Green Case Study

Design Evolution

2008-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

These images show the development of design ideas from the existing conditions at the top to the final constructed design at the bottom.

In the schematic design, the constrained area of the existing kitchen is expanded through the dining area to the East wall creating a comparatively vast space. In the final drawings, I have refined and minimized this space because we didn't need additional room in the dining area, especially when the wall separating it from the kitchen was being removed. It's also worth noting that the sixteen foot, full-height glass wall adds a spatious feel to the area--almost like dining outdoors.

The deck in the original house is replaced with a similar-sized deck in the schematic design and later replaced with a simple set of stairs. We felt that the pool deck should serve as the primary outdoor eating/gathering space. This also simplified the design and cleaned up the elevation--we call the stairs our bleachers to the ball field out back. In addition, changes made to the master bedroom (top left of plan) in the schematic design were eliminated in the final design.

For me, the most interesting issue here is one of spatial balance. We began the renovation to add space to the Kitchen and through the evolution of the design process found that we needed far less than we thought to acheive a balanced design.

Landscape Design

2008-01-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

Since landscaping is such an important part of green design, we decided early on (August 06) to enlist the help of a landscape architect with this project. Happily, Eric had collaborated with Michael Immel on the renovation of a "mid-century marvel" in Westwood, MA that had been published several times, including by The Boston Globe. Although the houses have some obvious difference (the Westwood house has a flat roof and curtain walls, for example), there are also some obvious similiarities. An added bonus: Michael grew up in CA where split-levels are far more common. He spoke their language.
Michael came out to the house a few times in our first months there, and spoke to us about some of initial goals. He then produced this conceptual design sketch.

Composting?

2008-01-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

Our lot is full of shrubs and trees, most of which are overgrown. As we trim this spring, the brush pile getting huge. I started shopping for composters. It seems that the Web sites out there offer very little information on how the composters work, and how well. For example, see this site which features dozens of different composters, but no user comments.
What do you use in your yard?

The Dumpster Arrives

2008-01-23T12:29:00.001-08:00

In September 2007, the planning phase of our project finally gave way to building. One of the first steps was getting a dumpster on site. Naturally, as part of our green approach, we are eager to limit the waste we produce on site. Based on his experience in traditional building modes, our contractor suggested that we "start with" a 30-yard dumpster and "go from there." The woman who answered the phone at the dumpster company agreed that 30-yards was the right size for a kitchen renovation. Apparently, just the bulky kitchen cabinets would fill it up. A 30-yard dumpster is huge -- approximately the size of a trailer. We will report periodically on how much of this space we actually use.

Charles Komanoff Weighs In

2008-01-23T12:25:00.001-08:00

Apparently, I wasn't alone in calling Charles Komanoff to the mat after he was quoted in the NYT, saying that the average American family could reduce their CO2 emissions by 25%. In response to a dozen queries like mine, Komanoff got down to the nitty gritty in Gristmill. He even produced a spreadsheet for the truly detail minded.
Komanoff's top five are no real surprise:

1. Play and shop close to home to cut out 25% of non-commute driving (6.3%),
2. Switch to compact fluorescents (4.5%).
3. Upgrade insulation (4.0%).
4. Carpool, bike, walk or ride transit to work once a week (2.2%).
5. Turn down the thermostat 3ºF during the heating season (1.8%).

Here's a thought: how about vacationing close to home? What is the impact of middle class Americans jetting off on beach vacations?

The Composter Arrives

2008-01-23T12:24:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned before, choosing a home composter was difficult due to the lack of reviews or descriptive product information available on the Web. In the end, I chose an "Urban Compost Tumbler Uct-7." We ordered it through Amazon.com and the order was fullfilled by a company called Wheatgrasskits. The composter took about two weeks to arrive, and I spent a lot of that time wondering what exactly I was getting. The Amazon description doesn't tell you what is included and I could only hope that the base was part of the unit.
It was. The composter arrived in very minimal packaging, which was good to see, and the parts to put the base together were packed inside the barrel. I needed about an hour to assemble the legs; that was working with the "help" of my three- and five-year-olds.
The included directions get a C-. You need to follow the diagrams very carefully. We put the legs together the wrong way twice before noticing all of the information the diagrams were showing -- two different sizes of bolts, proper positioning of the leg parts, etc.
As soon as the composter was assembled, we packed in a load of twigs, leaves, and green things from the kitchen inside. The compost is supposed to "cook" for two weeks. In the meantime, we get to spin the barrel as often as we like. My kids like doing that *a lot.* One last note: This small-size tumbler is not nearly big enough to cope with all the composting materials our 1/2 acre lot throws out. It is about the size of a standard garbage can.

Is Draino Safe?

2008-01-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

Right around the time I started reading about frogs being born missing limbs, I started wondering about the chemical stew we wash down the drain everyday -- ammonia, laundry detergent, Downy, dish detergent, Ajax, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and more. Can the municipal water treatment plants really render all of this stuff harmless?
The question always comes to the fore when one of our sinks gets clogged up. What is the environmental cost of dumping Drano down the pipes? This article from "Earth Talk," a Web site published by E/The Environmental Magazine implies it's not as bad as you'd think. Still, a metal snake is now my go-to option.

Just a Fad?

2008-01-23T12:21:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, writing in The New York Time's Week in Review, Andrew C. Revkin explored the faddishness of purchasing credits to offset your carbon-footprint. The article is headlined "Carbon-Neutral is Hip, but is the Green?" To me, the most interesting part of the article was this quote from Charles Komanoff, an energy economist in New York: "There isn't a single American household above the poverty line that couldn't cut their CO2 at least 25 percent in six months through a straightforward series of simple and terrifically cost-effective measures." Strangely, the Times doesn't give Komanoff the opportunity to tell us what those measures are. Well, I'm curious enough to track Komanoff down and ask him. I'll let you know what he has to say. In the meantime, what do you think: Is purchasing carbon credits a useful tool, or a silly fad?

Amazon's Kindle is Eco?

2008-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

The launch of Amazon's Kindle was widely reported in the media today in articles like this one from The New York Times: Amazon Reading Device Doesn't Need Computer. Perhaps that's because the e-reader will offer subscriptions to newspapers like the Times that are desperately searching for new revenue streams.
Missing from the coverage was any analysis of the green aspects of the new device. What's clear is that book publishing has plenty of room for improvement. According to Eco-Libris, only 5% of books published in the United States are printed on recycled paper. The same Web site says that about 20 million trees are cut down each year to print books.
If the Kindle can save a fraction of those trees -- not to mention the environmental costs of bleaching and transporting the paper -- I say it's worth considering, even if the $399 asking price is rather steep.
Of course, the Kindle and other ereaders can never really replace the book. Can they?
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/presspol/research_publications/papers/discussion_papers/D39.pdf

South (Street) Facade

2008-01-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Brown Water?

2007-06-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

I just spoke to the town Sewer department. Since we moved into the house three weeks ago, I've noticed that the water from some the taps is brown. Since the house was empty for nearly a year, I wasn't surprised that some sediment would have gathered. I hoped that the problem would resolve itself with time as any sediment present in the pipes flushed out. The woman at the Sewer department said that if the HOT water was brown, we may need a new hot water heater. Another item to research: What is the most energy efficient system? I am intrigued by tankless heaters.

Exterior Painting

2006-08-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

It's time to think about repainting the exterior of the house.
Using Angie's List as a starting point, I identified three local companies with excellent reputations to give us a quote on the job: Olde England Painting, Eagle Painting, and Professional Partners. Eric and I had already done some preliminary research on green paint options, and found them rather limited. More on that a bit later.
The first painter out to the house was Gavin of Olde England. He came by on 8/16 and gave the house a careful and thoughtful lookover, and made some thoughtful suggestions on the use of color. (Suggesting, for example, that the house would look bigger if we painted the parts that are currently blue a light green shade of our choice, and the white parts of the foundation a slighter darker version of the same color.) He also suggested adding a bit of the green to the trim color to help the colors go together better. He said the house needed to be scrapped and sanded in preparation for painting. I asked if the exisiting paint may contain lead. If lead paint is sanded, that lead could contaminate the soil in the yard. He said they put down cloths to contain the sandings and emphasized that sanding was essential for a good outcome.
The house was built in 1960. The government banned the use of lead-based paint in residential environments in 1978, which means there was 18 years during which the house may have been painted with lead-based paint. I'm going to consider doing a lead test before allowing Gavin to get busy with a sander. We should also have his quote in a few days.

Tree Assessment

2006-06-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Eric and I met with an arborist to walk the property in June of 06. We learned as much as possible about the types of trees that are present on the property and what needs to happen to keep them healthy. Our expert guide was Joe Alongi from Boston Tree Preservation, a company that embraces an organic approach to tree care. The news wasn't all that good. Winter moths have severely injured several trees on the property. In addition, Joe found evidence of three additional pests that have been wrecking havoc in the yard. It's a jungle out there!