Green building and eco-sensitive design is currently at the forefront of our modern ethos. What this means for the green builders, contractors and architects of NY, and the world, is a period of dramatic change and challenge is ahead if not already begun. A change in the way we think about new buildings and construction, […]
The Living Building Challenge- Winner of the 2012 Buckminster-Fuller Challenge Read More »
I built a natural pond and stream in my Brooklyn front yard, inspired by the images from the book Mannahatta of New York in the 1600’s. On my roof I have a bee hive.My friends from the roof come to the border of the pond to drink off a patch of moss. Check the video
Honeybees Drinking Water Read More »
The book Handmade Houses, A Century of Earth-Friendly Home Design, by Richard Olsen is inspiration for any green builder. With a clear focus on Big Sur homes Olsen highlights homes that were built along the same style as the Slow Food Movement, where meaning, lifestyle and experience are just as important as the finished “product”, that
Handmade Houses, A Century of Earth-Friendly Home Design Read More »
Ed from NJ Renewable Energy made a great video about the construction of his passive house that you can view below. It discusses the many benefits of building a Passive House, the amazing energy savings that are possible and the details behind how they built this specific one in New Jersey. As a NY Passive
NJ Contractor Builds Passive House and Creates an Educational Video Read More »
Part of being a green contractor means studying emerging technologies offering more eco-benefits than conventional construction. In this case we’re looking at old technologies: the rammed earth wall, one of humanity’s oldest building techniques. When it comes to walls, a couple of rammed-earth techniques are available as alternatives to your standard insulation-filled 2×4 frames: The Earthship model uses
Two Rammed Earth Walls Read More »
Unable to sleep at 4am in New York I came accross this video of an abandoned town renovated by a small group of utopians. It is one of the most inspirational green building stories I have seen in a long time. So often green building is housed withing the capitalistic context where it is just another product to
True Green Building Read More »
As New York green contractors, we’re always interested in emerging innovations, but take special interest in locally-developed technologies because we believe that green solutions should have a local focus. An effective way to build green is to ensure that each building make the best use of the environment in which it’s located. In New York
Your Walls Could Be Filled With Mushrooms Read More »
Most green contractors advertise their use of “sustainably sourced” wood, meaning the trees are harvested in a less destructive way. What “sustainably sourced” really means, though, can be a slippery slope. Maybe they cut down old-growth forest and plant a monoculture tree farm instead. Maybe they cut down a tree and donate a dollar to
New Lives for Old Wood Read More »
When you flush a toilet in America you have every expectation that whatever just went in there is going away forever, no questions asked. So why would anyone want a toilet that takes your dirty business, stores it right where you put it, and hands it back to you again after a few months?? But
Composting Toilets Demystified Read More »
As New York green contractors we follow the latest developments in NY building codes very closely. Yesterday, the New York City Council enacted three proposals from the Urban Green Task Force. The new codes, effective July 1, 2012, mandate more stringent regulation of waste, recycling, and pollutant filtration, representing a step forward for green building.
Breaking news: NY City Council enacts proposals from Urban Green Task Force Read More »
