Archive for the 'Green Building Ideas' Category
August 28th, 2008
Here’s a great article from the local Built Green Washington site that talks about the Built Green program. I encourage you to scroll through their resources section illustrating green building materials and applications.
“What is Built Green?
“BUILT GREEN is an environmental building program proven to provide you with a healthier, more efficient house. BUILT GREEN homes are attractive, comfortable, durable, environmentally-friendly – and save you money to own and operate. Participating BUILT GREEN builders craft these resource-efficient homes to exceed building codes to provide homeowners with years of healthy, quality living, while protecting our precious Northwest environment.
Several local builders associations listed in the menu on the left implement BUILT GREEN programs. While some BUILT GREEN programs have been operating for several years, others are being planned and developed.
Programs award the BUILT GREEN certificate to a building project when it meets defined green building criteria summarized on a Checklist. Projects receive one to five “Stars,” depending on the number of points they achieve. Each local program has its own Checklist, designed to reflect local issues and priorities.
BUILT GREEN is a market-driven approach to improving building practices. It relies on voluntary action by builders and offers a clear brand you can seek to find superior housing.
Your interest in a green, money-saving home is what builds support for BUILT GREEN. You can help to create positive change in the building industry by informing yourself, asking questions, and telling builders and developers that you want your next home or remodel to be BUILT GREEN. We’re here to help you get the information you need to make good green choices!
A BUILT GREEN home is…
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Filed Under Categories: Green Building Ideas
August 21st, 2008
Here is a great article from those smarty-pants at GreenBuilding.com
Green Building Timeline
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Pre-20th Century – structures were designed and built by builder-architects who had an ability to understand the entire building from design through construction and lifetime operations. They incorporated enduring passive design and simple mechanical systems to heat, cool and light buildings. Architects in the 21st Century will look back upon these ideas to relearn the basics of climatic design.
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1930s – new building technologies began to transform urban landscape. Advent of air conditioning, low-wattage fluorescent lighting, structural steel, and reflective glass made possible enclosed glass and steel structures that could be heated and cooled with massive HVAC systems, thanks to availability of cheap fossil fuels. These technologies began a sadly regressive movement in architecture in which architects began to ignore climate issues and their effect on buildings and occupants. Increasing complexity in the industry also brought about specialization in professionals, leading to the loss of the generalists, the builder-architects. This specialization led to an increasing lack of communication between the professionals and therefore of lack of whole systems thinking in designing the various parts of the building. This problem will only begin to be addressed by the start of the 21st Century through the integrated design process.
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1970s, a small group of forward-thinking architects, environmentalists, and ecologists inspired by work of Victor Olgyay (Design with Climate), Ralph Knowles (Form and Stability), and Rachel Carson (Silent Spring), began to question the advisability of building in this manner.
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1973 – in response to energy crisis, American Institute of Architects (AIA) formed an energy task force, later the AIA Committee on Energy
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1977 – The Department of Energy was created to address energy usage and conservation
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1977 – Solar Energy Research Institute was founded (later National Renewable Energy Laboratory) in Golden, CO
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1980 - The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) was founded by the major building trade associations as the Passive Solar Industries Council. Read the rest of this entry »
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July 30th, 2008
I am pleased to announce my newest designation…EcoBroker! An EcoBroker is an education and certification program for Realtors who care about the environment and want to promote energy-efficient and ‘green’ features in homes and buildings. The EcoBroker logo is the symbol of environmentally responsible and sustainable practices in the real estate industry. My goal is to help promote healthier, cost-effective and green practices in real estate.Want to learn more? I can help identify homes with ‘green’ features; I can share my understanding of energy efficiency and the costs or savings associated with building materials and heating and cooling systems. I can also help with building orientation and site location to help maximize the energy savings that can be properly derived from daylighting, overhangs and tree placement. Read the rest of this entry »
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Filed Under Categories: Bellingham Relocation, Green Building Ideas
July 2nd, 2008
Local Bellingham builder constructs a home featured in Creating The Not So Big House.
Smart, efficient and borderline glamorous; this home is so adaptable it can happily house a retired couple or a large family. Not an ounce of wasted space. Three car detached garage, 3 bedrooms + office +craft room, upstairs laundry, outstanding views. Private location within walking distance of the local elementary school. Offered at $698,000. Please contact me for a tour. Here’s a quick excerpt describing the Not So Big House movement:“CREATING THE NOT SO BIG HOUSE describes the design concepts that can take the
experience of living in a house from mere shelter to the art of dwelling.
Sarah Susankas widely acclaimed and best-selling first book, The Not So Big House, created a
movement that s changing the way Americans think about their homes. Seeking other like-minded architects who were using the same better-not-bigger approach, Susanka follows that phenomenal success with CREATING THE NOT SO BIG HOUSE, bringing together 25 beautifully designed new and remodeled homes that demonstrate the comfort, shelter, and practical beauty behind the Not So Big House concept. From these examples, Susanka outlines a new design language for homeowners, builders and architects to use to create their own Not So Big Houses. Read the rest of this entry »| Discussion: 2 Comments »
Filed Under Categories: Bellingham Homes, Bellingham Relocation, Green Building Ideas, Homes on Acreage, New Construction/Upcoming Projects
June 26th, 2008
Check this out! Courtesy Village Green Energy.
June 14th, 2008
SunEdison installs large scale solar on roofs like this one. SunEdison owns the “power plants” and the roof’s owner, in this case a Kohl’s department store, purchases the power from SunEdison. SunEdison profits from their investment by selling the electricity, collecting various rebates and tax credits, and selling the Renewable Energy Certificates that are generated along with the power.
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Filed Under Categories: Bellingham Homes, Bellingham Relocation, Green Building Ideas, New Construction/Upcoming Projects
