September 10th, 2010•
In The News•
The changing of the leaves heralds more than just fall in southern Ontario – trade show season kicks off in full force with two heavyweights: IIDEX/The Green Building Festival and Construct Canada.
IIDEX and The Green Building Festival – connecting the Interior Design Show and The Green Building Festival, this event always showcases new products and some very interesting design competitions. It features a range of professional seminars that are current and thought-provoking. Based on its image and design focus, I’ll need to get a bit more dressed up as it lime-lights some pretty posh attendees – sadly no jeans and work boots here.
Construct Canada – 3 shows in 1, with an emphasis on durable products and leading-edge technologies for all aspects of construction. The continuing education selection is second to none here and it’s a great venue for connecting with the most current information surrounding the sustainability movement and green building in general. It’s the must-attend event every year and this one can be experienced in boots and jeans (albeit clean ones).
OIDB won’t be exhibiting at either show but the team will be in attendance, soaking up plenty of new stuff and reconnecting with colleagues. Hope to see you there.
July 19th, 2010•
Green Buildings•
There are many reasons for us to change the paradigm regarding how we live. Carbon footprint is the incumbent, quick to evoke a response from most people nowadays, but should it really be our primary focal point or just the tip of the proverbial iceberg?
We’ve recently heard the science behind the Global Warming pundits (challenged last year) has been vindicated by a landslide of evidence corroborating the climate change theory (see www.skepticalscience.com). Our reliance on fossil fuels and the large percentage of fuel used to power, heat and cool our homes and businesses largely impacts our per capita Carbon Footprint.
This isn’t the only area the built environment impacts:
Landfill Waste
A large percentage of construction and demolition waste (including lumber) ends up in landfills each year (in some areas greater than 40% of all waste is from the built environment). This is detrimental in many ways since a large percentage of this waste can actually be reused or recycled on either construction sites (reclaimed lumber, etc.) or by manufacturers in producing new materials (drywall, concrete, etc). Read some landfill and construction waste statistics and their impact regionally.
Water Use
The fact that we are running out of fresh water in North America (and globally) is shocking to many. Our thoughts go to developing countries when we hear ‘water crisis’ but we are not as well off as one might think. Fresh water supply on our planet makes up roughly 2½% of total water supply. That means in many areas a great deal of energy and technology must be applied to create fresh water (reverse osmosis, etc.) and a miniscule portion of this is applied toward potable uses. Residentially, we use most of this supply to bathe, flush toilets, wash clothes and water our lawns. Read the Water Use Statistics on the American Water Association website.
Some Sobering Statistics
The built environment made up:
39% of US Carbon Emissions in 2005 (Source: Energy Information Administration).
40% of Primary Energy Use
70% of Electricity Use
17% of Freshwater Use
Read this PDF for more information.
I’m a realist in looking at this data and the immense footprint our homes and businesses have relating to the items above. Will we wake up and implement the needed changes or are our heads so firmly stuck in the sand that we will remain oblivious to the realities at hand?
I truly hope that we are the solution and have reached the point of a paradigm shift towards environmental sustainability. It will need to happen sooner than later and it definitely should start at home. See the ‘Four Years. Go.‘ website for some compelling reasons why making positive changes are critical and what you can do to start the ball rolling.
July 5th, 2010•
Green Buildings•
A home is much more than the sum of its materials and a building site, although some architects say “you cannot build a good house on a bad site”, I believe that we should take this further than just a connection with site. A truly great home must also connect with its local culture and community.
How does a home, a physical object, connect with something as ethereal as culture? What possible values are associated with this deeper connection? How do we achieve this?
Firstly, a home’s design and use of materials may be true to local traditional/vernacular architecture. This is low hanging fruit in every sense because most of our communities are rooted in some history, even in relatively young North America. Buildings connect us to our regional heritage be it farming, industry or something in-between. Materials used may be indigenous to that area and include locally harvested wood, clay brick or even fieldstone. A contemporary design, linked with the right materials and connecting with vernacular architecture can fit very well indeed, as shown in these examples from Stedman Blower Architects.
Social values/culture are somewhat more difficult to link to an architectural form. Yet this is seen in many communities that are connected through a common need or cultural heritage. I’m fortunate enough to spend a good deal of time in The Bahamas and have seen first-hand how social and cultural connections form a major part of life there. Small settlements are diverse in nature and many do not have specialized facilities regarding eldercare and care for the young and displaced. Residents will open their doors to the greater community and share resources and shelter, regardless of socio-economic status. Another example is a communal gathering place to celebrate collectively. These building structures may take the form transient shacks or tents and offer limited protection, yet serve as a place of congregation for the community to celebrate the simpler things in life. Check out one of these events on the Island of Eleuthera, central Bahamas.
The resurgence of the front porch concept is a local form that connects us with our neighbors and beyond. Our current design trend has seen us become isolated and at arms length, living in homes that have insulated us from the outside world in order to protect and sanctify. I think The Bahamians have it the right way around and we are just starting to get that here (again) in North America, rediscovering a concept that has somehow gotten lost in our apex-consumer society, valuing size and quantity over community and quality.
Yes the site is important but let’s not stop there, rather strive to connect with the cultural significance of that site and the larger community it is a part of. Tapping this potential affords us a connection with the past, while still having both feet planted firmly in the present – truly the best of both worlds and the proper starting point for a sustainable home and lifestyle.