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Anatomy of a Brownstone: Going Green

Anatomy of a Brownstone: Going Green published on 1 Comment on Anatomy of a Brownstone: Going Green

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We attended City Tech’s Anatomy of a Brownstone, Part VI this past Saturday. It was a 4 hour lecture chock full of information which is going to sustain us with posts for the entire week.

There were booths set up outside of the lecture hall with samples of green building material such as flooring and denim insulation. Here, people could speak to the day’s presenters and ask specific questions about materials and programs.

Barbara Barran of Classic Rug did not speak, but she was on hand to answer questions about her custom rugs that are made of biodegradable and sustainable fibers, such as hemp, nettle, banana, wool, linen, and silk. They can provide one-of-a-kind area rugs and wall-to-wall carpeting. Classic Rug received an award from Domino Magazine, which listed them as one of the top 125 eco-friendly companies in the USA.

The lecture was organized by Debra Salomon of 408 Design Group.

The program included:

Murray Levi and Ellen Honigstock of The US Green Building Council

Sarah Beatty of Green Depot

Rolf Grimsted and Emily Fisher of R&E Brooklyn

Jennifer Napoli and Gerrard Owens of A&K Tile

Pietro Calabretta of All Renovation NY

Mark Wyman of Assoc. for Energy Affordability

Judy Torres of Keyspan Energy

Over the week, we’ll be posting full information on each speaker and their various companies and projects, presenting it in the order above which was order it was presented at the lecture.

Anatomy of a Brownstone:Green Building Council

Anatomy of a Brownstone:Green Building Council published on 1 Comment on Anatomy of a Brownstone:Green Building Council

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Murray Levi, AIA, was the first presenter on Saturday. Murray, the Vice President and General Manager of LiRo Architect is also the education chair for The United States Green Building Council of NYC. He spoke about the LEED rating system and ways to track your energy consumption and keep your home green.

Ellen Honigstock, Architect PC, represented the USGBC alongside Murray. Ellen is a LEED for Homes advocate. She spoke of Regreen, a program developed by USGBC and The American Society of Interior Designers. She also presented us with very informative handouts, which can be downloaded as PDF files on her blog.

Murray and Ellen mentioned the importance of indoor air quality and touched upon sick building syndrome. They recommended the book “How To Grow Fresh Air” and stressed the importance of growing native plants indoors to support clean air.

Also recommended was the book “400 Uses for Vinegar” as cleaning with toxic chemicals was unpopular with them.

Eco Bath

Eco Bath published on 3 Comments on Eco Bath

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Upstate House has an article from designer Kaja Gam on a green bathroom renovation. The materials used, such as bamboo flooring, bamboo plywood trim, Kirei board paneling (made with sorghum), and “burl wood” panels made from wheat chaff were all sustainable. It looks great and the fixtures are more water efficient than the ones that were discarded.

But Kaja brings up a good point… something I was thinking about as I read the article. It’s a shame the old fixtures had to end up in the landfill. It’s always best to reuse anything you can, but what if you have an faux marble sink and an olive green toilet? Sure, you can donate them, but whom do you think is going to want them?

Enviromode recycles old porcelain fixtures, but they’re in Texas. I couldn’t find anywhere local that recycles toilets. Anyone have ideas? I kind of like this one.

Illy Push Button House Coming Soon!

Illy Push Button House Coming Soon! published on 2 Comments on Illy Push Button House Coming Soon!

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Correction: The Push Button House was originally supposed to be open as of today. It will not be installed until Saturday now. I just corrected the information below, but call before you go, because it may not be open to the public by Saturday. I hope nobody ran over there this morning!

Just a reminder that the Illy Push Button House will be on display for the holidays starting Saturday. The recycled shipping container, originally unveiled at the 52nd Venice Biennale in June 2007 was designed by architect/artist Adam Kalkin.

The Push Button House transforms from a container into a five-room home with a kitchen, dining room, bedroom, living room and library. It will act as a cafe while in NYC. Visitors can enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee or take the opportunity to donate to Illy’s annual charity to benefit Ethiopian schools.

I’m going to try to get down there to for a more in depth post, but I just wanted to remind folks for the big first day!

Press Release

2nd Floor of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.
December 1 through December 29, 2007
Hours: Monday-Friday from 10am-9pm, Saturday & Sunday from 11am-7pm.

Brooklyn Farm Table: Salvaging History

Brooklyn Farm Table: Salvaging History published on 2 Comments on Brooklyn Farm Table: Salvaging History

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Ralph Gorham has been crafting tables in Red Hook, Brooklyn for years. The one time general contractor started out using common and exotic woods, but soon became aware of all the beautiful antique wood that was being discarded during demolition of old buildings in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

The reclaimed wood is mainly from the beams of these old buildings. Species range from Douglas Fir to Long Leaf Heart Pine. Since salvage and sustainable building have become more popular, the beams are harder to come by. Once the wood is acquired, there is much preparation before building the tables. All nails (as many as oh, maybe…500!), bolts and lead paint must be removed before remilling. The boards are then aligned to make symmetrical patterns of the wood’s knots and grain.

A basic farm table, finished in tung oil, starts at $400 per linear foot, which translates to a few thousand for a table. Each peice is a one of a kind heirloom that weighs 300-400 pounds. There are a number of tables in stock. Custom tables, counter tops or cabinets can be ordered. Everything is 100% recycled. Even the scraps get used for smaller projects.

Brooklyn Farm Table

Hudson Valley Materials Exchange Needs Your Help

Hudson Valley Materials Exchange Needs Your Help published on

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Hudson Valley Materials Exchange, a not for profit environmental organization, is being evicted. The building surplus and craft supplies warehouse located at Stewart Airport is getting the boot due to airport expansion. Although personally, I’m happy to travel a traffic free 10 minute drive from Beacon to Jet Blue when I visit my folks in Florida, I hate to see them being displaced. They are a great asset to homeowners and artisans in the area.

The Exchange will be closed for the winter and they’re currently looking for volunteers to help with everything from sorting and packing to renovations to getting the word out (hey, I just did that while sitting on my ass!). You can also dig into your pockets and make a donation. They’ve set up PayPal so you can donate online.

We hope to see them back in action soon!

Related article

Sustainable Hudson Valley

Sustainable Hudson Valley published on

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Sustainable Hudson Valley promotes “an economic strategy that is based on environmental and community revitalization as industries in their own right, and as conditions for healthy development.” They provide tours, workshops and community based learning circles as well as encouraging local marketing, import replacement and cluster development.

The SHV Green Pages is an excellent resource for sustainable living in the Hudson Valley. This site is set up as a wiki where you can share information on everything from appliances to education. Very handy!

World’s Most Energy Efficient Fridge

World’s Most Energy Efficient Fridge published on

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Sunfrost claims to manufacture the world’s most energy efficient refrigerator. I’m not disputing that. I’m just not going to be the one to do the research to prove it. Whether or not they are the MOST energy efficient, it’s clear that this is a green product. Sun Frost refrigerators can be used with solar, hydro or wind power. All models are available in 12 or 24 volt DC, or 110 or 220 volt AC.

They are not inexpensive and on top of the price, there’s the shipping from California. But they are nice looking. Customers can choose handcrafted finishes ranging from wood to laminate to stainless.

Check out some of the other cool products on their site such as the energy efficient shower and the sleep genie.

Corrugated Cardboard Wall Covering

Corrugated Cardboard Wall Covering published on 1 Comment on Corrugated Cardboard Wall Covering

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Via CribCandy, via Craftster

Jonathan Fong has some amazing designs on his site, but what I like most of all is that many of them are DIY projects. He offers step by step instructions for some of his creations.

This corrugated cardboard wall covering seems pretty easy to do. Jonathan’s is not recycled, but how much cooler (and more time consuming) would it be if you used recycled cardboard? It would give it a whole new look because no two pieces would match. It might look terrible…but it would be recycled! Try it….lemme know how that goes.

How To

Cork Flooring

Cork Flooring published on 9 Comments on Cork Flooring

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I haven’t explored cork flooring yet because it reminds me too much of the 70’s. I still have nightmares about cork walls (my friend did his entire room in brown cork) and cork wedge heels. Hold on…I just had another memory! Does anyone remember Azuma on W. 8th Street? They had lots of cork.

Maybe here’s where I need to say “Cork has come a long way.” Actually, it was around long before the 70’s. It’s a sustainable, resilient material now being used in homes of people with taste (unlike the 70’s when nobody had taste).

Pros

  • Cork is from the bark of the tree. If harvested correctly, the tree is unharmed and the bark will regenerate.
  • Easy DIY. Cork often comes in 12″ squares for easy installation.
  • Absorbs sound.
  • Thermal insulation.
  • Comfy in bare feet.
  • It comes in colors! Not just brown.

Cons

  • Don’t expect it to last longer than 10 years.
  • It scratches.
  • Tends to yellow and fade in the sun.
  • It does need to be sealed.

Green Living
Cork Floor
Duro Design

Anatomy Of A Brownstone: Green Restoration

Anatomy Of A Brownstone: Green Restoration published on

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Saturday, Dec 1, 2007, 1 to 5 p.m.
Anatomy of a Brownstone Part 6: Going Green
Greening your House and Living Sustainably
Seminar on Green Restoration and Renovation
City Tech
300 Jay Street, Downtown Brooklyn.

Admission: $35 per person
Register in advance by calling 718.552.1170.

Interactive lectures with architects, contractors, designers, green building firms and the folks from Keyspan, Con Ed and Energy Star.

CEU Credits for Real Estate and New Jersey State Home Inspectors may be available for this course.

For more information, contact Debra Salomon at dsalomon@citytech.cuny.edu.

Dirt Floors: Green, Cheap and DIY

Dirt Floors: Green, Cheap and DIY published on 2 Comments on Dirt Floors: Green, Cheap and DIY

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I read about this in The NY Times way before I had a blog and it was one of those things that stayed with me.

I’ve never seen an earthen floor in person (or have I?), but it looks alot like stained concrete from the pictures. It’s beautiful and it’s totally green. Materials can cost as little as $1 per square foot, plus it can be done DIY!

So, what are the drawback? Because you know it sounds too good to be true.

Well, patience, for one. It takes weeks to properly dry before you can seal it with linseed oil and beeswax.

It doesn’t work well in kitchens and baths, where there is water around. Unfortunately, these are the rooms where it would look best.

It dents easily. But then again, that can add to the character, which some say, looks like old leather after awhile.

On the plus side, the most practical benefit of earthen floors is thermal. When the floor receives direct sunlight it can act as a passive solar device, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night.

Landerland: DIY
Eco Action
I Love Cob via Materialicious

Casa Invisible

Casa Invisible published on

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Discovered this cool house on Treehugger. It’s a 4000 square foot house in Nimes, France which, in time, will become invisible.

“Spidernethewood” is wrapped in mesh so that trees will eventually grow around it, making it one with the surrounding environment. It will take about 5 years to grow into the architect’s vision.

New Territories
Plataforma

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market published on 8 Comments on Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market

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After reporting on the upcoming Brooklyn Flea Market, I couldn’t believe how many people said to me “Oh, 26th Street is gone? I didn’t know that.” Well, here’s the deal…

The 26th Street parking lot which was home to the Annex Flea Market no longer exists. They paved paradise and put up a luxury condo. There is still a smaller market on 25th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Around the corner from that remains the Antiques Garage, located at 112 W 25th Street. Open weekends.

The original Annex of 26th Street has moved to Hell’s Kitchen. Located on 39th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, it’s open Saturdays and Sundays.

Kapeesh?

Zen & Art of Dumpster Diving

Zen & Art of Dumpster Diving published on 3 Comments on Zen & Art of Dumpster Diving

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I caught this on Dot Earth via Treehugger.

A Zen Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor, Michigan goes dumpster diving to raise money for their temple. They polish up the items, whether it be clothing or furnishings and sell it at their annual yard sale.

From this article, I found the Environmental Report which lead me to the Wiki How Tips on Dumpster Diving.

A few cardinal rules:

* Do not leave a mess!

* Know the law. Sometimes trash is considered private property and homeowners or businesses can call the cops.

* Be careful. There could be broken glass and other sharp objects. And rats.

* Wear the right cloths. Bring a car. Clean all items thoroughly.

* Late night and early mornings are best.

I’ve found doors, coffee tables, a newell post and paintings in the trash. My favorite find was the highly detailed Victorian toilet someone threw out in Park Slope. I nearly caused an accident stopping for that one!

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