I’m going to be honest, I hate my CFLs. After blowing all sorts of cash on these things, I’ve yet to find one that performs the way I’d like it to. Plus, since lighting accounts for some 11% of residential energy use on average, it’s an area that deserves attention. In doing so, I’ve been playing with various options and think LEDs may just be the ticket.
A mixed-use project in Chicago has been getting a lot of attention for its green elements. Most noticeable, perhaps, is the beveled corner that holds 12 vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT) by Helix Wind. The turbines are stacked in two columns on the building’s southwest corner and were included in the HOK designed-facade to cover all exterior lighting costs.
This 800-square foot Clearlake itHouse is under construction in California right now. Similar to another itHouse that we mentioned previously, the home will be off-grid and solar-powered. It will also be the first, elevated, above-ground itHouse, leaving the site relatively untouched by the structure.
With design costs, build costs, land acquisition, and everything else, homes are expensive. Add a layer to that, that homes be sustainable, or somewhat “green,” and they get more expensive. Yet folks want these homes to be cut-rate affordable. It’s tough to do and a new modern home in Columbia, South Carolina, perhaps gives us an idea of what an affordable, light green home could look like.
ECO Modern Flats is undergoing a transformation right now in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The multifamily project was built 40 years ago, but that’s not stopping developers from renovating the place to anticipated LEED Gold level certification. And they’re doing it with a modern, yet attainable, approach, too.
Project Profiles
