Monthly Archives: October 2008

//October

Off-Grid Emergency Response Studio

I’m completely fascinated by this Emergency Response Studio.  The gist is that Paul Villinski created a solar-powered, mobile artist’s studio from an old FEMA-style trailer — it’s off-grid, sustainable, and an excellent example of eco-reuse.  But there’s more.  According to an article in the LA Times, apparently Villinski tried to buy one of the 143,123 FEMA trailers purchased by the government in the aftermath of Katrina, that is, until the government stopped selling them and began buying them back due to formaldehyde fumes from glues used to secure rugs, plywood, and other fixtures.  So he bought this one for $5,015 from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife through a GAO auction.  And after getting rid of the nesting rodents, he cleaned it up and pimped it out for an exhibit called Prospect .1 New Orleans starting early November 2008. 

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By |October 27th, 2008|Gadgets, Prefab, Single Family, Solar|1 Comment
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Green Hybrid Residence for a Briard

Designed by Sander Architects, this part prefab, all custom-made home was recently profiled in the NY Times in an article entitled "Prefab, High-Concept, and Green."  The exposed denim insulation and loft-like interior caught my eye, so I decided to learn more about it.  Apparently, the owners retained Sander Architects to build something that was very green, on a super-tight budget, and amenable to the owner’s large French Briard dog.  The resulting 4,200 sf home, according to the architects, is their greenest Hybrid House ever built.  It features a greywater system, passive heating and cooling, rainwater collection for landscaping, recycled blue jean insulation, sunflower seed wall board, bamboo flooring, marmoleum, structural steel frames from recycled steel, etc. 

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By |October 27th, 2008|Modern architecture, Prefab, Single Family|2 Comments
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Living Building Costs, Materials Reuse, Green Construction, + Climate Engineers

What does a living building cost? Goodbye, Starchitects … Hello, Climate Engineers. Survey: Green construction helps sell houses in down economy. Think green before construction starts.  FTC could begin going after companies’ false green ad claims. As fuel prices fall, will push for alternatives lose steam? […]

By |October 25th, 2008|Week in Review|0 Comments
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Google Puts Plans for Beyond LEED Platinum Offices On Hold

Well over a year ago, I heard William McDonough was working with Google on some green design plans near the Googleplex (all hush hush-type stuff covered by an NDA).  Since that time, I haven’t really noticed much information on those plans, that is, until I caught this article in Mountain View Voice talking about Google’s extraordinary building plans.  It appears that SHoP Architects coordinated the work of several architectural firms to get these preliminary plans going.  But, for the time being, Google has decided to put the green office structure on hold. 

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By |October 25th, 2008|Corporate, LEED, Modern architecture|2 Comments
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Photo Tour: Swaner EcoCenter, the Greenest Building in Utah

The other day I was able to tour Swaner EcoCenter with the Salt Lake City Professional Chapter of Net Impact.  I took several pictures in an attempt to let you see everything I saw, so scroll down and make sure to visit the Swaner EcoCenter flickr set for more views.  Although I’m an amateur when it comes to taking photos, I hope you get the idea how impressive this building is.  It has beautiful woodwork, artful touches of 3form, and incredible views.  The folks behind Swaner are seeking to obtain the first LEED Platinum certification in Utah, but nonetheless, the building is the greenest in Utah. 

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By |October 23rd, 2008|Conservation, Land Use, LEED|0 Comments
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The Lucida, NYC Luxury LEED Condos

The Lucida, located in New York City’s Upper East Side, is the first LEED condominium building in the neighborhood.  If the Upper East Side wasn’t rich enough for your taste, this building certainly adds to the allure.  With 110 units, the smallest of which appears to be around 2,000 square feet, this building is certainly not for the average buyer, but it is beautiful. 

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By |October 22nd, 2008|Condo, Skyscraper|1 Comment
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