Can a House Be Too Small?

The answer is “yes” in many parts of the world.  Zoning regulations require a minimum square footage for single family  homes, which is meant to increase tax assessments and keep out low income residents.  But, as TreeHugger points out this morning, this limits innovation in design, especially some green design which aims to conserve resources [...]

Sprucing Up The House Before The Holidays?

Now that school has started again, many homeowners will focus on plans to fix up the house before the holidays arrive. It’s a good time to think about incorporating more environmentally-friendly techniques or materials into those home improvements. Kitchens, baths and furniture purchases usually top the list at this time of year.

Green In The Windy City

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s mission is to make the windy city the most environmentally friendly city in the world. It’s already on it’s way with the most LEED projects of any city. It’s certainly an appropriate setting for the U.S. Green Building Council’s largest conference and expo, GreenBuild. Over 20,000 people [...]

Recent Report Reveals Building Green Doesn’t Cost More

The Davis Langdon report studied 221 new construction projects and found no significant difference in the average cost for green buildings and non-green buildings.
One important thing to remember is that while it may cost a bit more upfront to incorporate some green building technologies, it can significantly reduce operating costs over the entire life-cycle of [...]

Better, Faster, Stronger — It’s The Bionic House!

While not exactly bionic, the first ever factory-built green home in Colorado is one of high performance. The pre-fab construction process, by Eco-Infill, yields significantly less construction waste, is more energy efficient, ensures a steady labor force, and can be built in a shorter time frame.

Eco-Friendly Efforts Underway in New Orleans

Two years after hurricane Katrina, efforts are still underway to revitalize the area. Two such efforts that pertain to sustainability are: “The Holy Cross Project and “Replant New Orleans.”

The Holy Cross Project consists of building a green, low-income housing neighborhood to serve as a model for the rest of New Orleans and around [...]

Business-Inspired Sustainability Initiatives

From the World Business Council for Sustainable Development:
Ecosystems supply the raw materials upon which many large corporations rely or which support their production processes. Ecological economists have calculated that the Earth provides some US$16-54 trillion worth of “services” to humans every year.
Yet, the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that two-thirds of the assessed ecosystems and [...]

“Must Attend” Solar Power Conference

Need a reason to visit California? The 2007 Solar Power Conference and Expo is being held Sept 24-27 in Long Beach. Although the workshops, tours, and exhibits are mainly for companies that have an interest in solar, the Expo will be open to the general public on Tuesday, Sept 25, from 5:30-8:30. [...]

Treasure Hunt for Architectural Salvaged Goods

If you’re like me, you can appreciate the fine quality and craftsmanship that comes with old architectural goods, like flooring, doors, mouldings, fireplace mantels, hardware, etc., that can be integrated into newer home remodels to create some character and replace lesser quality items when their short life span has come to an end.
I found a [...]

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