May 11, 2009
We’ll probably see this in Dwell magazine soon: Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffet has unveiled a line of sustainably designed prefab houses. Created by Berkshire subsidiary Clayton Homes, the i-house (saw that name coming) starts at under $75,000. Does not include land (or shipping). According to the Low Impact Living blog, Clayton Homes “is one of the largest manufactured housing companies in the world, having produced over 1.5 million units since 1934.” (Back then they were called trailers.)
Standard green features include: Well-insulated exterior walls; metal roof that Read More
May 6, 2009
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports on more synergy between green energy and the federal economic stimulus plan. The group’s Switchboard columnist, Samir Succar, says $41 million will “advance the nation’s development and transmission of renewable energy on public lands” through the Department of the Interior. That includes future development and transmission of wind, solar, geothermal and biomass energy and the creation of jobs associated with these projects. A blog contributor, however, complains that because of the “shovel-ready” requirements for stimulus funding, lots of money is being shoveled to unworthy projects.
April 22, 2009
If you’re like this Hot Sheet poster, bees have popped back to top of mind again when it comes to environmental concerns. Over the last two months I’ve been reminded of bees three times: once watching 60 Minutes’ program “The Case of the Vanishing Bees,” again while picking up Dreyer’s strawberry ice cream (Dreyer’s is donating a portion of its revenue to bee research), and recently when I read CNN’s story about the $14.5 million that a British consortium has pledged towards researching bee trouble. To restate the problem: Bees, essential to pollinating crops, are quickly vanishing throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Read More
December 4, 2008
Famed for its revolutionary heritage, Boston also boasts some of the country’s most spectacular sustainable buildings and was the host city last month for Greenbuild 2008 under the highly appropriate title, “Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability.”
Each November, the U.S. Green Building Council produces the Greenbuild expo on sustainable design and construction featuring educational sessions, keynote speeches, green-building tours and demonstrations. Greenbuild 2008 brought a record turnout (28,000 attendees) and a new program called Green Homebuilder’s Day focusing on sustainable residential design. Read More
November 26, 2008
Results to the 2008 Autodesk/AIA Green Index – an annual survey that measures how AIA member are practicing sustainable design – were recently released, and it is no surprise that this year’s index shows a significant increase in the implementation of sustainable design practices from architects and building owners. Read More
November 11, 2008
For new undergraduates, moving into a dorm is supposed to open the door to new friendships and ease the transition between high school and college. It’s typically a scary experience (at least it was for this Hot Sheet author), and the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is about to make dorm living even more awkward for new students… especially “non-eco friendly” ones.
IIT is planning for a pair of dormitories – designed by local firm Dirk Denison Architects – that will monitor energy consumption to show student residents the truth about their individual energy habits. Read More
November 4, 2008
Behind each piece of wooden furniture that you own there’s a story, and sharing that story is what inspired four Cleveland natives to create A Piece of Cleveland (APOC) – a company that designs and constructs furnishings and accessories out of materials reclaimed from deconstructed homes in the Cleveland area. Read More
October 23, 2008
Eco-conscious people know about the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system, introduced for commercial buildings, then expanded to residential buildings a few years ago. But are you aware of the other sustainable building ratings? These include the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes and International Initiative for a Sustainable Environment’s SB Tool 07. The Hot Sheet provides a glimpse at the criteria for these three ratings systems.
LEED-NC (new construction) provides for a maximum of 69 possible points and is organized into six categories: sustainable sites (14 possible points), water efficiency (5), energy and atmosphere (17), materials and resources (13), indoor environmental quality (15), and innovation and design process (5). Certification levels include: Certified (26-32 points), Silver (33-38), Gold (39-51), or Platinum (52-69).
The Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes is based on a 1,000-point scale system and rates a building’s performance in seven categories: project management, energy, indoor environment, site, water, resources, and emissions. Projects receive a final rating of one (35-54 percent), two (55-69 percent), three (70-84 percent), or four (85-100 percent) globes. Read More
October 16, 2008
With sustainable living now officially mainstream-cool, many high-speed road warriors are loathe to give up their super-fast, gas-guzzling, chick magnets (and has that been proven?). But fear not, eco-conscious speedsters: A fleet of chic and sleek alternatives that clock in faster than the Porsche 911 are now available. George Clooney favors the Tango electric car which accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. The Tesla Roadster does it in 3.9 seconds and made Forbes list of most coveted cars. And the Ultimate Aero EV by Shelby SuperCars is expected to move out even faster. Read More
October 7, 2008
It was only a matter of time. Nutritional labels – listing serving size, calories and ingredients for packaged foods – may soon be applied to homes. In a recently released white paper and according to Architectural Record, Michelle Kaufmann Designs is proposing a “sustainability” labeling system for houses that mimics the labeling system of packaged food. Read More
