Have you visited these blogs recently??
John's Capzle - or scroll all the way to the bottom of my blog for a sneak peak!!
Lots of interesting international sustainable housing techniques and examples!!
Tyler's Blog - Current and recent sustainable housing projects.
Also includes natural sustainable housing techniques such as Hemp cement for building
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Earth Day Tweet Up!!!
What are you doing for the Earth on Earth Day this year. April 22nd is quickly approaching us, and I know I'm planning something big!
Join us between 8pm-12am EST on April 22nd for our Tweet Up on Twitter ( @sustainablehous ) and to discuss Earth Day around the world!! We want to know everyone's stories. What did you do for the Earth? What did you experience other people doing for the Earth? Share pictures, stories, music, and LOVE for the Earth!
You can join Twitter here.
You can RSVP here:
See you there!!!
Hopefully, the Earth will also be happy with our events on Earth Day..otherwise.............
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Scrap House
It's everyone's dream, well maybe mine and a select other few's dream... A house built not just of recycled materials, but strictly of salvaged, repurposed, recycled materials!!
Featured on National Geographic a few nights ago, there it was: The Scrap House
Mission: In San Fransisco, the goal was to create an up to code, safe and stylish house out of nothing but trash in just 4 weeks in time for UN World environment Day; on San Fransisco's Civic Center Plaza.
Players: the architect, the salvager, the structural engineer, the building inspector.
Thesis: We live in an age of construction and demo 24 million new homes are built each year in the US; tear 200,000 to the ground creating an endless cycle of 100billion lbs of trash including building materials and appliance. Is it possible to make a new house out of this trash??
Rules: NO new materials except for screws and nails.
Here is just a few of the materials they recycled into this house: scrap metal, old street signs, traffic lights, sheet metal scraps, old shower doors, some computer keyboards, scrap metal studs, old fire hoses
1st problem: No full length 2x4 at dump
Solution: Find of left of metal studs from an industrial construction job.
TIP: Small pieces of scrap metal stud can be jointed together safely unlike wood studs!!
2nd problem: No plywood!!
Solution: 40 year old Masonite found!
Made from wood fibers, but weaker, not ideal wall material but stronger enough to keep walls from twisting
3rd problem: weather proofing material for exterior
Solution: Shingling with small piece of durable materials: smaller than a door, larger than a license plate. Using: shower doors; old street signs; sheet metal scraps
TIP: Overlap of at least 6in protects against leakage
TIP: Galvanized steel can last 50-70 years without rusting=VERY DURABLE
4th problem: Framing
Solution: 10,000lbs of structural steel from a warehouse demolition
TIP: Withstands up to 7 on Richter Scale; Recycled steel doesn't result in a lower quality material, unlike paper or glass (High demand) TIP: In US, 75% discarded steel is recycled; Cars recycled at a rate of 25 cars/minute TIP: Each year steel recycling safe enough energy to power 1/5 of all homes in America
5th problem: Need glass for giant floor to ceiling window walls (~150 pieces of various size glass)
Solution: double pain scrap glass find at dump = savings of nearly $100,000
TIP: When building sky scrapers architects usually buy 5% extra glass in case of breakage. (31 story building = up to 200 extra windows)
6th problem: Interior design
Solution: Use everyday items in a new, random orientation!
Patches of scrap leather to make patterned floor. Hang keyboards on walls as tiles; turn doors into a wall. Wall insulation out of phone books (blown paper is better than fiberglass)
TIP: An R rating measures how well an insulation works Formula: (Temp. difference X Area X Time)/heat loss [R rating of fiberglass=3.14 per inch; r rating of blown paper=3.7 per inch]
7th problem: Stairs
Solution: Built offsite from a salvaged cut tree. Handrail from scraps of leftover steel
8th problem: wall coverings
Solution: Old fire houses, conveyors belts, miss matched wood trim
9th problem: Light fixtures
Solution: traffic light glass chandelier; Lamp collage
Other trash to treasures: wooden bed headboard, dishes, bathtub, sink, cabinets, counters
How amazing 100% junk, 100% brand new house! Can you imagine if everyone used at least 1 recycled item from the dump, keeping all that potentially useful, reusable material out of our landfills!!
I'm willing to do this, are you??
You can watch the full episode here on Hulu:
Featured on National Geographic a few nights ago, there it was: The Scrap House
Mission: In San Fransisco, the goal was to create an up to code, safe and stylish house out of nothing but trash in just 4 weeks in time for UN World environment Day; on San Fransisco's Civic Center Plaza.
Players: the architect, the salvager, the structural engineer, the building inspector.
Thesis: We live in an age of construction and demo 24 million new homes are built each year in the US; tear 200,000 to the ground creating an endless cycle of 100billion lbs of trash including building materials and appliance. Is it possible to make a new house out of this trash??
Rules: NO new materials except for screws and nails.
Here is just a few of the materials they recycled into this house: scrap metal, old street signs, traffic lights, sheet metal scraps, old shower doors, some computer keyboards, scrap metal studs, old fire hoses
1st problem: No full length 2x4 at dump
Solution: Find of left of metal studs from an industrial construction job.
TIP: Small pieces of scrap metal stud can be jointed together safely unlike wood studs!!
2nd problem: No plywood!!
Solution: 40 year old Masonite found!
Made from wood fibers, but weaker, not ideal wall material but stronger enough to keep walls from twisting
3rd problem: weather proofing material for exterior
Solution: Shingling with small piece of durable materials: smaller than a door, larger than a license plate. Using: shower doors; old street signs; sheet metal scraps
TIP: Overlap of at least 6in protects against leakage
TIP: Galvanized steel can last 50-70 years without rusting=VERY DURABLE
4th problem: Framing
Solution: 10,000lbs of structural steel from a warehouse demolition
TIP: Withstands up to 7 on Richter Scale; Recycled steel doesn't result in a lower quality material, unlike paper or glass (High demand) TIP: In US, 75% discarded steel is recycled; Cars recycled at a rate of 25 cars/minute TIP: Each year steel recycling safe enough energy to power 1/5 of all homes in America
5th problem: Need glass for giant floor to ceiling window walls (~150 pieces of various size glass)
Solution: double pain scrap glass find at dump = savings of nearly $100,000
TIP: When building sky scrapers architects usually buy 5% extra glass in case of breakage. (31 story building = up to 200 extra windows)
6th problem: Interior design
Solution: Use everyday items in a new, random orientation!
Patches of scrap leather to make patterned floor. Hang keyboards on walls as tiles; turn doors into a wall. Wall insulation out of phone books (blown paper is better than fiberglass)
TIP: An R rating measures how well an insulation works Formula: (Temp. difference X Area X Time)/heat loss [R rating of fiberglass=3.14 per inch; r rating of blown paper=3.7 per inch]
7th problem: Stairs
Solution: Built offsite from a salvaged cut tree. Handrail from scraps of leftover steel
8th problem: wall coverings
Solution: Old fire houses, conveyors belts, miss matched wood trim
9th problem: Light fixtures
Solution: traffic light glass chandelier; Lamp collage
Other trash to treasures: wooden bed headboard, dishes, bathtub, sink, cabinets, counters
How amazing 100% junk, 100% brand new house! Can you imagine if everyone used at least 1 recycled item from the dump, keeping all that potentially useful, reusable material out of our landfills!!
I'm willing to do this, are you??
You can watch the full episode here on Hulu:
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
World-Wide Eco-house Map
My group just received an invitation from @naturalhomes on twitter to add to this great world wide eco-house map. It's interactive! Zoom in to a country/state/city/neighborhood to see natural homes all around the world.
Natural Homes website can be found here they have many interesting items on their site.
Please come back to this post occasionally as I will update here when we add to the map!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
What's Your Proudest Repurposed Object?
What a fantastic picture!! I found it here at Apartment Therapy San Francisco. "Repurposed Truck Spring Kitchen Stools." A.T. originally spotted this in the July 2008 issue of House Beautiful.
Here's House Beautiful's Interview with the owners:
"There's a nice balance between fresh white paint and battered wood, so nothing feels too pristine. And I like the improvised quality. What were those stools originally?
Giant springs, literally taken off a truck. I saw them at a salvage yard and thought they would look great by the island, which is made from an old falling-down fence on the property. We recycled the beat-up wood instead of throwing it away. Most people would probably not have done such a big island in a small room, but I knew it was going to be the social hub of the house. Besides, I like large, substantial pieces. They make a small space feel more solid and important. "
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Make a Birdhouse!
Here is a simple way to make a birdhouse out of that one last 6" piece of plywood you weren't sure what to do with or maybe a piece you purchased from a recycling store at a landfill or even one you salvage from Home Depot's dumpster!
The above design will leave you with a scrap of roughly 2"x20" (a great size for a stake if you grow tomatoes!!)
Here is another design:
This design leaves you with 10 3/4" x 5 1/2" (Small table top perhaps??)
I made one of my own....well I made two, What can I say? The red roof one was fun, the "landing post" ...as I like to call it...it a paint brush handle! ..Nothing goes to waste in this house.
I also put to extra pieces on the inside of the roof to hold it in place while in use, but is easily removed for cleaning, which is essential!
On the other hand, if you have a piece of wood that is half this size, simple remeasure the drawn design shown and you'll be attracting a different type of bird! Use your imagination, you could even use that old license plate from 3 cars ago you've had sitting around and you were about to throw out AS THE ROOF!!
The above design will leave you with a scrap of roughly 2"x20" (a great size for a stake if you grow tomatoes!!)
Here is another design:
This design leaves you with 10 3/4" x 5 1/2" (Small table top perhaps??)
I made one of my own....well I made two, What can I say? The red roof one was fun, the "landing post" ...as I like to call it...it a paint brush handle! ..Nothing goes to waste in this house.
I also put to extra pieces on the inside of the roof to hold it in place while in use, but is easily removed for cleaning, which is essential!
On the other hand, if you have a piece of wood that is half this size, simple remeasure the drawn design shown and you'll be attracting a different type of bird! Use your imagination, you could even use that old license plate from 3 cars ago you've had sitting around and you were about to throw out AS THE ROOF!!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Salvage, Sell, Reuse
Today I did a simple search on google for "salvaging building materials" .
The first link that popped up on the list was for "Second Use" a "community business" that has been reclaiming building materials since 1994 and is based out of Seattle, Washington.
Their mission includes:
"Six trains, each over a mile long, leave Seattle every week bound for distant landfills. At least a quarter of this waste is a result of building construction and demolition."
Also, there are some great before and after deconstruction pictures along with stories from their customers. Here a great example of a home deconstruction that Second Use performed with Grayhawk Construction in order to provide maintenance access to a nearby salmon creek.
For those customers for do not wish to keep the deconstruction materials, Second Use also has a retail store in which they publicly sell items. Their inventory currently ranges from appliances to windows, including plumbing, flooring, hardware, doors, lumber and masonry.
These items are staying out of the landfills and are now available to those doing renovations at a lower cost!!
Second Use also features on their website links to many other building materials exchanges and recycling opportunities, and salvage yards.
The first link that popped up on the list was for "Second Use" a "community business" that has been reclaiming building materials since 1994 and is based out of Seattle, Washington.
Their mission includes:
- Divert reusable building materials from the landfill
- Preserve components of our architectural heritage
- Provide affordable building materials to the public
- Offer living wage jobs to our staff
"Six trains, each over a mile long, leave Seattle every week bound for distant landfills. At least a quarter of this waste is a result of building construction and demolition."
Also, there are some great before and after deconstruction pictures along with stories from their customers. Here a great example of a home deconstruction that Second Use performed with Grayhawk Construction in order to provide maintenance access to a nearby salmon creek.
For those customers for do not wish to keep the deconstruction materials, Second Use also has a retail store in which they publicly sell items. Their inventory currently ranges from appliances to windows, including plumbing, flooring, hardware, doors, lumber and masonry.
These items are staying out of the landfills and are now available to those doing renovations at a lower cost!!
Second Use also features on their website links to many other building materials exchanges and recycling opportunities, and salvage yards.
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