Green Building : Jetson Green

Happy Green Homeowners, LEED Silver CarMax, + Godin on No Impact Man (WIR)

1. Study Shows Green Homeowners Are Happier With Their Homes and Recommending Them; Cost Savings are a Top Motivating Factor for Buying Green. 
2. CarMax Receives LEED Silver Certification and Becomes First Company in Virginia to Construct a LEED Building for Corporate Headquarters.
3. Seth Godin on the No Impact Man; Zero is the New Black. 

The Loftcube (F2)

This is the Loftcube, which is designed and engineered in Germany.  Including the bathroom and kitchen, there are two models, one for $136,000 and the other for $180,000.  I love the look of it, but I wouldn't ship it transatlantic:  carbon overload.  Good eye candy for Friday though, right?!  If you had $180k and a vacant roof, would you put it up there?  Add some landscaping?  Comments.

"F2" is short for "Flickr Friday," a weekly short posted on Friday with an image from Flickr and a quick description.  Feel free to email me your F2 ideas.

QR5 + 2007 Bottom Line Design Awards

The first time I saw the QR5 was on Inhabitat last year, and ever since then, my thoughts have occasionally wandered back to its simple, elegant design.  Now, in April 2007, this UK-based innovation is one the recipients of the 3rd Annual Bottom Line Design Awards.  Pictured on the cover of Business 2.0, the QR5 is referred to as "The Personal Power Plant."  The QR5 can generate about 800 kilowatt-hours a month in 13-mph winds and costs about $48,000.  Back of the envelope-style, the payback is about 18 years.  According to Quietrevolution's designer, Richard Cochrane, prices will go down with volume sales and about 70-80 wind turbines will be installed in the coming year. 

About the QR5:
Looking at the helix portion alone, the turbine is about 9 feet tall x 15 feet wide (but various different sizes are also in development).  Here's how the parts work:  (1) three 'S' shaped blades are tapered to shed noise, (2) the vertical axis easily integrates into existing buildings and structures, (3) the helical design captures turbulent winds and eliminates vibration, (4) central compression spar, dependent on conditions, (5) the blades, spars, and torque tube are made of strong carbon fiber, and all moving parts are sealed to minimize maintenance, and (6) the direct drive in-line generator has auto-shutdown and peak power tracking, which is incorporated into the mast.  The QR5 is expected to have a life of about 25 years, assuming annual inspections.  Feel free to click on over to get the finer details on noise + vibration, connecting to the grid, and mounting in various applications. 

My Thoughts:
I think it's fantastic, but I do have one concern.  It's UK-based.  Localization is the new globalization because carbon emissions have changed the rules of the game.  If this thing is going to get big, and I believe it can, there must be US-based production.  I understand Quietrevolution is working on their non-UK patents, so establishing an American presence may be the company's next step.  I hope it is, because I can't stop thinking about it.  That's what good design does.  It changes the way we see the game being played. 

Extra Links:
Quiet Revolution Wind Turbine [Evelyn - Inhabitat]
QuietRevolution [Sarah Rich - WorldChanging]

Jetson Green in D.C. this Weekend, Ideas?

I'm going to be in Washington D.C. with a team of MBAs for a real estate case competition this weekend.  I have some free time both Friday and Sunday and would like to delve into the greener side of D.C.  Any ideas?  I'm up for anything. 

Molasky Corporate Center Goes LEED Gold; Articulating the Financial Case

This project is good way for me to flaunt the business case for green building, so I gotta take it.  According to Richard Worthington, President of Molasky Group, "it will take 12-15 years to recoup the extra $5-7 million it cost to build Molasky Corporate Center (MCC) to LEED Gold certification."  Compared to the averages, this is a little high because your typical LEED Gold building will cost a premium of about 3-4%, but construction costs are bonkers right now.  I can tell you that 15 years is less than your straight line building depreciation.  Conclusion = green features pay for themselves over the life of the building, at the very minimum. 

Green Features:
MCC is a 16-story office tower under construction on Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas.  One of its green features calls for the use of blue jean insulation, which Worthington seemed to humor: "Those jeans might have been worn by some super-hot model in New York at one time."  In addition to using thousands of blue jeans for insulation, MCC has the following green features:  95% recycled steel; crushed glass countertops in the bathroom retail; underfloor air distribution system with heating and a/c vents running underneath a 14-inch raised floor; intelligent design to maximize natural lighting sans glare; water conserving toilets, showerheads, and faucets; and rainwater reclamation system for landscape irrigation. 

The $107 million building was designed by Howard F. Thompson Architects and will include yellow crown and green accent lighting at night.  With 340,000 cars per day and a 4% vacancy rate in class A space for Las Vegas, the building seems to be coming on line at the right time.  Matter of fact, it's almost completely leased with  tenants including Southern Nevada Water Authority, Las Vegas Valley Water District, Molasky Group of Cos., Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, and Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck.  Via LV Review Journal + MCC. 

Green Building = Buzz, but Localization = Key

Green building articles abound, but it's important to note the subtle differences in perspective, which may change depending on the writer's geography.  An article may give green building advice that doesn't make sense in your geography.  Take this Houston article for instance.  It's a good read.  In Houston, the climate requires an innovative balance of green building techniques.  Houston is hot and humid.  I won't say it's the armpit of America, but it's hard to keep dry in that place.  Here are a couple examples of localization in green building. 

1. Passive Design - Houston architects suggest putting most of your windows in a north/south orientation because the east/west orientation draws too much heat into the home and doesn't allow exposure to the cool breezes that blow from the southeast in the summer. 
2. Materials - Houston architects will building with metal, as opposed to brick or stucco.  Metal reflects the sun, while brick holds in heat and stucco is prone to mold.  Unfortunately, metal doesn't work for all applications, so you have to balance and make trade-offs. 

Rule:  Consult a knowledgeable professional to pick the optimal green building strategy that effectively considers the ramifications of the local geography and materials on your site.  It'll pay dividends later when you actually start to occupy the building and use it.  Pictures via Cameron Armstrong Architects, a Houston architectural firm with several metal homes in their portfolio. 

Bahrain WTC, 3 Building Integrated Wind Turbines (S2)

Recently, in the Week in Review, I blogged about these twin skyscrapers becoming the world's first commercial development to include large-scale wind turbines in its structure.  As you can see from the pictures, Bahrain WTC towers have three, 32-yard diameter propellers that supply about 11-15 % of the buildings' energy needs, or about 1100 to 1300 megawatts per year.  The shape of the towers create an airflow tunnel through the buildings for improved energy generation output and each turbine will be suspended on a bridge connecting the buildings.  According to BWTC designer Shaun Killa, solar panels available at the time of construction lost their efficiency due to the high Bahrain temperatures, so wind technology was the better choice for renewable supply.  The turbines will be tested throughout the year and the building will open for business later in 2007. 

The dueling towers are 50 stories each, with 34 floors of office space.  When complete, the entire complex will include a shopping mall, including about 150-200 luxury brand retail sites, and a 5-star Sheraton hotel.  In addition to having SMART features that include high-tech security and IT infrastructure, the building will use an environmentally friendly water cooling system.  Via GE Eco-Business. 

Zero-Energy Issaquah Town Homes, GreenSource + ENR Get Neals, + Bahrain Wind Turbine Towers (WIR)

1. Ten "Zero-Energy" Town Home Community Planned in Issaquah, Washington [Seattle Times]
2. McGraw-Hill Construction's GreenSource Magazine and ENR.com Win Neal Awards [PRNewswire]
3. Bahrain Twin Skyscraper Complex Becomes World's First Commercial Development to Include Large-Scale Wind Turbines in its Structure [GE Eco-Business]

Quotable: RK Stewart, FAIA

"Climate change, carbon emissions, greenhouse gases, green design--call it what you will.  The need to change how we inhabit the planet to avoid catastrophic consequences is now widely accepted...in the year ahead I plan to work with the AIA board's Sustainability Discussion Group to aggressively advance sustainable design and the key role the AIA can and our members must play to engage the great challenge confronting our generation--the future of our planet."  - RK Stewart, FAIA, Principal at Gensler, AIA President

Via Eco-structure

World's First Prefab Sold on Ebay (F2)

It's the MD 280 by Edgar Blazona of Modular Dwellings.  Way back in 2004, the MD 280 was listed on Ebay for 10 days with a starting bid of $39,000.  I can't find what it ended up selling for, so if you have an idea, drop it in the comments.

::: aside: I'd really like to get the MD 100 (10 x 10) DIY kit and build it for a quiet space/reading area/blogging zone.  Anyone have experience with it? :::

"F2" is short for "Flickr Friday," a weekly short posted on Friday with an image from Flickr and a quick description.  Feel free to email me your F2 ideas.