As a New York green builder I get a lot of interns eager to learn about building a better world. They are young, eager and often impatient. After six months on a job site they think they should become manager. This is a big mistake. It is not that they are not capable of moving […]
How to become a green builder (aka aware human) Read More »
Here is a short video discussing something called the “Overview Effect”, which is what happens when astronauts first see the planet earth from outer space – a deep sense of awe and connection with the planet. The Overview Effect is not only for astronauts, though. It is for anyone who travels beyond their immediate surroundings and realizes we
The Overview Effect Read More »
Eco Brooklyn is gearing up for its Spring Soil Remediation Projects. A potential client has sent us their Soil Testing Report and it was time to refresh our knowledge on key components of soil contamination and remediation. The level of contamination in their report will require root barriers and the addition of six inches of
Heavy Metals in Brooklyn Are Common Read More »
The Honey Bee makes the world go round – without them flora would die and all other life would quickly follow. And bees have done their job for a very long time. For perspective Homo sapiens (probably you) reached anatomical modernity about 200,000 years ago and began to exhibit full behavioral modernity around 50,000 years
Don’t Worry, Bee Happy Read More »
The book “Energy Efficient Buildings: Architecture, Engineering, and Environment” by Hawkes and Forster is a little misleading in its title since it only covers large educational and commercial buildings for the most part. The residential buildings it covers are also large multifamily structures. It does not address smaller buildings at all and the title should make some
Energy Efficient Buildings Read More »
I just read Ecocities by Richard Register. His definition of an eco city is: •An ecologically healthy human settlement modeled on the self-sustaining resilient structure and function of natural ecosystems and living organisms. •An entity that includes its inhabitants and their ecological impacts. •A subsystem of the ecosystems of which it is part — of
BBox radio did a cool interview of Eco Brooklyn Director, Gennaro Brooks-Church. We discussed all sorts of things in the field of radical green building – Net Zero, Passive House, Guerrilla Green Building, Build It Forward and much more. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Eco Brooklyn Interview Read More »
Last week we met the representative from Kawasaki Greenhouses to check out their new green roof product. It is a pregrown green roof mat that is light-weight and easy to handle. They grow the sedum on coconut jute, which is basically like a stringy organic fiber sponge. The end result is very similar to mats
I got an email from Jetson Green today with the title “Factory-Built Homes Are the Future”. This is quite the statement. With few exceptions throughout history homes have been built on site by hand. The idea that a home is built in a factory with high tech machines and then plopped down on the site
Factory-Built Homes Are the Future? Read More »
Eco Brooklyn recently completed a number of jobs in a building where there were children living. We renovated three children’s bedrooms, two bathrooms where they bathe, and two play areas. Doing this increased our focus on using non-toxic materials and building in a manner that created no dust. A toxin free green building process should
Building for Children Read More »
