Green Building : Jetson Green

14 New Green Duplex Designs [NOLA]

2009-07-03T23:53:00-06:00

You're probably familiar with Brad Pitt's juggernaut project, Make It Right -- back in December 2007, we talked about thirteen single-family designs planned for construction in the Lower 9th Ward. A number of these have been built, and the progress has been interesting to watch. In addition, Make It Right just announced fourteen new duplex designs from top international architects. The designs emphasize community, affordability, flexibility, and sustainability, and starting in mid-August, Make It Right expects to break ground on two of these. Check out a preview of all fourteen and the firms behind the designs:

1. Atelier Hitoshi Abe

2. Billes Architecture

3. buildingstudio

4. Elemental

5. Constructs

6. Gehry Partners, LLP

7. Graft

8. Kappe Architects

9. MVRDV

10. Pugh + Scarpa Architecture

11. William McDonough + Partners

12. Bild Design

13. BNIM

14. Waggonner & Ball Architects

Photos credit: Make It Right.

Writing on the Green IdeaPaint Wall

2009-07-02T23:24:00-06:00

IdeaPaint says it has the most environmentally friendly dry-erase product on the market. As you can see from these images, the product is applied to your choice of walls, and about seven days later, it's ready to be used. It's just perfect for the brilliant, A Beautiful Mind types, but I realize that many of you never have and never will use a dry-erase product. If you do, give IdeaPaint a look. The company claims green attributes in three main areas.

First, IdeaPaint is a relatively healthy product. It's formaldehyde-free and does not off-gas once it's dry. Second, IdeaPaint requires less energy to make because it's stirred, whereas other dry-erase boards are baked and cured. Third, IdeaPaint ships with less materials than other dry-erase products, and IdeaPaint doesn't require the kind of raw materials used in typical dry-erase products (i.e., wood, steel, aluminum, vinyl, or resin).

If you're an ideas person, you probably jot stuff down all the time. I like to carry a moleskin or legal pad for those bursts of inspiration, but I kind of like the idea of covering a wall at work with this paint. It could seriously come in handy. What do you think?

[$] CRE-8 Water Base IdeaPaint for 50 sf for $175.00.

Photo credits: IdeaPaint.

The Waxman-Markey Building Energy Performance Labeling Program

2009-07-01T23:57:25-06:00

There's been a lot of talk about various green building provisions in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (HR 2454 or "ACES"), but there's one specific section of ACES that deserves more attention. Section 204 needs to be included in the green building discussion, because this is where the Building Energy Performance Labeling Program is. With this program, as we predicted with our Seven Green Trends, the federal government could lay the foundation for true and legitimate building environmental impact labels. Let's talk about this unprecedented policy, with a little background discussion.

Across the Pond:

In the last couple years, England and Wales started using Energy Performance Certificates pursuant to EU Directive 2002/91/EC. As you can see above, the EPC has an A to G scale with a snapshot of information. The label provides both energy and environmental impact information, together with the building's current rating. The EPC also provides a potential rating, which is subject to the owner making recommended improvements. The improvements aren't required and the inspection costs roughly $200.

In addition, buildings of a certain size are required to hang Display Energy Certificates to show the public how energy efficient (or non energy efficient) their building is. The program caused quite a stir -- the Times Online said it's a "naming and shaming tactic" -- but with the EPCs, there's a legitimate attempt to provide transparency as to a building's energy performance and environmental impact. The UK's experience with EPCs and DECs is worth monitoring as the U.S. Building Energy Performance Labeling Program grows.

Keeping Austin Weird:

Relatedly, cities in the U.S., including San Francisco and Berkeley, California, are starting their own audit/label related programs. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the new energy audit ordinance in Austin, Texas. According to the ordinance, if a home is more than ten (10) years old, the owner is required to obtained an energy audit and provide the information to potential buyers.

Although Austin is probably the greenest city in Texas, the WSJ article points to some commentary indicating that some people -- ahem, sellers! -- don't like the new law. They don't want to give buyers information that might drive the price of their home down. I wonder if the seller ever stopped to think about what the buyer might want to know about their future home? Regardless, Austin's experience is also worth watching as the U.S. Building Energy Performance Labeling Program gets started.

Section 204, ACES in the Hole:

The text of the Building Energy Performance Labeling Program starts on page 264 of the newest iteration of HR 2454. Section 204 is only about sixteen pages of text, and I recommend reading it, because this information will start to trickle through states and down to the local level after/when ACES becomes law. Here are some of the main takeaways from my initial reading:

The Administrator of the EPA shall create the labeling program to apply to both the residential and commercial markets.
The purpose of the labeling program is two-fold: (1) to enable and encourage knowledge about building energy performance of both owners and occupants, and (2) to inform efforts to reduce energy consumption nationwide.
The Administrator is to consider already existing programs, such as Energy Star and the HERS index, while developing a model label.
The Administrator will create a report telling Congress which building types have measurement protocols and labeling requirements with energy performance data (and which don't).
The Administrator is to propose measurement protocols and detail how to complete performance labels.
The Administrator will provide a final rule detailing measurement protocols and requirements for applying the protocols.
The Administrator shall propose a model building energy label within one year after the date of enactment, and the label will show achieved performance (and, interestingly, will not preclude designed performance data).
The Administrator will then publish a final rule containing the label applicable to covered projects.
The Administrator will coordinate with Zero Net Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative to provide labeling demonstration projects for all sorts of different building types.
The Administrator will work with state energy offices or other state authorities to implement the program, and will also work with these officials to encourage use of the labeling program at the local and county level.
States are to implement the label in such a way that the information is available to owners, lenders, tenants, occupants, or other relevant parties that can utilize the information.
Three years after the date of enactment, the Administrator will report to Congress on the effectiveness of the program and the need for any legislative changes.
The Secretary of Energy and the Administrator will use the program in their agencies and try to get other agencies to implement the label.

Here's the gist: if HR 2454 passes with Section 204 as is, we'll start seeing major movement on building energy performance labels within about a year or two thereafter. With building energy performance labels, stakeholders will be able to obtain otherwise unavailable information and efficiency will somehow become valuable. When efficiency becomes valuable, there will be vast market change and the label, I believe, will then expand to include other environmental considerations. Let's watch this space ...

[+] HR 2454 Waxman-Markey Amendment

Top photo credit: Energy Conserving Newark Center.

Georgia Manufactured Home Gets LEED Platinum, Skips Costly Green Gizmos

2009-07-01T00:13:04-06:00

When you think of manufactured homes, you might think of the ranch house with vinyl siding that you gingerly pass on the interstate as it travels on the back of a wide-load truck. You might also think about a LEED Platinum home and imagine a roof spotted with photovoltaic panels, windmill in the front yard, and geothermal dug deep into the ground. The newest offering from New World Home turns both of these ideas on their heads.

This home in Cobb County Georgia is the first LEED Platinum factory-built home in Georgia and the first in Georgia to obtain Platinum certification without the aid of renewable energy sources (cf. RainShine House). Moreover, the home earned EarthCraft Gold certification, as well the the National Green Building Certification Gold, which is administered by he NAHB Research Center. The house has:

Spray foam insulated walls and rafter;
FSC wood from sustainably harvest forests;
Pre-cast, insulated concrete foundation;
Energy Star rated doors, windows, roof, ceiling fans, and appliances;
Low-flow WaterSense fixtures and tankless water heaters;
Gutters that collect 100% of rainwater for irrigation;
Low or no VOC paints, adhesives, and finishes; and
Non-added formaldehyde cabinets, floors, and trim.

New World Home calls the design platform New Old Green Modular (NOGM or "Nogum," if you want to say it out loud). The platform incorporates a holistic approach to historically inspired green homes, whose models are named after famous ecologists. The process results in homes that are manufactured, transported, erected, and finished in less than 100 days. This allows New World Home to have a supply model similar to Dell Computer's where the house is built on-demand. This is different than traditional models where developers build spec homes and have to pay carrying costs waiting for the homes to sell. It's a model that's catching on in this economy.

By building in a factory setting, connections can be tighter and the thermal breaks can be minimized. Outdoor contaminants such as mold and mildew can be avoided during the building process and construction waste is easily diverted and reused. Even the foundation is factory-made, which uses 50% less concrete and carries a 25-year warranty against water damage.

Co-Founder and President of the Product Division, Mark Jupiter, describes his rationale for not adding power generation or geothermal to his designs: "We wanted to prove a point that using a standard supply chain: Owens Corning for the windows, standard foam insulation, a standard HVAC system ... that we could produce a home that uses 50 percent less energy and thousands of gallons less water."

Photo credit: New World Home.

June Monthly of Green Articles

2009-06-30T22:54:09-06:00

Wow! The month went by quickly and the prefab world is ablaze, isn't it? There's a lot of interesting talk, but I think we all know that prefab won't go anywhere until it's like the iPhone: stylish, approachable, and dead simple (which is also why community development is the new 3G S). Simultaneously, talk of Passive House and tiny living is getting louder and more interesting. Relatedly, the USGBC wants to close the performance gap with their new iteration and energy reporting requirements, but federal level legislation could shake up the entire playing field. We're monitoring all of it -- expect some long form opinion editorial soon. While you're waiting, check out a few articles that you may have missed:

Prefab & Homes:

Developments & Projects:

Technology & Products Innovation:

Interesting & Green News:

Small Wind Market Surges 78% in 2008!
Small Style Emphasis at Dwell on Design 2009
Dwell Refab Set for ebay Auction
Week in Review: One, Two, Three, Four

May Monthly of Green Articles
April Monthly of Green Articles
March Monthly of Green Articles
February Monthly of Green Articles
January Monthly of Green Articles

June Monthly Word Cloud by Wordle.

Vodafone Extreme Mobile Solar Home

2009-06-30T08:34:04-06:00

"La casa movil de Vodafone," or the Vodafone Mobile Home, creatively combines glass house living, tiny house design, loft-like features, sustainable elements, and portable architecture all in one tight package. Design Boom recently reported that the portable home was designed by Waskman Design Studio, with CuldeSac, for Vodafone to showcase its fixed phone and wireless internet services. And blogger Marcos Morales and his family of four are vacationing throughout Spain with it as we speak.

You can see the construction of this mobile home above. It was built with white polyethylene panels and clear polycarbonate. The modern interior has a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and two beds upstairs. The whole thing is 6 m long, 2.5 m wide, and 3.85 m tall, or stated in more familiar terms: 19.7 feet long, 8.2 feet wide, and 12.6 feet tall.

[+] La Casa Movil de Vodafone by the Morales family.

Photo credits: Waskman Design Studio; noticed at Design Boom.

Bike Arc Modular Bike Park System

2009-06-30T00:17:13-06:00

Commentators take pot shots at the bike storage and showers credit available in the LEED Green Building Rating System, but I've always liked it -- it's hard to ride a bike to work when there's no bike rack. Certainly bike transportation is good for the environment, and Bike Arc has designed a modular bike park system that I believe will be huge in the next few years. The company incorporated the system into several designs to suit different needs: the Rac Arc is low profile, the Umbrella Arc saves space (see video below), and the Tube Arc and Half Arc versions protect vehicles from the elements.

With these designs, Bike Arc presents an intelligent system that is elegant, compact, and safely secures bikes. So the truth is, there's no reason not to incorporate this kind of modular park system into more projects.

Indeed, Bike Arcs are popping up all over the place. 116 University Avenue in Palo Alto has 2 Half Arcs and 2 Rac Arcs; Redwood City Hall has 8 Rac Arcs; and Palo Alto City will purchase 8 Half Arcs. And the company is also working on design improvements. For example, in the future, Bike Arc hopes to have a version that integrates photovoltaics. We'll keep our eyes out for solar Bike Arcs, but in the mean time, if you see one, use it.

[+] Bike Arc Pricing, as of 6/30/09, subject to change.

Renderings: Joseph Bellomo Architects; real photos: Stirling Elmendorf.

Maison IDEKIT Quebec Container Home

2009-06-29T00:42:41-06:00

Using seven recycled shipping containers, architect Bernard Morin and wife Joyce Labelle built this contemporary residence in St. Adele, Quebec. The home is the first of many to come for their new company, Maison Idekit, which will help homeowners turn containers into architecturally unique, and inexpensive, homes. The company has two more residential projects set to break ground in the next couple months using a total of twelve container modules.

IDEKIT's first home is 3,000 square feet with four-bedrooms. It cost about $175,000 to build and turns container design on its head. Rather than feature the exposed containers on the exterior, the containers are exposed on the inside -- you can even see serial numbers, dents, and corrugated detail in several places throughout the home. On the outside, the home has five inches of insulation that is topped by brown wood siding. You can see more in these videos:

[+] Container creativity by CTV.
[+] Building cheaper, green homes by CTV.

Photo credits: Maison IDEKIT.

Reclaimed Prefab Auctioned for $75k

2009-06-28T20:30:00-06:00

After nine bids on eBay, some lucky duck ended up with a reclaimed prefab for $75,100. The prefab was built by Reclaimed Space for Dwell on Design and the proceeds went to both Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity. Ecofabulous created the interior using a number of stylish, green products. According to the eBay listing, this 400 square foot home included the following:

100-year-old reclaimed oak and pine finishes;
Full bathroom, including a Caroma Profile Smart toilet with an integrated sink, reusing the sink waste water for flushing;
Queen Murphy bed;
Outdoor shower;
85% recycled newspaper insulation;
Contemporary polished chrome fixtures;
Vintage barnwood accents;
Low-e transom windows;
Built-in porch area; and
Hinged roof overhangs.

Congrats to the purchaser! Wonder where it will end up?

Photo credits: Ecofabulous.

Unworkable Prefab, Green Demolition, Compost Mandate + Dead Eco-towns

2009-06-27T21:53:54-06:00

Prefab houses don't work.
New lives for old buildings.
Does green building have to break the bank?
San Francisco enacts mandatory composting law.
Six bright ideas for the future of energy.
Who killed Gordon Brown's eco-towns?
Innovations in sustainable site technology.
Mature trees (and wildlife habitat) demolished for 'green' building parking lot.

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