artefacts
One of my favorite hidden gems is the Artefact Design + Salvage shop and showroom at the Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma. It is filled with a rich assortment of earthy and visual delights. Created predominantly by reclaimed and locally found materials, the furniture and object designs are simultaneously industrial as well as warm and [...]
smart fire
I love fire. I hate to admit it, but I do. When Kevin and I were designing and building our house, it was the one decision we really struggled with. While we knew that having a wood-burning fire place was not good for the environment by emitting ashes, soot and carbon toxins, we didn’t want [...]
green materials + systems
With all projects we work on, we use sustainable principles when designing, including:
thoughtful design (designing to use less)
material efficiency (materials that are renewable and recyclable)
energy conservation (with the goal of achieving net-zero)
water efficiency (reducing water consumption and recycling water for irrigation)
healthy spaces (materials that are low and no-VOCs and incorporating air filtration systems).
systems built (utilizing [...]
more eco-beauty at twitter
Today there was new space added to the Twitter HQ, doubling their size. Designed by the lovely and talented Sara Morishige Williams (@sara), the newest spaces are consistent with the philosophy of the existing offices that opened last November (which we wrote about). Sara (and Twitter) wanted to create a healthy environment, so she chose [...]
modest materiality
This recently completed residential care building for The New Camaldoli Hermitage (the coolest monks I have ever met) in Big Sur is a great example of the use of modest eco-materials used in elegant ways. The monks of The New Camalodoli Hermitage have made a life commitment to stay at the monastery and their cells [...]
cradle to cradle institute launch today
Architect William McDonough and chemist Dr. Michael Braungart made a huge splash on the green scene in 2002 with their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things and have since created an entire movement. Their Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) framework is a paradigm shift to eliminate waste through innovative design. [...]
composting as sculpture
Many times people think that they would like to compost, but that it becomes an eyesore in their landscape. That does not need to be the case. Composting is a design opportunity. That is why I love this composting shed by Groves-Raines Architects in Edinburgh. They used steel rebar (typically used in concrete [...]
zem’s ecofabulous home
Last week I had the great pleasure to have lunch with friend and eco-fashionista Zem Joaquin at her Bay Area home. Zem not only runs ecofabulous but she is also a board member of Global Green, Healthy Child Healthy World and Teens Turning Green,is actively involved with William McDonough’s Cradle to Cradle, a writer and [...]
Smart Home – Recycled Beauty
One of the eco-principles we use when designing homes is using eco-materials – materials that are renewable or recyclable. A good example of this is to use glass tiles made of recycled glass. One of my favorite examples of beautiful recycled tile is Maienza-Wilson’s gorgeous house in Montecito (image above and below by Jim Bartsch, [...]
Is white the new green?
When I think of the word Igloo, the Inuit name for shelter, freezing cold locales are the first thing to pop into my mind. Even colder than my native Iowa, and that is pretty darn cold. Perhaps the first form of completely sustainable building, Igloos are typically made of snow blocks formed into a dome [...]
green it yourself: cork mud mat
Cork can do a lot more than just keep wine safely in its bottle. In fact, there is an unbelievable number of creative and practical uses for this great, eco-friendly material. This is one of our favorite: a mud room mat. Besides being a rapidly renewable resource, cork is super durable and water resistant, so [...]
Better Fire
I love fire. I hate to admit it, but I do. When Kevin and I were designing and building our house, it was the one decision we really struggled with. While we knew that having a wood-burning fire place was not good for the environment by emitting ashes, soot and carbon toxins, we didn’t want [...]
Design For Zero Waste
Many times we focus on designing systems, dimensions and methods of construction to reduce waste. We also spend time choosing materials with recycled content.
But what would our designs look like if we focused on designing for zero waste?
Matt Gagnon’s “Paper Tables” are one solution. These tables, which are made of recycled paper with oil finish, [...]
youtube shows us how to live green
In anticipation of Earth Day on April 22, YouTube has teamed up with Sun Chips to launch an entire channel devoted to all things green. The new Live Green YouTube channel is a one-stop-shop for videos devoted to helping you live a more eco-friendly life. In addition to videos from Live Green partners like Discovery [...]
green it yourself: recycling center
Only about half of all paper gets recycled here in the US and only a third of plastic bottles. That means a huge amount of usable resources are simply going to waste in our already overflowing landfills. So we have to step up our efforts! One solution is to make recycling easier on yourself with [...]
green it yourself: eco outdoor fire
Who doesn’t love a big roaring fire, especially one you can enjoy outdoors? Unfortunately, all the smoke produced by backyard fire pits is yet another source of air pollution. The majority of our beloved wood-burning devices emit particulates at the very eco-unfriendly rate of 20 to 60 grams per hour of operation. This smoke contributes [...]
