One of the greatest things in the architectural and design fields that has come from modern technology is the ability to share conceptual solutions with audiences before they become built spaces. These ideas may never actually be built but they allow people to experience a variety of options and to explore uncharted waters of design….
Search Results for: passive
07
Aug
Aug
We are happy to report the Dow line of solar shingles is now available in two more states. Dow Solar announced today that the availability of DOW POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles, an award-winning residential solar roofing system, is expanding to Delaware and Hawaii. Delaware and Hawaii are among the smaller states in the nation, both in…
04
Aug
Aug
This post on the Arctic Circle Dome Home, called the EconoDome, Â has been written by Wil Fidroeff. The Arctic Circle is the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the sun can remain continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours or more. Barrow, Alaska, located 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle,…
22
May
May
Biomimicry is the practice of using nature to inspire design.  It has become more popular as the green building movement has grown.  The Biotic-Tech Skyscraper City by GPT Architecture in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, is inspired by squid, using the qualities of transparency, flexibility, movement and protective pigmentation.  The design was the Jury Winner in the Architizer A+ awards for…
11
Apr
Apr
AIA Top 10 Continues – Multifamily Housing & Specialized Housing The American Institute of Architects has selected 10 top new American homes for the 2014 Housing Awards. Yesterday we focused on single-family homes. Today the awards we feature the multifamily and specialized housing categories. These brief descriptions from AIA provide a view of the projects….
07
Nov
Nov
Tony Denzer recently wrote to see if we were interested in writing something about his new book, “The Solar House – Pioneering Sustainable Design.” We are glad we came across this pertinent work, especially for those wanting to know more about the history of solar. As Denzer aptly points out, “Few people are aware of…
30
Sep
Sep
The Story of Eagleyew: A High Efficiency Natural Building on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada I’m pleased to say that I have been building Natural Buildings for a number of years now. My work has taken me up and down the West coast of North America, with a focus in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been calling…
14
Aug
Aug
In the Arizona desert lies the world’s largest “net-zero energy” building. It is the Phoenix Regional Office of DPR Construction. It was given this certification by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). Located on the corner of 44th and Van Buren, the energy efficiency transformation took 10 months to complete. It is the largest building in…
03
May
May
Future market growth for green buildings and the commensurate use of green materials will be driven by a combination of policies and regulations that prioritize energy efficiency and green design, the expansion of voluntary certification programs for green buildings, cost reductions for green materials, consumer demand, and growing evidence that green buildings confer quantifiable market advantages.
06
Feb
Feb
To combat this environmental challenge, we need a holistic, integrated approach towards reducing the energy consumption in buildings yet maintaining a high standard of building services, internal comfort and quality of living. An integrated approach requires that every stage from conceptualization and design to construction and end building usage is ‘tuned’ towards reducing net energy needs.
14
Jan
Jan
Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, founder and editor of Sustainablog, has been kind enough to provide this post on Dancing Rabbit’s planned community building and its plans for funding. While the Fellowship for Intentional Community (FIC)does a great job of spreading the word about alternative communities and their potential, their own office space leaves a lot to be…
11
Jan
Jan
But the operational and maintenance cost of a green-built home are significantly less. Heating and cooling accounts for about 45 percent of a homeowner’s annual energy consumption. Homes designed with passive solar and high efficiency windows require less energy to heat and cool; less workload on units also results in lower repair cost and a more years of service. The additional upfront cost of green construction is typically recouped within the first five years of ownership through lower maintenance and energy cost.
29
Nov
Nov
Introduction As the idea of green grows, industries are looking for incentives to promote being eco-friendly. The government and private institutions are sponsoring programs that offer cost-effective mortgages developed to help make a home more energy efficient. A ‘green mortgage’ or ‘energy efficient mortgage’ offers homeowners the opportunity to get or borrow money to upgrade…
Architecture in origami form is a remarkable concept which is hard to envision but D*Haus has come up with a house design that follows the very dynamics of the paper folding art. D*Haus’ transformation house, D*Dynamic, has yet to be built but the conception is likely to take hold. They have designed furniture, such as…
31
Oct
Oct
Known as the LifeCycle Tower (LCT) system, CREE’s innovation is a slab and post wood design method that requires up to 50 percent shorter construction time compared to reinforced concrete and steel construction. The LCT system also requires 39 percent fewer resources, over the life of a building and takes advantage of engineered timber products.
22
Aug
Aug
When most people think of using solar energy in their homes, they envision massive arrays of solar panels attached to the roof and complete detachment from the traditional power grid. Unfortunately, harnessing the sun’s energy to the point of being able to go off the grid is still cost-prohibitive for the average homeowner, particularly if they own an existing property. There are ways to help offset these costs, but there are also a number of ways to utilize solar power in the home without a complete overhaul.
21
May
May
As most of us know from hearing the word too many times, sustainable building covers a very wide range of definitions. But regardless of how we might define something and spar on who has the best meaning, the idea of practicing sustainability for what we build and how we live is a measure we should put into practice as often as possible. Here is one competent analysis by guest writer, Jay-Jay Stephens concerning five of the world’s most sustainable building concepts.
04
Apr
Apr
In fact, agricultural interests have been the largest offenders in the Amazon with their desire for more land to raise cattle and grow soybeans and other commodity crops for internal use and the burgeoning export markets.