Being Green Can Be Easy.  EcoUrban Homes Proves It.  The first of several up and coming EcoUrban homes was recently completed, and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay was on location to celebrate the grand opening.  It just so happens that this home is probably one of the greenest homes in Missouri — it has obtained LEED Platinum rating.  Located at 3140 Pennsylvania Avenue in St. Louis, this 3-bedroom, 2-bath, modular home has a bamboo stairs, fiber cement board siding, double-pane low-e windows, R-40 Icynene insulation in ceilings and floors, built-in security system and recycling center, solid wheat board interior doors, ultra-low VOC paints, dual-flush high-efficiency toilets, and Energy Star lighting and appliances, to name a few green amenities. 

Read more »

Every Sunday, Jetson Green features a different green skyscraper, and flat out, I’m amazed at the innovation architects and engineers are putting into these towering eco-phallics.  So, in the spirit of looking at what we can do with modern technology, I thought it would be fun to highlight an article called "Uber-Eco-Towers: The Top Ten Green Skyscrapers," by Jon Schroeder for EcoGeek.  Building on the hype from the recent sustainable skyscraper design conference (link), Jon has a list of what he’s determined to be the top ten green towers.  Here they are from top to bottom:

1. The Bahrain World Trade Center Towers
2. The Pearl River Tower
3. Bank of America Tower – One Bryant Park
4. The Lighthouse Tower
5. The CIS Tower
6. The Hearst Tower
7. The Burj al-Taqa – Energy Tower
8. Waugh Thistleton Residential Tower
9. 340 on the Park
10. The Urban Cactus

Looks like 7 of the 10 that made Jon’s cut have been featured previously on Jetson Green.  I’ll make sure to write an article on the other 3 buildings detailing their accomplishments.  Nice list EcoGeek…

::"S2" is short for "Skyscraper Sunday," a weekly article on green skyscrapers posted every Sunday::

If everything pans out, 5IVE is going to be one of the hottest homes to hit the modern + green scene.  You watch, I’m calling it right now.  This Minneapolis, Minnesota home is aiming for the distinct accomplishment of LEED Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council guidelines.  Platinum green homes get attention.  John Dwyer, professor at University of Minnesota and founder of Shelter Architecture, designed the home for Jeff and Saleno Gallo.  5IVE is built with precast concrete walls with an r-value in the 30s, has one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems on the market, and will use the greenest possible materials, products, appliances, and fixtures. 

The blogosphere is cool because we can use it to peer into the lives of others and learn from their experiences.  Jeff Gallo and Dwyer are collaborating on a blog by documenting the step-by-step process of building one of the greenest homes in Minnesota.  Right now, details are a little scant (for the unbuilt portions), so check the progress at the 5IVE blog for more specifics.

Good Links:
++5ive Plans [Shelter Architecture]
++5IVE: DIARY OF A LEED PLATINUM HOME
++5IVE: Diary of a LEED Platinum Home [Treehugger]

Read more »

It looks like there are three new youtube videos up of the Dwell Home by Resolution: 4 Architecture.  The one above is a fly through of the Dwell Home 3D renderings.  If, like me, you find that the videos are a weird way to present something modern + cool, I apologize in advance.  Watch and you’ll know what I’m talking about.  Mute helps.  Via a.mnp. 

Recently, Paris-based architect Jacques Ferrier unleashed his "Hypergreen" mixed-use skyscraper concept, which was submitted for a project competition in Paris.  Hypergreen incorporates a curving lattice facade made of ultra-high-performance concrete that acts as the building’s primary structural system.  It has the look of steel, almost resembling some of Foster’s designs such as Hearst Tower or 30 St Mary Axe.  Measuring 246 meters in height, Hypergreen has the following green features:  geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, integrated wind turbines, earth cooling tubes, vegetated sky lobbies, a roof garden, rainwater recovery system, and flexible and adaptable floor plates.  The exoskeleton reduces the number of columns that make for odd floor plates. 

Good Links:
++Jacques Ferrier Architecture [Official Website]
++Green Skyscraper Will Have ‘Steel-like’ Concrete Skin [BD+C - PODCAST]

Read more »