Healing or Stealing?

Just came across this recently: Paul Hawken's commencement address to University of Portland's 2009 graduates. Sure it's a tad off topic, but it's inspirational and far reaching.

As a builder/developer, there's a market reality out there, and there's constant pressure (called market forces) to revert to the mean, and do exactly what everyone else is doing, which results in more of the same old energy wasting homes being built. Hey, if it's behind the walls and under the slab no one will ever see it, so why work any harder to make it airtight, why insulate better than code, why strive to build something more than the market is currently demanding? And then your competition who builds code minimum Legal Boxes claims to be "leading the industry in sustainable building," because they used a can of low VOC paint and bamboo flooring. But I digress.

Paul Hawken captures the essence of why we have to do what we have to do:

Healing or Stealing?

The unforgettable Commencement Address 2009.

By Paul Hawken

When I was invited to give this speech, I was asked if I could give a simple short talk that was “direct, naked, taut, honest, passionate, lean, shivering, startling, and graceful.” No pressure there.

Let’s begin with the startling part. Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation... but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement. Basically, civilization needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.

This planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don’t poison the water, soil, or air, don’t let the earth get overcrowded, and don’t touch the thermostat have been broken. Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food—but all that is changing....

read the rest

http://www.up.edu/commencement/default.aspx?cid=9456

City Council approves Backyard Cottages

The city approves Backyard Cottages citywide: (I'll build you one if you want!)

SEATTLE – The Council today adopted legislation to allow the construction of backyard cottages on eligible lots in single-family zones throughout the city. Backyard cottages also referred to as “detached accessory dwelling units,” have been permitted in Southeast Seattle since 2006, and approximately 20 have been constructed since that time.

“This is a smart and modest step to create affordable housing options, help someone pay their mortgage, get older on their property, or to make a room for a son or daughter moving back home," said Councilmember Sally J. Clark.

After more than a year’s work involving public testimony, surveys, meetings in the community, briefings, and tours, the Council voted to carry over the development standards from Southeast Seattle to the rest of the city. Backyard cottages will be limited to 800 square feet, including garage and storage space. The legislation also prohibits the construction of backyard cottages on lots less than 4,000 square feet or located in a Shoreline District.

The property owner must live in either the principle structure or the backyard cottage for at least six months out of the year. Other requirements include a side yard setback of at least five feet and limiting the total lot coverage of the principle residence, backyard cottage and any other accessory structures to 35 percent.

The legislation also states that if a homeowner currently has an attached unit, such as a basement or attic apartment, those homes would not be eligible to build a backyard cottage.

Amendments to the legislation include reducing the maximum permitted height to 22 feet unless the lot is at least 50 feet wide or served by a rear alley. It also eliminates the earlier proposed cap of 50 on the amount of cottage permits allowed per year.

“We learned a lot looking at the cottages in Southeast and the older ones in the North neighborhoods,” Clark said. “This will be a tool that gives people a new housing option while preserving single-family density and building rules.”

The full bill with amendments, C.B. 116528 is available on line from the City Clerk website.

Alley House sold

The Alley house is sold. The buyers are already enjoying the efficient heating and thermal comfort provided by the radiant heated floors...

Washington State energy bill takes effect this week

This spring, governor Gregoire signed into law a bill that sets an energy policy framework for non-residential buildings in this state through 2031 (SB5854). One of the first provisions is to require utilities to support benchmarking of building performance by mandating that they provide data to building owners in a format usable by federal EPA benchmark programs such as Portfolio Manager. Utilities must comply by Jan 1, 2010.

Other measures incrementally take effect, including requiring building owners & sellers to provide benchmarked energy use data to prospective buyers & tenants. This may become more of a factor in property values, and therefore drive owners to consider energy upgrades.

The bill includes provisions to develop methods to benchmark and rate residential structures as well, but this has been stongly opposed by industry groups such as the National Association of Realtors.

Oh, did I mention that washington state energy codes are also tightening up? A 30% increase in performance will go into effect in 2009/2010. This is good news for climate change, the economy, contractors, designers, building owners, and tenants. The bill went into effect this week.

Carpets can harbor toxicants and other gross stuff

I was reminded about carpets while hosting an open house today in Seattle at a LEED Platinum home that not coincidently has no carpets (you get LEED points for reducing or eliminating carpets, as they decrease Indoor Air Quality). Someone who came by today was quite pleased about the lack of carpet in the house, as he grew up in Mexico where carpet is uncommon.

In my experience most people indicate a preference for having carpets for keeping their toes warm in the bedroom and many like it in the living room as well. It does have acoustical benefits too, reducing footfall noise to those one floor below. And yes, it is soft. But before you tell me how much you love to let your kids play on carpet because it's so soft and safe for them, allow me to toss out a few carpet facts for you to chew on. *a note on warm toe carpet syndrome - if your house was well insulated and/or had radiant floors, you wouldn't miss carpet.

Builders use carpet because it's cheap. Starting at around one dollar a square foot, it's very hard to resist installing, especially toward the end of the project when cash gets tight. Compare to tile at $10 a SF, hardwoods about the same, linoleum somwhere around $5, it's hard to beat. Plus imagine the dificulty (and expense) of installing stair nose for every stair, versus just rolling out the carpet and tacking it down. Nice and cheap, cheap and easy, in and out in one day, and it's foot traffic ready that same day.

There is one fact about carpet that the industry might wish you didn't know, and it kind of sums up whats wrong with it in one quick tidbit: Carpet weighs twice as much when being removed from your house as it did the day it was installed. That should conjur up some pretty good images.

Everything you and your guests ever tracked in your home remains in the carpet, and can embed itself permanently deep in those lush fibers to the backing and in the pad too. Well, it's just dust, no biggie. Did you ever wonder what dust actually is though? I recently attended a lecture by toxicologist Steven Gilbert, and what I learned is that dust contains:

�� Lead

�� Cadmium

�� Gypsum

�� Fiberglas

�� Carpet fibers

�� Soot

�� Dust mite feces

�� Mold spores

�� Rug dyes

�� Flame retardants

�� Tire fragments

�� Dander

�� Charred wood

�� Insect hair

�� Paint spheres

�� Pollen

�� Paper fragments

�� Pesticides

�� Fly ash

�� Etc.

By the time I got to dust mite feces, that was more than enough. You can vacuum most of that detritus out, if you're willing to vacuum for anywhere from 6 to 40 minutes per square meter.

You would be able to reduce the lead by 80%, fine dust by 90% and dust mites by 90% as well according to research. Anyway, has the point about the carpet link to dust to toxicants been made? Just in case not, here is an additional thought: Carpet backing is chlorinated, carpet and carpet padding contains formaldehyde, PBDEs and other VOCs. Just remember - twice as heavy on the way out as on the way in.

It sure is soft though.

How do you know it's Green?

Looking for a new home? Want it to be a Green home? How do you know it’s Green? What does Green mean anyway? Almost every house on the market says it’s green now.

It’s true, a Green home can be better: it may be cheaper to operate, have fresher air & fewer toxins, more durable construction, and tread lightly on the environment – or not. But it’s not that easy to know when comparing one home to another. A slick sales and marketing program may talk the talk and then mention how “the builder saved some money by not getting it certified, so they passed the savings on to you.” This may be a red flag, as you can almost be certain they passed the savings on to themselves by taking shortcuts during design and construction as well.

How would you ever know? Here are some questions you should ask if seeking a green home:

1) Is it certified Green? Energy Star Home (not just an appliance, but the whole house), LEED Certified, Built Green, HERS rating, 2030 Challenge Compliant, Living Building? And at what level of certification? A HERS rating of 100 is a code home, barely legal, where a rating of 50 means twice as efficient. LEED Platinum is better than LEED Gold & Silver, and so on.

2) Third Party Verification? – are the marketing claims verified by someone besides the builder and their sales team? Built Green 3-star rating is not verified, where 4-star and 5-star are measured and verified by independent inspectors (all LEED certifications are 3^rd party verified).

3) What is the energy performance of this home? Get the number, it can be calculated or measured. If it wasn’t calculated precisely, you can bet it’s no better than any other place. Having radiant heat does not make a home green. Numbers that might help here are: Blower Door test result, HERS rating, EUI (Energy Use Intensity), recent utility bills if occupied, etc.

4) Is there any Urea Formaldehyde in the construction materials? Cabinets, baseboards, casing and other construction materials often contain toxins that have ill health effects. Just like with food products, if you can’t pronounce it – u-re-a for-mal-de-hyde - don’t stew yourself in it!

5) What is the U-Factor of the windows? The number equates to heat loss, less is better. Code is .4, energy star is .35, .10 is very efficient, but too expensive for most. U .30 or .28 is just a bit more expensive than code but way more efficient.

6) What is the R-Value of the wall, ceiling and floor insulation? “R” stands for Heat Resistance, more is better. Code is somewhere around 21 for walls, go for more, like 30 or 40, insulation is cheap, energy is expensive.

If you got this far with the seller or sales agent you are probably on the right track, unless you got a blank stare. If you think Green means something more than just Bamboo floors, you’ll have to educate yourself about construction a little bit and ask questions. Do you know what a U-Factor is? R-value? FSC certified wood? Stick-built vs. panelized, SIPs and ICFs? Post-consumer content, salvage, waste? Pick the things that matter the most to you, and define Green on your own terms: rainforest preservation, salmon habitat, climate change, erosion, healthy indoor air, or anything that’s personally important.

Alley House now selling in Seattle

The Alley House is listed for sale as of July 16th 2009. It is a single family 3 bed 2.5 bath LEED Platinum rated green & modern home located in the Madison Valley neighborhood of Seattle.

Some of the features:

· 50% Energy savings vs. other new homes

· Sleek & Modern custom design

· Radiant in-floor heat, 5 controllable zones

· Large Green Roof

· Bamboo courtyard

· Rainscreen siding system

· Solar Hot Water & Solar PV pre-wire

· Drainwater Heat Recovery

· SIP construction & ICFs

MLS Listing