A few months ago, I read an article in DWELL magazine talking about the “slow build movement” happening in this country. Here I thought we were just slow builders, but it turns out we are actually part of a “movement.” While I’m not too sure the “slow build movement’ is going to catch on like wildfire, (mostly because people don’t like to live too long with unfinished projects), we realized the time we’ve been taking to build may have actually led us do a few things right. We know this because we are still married. [...]
|
||||||
|
As an owner/builder, I’m always on the lookout for new products that make a difference in how we build or use materials. Walking the tradeshow floor at Globe 2010, I found four products that caught my eye as we look toward the future of the built environment. [...] It is so large at six acres that you never feel as if you are on an actual roof, and therein is the real beauty of it. Now in its second year of growth, the illusion is so surreal in an urban environment that it’s easy to disregard what lies beneath the top layer. [...] Part of the Green Green Owner/Builder series Since I’ve been writing about efficient alternative vehicles and recently with coverage of the November SEMA 2009 show, it’s probably only fair that I share some of our own auto choices. While purchasing a hybrid would surely be nice, it was not practical for us at the time [...] Part of the Green Green Owner/Builder series When you first start to think about building a house, you think in large sweeps. How you move about a space, what it should be made of and how it should breathe. A concrete floor, radiant heating system, energy efficient windows, doors and appliances, good room flow, the use of natural materials and for us a main structure made from SIPS (Structural Insulated Panel System). But then there’s a whole mess of stuff no one tells you about that finds you making decisions on the fly all the time. Continue reading Scratching beneath the surface Now that my husband Bob and I have built two small sheds and a 110 sq. ft cabin, it was time to take on the Big House. A term generally reserved for a jailhouse, the locked in feeling to this project both financially and physically has us doing two to five with some time off for good behavior. [...] A home performance contractor is the GP for your home. “Home Performance” is the term used to describe how well a house functions in terms of thermal comfort, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and durability. Because all of these elements interact, the science-based, whole-house approach taken by home performance contractors is the best way to solve problems with a house. [...] by Jen Pennington As someone in the early stages of building my own home, (at this point, a bare earth foundation pad), when I actually allow myself the luxury of dreaming about kitchen finishes, I can’t help but look at the various treatments with a certain unrestrained design lust. My mind wanders to the rich variety of sustainable products that are out there and I thoroughly enjoy the diverse design options any one of them would offer. While the new standard eco-friendly choices–bamboo, reclaimed wood, marmoleum, clay finishes–are already in mind, I find myself lingering over the concept of glass as a design feature. I’m not talking about nice little squares of recycled glass tiles that no one can see unless they’re taking a shower or against a backsplash. I’m talking about thick glass slab countertops so beautiful they may cause an uncontrollable drooling response. Continue reading Green Dreams: Coveting Sustainable Glass Art When the road to building a “green” house is paved with a little mud. When we purchased our property, I always knew I wanted to get it certified as a stewardship forest. I loved seeing those cool little green and brown signs along someone’s private drive. How do you get one of those things? I [...] When the road to building a “green” house is paved with a little mud. The sustainable marriage test. Okay so my husband and I know enough about construction projects to make ourselves very dangerous. Though we’ve never actually built a house before, Bob is extremely mechanically inclined and I’ve done my fair share of art installations, and light construction on other people’s homes. We’ve both read a bunch of owner/builder books, articles, and said to ourselves, “pishaw…we can do this.” Continue reading The Green Green Owner/Builder: The sustainable marriage test. |
||||||
|
Copyright © 2010 EcoZome Journal - All Rights Reserved |
||||||