Jetson Green - residential

Phinney House, Modern Green Attractive Reuse

I guess the term would be adaptive reuse, but I think I’m going to start calling this "attractive reuse." Attractive reuse is about taking boring, old, traditional homes and renovating them into modern, green abodes. The Phinney House was intended to be a case study house — the existing house was extensively remodeled, the main floor was raised to give more height in the basement, the main floor plan was opened up, and a new second floor was added. It’s Built-Green certified, too. Some of the many ecologically sustainable elements in this project include the following: hydronic radiant-floor heat; whole-house heat-recovery ventilation; FSC-certified lumber, plywood and cabinetry; reclaimed fir beams and columns; sustainably harvested Ipe wood siding and decking; straw-board flooring; non-toxic paints and finishes; concrete with fly-ash content; and rain-screen siding. Nice.

Also, for other attractive reuse projects, check out the Boxhouse and the TrailerWrap Project. Check below for what the Phinney House looked like before the makeover.

(more…)

By Jetson Green|October 2nd, 2007|Gadgets, Materials, Modern architecture|0 Comments

UPDATE:: 12/3/2007 Make It Right Project: 13 Designs, 150 Homes

Hot on the heels of Pitt’s latest work in New Orleans comes this new announcement that he and Steve Bing are planning a new 150-home community in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. He wants to Make It Right, in a place that gets less and less attention. So at this point, I would consider Brad Pitt a developer — he has vision and can bring all the different players together to move meaningful projects forward. Pitt, with an eye towards design, sustainability, and affordability, keeps stacking success upon success. It’s really interesting to follow.

Naturally, these homes will be affordable and sustainable, but to get the project going, both Bing and Pitt have pledged $5 million each in matching funds. If you’re interested, here’s where you can submit donations. He’s already retained William McDonough + Partners (think: Cradle to Cradle) to lead the sustainable construction process, but look who else is helping out … Pugh + Scarpa Architecture, Morphosis, Shigeru Ban Architects, and Adjaye Architects, to name a few. Enough said. I can’t wait to see the renderings.

(more…)

By Jetson Green|October 2nd, 2007|News|9 Comments

In a city known for its aversion to development and proudly celebrated with the phrase "Keep Austin Weird," what does it take to get the go ahead approvals on what will be the tallest tower in the skyline? Quite simply, a commitment to green building. The Austonian, developed by Benchmark Development and designed by Ziegler Cooper Architects, is going to be one of a kind in Austin. And judging by the renderings, it’s going to tower over everything else in the city, too. The 56-floor building will have 188 residential condominiums, with pricing from $550,000 (rough revenue analysis = 188 * $550k = $103.4 M). But there’s also going to be some ground floor retail, and according to Emporis, construction is expected to be complete in 2009.

The Austonian will be built to Austin’s well-known Green Building Program, with features such as a rainwater capture system; high-performance, low-E glass walls; Mecho-Shades; and Energy Star-rated appliances. There’s also going to be an urban garden a first-class fitness room on the top floor. The tower will feature a glass and aluminum “skin” that is layered to provide depth to its slender shape. So, all in all, it looks good and if you’re going to build high, at least it’s in the middle of downtown.

(more…)

By Jetson Green|September 30th, 2007|Skyscraper|0 Comments

This home isn’t necessarily modern, but it has all the modern conveniences one could ask for: solar panels, small wind, radiant floor heating, air filtration system, and a trombe wall, etc. Kent and Kathy Lawrence’s custom country home, which was completed in 2005, ended up costing roughly $300 psf. The wind turbine alone came in at a cool $37,100 (producing 13,000 kwh/year), and that’s without tax subsidies. And unlike many custom homes that tend to explore new boundaries of profusion, this home is only 2,200 sf. Not bad. But the Lawrence’s weren’t just concerned with smart design and energy efficiency. Currently, they’re removing invasive plant species and planting native flowers, just trying to be gentle stewards of the land they inhabit. I think this is a rather picturesque setting for a home … much the American Dream.

(more…)

By Jetson Green|September 28th, 2007|Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Gadgets, Materials, Solar, Wind|0 Comments

Napa Prefab Now For Rent!

Have you ever wanted to walk through a prefab or see what the excitement is about in person? If you live on the west coast, the opportunity to walk through a prefab happens fairly frequently. Just wait for the right conference or event and you'll hear about a tour or walk through. Now, two hours north of San Francisco in Napa County (Pope Valley), there's a Rocio Romero prefab open for tour, rental, or even for commercial photo, movie, and production shoots.

(more…)

By Jetson Green|September 27th, 2007|Modern architecture, Prefab|3 Comments

Many of you have probably seen this house by Stuart Tanner Architects, it was the Architectural Record House of the Month in July 2006. But I just noticed it and want to post a few images. It’s a small house of 1,184 sf located near Eaglehawk Neck on Tasmania’s Tasman Peninsula. As you can see, it juts out into the air, blending the boundary between the wildlife and sea. I’m sure the owners have witnessed the grandeur of nature at its best, being enveloped by the eucalypt forest and the sea. Due to the location, the architect had the home partially prefabricated — framing was complete in two days. The home also has many of the green features most homes should have, such as energy-saving lights, heating, and appliances. It’s well-insulated throughout and designed to maximize cross ventilation. And there’s an on-site waste management system, greywater recycling, and fresh water catchment and storage, too.

(more…)