Enhance property value & attract residents by going green!
Archive for August, 2010
G-List Buildings, Sustainability Stars, Housing Magic, + Vintage Preservation
Aug 1st
- G-List: top green buildings.
- Survey names stars of sustainability.
- Green roofs may provide long-term savings.
- Magic boxes: all-in-one systems for efficient homes.
- Vintage buildings worth preserving.
- What's wrong with green building.
- Modular is greener.
Also, follow @jetsongreen on Twitter or fan Jetson Green on Facebook for more news, links, and commentary.
Modern Ellis Residence Earns Platinum
Aug 1st
Seattle has its fair share of LEED Platinum homes, but this is officially the first LEED Platinum single family home in the state of Washington outside of Seattle. Located on Bainbridge Island, it was designed by Coates Design Architects for owners Ed and JoAnne Ellis. The Ellis Residence is a fascinating blend of style and sustainability and demonstrates a number of green strategies.
Ellis Residence, built by Smallwood Design & Construction, has a vegetated roof, photovoltaic array, geothermal heating, rainwater harvesting, and passive solar design elements that minimize energy use.
The interior is flush with natural lighting, while a concrete masonry wall spans both levels providing a heat sink. It's a beautiful home with considerable wood elements, FSC certified to be sure, and polished concrete floors that disguise the hydronic radiant heating system.
[+] See more photos of the Ellis Residence at Coates Design.
Credits: Coates Design.
Custom Container Studio Pod in Austin
Aug 1st
Alan Stulberg, a vintage motorcycle builder and mechanic, has been thinking about this project for nearly six years. Deciding to take the plunge, he drew a rough sketch one day and five months later, here’s the Studio Pod. Stulberg built the container studio in his backyard in Austin, Texas, and it's now being used as a creative artist space.
The 600-pound glass door, which took about a month to build and mount, rolls on a custom ball-bear rolling system that Stulberg put together. The nine-foot square extends the interior and provides a good amount of natural light during the day.
Stulberg used plasma cutters for the openings and finished the space with soy-based foam insulation, sanded plywood, Homasote recycled paper, and a ductless mini-split air conditioner and heater. Like the door, Stulberg built the box lights himself which take low-output halogens.
Not counting pizza and coffee for helpful friends, Stulberg tells us he spent about $16,000 building the Studio Pod, though he could do it for a lot less next time. That’s because he bought some tools and made a few miscalculations fabricating window prototypes and other things.
Recognizing that others may have the same itch that Stulberg had when he determined to build the Studio Pod, the owner said, “You can slice and dice a container in amazing ways and simply reinforce the structure with steel when holes are cut into its structure.” So there’s no need to limit your creative juices when working with shipping containers.
[+] Read Alan Stulberg’s blog on constructing Studio Pod.
Photo credits: One Good Eye.
Walmart Will Use Electronic “Smart” Tags to Track Clothing
Aug 1st
If you thought there wasn’t already enough to get riled up over when it came to Walmart, here comes news that this big-box retailer will soon be employing “smart” tags to manage their inventory. While this move may simply seem like an obvious technological trade-up, don’t be fooled, these electronic tags are doing a lot more than telling the store what’s on the shelves. Retailers have long employed radio-frequency ID (RFID) tags to track pallets of merchandise as they move from storage to store, but Walmart will be the first implement this technology where consumers roam. While they are removable, RFID tags cannot be turned off, meaning they’ll follow you wherever you go. So what does this technology mean for your privacy? Read ahead to see why this little tag has watchdog groups crying foul.
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Post tags: eco-fashion, eco-fashion news, electronic chips, green fashion, radio tags, RFID tags, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, tracking devices, walmart, wearable technology
3-D Printing Could Revolutionize Sustainable Textile Production
Aug 1st
Forget about trying to figure out whether you’re a small, medium or large. No longer reserved for architects and industrial designers, 3-D printers are making their way onto the fashion scene. Once considered an extravagant undertaking with questionable results, the advancements of rapid-prototyping technology just over the past five years have been nothing short of amazing. With impressive results fit to suit any size, when applied in textile production, this technology also has numerous green benefits, including: minimal waste, a reduction in transport costs (carbon and dollars), less human labor input and a streamlined, high-quality fabrication process. Read ahead to learn how the 3-D printer could be the next new ‘it’ designer.
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Post tags: 3D printers, 3D printing, eco textiles, eco-fashion, eco-friendly fabrics, FREEDOM OF CREATION, green fashion, Rapid Prototyping, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, wearable technology
3-D Printing Set on Changing Sustainable Textile Production
Aug 1st
Forget about trying to figure out whether you’re a small, medium or large. No longer reserved for architects and industrial designers, 3-D printers are making their way onto the fashion scene. Once considered an extravagant undertaking with questionable results, the advancements of rapid-prototyping technology just over the past five years have been nothing short of amazing. With impressive results fit to suit any size, when applied in textile production, this technology also has numerous green benefits, including: minimal waste, a reduction in transport costs (carbon and dollars), less human labor input and a streamlined, high-quality fabrication process. Read ahead to learn how the 3-D printer could be the next new ‘it’ designer.
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Post tags: 3D printers, 3D printing, eco textiles, eco-fashion, eco-friendly fabrics, FREEDOM OF CREATION, green fashion, Rapid Prototyping, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, wearable technology
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