Michaelangelica Posted July 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2007 It looks like an upside-down Apollo spacecraft and serves as a testing ground for ideas dreamed up by the 63-year-old solar architect. The home slowly turns with the sun to charge a billboard-sized solar panel on the roof, and the waterless toilet emits an occasional malodorous whiff. Hanna Lehmann, Disch's wife, says she doesn't mind these features but admits she'd like to have a freezer, except that it would eat up too much electricity for her husband's liking. "I miss my Campari on ice," she said. OMG POLITICIANS WITH VISION!!!Germany as a whole has followed Freiburg's lead in trying to save energy, encouraged by the environmentally friendly Green Party that was in former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's governing coalition. In 2000, Germany decided to phase out nuclear plants by 2020, and it has adopted legislation promoting the development and use of renewable energy sources. Renewables made up more than 5 percent of Germany's total primary energy supply in 2006, according the Environment Ministry. The government's goal is to increase the share of electric power from renewables to 12.5 percent by 2010 and 20 percent by 2020. Wind energy remains the country's leading renewable source of electricity, but solar power use has increased to about 750 megawatts installed in 2006, up from 83 megawatts in 2002, according to the German Solar Industry Association. The solar industry is now becoming a $6 billion a year business that builds more than 50 percent of the world's installed solar panels. About 43,000 people work in the industry, according to the association.Optimum Online - News - AP News - German City Pioneers Use of Solar Energy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted August 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Never wash windows!the best invention everbecause of sticky windows!!!http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/current/audioonly/ssw_20070804.mp3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitack Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 I once heard of a house built in the California desert that used a natural and energy free form of air conditioning. It was quite ingenious the way they did it. Once you get about five feet below ground the temp hits a constant 50ish degrees F (I am in the US, don't know C that well). So what they did was to dig multiple trenches around this house to a dept of ten feet. They had those trenches zig zag while leading back to the house (you will understand why later). From that point they laid corrugated steel pipe in the trenches. At the ends farthest from the house they had the pipes surface above ground, covered the top with a wire mesh and a hood so as rain could not fall in it. They covered over the pipes again and watered as the soil was put back in to help it settle to the same density it was prior to being dug up. The connection of the pipe to the house was at the lowest point in the house (presumably the basement). From there they proceeded to as tightly weather seal the house as possible. The thing was as airtight as they could make it. Then, they installed an attic vent at the absolute top point in the roof. From there is was basic physics. As air in the house heated up it flowed out of the attic vent due to its higher density than the cooler air in the house. As the air flowed out though the pressure difference drew in air from the pipe at the lowest point. That air had been flowing in underground where most of the heat had been lost to the ground and the air flowing in was in the 50-60 degree range. From there it was just a matter of air flowing through the pipes, cooling, becoming dens and flowing through the house due to the lack of pressure because of the air leaving through the attic vent. I thought it was genius and wanted to do it on my own house, but the humid air in Virginia would have created issues with condensation, mold and such. Might not be a bad idea for some Australian homes though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes Benzene Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 Ahhh another one of my obsessions: skyscrapers. (I still want america to have the world's tallest building, but that's for another thread;)) Anyway, I've been reading up on "green" skyscrapers recently, and it seems that there are more an more being built all the time. Here are a couple worth mentioning (for their LEED certification or otherwise). 340 on the park, Chicago, USAHearst Tower, New York City, USACIS, Manchester, EnglandBahrain World Trade Center, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain There are countless others... but those were just some of my favorites. Here's more info about LEED if the wiki link (above) wasn't enough. :D>>>LEED<<< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted November 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 Bahrain World Trade Center, Manama, Kingdom of BahrainYes that is amazing.How green is it I could not access video(I still want america to have the world's tallest building, but that's for another thread)Do all architects suffer from penis envy? Work begins on new 'green' schoolYsgol-y-Graig artist impressionAn artist's impression shows how the new school will lookA ground-breaking ceremony has marked the start of work on Anglesey's first "green" primary school. The new Ysgol-y-Graig on the outskirts of Llangefni will produce its own electricity and sell any extra to the national grid when it opens in 2008. The design includes solar roof tiles, a wind turbine and a natural habitat for plants and insects on the roof. BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | North West Wales | Work begins on new 'green' school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganoderma Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 very cool indeed. one thing i always worry about with green roofs is leaking. i know there is some pretty sophisticated stuff around, but over time i still have many doubts. especially with plants and animals. i mean, they can grow through rock and split it. mushrooms can grow through roads.....how safe is a roof long term? Mercedes...hehe . we may be really polluted over here but we do have the tallest building 8===> even looks like a ______ to boot. i will be doing the stairs this Christmas lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted March 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 More pics hereInhabitat » Amazing Green Roof Art School in Singapore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted March 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2008 I want, no NEED, this one more atA Low Impact Woodland Home ADDED & MAY 2009The council wants to tear this downSign the petetion! freeztar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 I want, no NEED, this onemore atA Low Impact Woodland Home That's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. ;)I agree with you M, I would LOVE to have a house like that. It looks magical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted March 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 freeztarEnvy; the curse of the working class What do you think of this?Bamboo Living Homes - Bamboo HomesThe bamboo could be full of formaldehyde et al? What do you reckon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 I like the other one a lot better, but than one looks pretty cool as well.I like bamboo as a building material. It grows fast, can be cheap/free, and it looks cool too. I hope to someday have some wood flooring made from bamboo. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted April 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Perhaps not especially green but an interesting take on modern domestic home building. On ABC TV this afternoon but a BBC programme.I think people have no idea and need to be told what looks good, smells good or tastes good.Sunday, April 20, 3.05pmChannel:ABC1Duration:45 minutesRating:GAlain de Botton tackles architecture, asking "what makes the perfect home?" In search of modern housing he travels to the Netherlands and Japan.ABC Shop - The Architecture of Happiness Alain De Botton .The Architecture of Happiness. By Alain de Botton (1 May 2006). Buy Now. Bestselling author tackles the interesting questions of: What makes a house ...The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton : Book Review by Web Wombat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted April 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 An interesting segment in the NY Times Green Issue I was interested in the polystyrene soil.I wonder if chunks of charcoal would be nearly as light in weight?I wonder what the 'gel' is?You would think all soil would need to be at least close to the equivalent weight of water?? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20Build-text.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted August 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Anti-smog buildings: Clean air through architectureAnti Smog: An Innovation Centre in Sustainable Development A new type of architecture is gaining in popularity, thanks to visionaries such as architect Vincent Callebaut that blend design and technology to create a new definition for the term “green building”. Callebaut’s latest project uses green technologies and systems that are more than just examples of sustainable design; the structure actually improves the environment just by sitting there. http://www.greengeek.ca/2008/02/04/anti-smog-buildings-clean-air-through-architecture/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted August 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 It startsGreen roofs: Overseas trends and Australian opportunities Public LectureWednesday 27 August 2008 @ 05:15 pm - 06:15 pmRoom MB 11, Main Building, Burnley Campus Sidonie Carpenter is the President of Green Roofs Australia, a not-for-profit membership organisation that promotes green roofs as an effective response to climate change, the urban heat island, and urban water quality issues. She is the recipient of the Pratt Foundation/ISS Institute overseas fellowship, which she used to study green roofs in Europe, North America and Asia. Sidonie is also a landscape architect and designer, and the owner of two successful landscape design companies based in Brisbane. Speaker: Ms Sidonie CarpenterEnquiries:Kylie Cannon+61 3 9250 6803kcannon@ unimelb.edu.auhttp://www.landfood.unimelb.edu.au/info/media/SidoneCarpenterSeminarFlyer.pdfGreen roofs: Overseas trends and Australian opportunities : Events : The University of Melbourne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitack Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 I found this great site that actually gives you free green/efficient home building plans. Yes, full blueprints and all for free. They make their money on referring LEED certified builders and commission on energy efficient stuff you can buy through them. A really cool idea here. Free House Plans and Free Green Home Plans from FreeGreen.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted September 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 I would have resisted growing up if I had had a Tree house like these(Come to think of it I did resist):) 10 Astonishing Treehouses You’d Love to Live In | International Listings Blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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