Houston Green Builder

Green builder goes for the gold

By Laura Elder
The Daily News
Published April 10, 2006

Jacob White Construction Co, a Houston-based firm, headed by Jeff Mickler, is building the area’s first green, or environmentally correct, medical offices at 251 Medical Center Blvd. in Galveston.

The 48,000-square-foot center will include a grass roof with 8 inches of soil and plant life that works to trap storm-water runoff, keep the building cooler and generate oxygen for the atmosphere. A 172,000-gallon underground tank will capture water for landscape irrigation and use in toilets, Mickler said.

The developer is building the three-story center under U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design guidelines. For such certification, the building must have a healthy indoor environment, maximum energy efficiency and be developed with the thoughtful use of natural resources. The highest rating under the council’s certification is gold, for which Mickler is striving.

++Read more via the daily news++

Forget Computers, Here Comes the Sun

This from today's NYT Business Section:

SAN JOSE, Calif. — T. J. Rodgers is surrounded by a sea of silicon wafers on the roof of his company's headquarters in a Silicon Valley industrial park.

No, not the ones that Mr. Rodgers, who founded Cypress Semiconductor in 1982, used to make high-speed computer memories or the newer specialized chips that go into iPods and high-end Mercedes-Benzes. These wafers are soaking up the sun's rays and turning them into electricity.

(Read the Rest of the Article HERE)

Get 1/5th of our Energy from Renewables?

...Sweden says YES!
This off the wire from AFP:

Sweden has met targets for energy production from renewable sources for the second consecutive year, the country's energy agency said.

"Sweden fulfilled 99.9 percent of its quota for the April 2005 to March 2006 period", Roger Oestberg, spokesman for the energy agency, told AFP.

In accordance with European Union directives, the country has a target of producing one fifteenth of its electricity from renewable sources such as water, biogas, wind and solar power by 2010, Oestberg said.

The target represents 10 terrawatt hours per year of Sweden's current 150 terrawatt hours, Oestberg added.

Sweden introduced legislation requiring the use of alternative energy sources in May 2003.

What the BLEEP!

An Evening with
Masaru Emoto
May 4, 2006
Rice University
6100 Main St, Houston
Grand Hall of the Rice Memorial Center/Ley Center

Masuro does research on the concept of micro cluster water in the US and Magnetic Resonance Analysis technology.

After all, we are 80% water.

AIA Committee on the Environment Celebrates Earth Day 2006!

Blackwood Educational Land Institute
Hempstead, Texas
April 22, 2006

A living classroom that teaches us to explore the natural web of life and to develop a healthy respectful relationship with nature. A managed ecosystem with wooded acreage, natural spring pond, abundant plant and animal life with a 5,000 SF strawbale house, butterfly gardens, and stone labyrinth.

Tours of the institute and learning programs will run from 12:00 Noon to 5:00 PM. Tickets are $5.00 per person or $10.00 per family. Limit 100

Payment accepted at the gate (cash or credit card) but reservations must
be made via email at amanda.tullos@hva.cc

Directions provided upon receipt of reservation.

Visit www.blackwoodland.com for more information

Houston AIA Committee on the Environment

Eco Baby

Your babies can help be eco-friendly as well!

Sustainability gurus over at McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) took a look and awarded them Cradle to Cradle certification. G diapers are the first Consumer Packaged Good to earn the certification.

gDiapers are a two-part system. The flushable inner refill fits into a pair of colorful ‘little g’ pants. When the flushable becomes soiled, simply flush it down the toilet. It's that easy.

watch the video or buy online

Austin's first extensive 'green roof'

By Julie Bonnin
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Tuesday, March 21, 2006In the midst of a busy Southwest Austin construction zone, on the roof of what will be a Starbucks, a piece of Texas prairie is putting down roots.

When the coffee bar opens in May, the native grasses and flowers planted in a neat grid will be attracting more than birds and butterflies. Patrons will be able to climb a staircase to sit and gaze at the rooftop prairie through a wall of windows while sipping coffee drinks. Little bluestem, meet white chocolate mocha.

The Stratus project uses a Texas-tough selection of plants, including rock rose, agarita, Virginia creeper and crossvine, along with several prairie grasses. The plants, which at maturity will carpet the roof with waves of color and swaying grasses, are contained in a series of 2-foot-by-4-foot trays that span the flat roof.

The plants were selected by Heather Venhaus, an environmental designer with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. "We mixed plant knowledge with a little bit of science knowledge with a little bit of guessing," Venhaus says.

Their biggest environmental benefit in Central Texas may be related to stormwater runoff in sensitive watershed areas.

++Read more++

Green Building Symposium

Green Roofs and Modular Construction

GreenGrid Roofs is made up of preplanted modules composed of recycled plastics that can be sited right on top of an existing roof, as long as the structure will hold.

The additional advantages of GreenGrid Roofs include quick installation, easy placement, and flexibility for easy alternations, additions, easy maintenance, and roof repair. Plus, the recycled materials making up the GreenGrid Roof modules (60 post-industrial, recycled, high molecular weight polyethylene) contribute to LEED credits.

Still want the Tahoe?

This from Wired Autotpoia:

Folks who don't want to trade in their ride for an alt-fuel vehicle or hybrid can buy some peace of mind.

"Green tags" as discussed in BusinessWeek are stickers that you can put in your car to mollify your guilt about polluting. The tags are used to buy clean energy to offset the fumes that your car is producing.

While I appreciate the support for cleaner air, changing behaviors (walking, taking a bus, or upgrading to a better mpg vehicle) is a much more powerful statement. It feels like buying an indulgence as an easy way out.

(Photo Courtesey of Zenrid's flickr Photostream)

Tahoe Ads

Chevy Tahoe has an option where you can create your own commercial. Apparently, a few clever and mischievious chaps have taken this opportunity to spin it in an unexpected anti-tahoe way...TOO FUNNY...and probably won't be appearing anytime soon.Not to worry... you can watch some via YOUTUBE:

+Chevy Tahoe SUV God
+tahoe's daddy
+One-way ticket to Paradise

+++ create your own commercial+++

Houston as a Model City

[via cleanhouston.org]
Houston as a Model City: Meeting the challenges of an environmental crisis
Global Warming, Impacting today's urgent issues

by Vicki Wolf

Global warming and health issues related to living in a fossil-fueled car-based city are the most urgent issues facing the community today, according to experts working to solve health and environmental problems in Houston....People tend to underestimate the importance of their own actions and become immobile when they think a problem is out of their control. “Here we are, each in our individual actions causing the problem, and yet we don’t think we can each in our individual actions change it,” says Karl Rábago, Energy and Buildings Solutions group director with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), “We have to change that mindset.”

Switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs is just one of the things all households and businesses can do today to impact the climate change crisis. Taking advantage of daylight rather than turning on electric lights during the day, using innovative lower-energy consuming systems for heating and cooling, recycling, driving less, reducing and eliminating the use of plastics all can make a difference (see “What we can do today”).

“Houston could be a model city in lots of ways,” says Winfred Hamilton, Environmental Section director for Baylor College of Medicine. “We have one of the most ecologically interesting areas in the world with beautiful bayou systems, next to the gulf, at the divide with the Big Thicket. Anything will grow here despite our pollution,” she adds. “We could be the green energy capital of the world, selling ideas and technology and a showcase for application.”

++Read the whole article @ cleanhouston.org++

Westway Park

Intellicenter: Green by Design
by Charles Stillman, March 2006
Summar:
Westway Park, a 150-acre office park located just off Beltway 8 in west Houston, will soon be home to Houston’s newest green building. Dallas based Koll Development Company plans to construct six such buildings known as “Intellicenters” by year’s end.

Green buildings employ resources including water, energy, building materials and land more efficiently than average buildings built simply to code. They also feature, among other things, more natural light and improved indoor air quality, which leads to better employee health, comfort and productivity.

The project developers also hope that their future tenants will adopt green principles when building their individual spaces. Gensler Architects, a design firm involved with the project, plans to provide a manual with suggestions as to how tenants can green their offices. Recommendations will include using low VOC-emitting (volatile organic compounds) paints, building low walls or transparent glass partitions to allow for greater penetration of the daylighting, using ultra-efficient lighting components, and using recycled materials for the carpeting.

++read article via cleanhouston.com++

Katrina cottage NEWS

Good news from Washington regarding the Katrina Cottages - The senate is considering allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide inexpensive, permanent housing to Americans who have lost their homes to a natural disaster. The key word here is "permanent," which currently prevents funding for the 300sq-ft Katrina Cottages.

Current law only allows FEMA to provide temporary housing to disaster victims, which has already resulted in the placement of over 37,000 trailers in the Gulf Coast. Governors of both Mississippi and Louisiana are arguing that there are better options considering residents of South Florida are still occupying FEMA trailers more than 13 years following Hurricane Andrew.

The design for Katrina Cottage evolved out of the Mississippi Renewal Forum, a design charrette organized by the Congress for the New Urbanism which brought together 200 professionals with the goal of developing design options for eleven communities along the Gulf Coast. One of the assignments of the Forum was to develop designs for affordable housing, which can be immediately put into place while respecting the place upon which it would be built. Costing only $35,000 to build, the Katrina Cottage has fulfilled that assignment. Built on site, or prefabricated and delivered, the Katrina Cottage is certainly a welcome alterative to the typical FEMA travel trailer, and will not cost a penny more.

Visit the Katrina Cottage website

Pimped out Hybrids!

U.S. drivers will see at least four new hybrid models this year from Toyota, Saturn, Nissan and Lexus, and older models from Honda are also getting an upgrade. While all offer better-than-average fuel efficiency, they also aim to please mainstream car buyers with more traditional features, such as higher horsepower and faster acceleration.

In addition to giving the vehicles more oomph, manufacturers will soon be leveraging hybrids' electric power in safety systems, such as steering overlays to prevent drivers from drifting out of their lanes. Electronic steering systems, which are likely to show up in Europe first, promise to provide more finite control over steering than hydraulic systems.
++read more via Wired.com++

Biodiesel from Houston?

Motiva Enterprises, a large oil company headquartered in Houston, recently announced that the Motiva Enterprises terminal in Dallas will now offer biodiesel at any blend level. Motiva, a partnership between Shell Oil Co. and Saudi Refining Inc., is among the first major oil companies to provide a blending and loading terminal for the alternative fuel; other refiners who already blend biodiesel at the terminal level include Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp.
Biodiesel kingpin Willie Nelson was joined by fellow booster Morgan Freeman to announce the installation of a 30,000-gallon heated tank that will allow biodiesel to be loaded onto tanker trucks already fully blended with petroleum diesel.

++Read article++

World’s Largest Laundromat uses Solar Hot Water

On the roof there are 36 solar hot water panels. Inside are a 157 washing machines and 145 dryers.

These panels, installed by Solar Service, save the laundry, in Berwyn, Chicago “about $2,000 a month."
++Read more from the article in the Chicago Tribune.

Largest Solar Kitchen?

This is at the Academy for a Better World on Mount Abu,1,300 metres above sea level, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The solar reflectors “produce steam which is used to cook vegetables and rice for up to 18 000 people.”
See pictures HERE
A combined project of the ::Brahma Kumaris India, and ::Solare-Bruecke, Germany (amongst others).

Shades of green?

An article by Michael Cockram titled "Deep and Merely Tinted Greens"

INTRO:
As the concept of "green design" enters the mainstream of our building culture, designers are being given a glut of information — and misinformation — on what constitutes environmentally sound practices. The term "greenwashing" has entered the lexicon to mean giving the appearance of being green without providing substantive environmental benefit.
TOPICS:
Alternative Standards: NAHB vs LEED-H
The Official Greenwash: "Clear Skies" initiative?
Wetlands Protection?
CONCLUSION:
A keystone is the question of verification of green building performance. The only way to ensure that green certification guidelines have real teeth is for the verification process to be independent and unbiased.
++Read more at Architectureweek.com

Hybrid automakers not yet close to tax-credit limit

There's still time for tax savings!
The new tax credit, which offers up to $3,400 for taxpayers who buy an eligible car, phases out once a manufacturer sells more than 60,000 hybrids. It seems that even the most popular manufacturer, Toyota, isn't expected to hit that mark for at least a few months.Many industry watchers expect Toyota will surpass the 60,000 limit before the end of the year. Toyota sold just under 108,000 of its Prius alone in 2005, and a total of 146,512 hybrid vehicles, counting the carmaker's Lexus RX400 and the Highlander, according to WardsAuto.com.

There also seems to be a tax "grace period"
The IRS counts the "60,000 in sales" from Jan. 1, 2006. Once a manufacturer sells that many hybrids, there's effectively a grace period, and then the credit starts to phase out.

Something to consider though....is the amount of the credit varies enormously depending on the model.
The IRS will judge each model on a variety of fuel-efficiency criteria, and then allot a certain amount per model. While the IRS has not yet published specific dollar amounts for each model, the ACEEE has published preliminary estimates based on the details of the law enacting the tax credit.For instance, the credit for the Toyota Prius is $3,150, while the Honda Insight is up for a $1,450 credit, according to those preliminary estimates. See the ACEEE estimates on each model.

ALSO...Prices may come down after the credit expires, suggests Mike Chung, industry analyst with Edmunds.com
Read more via Marketwatch.com

Another Building Green SHow

These things are getting popular. Apparently there's a market/audience for this kind of stuff. YAY!
About the show:
Producers Michael Mattioli and Kevin Contreras
of Special Finish Films, present "Building Green," the home improvement television series about creating gorgeous homes that are healthier, more energy efficient, and better for the environment. Every phase of sustainable construction is presented by host Kevin Contreras, who explores green building from all angles, sharing information and showing lots of in depth, "how-to" build greener homes. Natural home products and techniques like straw bale building are covered in detail to show the infinite ways to build a healthy house. Segments like "Saving Green" and "Easy Steps" show viewers what they can do in real world circumstances to make choices to build green. Buildinggreentv.com
is a guide to integrating green building products, services, and other resources into living green.

You can see an intro clip of their show HERE as well as learn more.

design e2- pbs

PBS show "exploring new ideas about living on the earth."

Eight different topics will be discussed- from sustainable architecture to water culture to alternative energy...-challenging us to live smarter, GREENER, and with the future in mind.

TAG LINE: explore the economies of being environmentally conscious

Releases June 2006

An Inside Look at Federal Solar Tax Credits

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) has provided a financial boost to photovoltaic (PV) system purchasers by implementing a new 30% residential tax credit, and increasing the existing 10% commercial tax credit to 30%. The economic value of these new and expanded federal credits to system purchasers, however, is not at all straightforward, and depends on a variety of factors, according to a new report released by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in conjunction with the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA).
Determinants of the value of EPAct's PV tax credits include whether the system is for residential or commercial use (the residential credit is capped at $2000), the size of the system (particularly for residential systems, due to the $2000 cap), and the tax status of the system owner (tax-exempt owners cannot benefit from tax credits).

Read more HERE

Download report

Kermit is a green advocate

"Ford Escape Hybrid" commercial featuring Kermit the Frog finding out that, apparently is IS easy being green. The commercial first aired in February 2006 during Super Bowl XL. Enjoy!

Blueprint Ball with Performance by Lyle Lovett

The University of Houston Architecture Alumni Association Blueprint Ball celebrates the college and its long history of faculty expertise, its world-renowned lecturers and the first cutting-edge program in Industrial Design in the Southwest.

Architect Jon Pickard, AIA, will be honored for the design quality of his work with luminary clients such as Gerald Hines and ConocoPhillips, and his outstanding contributions to green architecture, a movement that promotes economical, energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and sustainable development.

The evening will be hosted by local news anchor and UH alum Dominique Sachse and will feature a silent auction and program line-up that includes four-time Grammy Award-winning artist Lyle Lovett.

WHEN: Saturday, May 20, 2006
7 p.m. - 11 p.m.
WHERE: Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture
Entrance 18 off Elgin or Entrance 16 off Cullen. Valet Parking provided.
WHO: Jon Pickard, Honoree; William D. Kendall, Honorary Chair
Performance by: Lyle Lovett; Hosted by: Dominique Sachse

Individual tickets can be purchased for $250. Limited attendance is available.

For further information contact:

Steve Curry, Blueprint Ball Chair, 713-523-8787, 713-523-8788 (fax), stevec@cbarch.com
Joe Mashburn, Dean of Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, 713-743-2400, 713-743-2358 (fax), mashburn@uh.edu
Jim Mousner, Chair, Communications Committee - 713-520-9544 (office), jim.mousner@origindesign.com

Auction items and donations contact:
Luis Fernandez, Silent Auction Chair, 713-877-0900, 713-877-0919 (fax), lefernandez@shwgroup.com

Plugins are BETTAH

CalCars is a non-profit startup formed by entrepreneurs, engineers, environmentalists and consumers. They promote plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). PHEVs are like regular hybrids but with larger batteries and the ability to re-charge from a standard outlet (mostly at night). They're the best of both worlds: local travel is electric, yet the vehicle has unlimited gasoline range.

They've built prototypes (see PRIUS+,the world's first plug-in Prius), and are working on others to show what can be done now with existing technology. Goal: get carmakers to build PHEVs.


Cal Cars has launched a little piece of promo called Bettah! The animated short is another snappy number from Free Range, the nice folks who brought us Store Wars and The Meatrix. Co-sponsored by Americans for Energy Independence.

Suggested Plants for the Greater Houston Area

Native Plant Society of Texas
Houston Chapter
P.O. Box 131254
Houston, Texas 77219-1254



Might also want to check out Plant Database you can look up all sorts of scientific information and even pictures.

FotoFest 2006

March 10 - April 23, 2006

FOTOFEST2006 is the eleventh International Biennial of Photography and Photo-related Art in Houston, Texas. In 2006, there are two themes. The Earth and Artists Responding to Violence. They are independent and inter-connected.

The capacity of human society to inflict violence upon itself and the earth is expanding with the ever increasing spread of technology and population. The physical and mythic force of earth presents itself in art in many guises. FotoFest 2006 is presenting work that engages The Earth metaphorically and figuratively.The art encompasses mixed-media work, classical photography, video and film. It addresses both human and non-human life in broad existential ways as well as issues of land use and geophysical history.

Check out the upcoming openings and + events +

More cool canoe tours

Birding and Botany Canoe Tour
Saturday, May 13, 12:30-5:30pm
$52 per person
Group limit is 18

Keep Buffalo Bayou wild! Join birder and zoologist Doug Phillips as he discusses the variety of birds that call Buffalo Bayou their home. Canoe the bayou and experience the greenbelt’s unique flora and fauna. In the past, lucky canoeists have glimpsed two-foot turtles and graceful herons, so bring your binoculars and get ready for the adventure. Don A. Greene will also be your guide. His knowledge and experience include past president and chair of the Bayou Preservation Association who currently teaches earth science to Kinkaid and other schools of HISD.

Twilight Wilderness Tour and Dinner at Rainbow Lodge
Sunday,June 11, 4-8:30pm
$64 (includes lunch) per person
Group limit is 18

Say goodbye to the stress of the city and see Houston from a whole new angle at dusk. Canoe the bayou and experience the greenbelt’s unique flora, fauna, and geology. In the past, lucky canoeists have glimpsed two-foot turtles and graceful herons while listening to the music of dozens of birds. Sit back and enjoy the magic lights and evening wildlife followed by dinner at the scenic Rainbow Lodge.

For more information, or to register, call 713.752.0314 ext. 3 or e-mail tsmith@buffalobayou.org.

OR

Canoe Registration Form (doc) – fax to 713.223.3500 or mail to:

Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Vine Street Studios
1113 Vine Street Suite 200
Houston, TX 77002

Urban Ecology along Buffalo Bayou

In conjunction with the Houses on the Bayou architecture tour, Buffalo Bayou Partnership has organized a canoe trip along the same stretch of the bayou that the tour featured.

The trip addresses the dynamic river and riparian ecology and geology as well as the history of attempts of flood control and erosion along the bayou. Canoeists will study various preservation and conservation efforts on the bayou corridor. Don A. Greene will be your guide. His knowledge and experience include past president and chair of the Bayou Preservation Association. He currently teaches earth science to Kinkaid and HISD schools and serves on the rivers advisory board for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

All canoe trips are guided by National Parks outfitter Don A. Greene of Whitewater Experience. Don is an award-winning National Park Service outfitter with over 30 years of experience working in Houston to preserve Buffalo Bayou.

All trips include canoe rental, paddles, shuttles, personal flotation devices and snacks. Under normal water conditions, only minimal experience or skill is necessary to enjoy these floats.

All canoe trips leave from 5000 Memorial Drive.
Reservations and payment must be made in advance. Cancellations must take place 72 hours prior to the canoe tour.

Urban Ecology along Buffalo Bayou
April 1, 2006, 1-5pm
$52 per person
Tour is limited to 20 people

For more information, or to register, call 713.752.0314 ext. 3 or e-mail tsmith@buffalobayou.org

DID YOU KNOW....

Each day, more energy falls to the earth from the sun's rays than the total amount of energy the planet's 5.9 billion inhabitants would consume in 27 years.

Check out Vote Solar website
In November 2001, San Francisco voters approved a $100 million revenue bond for renewable energy and energy efficiency that pays for itself from the savings.... and costs taxpayers nothing.

This website offers tools, advice, and information for those seeking ways to build on San Francisco's success with the revenue bond model. You can also contact them for more help or to sign up for email updates on the initiative's progress.

A Site Specific Public Art Project for the Sacramento International Airport

I would like to share this out of my love of aerials.
Artist Sayed Alavi has created a "carpet installation" at the Sacaramento International Airport. This project consists of an aerial view of the Sacramento River that is woven into a carpet for the floor of a pedestrian bridge connecting the terminal to the parking garage. This image represents approximately 50 miles of the Sacramento River starting just outside of Colusa, California and ending about 6 miles south of Chico.
read more about this on his site HERE

Créteil

Créteil
Originally uploaded by john_h_drain.

Had to post this.
I thought it was beautiful!

Green BEER

Happy St. Patty's Day!

[see full story @ wired.com]

"Brooklyn Brewery, located on Brewer's Row in Brooklyn, New York, is one of a handful of breweries around the country that uses sustainable energy when producing its beer.

Its choice of method is wind power, which provides 100 percent of the brewery's energy needs, making the 1,658,000 gallons of beer it produces green year-round. Brooklyn Brewery's energy bills are 10 percent to 13 percent higher than they would be otherwise, but its operators say leaning on alternative energy just makes sense....Brooklyn Brewery isn't equipped with wind turbines on the warehouse roof, however. Instead, the brewery pays a premium rate to Con Edison so that the 285,000 kilowatt-hours it uses off the grid every year is replaced by energy produced at a wind farm located in Madison County, in upstate New York....

Brookly Brewery also pays farmers in New Jersey to swing by and pick up the "spent grain" -- the remaining husks that are left over after brewing. The farmers then feed the nutritious grains to their livestock, making good use of Brooklyn Brewery's waste.

But Brooklyn Brewery isn't alone in its conservation efforts. New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado, has developed a unique method that uses its waste to power its factory...." read more HERE

2035 Houston Region Forecasts

Quick analysis :These forecasts will be used to study traffic modeling for the new Regional Transportation Plan, which will set a direction for the next few decades. The most obvious observation that can be made is that enormous quantities of greenspace will disappear from the region in the next 30 years. In fact, all large green areas remaining in Harris County will vanish. It's first important to understand that H-GAC's forecasts are essentially based on recent trends and policies. So the projections do not reflect choices that can be made about public policies, particulary about transportation policy. As Metrostudy president Mike Inselmann has said "The city grows where developers buy land and they buy land where new transportation corridors get developed." An example of this dynamic is evident in the maps: they show significant new development happening all along the proposed Grand Parkway, which is shown on H-GAC's maps as a new transportation corridor - although most of it doesn't exist yet, and no construction contracts have been let for expansion.

Forecast Coverage:
The forecast covers eight counties: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller

29th Annual RDA Architecture Tour

29th Annual RDA Architecture Tour
Saturday and Sunday
March 25 and 26, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Presented by the Rice Design Alliance in collaboration with Buffalo Bayou Partnership

The Rice Design Alliance 2006 architecture tour investigates the varied and fascinating approaches that architects and landscape architects have taken when designing houses and landscapes on Buffalo Bayou and its tributaries.

The tour is open only to RDA and Buffalo Bayou Partnership members and guests. RDA Memberships beginning at $35 can be purchased at any of the houses on the tour and include one complimentary tour ticket (Family level and above include two complimentary tickets). Tickets for all eight houses are $20; $10 for students; and $15 for senior citizens (65 years and older).

Civic Forum
In conjunction with the Houses on the Bayou Tour, Rice Design Alliance presents a civic forum on the history of Buffalo Bayou and the engineering that has and will continue to affect the preservation or destruction of the natural habitat and valuable community resource. Two tour homeowners will describe their experiences of living on the bayou and how they foresee its future.

Admission is free and open to the public.
Wednesday, March 22, 7 p.m. at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Local Green Materials website for Houston, TX

This site is brought to you by the Houston Advanced Research Center's Cultivate Green Program. The program is a demand side knowledge building and knowledge transfer program intended for the general public of the Houston area.
The basics of the system are pretty simple; there is a residential green products inventory of knowledge and a commercial/institutional component.

Some of the HOME CATEGORIES include:
Appliances
Interior Finish & Trim
Caulks & Adhesives Lighting
Decking
Mechanical Systems/HVAC
Distributors & Retailers
Doors Windows Insulation
Outdoor Structures
Electrical Paints & Coatings
Exterior Finish & Trim
Plumbing
Flooring & Floorcoverings
Roofing
Foundations, Footers & Slabs
Sitework & Landscaping
Furniture & Furnishings
Renewable Energy
Structural Systems & Components Sheathing

Texas Incentives for Renewable Energy

DSIR is a database of incentive for Renewable Energy by state.
These include: Financial Incentives such as Property Tax Exemption,

Rules, Regulations & Policies-includes: Construction/Design Standard-
Alternative Energy in New State Construction


Some Related Programs & Initiatives

Green Power Network: Buying Green Power in Your State
The U.S. Department of Energy's Green Power Network provides news and information on green power markets and related activities. This site provides state-by-state information on Green Power Marketing in Competitive Electricity Markets and Utility Green Pricing Programs.
In addition, the site lists marketers of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)(also known as green tags or tradable renewable certificates), which represent the environmental attributes of the power produced from a renewable energy project. Whether or not consumers have access to green power through their local utility or a competitive electricity marketer, consumers can purchase RECs without having to switch electricity suppliers.

Million Solar Roofs Initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy's Million Solar Roofs (MSR) Initiative brings together business, government, the energy industry, and community organizations with a commitment to install a set number of solar energy systems by 2010. Activities typically include consumer education, professional workshops, and other outreach activities to help individuals and organizations who are considering installing a solar system. Click here to find Partnerships in your state.

Wind Powering America
The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America site provides state-by-state wind project information, including validated wind maps, anemometer loan programs, small wind guides, legislative briefings, wind working groups, and state-specific news.

Green Building Initiative - Houston

Great site that provides plenty of resources, guidlines and checklists to building green in Houston.

Also check out the handbook provided by the Department of Energy:
Building America Best Practices Series: Volume 1-Builders and Buyers Handbook for Improving New Home Efficiency, Comfort, and Durability in the Hot and Humid Climate

"Building America's system design recommendations and process improvements can help all builders interested in re-engineering their home designs to achieve high performance. This best practices handbook helps builders develop durable, comfortable homes that achieve 30% energy savings in space conditioning and water heating in hot and humid climates. The handbook contains chapters for every member of the builder's team—from managers to site planners to designers, site supervisors, the trades, and marketers. There is also a chapter to help homeowners select the best systems for their new home."

Building America Best Practices Series: Volume 1 (PDF 8.1 MB)

PEUGEOT COMMERCIAL

I love this commercial...cracks me up!

TV Commercial found with the help of Clipland

... but to not steer away from a theme did you know about:
Peugeot’s New Stop & Start System: 6-15% Fuel Savings

Second Annual Children's Day at Rice Gallery!

Children's Day: Fun with Drums!

Saturday, March 4
11 am - 2 pm


Rice Gallery invites families to celebrate spring with an afternoon of art and fun. On view in the gallery will be Conversation, a colorful, percussion installation by Brooklyn artist David Ellis. Children and their families can listen to the artist speak about the installation or tour the gallery on their own with a free Family Guide. On the gallery plaza, decorate a drum, watch drumming performances, and try out different kinds of drums!

Schedule of Events
11:15 am...........Gallery talk with artist David Ellis
11:30 am...........Rice Percussion Ensemble Performance
12:30 pm...........University of Houston Steel Drum Band Performance
1:15 pm.............Gallery talk with artist David Ellis
1:30 pm.............Rice Percussion Ensemble Performance

Drum demonstrations by Houston Percussion Center throughout the event.

Children's Day is free and open to the public.
All activities will take place in Rice Gallery, the foyer, and plaza.

For more information, please visit ricegallery, or call 713.348.6069.

Special thanks to the Rice University Shepherd School of Music Percussion Ensemble and director Richard Brown, the University of Houston Steel Drum Band and director Blake Wilkins, as well as the Houston Percussion Center.

Location, Parking, and Wheelchair Access
Rice Gallery is on the ground floor of Sewall Hall, and is best reached using Campus Entrance 1 located at the intersection of Main Street and Sunset Boulevard. When the entrance road dead-ends turn left into paid visitor parking (credit card only, $3.00 per hour, $9.00 daily maximum) in the Founder’s Court Lot. For other parking options visit www.rice.edu/parking. Wheelchair access is on the south side of Sewall Hall, the left side of the building.

By METRORail: Hermann Park/Rice University Station.


http://ricegallery.org/new/exhibition/conversation.html

KOYA-SAN

Japanese Green roof pagodas/cemetary markers.
First saw image of this on: John_h_Drain's flicker site
also check out his picture of housing in Creteil

Valentine greens from Austin

VIA mocoloco.com - Modern Contemporary Design ...not crazy booger (spanish translation)

Why settle for red roses when you can go for a more elegant living arrangement designed especially for you? Big Red Sun puts together tillandsias, mosses and exotic feathers in the shape of a heart for a unique and lasting Valentine’s Day gift. SM

+ bigredsun.com

p.s. something interesting-after visiting their site... check out my site:
+ blugrndesign.com
tell me if you experience any deja-vu...especially when you go to the webdeisgn page and click onthe bird. ;oP
i guess great minds think alike.

American Photovoltaics LP recently formed in Houston

VIA [www.RenewableEnergyAccess.com]

American Photovoltaics LP recently formed in Houston, Texas, to do their part in tackling the worldwide shortage of solar PV modules. The company says it will manufacture and market thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules for the growing international PV marketplace. The company is planning to build a thin-film solar module manufacturing facility in the greater Houston area. To accomplish this, the company has secured a contract with Energy Photovoltaics, Inc. (EPV) in Princeton, New Jersey, which will supply all machinery, proprietary production hardware and software, and expertise necessary to construct and operate such a PV module production facility. American Photovoltaics will also enter into a management contract with EPV to provide plant construction oversight, assist in the training of personnel and establish production operations without unnecessary start-up delays.

Global Warming Contributors- TX

U.S. facilities that released more than 100,000 tons of Carbon Dioxide during 2004
This map displays a Galveston facility,South Houston Green Power, LP CSGP Services, that released 2,204,823 Tons of CO2 in 2004.
According to the EPA. . .
CO2, or carbon dioxide, is a product of fossil fuel combustion which is a dominant greenhouse gas believed to contribute to global climate change.

Find more info in theGlobal Warming maps at X-Maps.com.
Here you will find a listing of well over a hundred different locations in the US that produce large-scale emissions of CO2; each entry reveals the tons of CO2 output in 2004, and links to a Google Map satellite view of the offending site.

2007 Solar decathalon teams announced

Twenty teams have been selected to compete in the 2007 Solar Decathlon. Each selected team will be awarded $100,000 over two years to support the Solar Decathlon's research goal of reducing the cost of solar-powered homes and advancing solar technology.

Two Texas Schools included: Texas A&M and University of Texas

The teams selected for the competition will be awarded $100,000 over two years to support the Solar Decathlon's research goal of reducing the cost of solar-powered homes and advancing solar technology.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a U. S. Department of Energy Laboratory, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to accredited colleges, universities, and other post-secondary educational institutions on Oct. 6, 2005.

A Green Dream in Texas

From the New York TImes
January 18, 2006
Op-Ed Columnist

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Richardson, Tex.

..."Texas Instruments, which is building a "green" chip factory here in Richardson, near Dallas. T.I. is keeping 1,000 high-tech jobs in Texas by building its newest facility - to make wafers used in semiconductors - in a cost-saving, hyper-efficient green manner. "

"Green building is not necessarily about producing your own power with windmills and solar panels. It's about addressing the consumption side with really creative design and engineering to eliminate waste and reduce energy usage - it's the next industrial revolution," said Paul Westbrook, who oversees sustainable design for T.I. and helped turn T.I. leaders on to green building by taking them to his solar-powered home. "Green building added some cost, but over all we built a green building for 30 percent less per square foot than our previous conventional facility." This is expected to cut utility costs by 20 percent and water usage by 35 percent.....

So hats off to the leaders of T.I. Thanks to their vision, Dallas - not China - has the newest T.I. wafer plant, a new investment in education and a great example of how a green factory can be efficient and profitable and can create good American jobs in the 21st century.

Energy guzzling is for defeatists. Real Americans - and real Texans - build green"

Library of Congress: Thomas

Good tool to research bills to be passed and how they may affect you. Pretty straightforward and easy to use.
"Library of Congress: Thomas"

Green Furniture

Even Furniture can be designed with "green-age" in mind.
+ 1st image: solar decathalon 2005, madrid university.
+ 2nd image: A&W design group from china
(click on picture to link to respective websites)

FREE BOOK on GREEN BUILDING

Engineering A Sustainable World
Design Process and Engineering Innovations for the Center for Health and Healing at Oregon Health & Science University, River Campus
by Interface Engineering, Inc.

Busting a key economic myth, a leading Portland building engineering firm has published an illustrated guide to achieving a top-rated green building on a conventional budget. Interface Engineering Inc.'s 48-page book "Engineering a Sustainable World" shares the principles and secrets behind its engineering of the "Center for Health and Healing" at the new River Campus of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). The book is available at no charge from THIS LINK.
Follow it to the bottom of the page and click on the BOOK REQUEST LINK

Houston EVENTS

+ Last chance to see:
White Webb: Eminent Domain +
10 November – 11 December 2005 @ the rice gallery
Excerpt from brochure:
In man’s desire to study nature, there often seems to be a need to
bring it indoors and own it. Materialism has always been a factor in
art and nature. By creating prints of the world’s specimens, early
artists made nature understandable for some and controllable for
others. The wealthy patrons who commissioned this art had cabinets
of curiosities filled with natural objects – objects they owned. Our
installation begs the question – between man and nature, who truly
has eminent domain?

Gallery Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 11 - 5
Thursday 11 - 7
Sunday 12 - 5
Closed Mondays and university holidays.
+++ U R B A N G R E E N +++
P R E S E N T S
The 2005 Winter Cocktail Soiree
Thursday, December 8, 2005, from 7 to 9pm


The Jones Reflection Pool in Hermann Park
Featuring music by the Gospel Melody Makers

UH Mock Up Progress

November 2005


Mock ups are thriving ...Monarchs arrived...we'll see what winter brings.




+ see a section of the mockup here.
+ view more pics of plants and mock up here

Fanny Mae offers energy efficient Mortgages

Increase Borrowers' Buying Power
Energy Efficient
The Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) option is offered through the Housing and Environment Initiative, which promotes the design, construction, and purchase of more energy- and resource-efficient homes or the retrofit of existing homes to be more efficient.
+Lender Benefits
Serve more borrowers
Combine with most Fannie Mae products (1-unit, owner-occupied)
Energy improvements can be financed
+Consumer Benefits
Energy savings can increase borrowers' qualifying ratios
For purchase or refinance
Up to 100% LTV
Energy efficiency may help the borrower achieve lower monthly operating expenses
EEM Highlights
• Recognize energy savings as qualifying income
• Allows energy improvements to be financed
• Increase home-buying power
• Lower energy costs and household expenses
• Serve more borrowers — all incomes eligible
• Flexible and affordable finance options
• Increase home value
• Help improve air quality and create a more comfortable living environment
To see the EEM at a glance sheet click here

For more information about Fannie Mae’s Energy Efficient Mortgage visit the Housing and Environment Initiative page on www.efanniemae.com

Greenroof for doggy

This “green” doghouse features a vegetated roof, a photovoltaic solar panel,daylighting, and recycledbuilding materials, and fetched $525 during the “Animal House 2005,” fundraiser.
This pooch palace, a.k.a the “Dog Box” by its creators at Frank Harmon Architect, Raleigh, demonstrates that the principles of green, or sustainable, architecture can be applied to any built structure—even if the inhabitant is of the four-footed variety.
Read more here>