Green Building : Jetson Green

Lofts at Cherokee Studios Now Complete, Seeking LEED Platinum

A few years ago, we mentioned this project and want to take an opportunity to follow up.  The new Lofts @ Cherokee Studios, designed by Pugh + Scarpa and developed by REthink Development, is now complete.  Built on the same site as Cherokee Recording Studios, which was MGM Studios before that, the location saw the likes of numerous past and present musical giants, including Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, David Bowie, and Dave Matthews.  It's now a mixed-use location seeking LEED Platinum certification. 

Seattle's Olive 8 Gets LEED Silver

A little over a year ago, we took a look at the green roof planned for Olive 8.  It's massive -- one of the largest in the city of Seattle.  Now, the hotel/condo tower in downtown Seattle has been open for several months and officially received LEED Silver certification.  It's one of only twenty other green hotels in the country to receive certification from the USGBC. 

Modern Green 555YVR in Walnut Creek

In the California city of Walnut Creek, this stunning green project is nearing completion with occupancy planned for October 2009.  555YVR gets its name from its location -- 555 Ygnacio Valley Road, which is conveniently located within walking distance of BART and a number of downtown restaurants and nightclubs.  Thompson | Dorfman Partners developed 55YVR with the architectural help of Kwan Henmi and KTGY Group, and the project was built to LEED standards.  Some of the green aspects include the following:

100 Gold Brooklyn Green Condos

Green building is bursting at the seams in New York, and if you don’t believe me, just read Green Buildings NYC.  The REDD Group shot us an email of a project they’re working on in Brooklyn (or more specifically, Vinegar Hill and Dumbo) called 100 Gold.  They tell us 100 Gold is one of the first green residential developments in the area, which is surprising considering all the activity I read about on gbNYC.  The 10-unit, condo building will open a model apartment on Earth Day, April 22, 2009.  Here is what to expect from 100 Gold:

Concept Utah Multifamily Container TOD

It looks like Group 41 has been hard at work on a few designs for a multifamily project in Salt Lake County built entirely from containers.  Below you'll see both proposals, the Curve Scheme and the Red Container Scheme, but the general idea is to create about 200 units of market-rate housing along the rail transportation corridor.  Group 41's Container Nation developed the two proposals to take advantage of different approaches to the stacking and build out of the containers.  In all, probably 1000 containers would be used -- but this is preliminary conceptual phase with preliminary local planning approvals expected in mid-2009 or so ...

Casa 100k Green Prefab Homes [Italy]

It looks like the 100k House idea has migrated overseas because a similar prototype just popped up in Italy last year.  Mario Cucinella Architects has conceived Casa 100k, which is a prototype home for Є100,000 that prioritizes three main elements: style, sustainability, and affordability.  It's billed as a low-cost, dream home with zero bills and zero emissions.  And as you can see from available renderings, the method of accomplishing such goals is primarily through prefabrication and passive and active design strategies. 

Thin Flats Chasing LEED Platinum

A lot of people in Pennsylvania have been talking about green building, but according to my quick research, no one in the state has received the USGBC's highest certification under the LEED for Homes program yet.  But that could change if the stars align for Thin Flats -- the developer is seeking LEED-H Platinum for all residences and waiting on Energy Star certification.  Thin Flats includes eight, market-rate, up-down units split between four rows.  The newly completed project recently received case study treatment by GreenSource Magazine, and from what I've read, observers either love or hate the exterior facade.  Personally, I like it, but what do you think?

Modern Green 1310 Condominiums

The project is The 1310 Condominiums, which is located in Portland, Oregon and one of the houses on the 11xDesign modern homes tour this Saturday.  If you're not familiar with the project, you may think it's new construction, but 1310 is actually a conversion of an old apartment complex into five modern condominiums. Designed by Brett Crawford Architecture + Planning for Brett Crawford and Dana Ing Crawford, with Brett Crawford as contractor, the finished project shows that meticulous attention was given to the small details.  And all that is paying off for the owners.  Three units are sold (with only two remaining one-bedroom units left), and 1310 received both a Built Honor and Sustainability Award from AIA Portland. 

Clybourn Point Condos Shine Brightly

Located in Chicago's growing River North district, this mixed use development offers engaging and sustainable design.  The concept of mixed use is not new by any means, but is making a strong comeback with the demand for sustainable urban design.  Clybourn Point offers ground floor retail and parking, three levels of contemporary condominium living, and a habitable green roof to top it all off. 

The Greening of Southie [Giveaway]

We have four DVDs of this movie to randomly giveaway to commenters below, so if you'd like to win one, make sure to say something before midnight on Friday, January 16, 2009.*

Finally!  A full-length feature for all us green building junkies!  The Greening of Southie is an award-winning film that documents the journey of a green condo building from the idea of a legacy Boston developer all the way to the jungles of Bolivia, from the steel mills of New England to LEED Gold certification.  The Macallen Building Condominiums, a sexy piece of contemporary architecture on the border of Boston and South Boston, was completed in 2007 by a committed team of builders.  They submitted their process to scrutiny via the cameras of budding filmmakers Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis of Wicked Delicate Films.