Green Design

I attended West Coast Green this weekend, in San Jose, CA. The usual suspects of brilliant green architects, builders, and all things green related were there. The presentations were great and getting to experience the products in the trade show is always so helpful.

I was happy to see Greg Thorsen, of Environmental Lights. He is so knowledgeable and able to speak in layman’s terms to anyone who wants to know more about LED technology that is now ready for full deployment in our homes. A new day is dawning.

Kevin

A dear childhood friend is visiting Richmond from New York City and we hurried over to visit. Turns out her father's urban Museum District home has the most beautiful yard... and zero grass.

A rain barrel could easily irrigate this simple, luscious yard, especially if gray water were redistributed from the shower as well. For those that scoff at lawns without grass, here is a great example at how attractive, and amendable to entertaining and enjoyment, a zero grass yard can be.

Here, multiple herbs, perennials, and accents of splashy annuals gave their house more outdoor "rooms" in which to while away the day, perfect in its mix of sun and shade, a lovely accent to a beautiful, restored home.

We toured inside and saw beautiful examples of Barbara's stained glass work- and in their upstairs stairway they had installed a SolaTube! They said adding the SolaTube was the most dramatic impact of their dark Tudor home renovation, brightening up the house with natural light and showcasing Barbara's beautiful artisan windows.

(P.s. If you look to the right in this photo you can see Barbara's stained glass studio, where she does all of her work.)

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GreenerBuildings News: July 17, 2008
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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://greenerbuildings.com/enewsletters/2008/greenerbuildings/index.htm...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FEATURES AND COLUMNS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Whole Systems Green Cleaning
By Fred Klammt, McMorrow Report
http://greenerbuildings.com/feature/2008/07/17/whole-systems-green-clean...
Most green cleaning programs focus on using less toxic cleaning chemicals. While
using greener cleaning products contributes to a healthier and greener workplace
environment, facilities managers can do so much more.

How the Lodging Industry Can Help the Environmental Movement
By Glenn Hasek
http://greenerbuildings.com/column/2008/07/11/lodging-help-environmental...
Meetings and travel companies are taking a close look at their environmental
impact; although the world of lodging has also begun the process, here are seven
fundamental steps to greening the industry.

Open the Floodgates: The Era of Green Building Litigation
By Shari Shapiro
http://greenerbuildings.com/column/2008/07/11/open-floodgates-the-era-gr...
Until now, there has been little, if any, active litigation related to the rash
of green building regulations passed in the past few years. That changed July 3
when a new era of environmental litigation began.

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

Fireman’s Fund Offers Green Insurance for Homeowners
http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/07/08/firemans-fund-green-insuranc...
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company is offering a green insurance option to
homeowners in 26 states starting this summer.

Jones Lang LaSalle Acquires Toronto Firm That Developed Green Globes
By Leslie Guevarra
http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/07/11/jones-lang-lasalle-acquires-...
Commercial real estate services giant Jones Lang LaSalle has acquired an
environmental consulting firm best known for developing the buildings rating
system Green Globes, viewed variously as an alternative, competitor or
complement to the U.S. heavy-hitter Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED).

New List Looks at Top Green Building Design Firms
http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/07/09/new-list-looks-top-green-bui...
Engineering News-Record analyzed revenues from green projects to rank the top
100 design firms.

Green Buildings Take Top Awards at TOBY Awards
http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/07/10/green-buildings-take-top-awa...
The Time Warner Center, a renovated federal building in Tennessee, and several
Canadian buildings were among the existing and new buildings taking home prizes
at the recent BOMA convention.

County Green Buildings Programs Grow By Almost Fivefold
By Leslie Guevarra
http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/07/14/county-green-buildings-progr...
The number of county-based green building programs in the U.S. has almost
quintupled, growing from a mere eight in 2003 to 39 in just five years,
according to a study by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The study,
"Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Counties," singled out four — Alameda
County, Calif., Hennepin, County, Minn., King County, Wash., and Montgomery
County, Md. — for having "solid best practice examples of programs that can be
viewed as models."

Four New England States Top List of Energy-Efficient Buildings
http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/01/01/four-new-england-states-top-...
A new study by energy economist, author and university professor Jerry Jackson
ranks the 48 contiguous states based on the use of electricity in public and
private office buildings, the number of buildings in each state that exceed the
Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star standard and the cost savings
associated with efficient energy use.

Ontario Town's Water Treatment Inspired by Seaweed
By Sam Bond, Edie News
http://greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/07/07/ontario-town-looks-seaweed-w...
The town of Mississauga has implemented a water treatment system that uses ozone
and nanofiltration membranes to sieve lake water to make it safe for public
consumption.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/current/daily-news

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

The Top Green Design Firms 2008
http://greenerbuildings.com/resources/resource/the-top-green-design-firm...
This first edition of the Top Green Design Firms, 100 companies are ranked based
on their revenue from green building design projects.

Energy Budgets at Risk (EBaR): A Risk Management Approach to Energy Purchase and
Efficiency Choices
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/resources/resource/energy-budgets-risk-e...
Energy economist and university professor Jerry Jackson has developed a
framework that he says will help reduce energy costs and risk using tools
created by the financial industry.

MORE TOOLS & RESOURCES... http://www.greenerbuildings.com/resources/

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

Introduction to Renewable Energy Systems
http://greenerbuildings.com/resources/calendar/2008/04/30/introduction-r...

Event Date: Jul 30, 2008
Location: Jessup, Md.

This class provides a broad overview of the major renewable technologies,
including solar, wind, wave, geothermal, general bio fuels and hydro-power.

MORE EVENTS . . . http://www.greenerbuildings.com/resources/calendar

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

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tool you'd like to share with others? Please write to
GreenerBuildings@GreenerWorldMedia.com, or click on the "Contact" link
on the home page.

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2007.

Oh, yes.
A year ago, we were discussing how to enhance our casa ti's passive solar functionality during the summer to help keep the sunbeams from heating up the house. Our green Virginia architect, David Day, suggested a seasonal canopy. He and his wife used camouflage netting on their own porch: it billowed gently in the wind, yet, with the holes throughout, let in little beams of light here and there while still providing shade. The effect was fabulous: The light colors (white and a light, light blue) interspersed in the netting combined with bits of sunbeam made you feel like you were in an organic, moving, magical woods.

But there was just one drawback: Cammo is made of polyurethane. And I don't care what their industry sez: It just don't feel right.

I giggle as I begin my quest and type into the search bar: organic camouflage netting.
I bet that's one Google doesn't see often! ; )

A result pops up: "Natural, Organic products 8x10 Pro Series Ultra-lite Camouflage"
What? This can't be real.
It wasn't.

But I did find EcoVeil!

"EcoVeil™ is a non-PVC screen cloth, with healthful properties. Constructed in the same manner as ThermoVeil®, a core of TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) fiber filaments with a TPO coating, EcoVeil™ has similar characteristics to ThermoVeil®, plus the added benefit of being very environmentally friendly.

• The first "Cradle to Cradle™" shade cloth
• Is more than PVC free
• Can be reclaimed and recycled
• Is durable and washable
• Is anti-microbial
• Is flame retardant
• Optimized and under continuous improvement by MBDC, a product and process design firm founded by William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart
• Selected by Environmental Building News as one of the Top-10 Green Building Products of 2004"

Although I wish I could find something with the more interesting texture/color properties of the aforementioned camouflage, I feel better about choosing the EcoVeil.

Can't wait to seek shelter under the shade in my very own casa ti!
I picture slow afternoons, lazily sprawled in a comfortable chair, just lookin' at the view.
...With a frosty mint julep in my hand. ; )

This is the fun part: Finally, I am creating the "honey do" list of... stuff my HUSBAND needs to do so that as soon as the casa ti, one of our modern kit homes, is finished we can put it all together in the interior quickly. Interior design choices are an area where people can take deliberate steps to reuse, recycle and reduce their lifestyle while creating a welcoming environment they will happily share with friends and family.

(Ooooookay, maybe I'll help him a little... : ) )

Fortunately, through years of using eagle eyes while thrift shopping and scouring local yard sales, we have squirreled away some fabulous, recycled finds. But now we need to buff 'em up, and have 'em ready and waiting for the move. Recycled / reused items include:

• A precious 1950's blonde desk/drawer for my daughter's room $15
• A long, simple yet formal Owen-Suters mahoghany dining table $150
• Dining chairs - you won't believe 'em till ya see 'em but they're so simple and mod and beautiful $15 a pop
• Knoll couch found in an antique store that specialized in "Virginia colonial" $65 Bwha-hahahaha!
• Two matching coooooooooool open ended rounded corner bookcases, veddy mod $30
• A Danish 1950s china cabinet $100
• 12 piece silverplated flatware- an entire set from the 1960s $65
• A plethora of assorted dishes / serving pieces / bowls etc. Hmmm... I have no idea the actual cost as I've been collecting that stuff for years but I assure you they were cheap, cheap, cheap!
• Various recycled lamps (I'm sure I can spare a few in here ; ) ) $10-ish bucks a pop
• Awesome coffee press of unknown origin but makes like 18, yes, 18 cups! Woo! $5
• Cool 1970s fabric art piece I bought at a yard sale for $15

And now, to look for and try to find in our local reuse stores like Habitat For Humanity's Restore and Caravati's:

• A cool tub (more on that later because there is a feature David Day, the LEED accredited architect, designed that I need to be careful of when choosing a tub plus it needs to fit with a composting toilet in that space)
• Plain sink for the kitchen island (more on that in a later post)
• Marine stove top (propane powered since the house is off grid)
• Juice glasses for thirsty-clamoring-for-water children!
• Wine glasses for, um, thirsty-clamoring-for-wine adults!

So... sweetie-my-dearest-husband... that's all we have to do! Honey... Get on it! ; )