Jetson Green - 2006 September

September Green: Kicking Out the Shouts

I can hardly believe another month of blogging has gone by, but it has. I have links on my right sidebar of many blogs that I read, but I also receive significant stops from visitors from various blogs that I’d like to mention. I’m going to list these in no particular order, but I must say that when I was mentioned on Treehugger, my traffic stats shot through the roof. For those of you that are considering advertising there, I think it’s a good idea! Here are some of the others:

LEED Boot Camp – this blog is laying out some seriously helpful pointers for those preparing for the LEED Accredited Professional Examination.
EE/RE Investing – Tom has expert information for investors and has a firm handle on the energy investment sector. Let’s not forget that October 7, 2006, is the National Solar Tour of Homes day (one in each state, and Tom is helping with Colorado’s tour).
Dallas Progress – Officially named Best Political Blog of Dallas, Michael dubbed me the best sustainable building blog in Dallas. Really though, he’s talking about more than politics, he talks about development, real estate, and the economic future + safety of Dallas.
Musing of an Eco-Entrepreneur – not much to say there…Shea’s going green wild with entrepreneurial endeavors.
Matrix – I was mentioned in the Carnival of Real Estate and several real estate readers dropped in to read a little.
LA Green Living – they kicked out the shouts to Jetson Green in the Carnival of the Green #43; thanks, by the way. Carnival of the Green stops by a different green blog on Mondays and is pretty good to read.

That’s about it. I’m sure I missed someone, but that’s why I’ll have next month’s "Kick Out the Shouts." Until then, I look forward to reading what y’all have to say and hope we can get closer to having more modern + green buildings.

By Jetson Green|September 30th, 2006|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Ketchum, Idaho Contemporary Residence with a Lighter Shade of Green

There was a home in Architectural Digest that really caught my eye. Maybe it’s because the Roger Wade images perfectly captured how the house blends into the hilly landscape of Ketchum, Idaho. I don’t know…maybe I was just intrigued by the hoops the architect Jim McLaughlin had to go through just to get the darn thing built. The architect had height restrictions to deal with and still managed to squeeze in 9,000 square feet of space. The interesting thing about this house is that it has a contempory-interior, modern-exterior, traditional home-type feel to it. I mean, it doesn’t look like one of the prefabs I like to talk about, but it’s extremely contemporary.

They excavated 25 feet into the hill and built from within the rock to make the house seem like it’s flowing from the rocks. The architect designed the home to use local Montana stone on the facade and accented that with reclaimed beams inside. With all the windows, the builder (Gary Storey) and architect found a way to incorporate motorized sunshades the shoot up from the floor to the top of the windows. What that does, in turn, is blur the boundaries between the interior and exterior and provide an effective method to maximize the balance between natural light and shading.

While I know some of my devoted readers will scream because this place has a 9,000 sq.ft. footprint and doesn’t really use alternative energy, I think the house illustrates a lighter shade of green. The place looks good and uses local materials and reclaimed wood. That’s a start.

As far as the interior is concerned, the kitchen has zinc counters and wenge-wood cabinets with white-bronze inlay. Designed by Libby Brost, a former chef and restaurant owner, she recently sold her restaurant to concentrate on design. She designed the kitchen so that it didn’t necessarily look like a full-blown kitchen. It’s there, but it blends into the other room. And that goes the same with the other rooms. I think it’s a handsome place.

Extra Links:
Roger Wade Photography
Architectural Digest [article not online]
McLaughlin Architects

By Jetson Green|September 30th, 2006|Modern architecture, Modern design, Vegetation|0 Comments

Design: e2 "Grey to Green" — Rethinking American Construction Waste

Introducing "Grey to Green." It’s a snippet from the Design: e2 series narrated by Brad Pitt. We need a paradigm shift in the methods we employ to construct US buildings! Watch this video on construction waste and think about the status quo. Did you know that American buildings account for 10% of the world’s energy use? They do.

Part of the draw to modern prefab, for me, is that it presents the opportunity to efficiently, and relatively wastelessly, produce attractive, sustainable living spaces. That’s very important. Technology and process innovation can help us quit wasting energy, supplies, and materials, etc. Construction waste is not only damaging the earth, but by continuing on the current path, we’re just throwing money away (both at purchase and trash points). We need to understand the issues and find creative, innovative, positive, and attractive solutions.

This video is extremely informative, and you can order the PBS series DVD from their website for $29.95. The DVD includes all six episodes (The Green Apple, Green for All, The Green Machine, Gray to Green, China: From Red to Green, + Deeper Shades of Green). I can’t catch it on TV, so I’m going to go ahead and purchase it. Really, watch the video and you’ll realize why it looks to be a good series.

Extra Links:
Design: e2 Website
ABC News Article about Brad Pitt’s Narration
Wikipedia Entry for Design: e2

By Jetson Green|September 29th, 2006|News, Prefab|1 Comment

Fireman's Fund Insurance Company Makes Green Building Insurance Products Available

Seriously, yet another reason to build green buildings. The list gets longer and longer. Lower operating costs, higher resale (appraisal) value, healthier work environment, and better workforce productivity, etc. Wells Fargo wants to finance green buildings and Hines wants to develop them. And now, California-based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company wants to insure them. This is a smart business strategy. If you’re going to insure something, why not insure the top quality stuff? As insurer, you’re dealing with the elite, upper echelon of building developers, operators, and owners. It’s really a no-brainer…

The company will provide green coverage for commercial buildings certified as environmentally friendly in all 50 states starting in late October 2006. It’s the first insurance company to do so and will offer three different forms:

(more…)

By Jetson Green|September 28th, 2006|LEED|0 Comments

Northern New Jersey Attached Residence + Spa + Tennis Court Gets Sustainable

Translucent, shimmery, membraneous, sustainable. When I saw the look of this tennis court in Architectural Digest, I was blown away…and I don’t even play tennis. (By the way, October 2006 AD is chock full of modern + sustainable architecture!) At Jetson Green, I talk a ton about residential green spaces or commercial skyscrapers, etc., but I haven’t spent that much time on sustainable structures crafted specifically for sport, hobby, or play. Architect Robert Rhodes put together a striking, modern tennis court/spa/attached residence for a client that I need to share.

Just a short skip down a slate trail from the main residence is this tennis court embedded in a New York investment banker’s 8 acre, well-wooded property. The goal for the architect was to conform to the local zoning requirements, apply sustainable building principles, and keep consistent with the surrounding flora. I think they did a phenomenal job.

Green Features:
The client + architect wanted the court to "look like trees." Here’s what they did to keep it green + sustainable. First, they built the tennis court into the ground so that the structure wouldn’t stick out. The same principle applied when they decided to use tennis-green, transparent polycarbonate-panels; the panels allow enough light inside for day use and keep out the harsh sunlight for cooling purposes. Second, the court’s energy is supplied by two geothermal wells. And third, they used an ipe deck (economic + ecologic) between the attached residence and court. Also note, there is a subterranean spa below the deck that connects the guesthouse and court. Investment banker Cribs anyone?

The laminated-wood beams stretch vertically, almost as if they are the actual trees that surround the court. Aesthetically, the panel and beam design finishes out the structure so that it blends and matches the surrounding environment. And while I think this investment banker won’t be able to practice his lob, he surely will be able to relax, spa, and play tennis in a court fit for English royalty!

Extra Links:
Robert Rhodes Architecture [picture source]
Architectural Digest Website [article not online]

By Jetson Green|September 27th, 2006|Modern architecture, Modern design|3 Comments

Real Estate Forum Article Interviews Experts + Predicts Future Green Building

There are still some people out there that don’t believe green + sustainable building will last. In the September edition of Real Estate Forum magazine, there is a lengthy article with reflections and predictions from some of the most notable names in real estate (for example, Milton Cooper, CEO Kimco Realty Corp.; Richard Camp, Chairman + CEO Camden Properties Trust; and Michael Pralle, President + CEO GE Real Estate). These are the heavy hitters of real estate–people that make it their business to look forward and understand the trends affecting the industry. That said, I found two quotes that I had to pass on to the Jetson Green readership…

RE Forum was able to catch up with Jeffrey Schwartz, CEO of ProLogis, and ask him what he thinks will affect the industrial sector. He said,

In terms of sustainability, governments and corporations are becoming more sensitive to the environmental impact of industrial development. It’s amazing the amount of energy you can save with the quality of a facility and the air-tightness of the building. The costs are slightly higher, but the payback is phenomenal for the customer, from both sustainability and an economic standpoint. It takes a lot less money to heat and cool buildings if they are properly constructed and more environmentally conscious.

Later in the article, RE Forum quoted Gerald D. Hines, Chairman + Founder of Hines, with respect to his opinions on the future of real estate development. He said,

It becomes increasingly clear that improving cities is not only the right thing to do, but good business as well. Five decades ago, there was a tremendous move to the suburbs; today there is a return to the cities…rather than developing greenfields, … many developers are returning to their urban roots and transforming abandoned industrial sites–brownfields–into new uses. Therefore, now, more than ever, sustainability has become a key component of development.

These are seasoned professionals talking about sustainability, green buildings, and environmentally-conscious development. This is mainstream stuff. I keep saying this, but it seems that some of the professionals out there aren’t listening: Green building is the future. Since 90% of the world hasn’t caught on, you have a competitive advantage to exploit.

By Jetson Green|September 27th, 2006|Uncategorized|2 Comments

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