Propeller Sustainability Series: "SHELTER, Part 3" »
Posted by: Alexia 9 months, 2 weeks agoSustainability begins with the individual. There's much we can each do to help improve our small corner of the world, and it doesn't mean breaking the bank. It just requires a little imagination... In this segment, environmental architect David Hertz takes us on a tour of some of the sustainable features in his own home. His are ideas we can all implement or use to craft our own efficient designs.
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1-2-Oscar9 months, 2 weeks ago
This is easily the best of the "Sustainability" series so far. David Hertz has not reinvented the wheel--he is simply using ideas that have been around a long time, flexible spaces, recycled materials, natural cooling and heating, and using them in combination. The concept of flexible (or adjustable) spacing is one that many people can use. Hertz should have pointed out that, besides offering an inside-outside option, it also allows spaces to be closed off so that larger areas do not have to be heated or cooled when not in use. This can result in significant savings for the homeowner, since such costs are usually a big part of the operating budget.
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Alexia9 months, 2 weeks ago
Hi tehranchik, David talked a bit about remodeling for low income situations as being best-targeted first toward making sure your house was well insulated. He said that much of the energy lost in a house is through the windows. So upgrading windows is the first step, making sure an attic is sealed off, etc., then converting to energy-efficient--Energy Star rated--appliances was next. For myself, as a first-time home buyer, I would be mindful of whatever materials existed in a house I was buying. Can they be re-purposed if I do a structural remodel? What are the possibilities for skylights or transom windows in my new home? A remodel doesn't have to be any more expensive than buying a second car, you just have to be smart about your choices. As for all the wood in David's house, he used reclaimed timbers and there are a lot of options there. You don't have to buy new Mahagony. :) There's also the option to build prefab modular (http://www.xhllc.com/)--which I'll discuss next week!
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tehranchik9 months, 2 weeks ago
I did noticed that he touched on the costs for remodeling low income places---but what about building from the ground up? This is something the whole building industry should be required to do.
I've been to a few of the reclaim shops in the Portland area and the costs are amazing---doors, windows--very expensive. It's a become a trendy thing so the prices have gone way up.
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engineer9 months, 1 week ago
there's another site that's related which might be of interest.
http://www.solardecathlon.org/
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Submitted By:
Alexia
Documentary filmmaker, interactive mediaist, with a background in theatre and writing. Avid non-fiction reader.
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