West Coast Green Building Codes: CalGreen, OEESC and More
The west coast of the US – California, Oregon and Washington – has always been seen as being progressive and forward thinking is many ways. They have held up that reputation with their building and energy codes, too. California was the first state in the US to adopt a statewide, mandatory building code. The California Green Building Standards Codes, or CalGreen, took effect in January 2011. It applies only to new construction of low-rise residential, public and commercial … Read More
Cordwood Homes: Natural Beauty and Energy Efficiency
Cordwood masonry, or stackwall construction, is an excellent do-it-yourself way to build a house. It’s inexpensive, labor intensive and does not require any special skills. Local materials, which are sometimes scraps, can be used, making it an environmentally friendly building method. In Siberia and Greece, cordwood buildings date back 1000 years, although there is no clear beginning of their history. They have also been found in Scandinavia. In the 1800s, cordwood homes … Read More
Eco-Friendly Green Trends in the Design Industry
The way we approach design and consumerism is changing in the 21st century as the green trends of sustainability and energy efficiency are becoming more and more a part of our cultural vocabulary. To touch upon the broader themes of this, here's writer Micah Moon ... *** It’s hard to miss the fact that anything labeled as “green” these days takes on a whole new level of popularity. And the design industry is no exception. If something is considered eco-friendly … Read More
Green Building Codes in New England
The New England states are all over the map as far as mandatory green building codes. Some have little interest, whereas others are progressive. I spent my first 33 winters in Connecticut and New Hampshire. I distinctly remember the last two weeks of January with lows of minus 20-40 degrees and a high rarely above 0 degrees. Bitter northwest winds after snowstorms made it unbearable to go outside. If any region should have energy efficient features built into their codes, … Read More
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Green Building In China
In 2010, China surpassed the US as the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses. It also surpassed India as the largest cement consumer in the world. China consumes more electricity, most of which is coal generated, than the US, and 16% of China’s water goes to construction. At … [Read More...]
Green Building Slowly Comes to Russia
Until recently, Russia has been behind the rest of the world as far as green building. A lack of interest coupled with no government or real estate industry involvement stalled the movement. With the current economic atmosphere though, industry professionals needed to expand … [Read More...]
Nan’s Top 5 Favorite BuildDirect Green Blog Posts of 2011
I love research. I’m an analytical info junkie. I love to surf, read and connect the dots. Researching for this blog for most of 2011 has been enlightening and humbling. I’ve discovered joy and conflict, moved into topics that I knew little about and expanded on topics I … [Read More...]
BuildDirect Green Blog Retrospective 2011
Well, here we are almost at the end of 2011 after a year of posts about green building, sustainabilty, energy efficiency, and a great many other related areas here on the BuildDirect green blog. After a year at looking how the construction industry, independent builders, energy … [Read More...]
Green Building in New Zealand and Australia
My older daughter went to New Zealand and Australia for three weeks the day after she turned 12. I’ve always resonated with NZ. It’s been a dream destination of mine since I was young, and I could hardly believe she got there before me! When she returned, her stories told … [Read More...]
Green Building in Scandinavia
Scandinavia has a reputation for being socially and politically progressive. There is national health care, solid economic growth, little poverty and high incomes, and aggressive taxation. The Nordic countries invest in science and technology, so they are ahead of others in … [Read More...]
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