air Quality has increased demand for building products that do not pollute the air in our home or office.

Conventional paints, finishes, flooring, adhesives, cleaning products and carpeting are known to contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, polybrominated Diphenyl ethers (PBDE), phthalates and many other hazardous chemicals that can result in health problems like allergies and asthma, especially in children.

Using Low- or No-VOC materials, reclaimed or sustainably-harvested wood products, wood alternatives such as bamboo and palm wood, natural flooring, carpets, rugs, and decor can make your house greener.

Building with tested and proved green materials also provides an alternative to products that degrade the environment we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. In buying green building materials, you can cast your economic vote for a better world, personalize your home or office, and make the air you breathe cleaner.