Archive for the ‘Architecture’ Category
July 1st, 2008
Build Your Ultimate Green Kitchen
Written by Joel Bittle, courtesy of GreenBuildingElements.com
A few weeks ago I offered my thoughts on green kitchens on a budget. Today, I want to focus on making your new kitchen as green as possible, without regard for cost. Remember, often the greenest options is to keep your current kitchen; many choose to repaint their cabinets with non-VOC paint or to tackle DIY cabinet projects. This article is for those building a whole new kitchen or are remodeling from the ground up. It’s up to you to determine the balance between what is the most green and what is the most practical for your project.
The three categories that determine a product’s green-ness are health, sustainability, and energy. Health takes into account the product’s offgassing of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, especially urea-formaldehyde. In order to even consider something as green, it must contain very low to no VOCs. Sustainability looks at the life cycle of the materials used not just in the final product but in the manufacturing process as well. Products that are made from recycled materials or renewable resources fall into this category, as well as products whose manufacturing process embraces sustainability. Energy includes the water and energy usage of products such as plumbing fixtures and appliances, as well as the product’s embodied energy, which takes into account the energy used to produce and deliver the product.
Step 1: Design. If possible, design the kitchen with plenty of energy efficient windows or a skylight to maximize natural light and give you that important connection to the green outdoors (or the red bricks of the building next door.) For indoor air quality, make sure your hood vents to the outside rather than recirculating the air. Click here to find a green architect/designer near you.
Step 2: Cabinets. We are in an in-between phase right now where the major cabinet manufacturers realize they need to go formaldehyde-free but are still a few years away from mass production. Currently, formaldehyde-free cabinet choices are limited, and Neil Kelly Cabinets stands out as the leader. They offer Forest Stewardship Council certified wood cabinets with low VOCs. Midwesterners might choose to go with ultra low VOC wheatboard cabinets manufactured in Kansas by Koch Cabinets. To find other green cabinet companies, click here.
Step 3: Countertops. Silestone offers several colors with recycled content, one as high as 70%, which makes the Greenguard certified countertop one of the greenest. But IceStone recycled glass and concrete countertops, with their Cradle-to-Cradle Certification, take the crown as the greenest among an ever growing list of green countertops. Not just limited to countertops, IceStone has earned points for LEED’s “innovation in design” credit. Click here to find more eco-friendly countertop options.
Step 4: Flooring. I’m not quite sold on bamboo, yet. I do, however, like some of the cool patterns you can get with cork and linoleum. But the green flooring that impresses me the most is reclaimed wood flooring by Terramai. Offering a stunning mix of FSC certified wood from around the world, Terramai promotes conservation and sustainable building. Not limited to flooring, Terramai’s reclaimed wood creates a mosaic of wood in a cool mix of colors. Click here to find more green flooring options.
Step 5: Appliances. Because of the advances in energy efficiency in appliances, it is often better to replace your old energy wasting appliances, especially refrigerators, with new models. Visit the ENERGY STAR website for appliance lists, which show energy savings by model. For dishwashers, some of Bosch and Asko’s models are at least 140% more energy and water efficient than the federal standard. Fisher & Paykel sells dish drawers that can save water and energy if you just use one for small loads. (And yes, most energy saving dishwashers are more efficient than washing your dishes by hand.) For the cutting edge on refrigerator energy efficiency, check out Sun Frost, whose refrigerators are by a large margin the most energy efficient on the market - and they’re ready for solar, wind, or standard power inputs. Find more eco-friendly appliances here.
Step 6: Plumbing. Although the EPA’s WaterSense program doesn’t rate kitchen faucets, you can choose to install an aerator or go with a touchless faucet. While stainless steel and cast iron sinks contain recycled material, I’ve become a fan of recycled content hammered copper sinks that over time can develop a natural patina that is, you guessed it, green.
Step 7: Accessories. Recycled glass tile can make for a beautiful backsplash. Instead of a trash compactor, stick one of these home composters from Sun Frost right outside your kitchen door. Many of the products listed above can be used in creative and innovative ways. IceStone can be used as a backsplash. Terramai can be used as paneling.
Please offer your own thoughts on making your kitchen as green as possible below.
June 27th, 2008
The Bottom Line: Green Home Upgrades & Home Values
With many cities experiencing a real estate “slump”, homeowners around the country are looking for ways to stand out from the slew of homes on the market, while improving their home’s resale value. Other homeowners are planning for the future: a future of ever-rising energy prices.
Regardless of your situation, you may be asking yourself if green home improvements increase the home’s value. The answer isn’t as straight-forward as some might hope.
The old rules still apply…
Before we dive in, there are a few things to consider when thinking about making home improvements – green or not. First, remember the three rules of real estate: location, location, location. The return on your investment will depend on the value of your house and others in the neighborhood, as well as your local housing market. Other factors like the quality of the workmanship, and how soon you move after making the improvements weigh in as well.
One man’s treasure…
That said, there are actually two different values to consider when judging the return on home improvements, according to Dr. Harold Hunt, a research economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University: value in use and value in exchange.
To explain these concepts, let’s use a little story. Ted owns a home, but is looking to move soon. Ted is concerned about climate change. After some research, Ted decides to make a few eco-friendly improvements around his home that will increase its resale value, including a new energy-efficient air conditioning system and installing bamboo floors. This is exciting to Ted. He looks forward to bragging about going green to all of his friends, and selling the house at a premium.
Bill is looking to buy a house. Bill wants to get the best deal that he can on a new home, closer to work. When Bill sees Ted’s house, he is excited – with high energy costs, the new air conditioning system will save him money. Bill looks forward to seeing how much smaller his energy bills will be in his new home. Oh, and the new floors look nice, too.
OK, back to reality! Ted provides a very good example of value in use. His satisfaction in the green improvements can be measured in both monetary terms (saving money on energy) and non-monetary terms (reducing his impact by using bamboo versus hardwood flooring, and bragging to his friends). Unfortunately, Bill may not value the non-monetary rewards enough to pay a premium for them, illustrating value in exchange.
So how does Bill and Ted’s adventure apply to you? If you’re not planning on moving any time soon, invest in changes are eco-friendly and that you’ll most enjoy. Until green features become mainstream – and corresponding increases in home values can be measured – it’s hard to know what buyers will be willing to pay for. Just keep in mind that come moving time, green amenities and features may not appeal to everyone, but energy- and money-saving green features will.
Hedge your bet…
If you’re building a new house, or diving into a significant remodel, you might want to consider getting it certified as green. Come resell time, certification can provide buyers interested in all kinds of green benefits assurance that they are getting what they paid for.
Nationally, the US Green Building Council, developers of the LEED rating system, have put forth a new residential certification called LEED for Homes. LEED certified homes use less energy, water and natural resources, and their construction creates less waste, among other benefits. LEED is probably the most well-know certification standard in the US, mainly due to its widespread commercial acceptance. Certification by LEED comes with a significant amount of cache, though some feel that the requirements need refinement and that the registration process is cumbersome.
Other nationwide programs include the Environments for Living certification, which includes an energy usage guarantee, and the EnergyStar program, which focuses on home energy efficiency.
Other programs exist locally, like Austin Energy’s Green Building Program and Earth Advantage in Oregon and Boston. For homes certified green by Built Green in Colorado, Countrywide Home Loans even offers ½ point off for home buyers. There is also the Build It Green program in California. For links to programs in your state, check out the Public-Private Partnership for Advanced Housing Technology.
The Big Question: Solar
One of the biggest dreams that many green homeowners have is living “off the grid”, meaning that they can supply all of the energy needed to power their home. If you dream of this, or even if you just dream of reducing your electricity bills, solar is usually part of the equation.
Residential solar installations have always been an expensive prospect, but as technologies have improved and costs have come down, solar has become feasible for many. Still, full systems can cost upwards of $30,000, so it’s important to understand the economics up front. Fortunately, some incentives exist at the state and federal level.
June 27th, 2008
Cities Changing Zoning Laws for Wind Power
Written by Kristin Dispenza, courtest of GreenBuildingElements.com
Residential applications for solar panels have been making news for several years. But as rising fuel prices spur consumers to look for alternate energy sources, another clean power source is beginning to get attention: wind energy.
Even though the residential wind power sector has seen tremendous growth over the last decade, an article in The Arizona Republic estimates that there are still only 4,000 residential wind turbines nationwide. The primary reason that wind energy has been slow to take hold is that wind turbines are fairly visible, and therefore highly controversial, installations. According to the American Wind Energy Association, small wind systems (100 kilowatts or less) need to be at least 30 feet above barriers which might break the force of the air currents reaching the turbine. Right now, the industry recommends wind turbines only for sites that are at least one 1 acre in size. Consequently, wind turbines in urban areas are still quite rare. (In a September 2007 post, earth2tech featured a San Francisco home which sports a turbine, and pointed out that this may be the first urban wind turbine in the country.)
Unfortunately, individual efforts to experiment with wind power, even in outlying areas, have encountered a lot of roadblocks. Proposed turbine installations are usually evaluated by local governments on a case by case basis, since most city zoning laws have height restrictions which would implicitly prohibit turbines. Oftentimes, even if permission is granted and a turbine is erected, neighbors unite to fight the decision. (For individual turbine projects that have made news for seeking exceptions to local codes, see these articles on Wayne, New Jersey and Atlanta, Georgia).
Some locales are at last beginning to address this issue in a more systematic way. In a Green Building Elements article last week, Philip Proefrock cited Chicago as an example of a city that has amended its building code to allow rooftop wind turbines. Similarly, San Francisco’s mayor recently formed a “Residential Wind Power Work Group,” which will research the feasibility of urban wind power installations and make recommendations on changes to local building and zoning codes. The Denver Post reported in January that the Denver City Council had enacted an ordinance that would significantly ease restrictions on commercial wind generators but would also give homeowners a break on property line setbacks from the current 20 feet to 10 feet.
Even some small communities seem to be taking a proactive stance by agreeing to examine local codes. Blaine County Commissioners in central Idaho recently agreed to look into changing their zoning laws. According to an article in the Idaho Mountain Express last month, this valley area is not particularly suited for utility-scale wind farms, but many homeowners have indicated an interest in supplementing their own power systems. In a February article in the Casper Star-Tribune, Natrona County, Wyoming, has also declared its support for residential wind power, although changes to the zoning rules have not yet taken effect.
See these sites for more information on small scale wind power generators:
- American Wind Energy Association FAQ pages
- Small Wind Basics on Southwest Windpower: Renewable Energy Made Simple
- E2T How To: Install a Wind Turbine on earth2tech
- Wind Turbine Buyer’s Guide on Green Building Elements
- Book Review: Off-the-Grid Homes: Case Studies for Sustainable Living on Green Building Elements
Read more about zoning changes which will help bring wind power to urban environments:
- Permitting Small Wind Turbines: A Handbook on the American Wind Energy Association
Click here to find wind power installers in your area.
Image Credit: Southwest Windpower
June 26th, 2008
$100K Green Home Project
Think green building is too expensive? Well so do the folks by the 100K House project.
The 100K House project is a case study started by a small development team in Philadelphia. Two homes are being built first and the name of the project comes from the target construction cost for the smaller of the two homes. The homes will have a modern and green design and the goal of the case study is to prove that green homes can be built affordably if designed properly.
The design team is aiming for a LEED Platinum rating– nothing to sneeze at. It will also be Energy Star certified. The home will be 1,120 square feet and have two bedrooms and one bath. The house will utilize solar hot water, rainwater collection & reuse, radiant floor heating, structurally insulated panels, and ivy-covered “green walls”, just to name a few of the green features.
The design team includes developer Postgreen, architects Interface Studio Architects, builder Built It Green Philly, and energy consultants Zero Energy Design.
According to the designers, “The basic concept of the 100K House is to offer an affordable home that places a high priority on quality, design, energy efficiency, health and sustainability rather than ‘bells & whistles’ that can drive the price of new construction out of reach from the majority of home buyers….A high priority is placed on the modern architectural design as well as the most cost effective green building materials and methods in order to provide the greatest value at the lowest price to a discerning client.”
The design looks amazing and the objective of designing and building a low-cost, cutting-edge green home gets our A+. We wish them luck and look forward to seeing these 100K homes come onto the market.
June 24th, 2008
Green Condos Coming to a City Near You
Do you long to live in an attractive green home with the latest and greatest in green building technologies, but know you can’t afford to build one? Then you and I have something in common.
But do you know about all the amazing green condo developments cropping up across the country? There are gorgeous, cutting-edge eco-friendly condos available or being built now in cities all around the U.S. We can’t possibly cover them all in this post, but we’ve selected a good sample. I will cover green condos in the West next week. Read on to find what might become your dream green home!
In Chicago, eco18 is an interesting development currently underway. Located in Chicago’s South Loop area, it provides access to plenty of public transportation options and also green spaces. eco18 is striving to attain a Gold Certification under the LEED program of the US Green Building Council. This is a lofty goal and we hope they make it! Their plans include a massive green roof, solar water heating, geothermal heating and cooling, rainwater reuse, energy-efficient lighting and much more. You can get a 1 bedroom/1 bath unit for around $285,000 or a 2 bedroom/2 bath unit for about $430,000. Learn more about eco18 here.
In New York there are many outstanding green condo developments. One I particularly like is the Kalahari in Harlem. The Kalahari’s distinctive facade design is modeled on motifs from the San Bushman of Southern Africa. The building was designed and built to the US Green Building Council’s LEED Silver Standards with the goal of limiting the building’s impact on the environment while still providing luxurious and modern living options. The building features 25% renewable energy sources (solar and wind), stainless Energy Star appliances, air filters for good indoor air quality, bamboo flooring, native landscaping and (we love this!) an on-site Zip Car service for residents. Learn more about Kalahari here.
Other green condos in the New York area worth checking out are Greenbelt in Brooklyn, The Lucida, and the Williamsburg Edge.
In New England, there are several great options. The Villages at Brookside are lovely Cape Code-style townhomes. (Shown at right.) Homeowner benefits associated with these LEED-certified homes include lower utility bills through energy and water conservation, reduced carbon footprints due to lower greenhouse gas emissions and improved air quality for occupants. The Macallen Building Condominiums in Boston are another exciting green option. In Vermont you’ll find the snowy, sustainable get-away of Spruce Creek at Stowe. Spruce Creak says of its environmental commitment: “Stewardship of the land is a Vermont tradition that has guided Spruce Peak at Stowe since its very beginning…From recycling to the protection of bear habitats, plumbing to wetlands protection, nothing has been overlooked.”
The Southern United States has some wonderful green condos cropping up– in Atlanta, Nashville, Chapel Hill, and several other cities. In Chapel Hill, East 54 will be a new urban eco-village. The project is currently being developed and it is a participant in the US Green Building Council’s Neighborhood Development pilot program. Incorporating sustainable site development measures, water and energy conservation, materials re-use, and indoor environmental features, East 54 plans to achieve or exceed a Silver LEED Certification. Learn more about East 54 here. And to learn about the Terrazzo project in Nashville, click here. To learn about the Brookwood in Atlanta, click here.
Please tune in next week when we cover green condos in the West!
To find green real estate for sale across the US., please click here.
To find real estate agents specializing in buying and selling green homes, click here.
June 24th, 2008
How Green Are You?
Dwell.com and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) would like to know, “How Green Are You?”
The contest, which runs now through June 30th, is your chance to show how green you are, and to win some great prizes for it!
The most inspired entries will be posted on the competition pages on Dwell.com and evaluated by Dwell’s editorial staff and AIA architects. The grand prize winner receives $1000, and two runners-up will receive $500 each from the AIA to apply toward their next big Green Project!
To enter, simply pull together up to four images of your green or sustainable project, and write a simple yet specific 250-word description of the project that highlights the most important aspects of the project, including material names, vendors, etc.
Projects will be assessed on their sustainability, functionality, originality, cost effectiveness and design, and the submissions will be judged by Dwell.com editors and AIA architects.
To enter, or to find out more information, visit Dwell’s “How Green Are You?” page at http://www.dwell.com/services/contests/how_green_are_you.html
