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Product Reps Manufacturer’s of architectural products have jumped on the band wagon in selling “Green Products” that are GREAT for the environment. They all help to achieve a LEED certified building better than the next guy. I was even told that one type of composite decking was better than a 100% recycled product, because it’s color will last longer and therefore have a long life, even though 50% of the material was from “raw” materials. What about the “raw” material? How much embodied energy does it take to make that “raw” material? He couldn’t answer that one. “Green Washing” is all around us. submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The power of volunteering! submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “To Go Culture"...we are all too busy going somewhere. We are constantly thinking of ourselves somewhere else than where we are right now. Can all the money in the world cure cancer? Can all the money in the world save the planet? Our pursuit should be about happiness and a love for oneself and one’s home. Our planet our home should be the pursuit and put self-indulgence behind us. The reward is solving a problem by design with great pleasure both professionally and personally. submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is hard to think of a time in our history when we, as Americans, have been able to develop and “advance” the quality of our lives without polluting the environment at the same time. It is natural for the core to expand through population and economic growth. This was also tied into the development of the transportation systems in the specific area. Cheap housing spreads outside of a city’s center, but not for the poor! Paris is one city that did not see growth in the suburbs, probably owing to a limited suburban railway system. Suburban sprawl is thought of as an essentially 1900’s phenomena, but it is interesting that the poor live outside of the city limits, opposite to what happen before the City Beautiful Movement. Regardless of the inherent negative implications of the suburb’s during the industrial revolution, pollution from production happened even during the Roman empire. The gas from lead production was released into the air and was deadly. Generally, Suburban development is not a good thing, but the outcome of the pollution from companies polluting without real knowledge of the long term implications and danger is what is really causing us harm and is killing the planet. We can learn ways to deal with using our cars to travel out of these suburbs, by buying hybrids, riding mass transportation, etc. We can save energy in these big mcmansions by upgrading our windows, heating and cooling systems, etc. At the end of the day we are living with way too many superfund sites across America; many of them are in my own home state. The other day I was walking by a stream that leads into the a watershed for one of NJ drinking water supplies and there were several large metal pipes at the bank of the stream. My husband and I tracked them back and emanated from a school’s parking lot. There was no separator on the system, just a few old metal pipes carrying the water to our potable water. submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Four Tales or Sins of Repeating History:
In writing and studying architectural history as it applies to sustainability one can quickly be exposed to four tales that Professor Pamela H. Simpson writes of in this Spring’s Vernacular Architecture Newsletter, “Windows, Closets, Taxes and Indians: Old House Stories We Have Known and Loved.” Ms. Simpson has been collecting “old house” stories over the years and points out that as humans we regularly repeat things that might not be accurate or correct with respect to that time period or geographic region. Information is transferred with mistakes, as with the telephone game we played as children. Another, for instance is the 1970’s commercial for interior car leather, “the fine Corinthian leather interior of my car is better than vinyl made within in a 500 mile radius.” (talk about a LEED nightmare) Or just start talking about something with numbers and for some reason they keep getting bigger….How big is the bailout bill now? 10 billion, or 10 trillion? “I once caught a fish THIS BIG!” In regards to buildings, windows were eliminated on the north side because the “tall tale” said it was because of additional property taxes that the inhabitants would have to pay. It was really because of thermal mass. Yet, these stories and tales follow us through the years and continue to remain fact until someone says, “wait, what? Why is that?” The article concisely and humorously shows how stories are spread over time. As a corollary, my goal is to help find out ways building were designed to support sustainability and how these tales of architecture can help this process. submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Walkable America A 1996, report from the Federal Transit Administration found that one-third of the American population is “transportation disadvantaged”.(1) According to Transact Organization; three-quarters of people living on welfare live in inner cities or rural areas. 90% of welfare individuals do not have transportation access to jobs. The Federal Transit Administration states that two third of all new jobs are in the suburbs.(2) Investing in a “Walkable America” would be a smart growth idea that could give people access to jobs and enhance basic rights for all people. Investing in sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes that link affordable housing to schools, public parks, jobs, shopping, etc. in rural communities would help people who can’t afford cars to walk safely around their towns and get to a job. It can also allow families to own and maintain only one car. The poorest fifth of American families spend 42% of their income on “the purchase, operation and maintenance of automobiles”.(3) This saving can help families spend money on education, help them own and afford to pay the mortgage on their home. Walking and biking can reduce car travel by 10% to 35%.(4) Creating or enhancing walkable communities can reduce consumers’ transportation costs by allowing them to walk to the train station if there is one or walk to amenities. When a town has a TDM (Transit Demand Management) program, consumers can reduce their transportation cost, increase their personal wealth, make less automobile trips, save on medical expenses, improve air quality and increase physical fitness.(5) Connectivity of sidewalks and available paths for bikes can help bring a community together not only for economic growth, but for social well being. “I number it among my blessings that my father had no car, while most of my friends had, and sometimes took me for a drive. This meant that all these distant objects could be visited just enough to clothe them with memories, and not impossible desires, while yet they remained ordinarily as inaccessible as the Moon. The deadly power of rushing about wherever I pleased had not been given me. I measured distances by the standard of man, man walking on his two feet, not by the standard of the internal combustion engine. I had not been allowed to deflower the very idea of distance; in return I possessed 'infinite riches' in what would have been to a motorist ‘a little room.’ The truest and most horrible claim made for modern transport is that it ‘annihilates space.’ It does. It annihilates one of the most glorious gifts we have been given. It is a vile inflation which lowers the value of distance, so that a modern boy travels a hundred miles with less sense of liberation and pilgrimage and adventure than his grandfather got from traveling ten. Of course, if a man hates space and wants it to be annihilated, that is another matter. Why not creep into his coffin at once? There is little enough space there.” - C.S. Lewis, “Surprised by Joy”
Footnotes 1.The New Transportation Charter - http://www.transact.org/library/factsheets/equity.asp References Housing Incentive Program (HIP) - http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/hip.htm Nonmotorized Transportation Planning - http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm25.htm submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hypocrite Profession" The evolution of technology comes with the potential for less enjoyment of architecture as an art that delights our minds, hearts and souls. Architects’ lack of passion - regardless of advancements in technology - has engendered a “vanilla box” character which has lead us to cookie cutter architecture. We need to design “purposeful” buildings that are sustainable and beautiful at the same time. Truly, sustainability encompasses all of these principles and I do think we can get there because of the advancements in software and because of the opportunities presented by the current economic state. It is important that our buildings should not be energy pigs that are not socially responsible when it comes to saving energy. [J. Lstriburek, “Why Green Can Be Wash”] submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Building Information Modeling submitted by suzanne sowinski --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In light of the recovery money, stimulus packages, bail outs (whatever you want to call it) the main goal seems to be that the American people want to see jobs created. Jobs that provide meaningful employment or perhaps at this stage of the game employment in general. Today on C-Span a woman was suggesting that creating jobs in the construction industry will not be an effective way to create jobs. I think her assumptions are incorrect; jobs in the construction industry which can builds schools, public transportation, hospitals, parks and housing provides many jobs not only to the design professionals, but product suppliers, manufactory plants, contractors and all other support firms and companies. More jobs are continued to be created after a building is renovated or built. Buildings must be maintained, cleaned, and staffed by people of all walks of life and with all types of abilities and skills. When the public finally understands what an architect specifically can do maybe congress will realize how it can help the economy and start funneling money into construction. Infrastructure in the country is in great need of repair which is under great risk danger from floods, hurricanes, etc. Some people believe this is caused by global warming and while some argue that will still don’t have enough weather history to make that point. None the less, at the end of the day buildings are the root of our problem and at the same time buildings are the solution to our problems. Give the money to the banking industry and make them accountable to load the money for capital projects and infrastructure that can truly add to the meaning of sustainability. submitted by suzanne sowinski
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