Green Building : Jetson Green

Oregon Shift House Seeks Passive House

Last week, Willamette Week Online published an article called "Futurehaus," which we linked to in our Saturday Week in Review.  The article describes an Oregon Passive House project in the works by Root Design Build.  The house is referred to as the Shift House, which, awkwardly enough, is not to be confused with the other Shift Home that we covered recently.  But that's not to take anything away from it.  With construction set to begin next month, upon completion in September, it'll be one of only a few certified Passive Houses in the United States. 

Super Sustainable Dallas City Block

This whole thing started when Urban Re:Vision teamed up with the City of Dallas to create a sustainable city block.  The location was announced last December, and thereafter, teams from all across the world participated in a competition to design the greenest city block in the country.  Now, three winners have been announced (see below), and of these three, one will be chosen for construction.  Groundbreaking is set for Fall 2010.

Babcock Ranch 100% Solar Powered City

We've heard about ecocities in far away lands, but now there's one planned for the Unities States.  Located near Fort Meyers, Florida, Babcock Ranch will be powered entirely by solar power.  It's a bold and progressive plan, and if Kitson & Partners can secure all the necessary regulatory approvals, construction will begin this year.  The city includes a 75-megawatt, on-site, photovoltaic facility constructed by Florida Power & Light for nearly $350 million.  

How to Design Livable Streets

It’s no secret that Good produces the best graphics to illustrate the most current and important points.  They tend to go viral and get passed around.  I like their popular graphic on vampire energy and guide to prefab construction.  Good has a knack for distilling complex information, and I think their new guide to livable streets is worth reading.  In it, they explain ten ways to redesign and transform streets to become livable:

St. Louis Chouteau Crossing Pursuing LEED Platinum Overhaul

With the glut of commercial space available today and the promise of stimulus money, some developers are looking at green building as a way to stand out.  Brushing up on catch-phrases just isn't going to cut it; in the new construction space, they're competing with early adopters who have already embraced sustainable design, energy efficiency, and LEED and the like.  They'll be competing with commercial projects like this. 

Virginia Passive Solar Modern House Nearing Completion!

Just recently, we mentioned Copeland Casati in regards to the launch of Green Cabin Kits, but I thought it was high time to take a look at her SIPs home under construction near Appomattox in Central Virginia.  The home is actually a prototype of the Casa Ti house kit designed by architect David Day.  Designed to be off-grid, net-zero energy, and modern, the home has 1200 square feet of space with three bedrooms. 

Chicago Eco-Bridge to 2016

This conceptual proposal for Chicago's Monroe Harbor was designed in honor of the great American architect Daniel Burnham, but perhaps more importantly, to secure Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic games.  The proposal is a modern interpretation of Burnam's 1909 master plan for Chicago.  In a land locked city, the Chicago Eco-Bridge offers an extension of the landscape that would dramatically change the face of the city, and perhaps the United States. 

Zira Island Planned as Zero Energy City

Following in the footsteps of Dongtan and Masdar, the Danish firm of Bjarke Ingels Group has just released details of their masterplan for a zero energy resort and entertainment city on Zira Island, which is located within the bay of Baku, Azerbaijan.  The plan calls for roughly 10.8 million square feet of architectural landscape based on the natural landscape of Azerbaijan.  Indeed, Zira Island will feature seven residential developments, each in the shape of one of seven peaks of Azerbaijan, and 300 private villas with views over the Caspian Sea. 

With Nature at Hidden Creek Eco-Village

This is Hidden Creek Eco-Village.  It's a little bit different kind of suburban development that attempts to reconcile the demands of single-family home buyers with the problems of sprawling housing developments.  First, Hidden Creek is full of communal features, such as neighborhood trails, car parks, front porches, central mailboxes, and shared streetscapes.  Plus the homes are densely sited to maintain open, natural spaces.  Second, Hidden Creek is surrounded by the natural environment: there's a nature preserve on the north, a creek on the south, and natural grasses and trees everywhere else.  To maintain the integrity of the site, homes were placed around existing trees and landscaping.  Third, all the homes have been custom-designed for each site to allow views of the surrounding landscape and nature. 

Chicago Plans Gargantuan 1140 Acre LEED Neighborhood Development

Looks like Chicago city planners have big ideas for a 1140 acre swathe of land in South Chicago.  The spot is former U.S. Steel land, and planners have been mulling development options for the spot since about 2000.  Now, they'd like to submit a proposal for a green development with sustainable neighborhoods, green buildings, street cars, and bicycle paths, etc.  Officially referred to as the "South Chicago LEED Neighborhood Development Initiative," the plan would be rated by the USGBC's LEED-ND pilot program and would unravel over roughly 20-30 years.