BuildingGreen Report

Product Review

September 1, 1993
Hi-Rise Recycling

Apartment buildings have for the most part been left out of residential recycling programs because of the difficulty of getting residents to haul recyclables to a storage area by hand. As recycling requirements are adopted by more and more municipalities, however, architects and building owners find themselves forced to... Read more

Op-Ed

September 1, 1993
A Building Expert's Comments

Some thoughts on the May/June ‘93 issue:

On More Efficient Wood Use (p. 18):

We must conduct a massive educational campaign to wean the majority of builders and building inspectors (architects, too) away from their obsession with what I label 11th commandment framing. A recent poll by the NAHB shows 67... Read more

Feature

September 1, 1993
In the wake of this summer’s devastating floods in the Midwest, more and more people are recog-nizing that levees and dams may not be the only way—or even the best way—to deal with floods. Regardless of the measures taken, most floodplains will ultimately flood, and we might do better to work with this natural cycle—and minimize damages—than to... Read more

News Brief

September 1, 1993
News Briefs

A study done at the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, concluded that ground drywall applied to soils in test plots increased crop yield by 25% over untreated soil. This result was similar to the benefits of applying limestone or agricultural gypsum to the soil in equivalent quantities (11... Read more

Op-Ed

September 1, 1993
Perspective: Let’s Not Forget About Energy Use

Here at EBN, we’re as guilty of it as anyone. We’ve tended to give short shrift to energy conservation in part because there are other excellent publications that focus just on energy. But we did put energy at the top of our

Checklist for Sustainable Design and Construction. And that's... Read more

News Brief

September 1, 1993
Environmental by Design - Volume I: Interiors

by Kim Leclair and David Rousseau. 1992, Hartley & Marks, Inc., 79 Tyee Dr., Point Roberts, WA 98281. $19.95 U.S.; $24.95 Canada.

With the publication of

Environmental by Design, the field of environmentally sustainable design and construction took a significant step forward.... Read more

News Analysis

September 1, 1993
New White House Leadership on Wetlands

On August 24 the Clinton Administration announced a policy for the nation’s wetlands that aims to end years of confusion and infighting among various federal agencies with overlapping jurisdictions. Initial reaction to the plan from all sides was mixed, although most people are waiting to see how things... Read more

News Brief

September 1, 1993

ReClaim, Inc., a fast-growing company that recycles old asphalt shingles into pothole patching material, has received a patent for its product. RePave™ is used by municipalities and homeowners to repair roadways and driveways. ReClaim processes about 300 tons per day of roofing debris at its two New Jersey plants to make its paving products (... Read more

Feature

Should we be recommending cellulose to our clients? If so, on what basis? If not, why—what are its drawbacks?

September 1, 1993

Cellulose insulation has been the darling of the green building movement because of its recycled content, low embodied energy, low-tech processing, and excellent energy conservation performance. But concerns are also raised about health risks for cellulose installers and occupants of cellulose-insulated buildings. In fact, some healthy home... Read more

News Brief

September 1, 1993
The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream

by Peter Calthorpe. Princeton Architectural Press, 1993. Paperback. 175 pages. $24.95.

 

Peter Calthorpe’s latest book is a guide for planners and designers of communities. It begins with a series of essays outlining all the problems with neighborhoods and... Read more

Op-Ed

July 1, 1993
Sustainability in

Architecture Schools?

Dear Editor,

I am an architecture student in the first year of a Master of Architecture program. The school which I now attend, despite having an excellent program, places little emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental consciousness in design. I am looking for a school with such a... Read more

News Analysis

July 1, 1993
Louisiana-Pacific Pays Biggest Clean Air Act Penalty Ever

In a settlement reached with the EPA in May, Louisiana-Pacific has agreed to pay $11.1 million for failure to comply with permitting procedures at 14 oriented strand board (OSB) and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) plants. L-P will also install state-of-the-art pollution control... Read more

Op-Ed

July 1, 1993
The Timber Debate Continues

Dear Editor,

First of all, thank you for publishing an article on the northwestern timber debate that was, for the most part, a fair and accurate view of the issues. I was especially encouraged by your recognition that different forest types grow differently and “a simple ban on clearcutting does not always... Read more

Feature

July 1, 1993
As the finish carpenters pack up their tools and the last coat of paint dries, the new lawn is emerging outside. On what had been a barren construction site only weeks before, grass seedlings are poking up through a layer of carefully spread topsoil, fortified with fertilizer and protected with straw. Around the house are round balls of the most... Read more

News Brief

July 1, 1993

Two bills in Congress, one in each chamber, would promote resource efficiency in building construction. The Federal Resource Efficient Building Materials Act of 1993 (S. 817), was introduced by Senator John Glenn of Ohio, and the Federal Environmentally Efficient Building Materials Act of 1993 (H.R. 1819), was introduced in the House by... Read more

News Brief

July 1, 1993
News Briefs

Amory Lovins, the visionary “energy guru” and founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, is among the recipients of this year’s MacArthur Foundation “genius grants.” Lovins is quoted saying he will use the $280,000 award to further RMI’s work.

News Analysis

July 1, 1993
Greening the White House

In his Earth Day 1993 address, President Clinton announced plans for an energy-efficiency and environmental retrofit of the White House. The American Institute of Architects is conducting a feasibility study for the project. Results of the study, which addresses indoor air quality, material choices, and energy... Read more

Op-Ed

July 1, 1993
Advice on Fiberbond

Dear Editor,

I was sorry to see that in your product review (Vol. 2, No. 3) you folks did not mention that Fiberbond is hard and smooth like plaster (a big plus over sheet rock) but needs to be sized (water proofer, primer) before painting, as it is much more absorbent. Unsuspecting painters can lose their shirts if... Read more

Explainer

July 1, 1993
Rooftop Water Collection

The goal of the Florida House Learning Center is to introduce to Floridians techniques for building houses that are environmentally appropriate. To that end, co-founders W. Terry Osborne and June Engman are building a pair of model houses side-by-side for the Sarasota County Cooperative Extension Service. The... Read more

News Brief

July 1, 1993

Assiniboine Community College has a new year-long vocational training program called “Sustainable Shelter Technology,” which will address all aspects of energy, and resource-efficiency, and health in housing. Contact: Mark Burch or the Admissions Office, Assiniboine Community College, 1430 Victoria Ave. East, Brandon, Manitoba R7A 2A9; 204/726-... Read more