Recently, I read this green building article that focuses on a privately built residence in Belleville Illinois, and the goal to make it a silver-level LEED certified building. Up until recently, it seemed to me that LEED certification was mostly in the province of the large developer. Not so, it seems. In summary, here are some of the measures which the property owners took to reach their goal of a silver-level LEED certification: Hired LEED-certified builders, and architect Ensured … [Read more...]
Green Building To Drive California Building Codes
August 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
As I read more and more about the green building industry, it seems to me that the efficiency which is inherent in that approach has the goals of combating climate change and in spending less on utilities too. Conservation of resources - both natural and financial - are goals that may be the focus in California's new building codes over residential building standards. The new codes, effective as of August 1st, are to be implemented as mandatory across the board in California by 2011 with the … [Read more...]
Green Building Business Tips for Contractors Article
August 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Thanks to @SerenArch on Twitter, I found this very informative article that outlines some best practices when it comes to understanding the business side of green building. The article is taken from the Construction Today website. As the article itself states, green building is often presented in the media as the next big thing in the construction industry. It's certainly struck me that way, and I've made that pretty apparent on this blog. Yet, some practical points for the benefit of firms … [Read more...]
Green Building From Outer Space … Sort of.
August 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment
This past July marked the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon, getting an historical perspective on our planet. For the first time, it was viewed objectively by the human eye, and captured for posterity on film. The images of our planet have since become iconic, inspiring the then-burgeoning environmental movement. This is not to mention how they sparked the imaginations of writers, world leaders, … [Read more...]
Bamboo Homes: Green Building In and Out of the Box
July 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
To continue thoughts on pre-fab homes and the relationship to green building, I was looking around the interwebs for more examples of pre-fab building with regard to LEED points and sustainable construction. In doing so, I happened across the website of a USGBC member company called Bamboo Living. This company features modular model homes as constructed entirely of bamboo. And the homes they build are ICC-ES certified in the United States. For more about the product that Bamboo Living are … [Read more...]
Green Building: A Five to Seven Year Forecast
July 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
One key watchword when it comes to green building is innovation. In reading this article about defining green building as as term, this much is apparent. Thanks to Buffalo Niagara Enterprise (@BNEnterprise on Twitter) for posting the link to the article. Among the goals outlined in the article is creating buildings that are 'independent', that don't rely solely on the power grid for heat and for water. Thus, windpower, solar energy, and the efficient use of rain harvesting technology are … [Read more...]
Prefab homes: a next step in green building?
July 15, 2009 By 3 Comments
I don't think it's a stretch to conclude that in this new millennium, we are being faced with something of a paradigm shift when it comes to the state of our environment and our impact on it. And I think this becoming true of owning a home too. Given the recent economic downturn which has caused many to face the possibility of losing their homes, or in trying to find ways of owning homes which offer greater efficiency and less expense, the time appears to be ripe for new solutions. So, what … [Read more...]
Green Building For the Average Joe & Jane
July 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about the TV Show Living With Ed. The particular episode that struck me most was the one featuring singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. The hit writer of "Running On Empty" (among other radio favorites) has gone to great lengths to stay off of the grid by using windpower, solar power, and strategic architectural design in his own home. Reflecting upon this, it struck me that green building might be considered by some in this context to be in the sole province … [Read more...]
Green Building Standards Aligned to Your Personality and Goals
July 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In reading this article about green building, it's hard to disagree with the idea that green building is here to stay. And as it's been established, this is not just because green building makes sense in terms of a more efficient use of resources. It also makes financial sense, too. That aside, the eternal question is 'what is green'? Two of the means in measuring it which are becoming known as universal standards are LEED and NAHB, both applying to the whole of a project, not just individual … [Read more...]
Green building makes common sense a reality
June 22, 2009 By 3 Comments
I've been reading a bit about the NZI Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, which incorporates a number of green building innovations. For instance, rooftop gardens, rainwater used as 'grey water' in toilets, skylights that bolter natural daylight, and glass layers that acts as insulation are built right into the design. One innovation I'd never heard of before has to do with the elevators, which upon their descent generate electricity that feed back into building's main supply. Incredible. I've … [Read more...]
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