Championing the
Changemakers

The 1992 Energy Policy Act, signed into law in October, sets maximum water use standards for most plumbing products manufactured after January 1, 1994. Most toilets will be limited to 1.6 gallons per flush (a higher limit of 3.5 gpf will apply to most commercial toilets). Kitchen and... Read more

Richard L. Crowther, Butterworth Architecture, 80 Montvale Ave., Stoneham, MA 02180; 617/438-8464 (800/366-2665 for orders). 1992, $39.95.

Richard Crowther is clearly committed to understanding and practicing “ecologic architecture” in every way possible. The scope and breadth of material in this book is remarkable... Read more

NRG Barriers, Inc. of Saco, Maine, has become the first polyisocyanurate foam insulation manufacturer to totally phase out CFC-11 use in a complete product line. As of January 1, 1993, 100% of NRG’s commercial roofing insulation products will be produced with HCFC-141b, according to Technical... Read more

In what is described as a major policy change, the Western Wood Products Association (WWPA) is launching a campaign to emphasize the environmental benefits of wood and appeal to growing public awareness about the environment. “We want the [building] industry to know that we’re concerned about the... Read more

CoHousing development—is it sustainable? Kathleen O’Brien thought maybe; I think yes. Yes because CoHousing offers another scale of social organization—an intermediate scale between the single family and the town or municipality—thereby expanding the palette of technologies that can be applied. It does this simply by being a... Read more

from NAHB

With the upcoming release of its booklet

What Remodelers Need to Know and Do About Lead, the Remodelers Council of the National Association of Home Builders is providing a valuable service. The booklet, to judge by a late draft, will be effective in educating builders and remodelers about the dangers... Read more

Non-exposed Wood

Boron has long been recognized as an effective and very safe pesticide in wood. In part, it effectiveness comes from its ability to diffuse freely throughout the wood, thus protecting even the center of large timbers, which are not affected by pressure treating. Unfortunately, the diffusability... Read more

In recent months we've seen increasing signs that timber interests and environmentalists are beginning to talk. After years of finger-pointing and scapegoating, some serious, constructive communication is long overdue. In the words of Tim Lovlien, a voice of reason from Boise Cascade, “anytime you open the forum to discuss the issue, it’s... Read more

Steve Loken has been building houses and enjoying the Montana wilderness for fifteen years. In the mid-’80s, Steve began to see a conflict. The forests he so enjoyed were disappearing, the houses going up were getting bigger and bigger, and the lumber they had available to them was getting worse and worse. Out of that realization grew the idea... Read more

Sustainably harvested wood resources just took a giant leap forward with the first certified sustainably produced plywood. Springfield Forest Products of Springfield, Oregon, and Trus Joist MacMillan provided materials for the roof of an environmental prototype store in Lawrence, Kansas. The store... Read more

In what could become an exciting new trend for environmentally conscious remodelers, Neworld Bank of Massachusetts has announced a reduced-rate loan available to homeowners in the state for “green” home improvements. The improvements covered include:

•energy-efficiency retrofits of insulation,... Read more

Trus Joist MacMillan, makers of the Silent Floor™ framing system, have just introduced a rim joist made especially for use with that system. The new product is made from a new type of manufactured lumber called Timberstrand LSL™ (Laminated Strand Lumber), which is basically a next-generation, high-end... Read more

In October, 1871, in small barn on Chicago’s Southwest Side, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a kerosene lantern. The tinder-dry wood-frame building ignited in a fire that destroyed half of Chicago. Devastating fires were not new to our nation, but this was exceptional. Something had to be done. We had to begin building structures... Read more

for Roof Sheathing

An emergency ordinance amending the South Florida Building Code to deal with the devastation wrought by Hurricane Andrew includes a provision requiring that only

5/

8" or thicker plywood be used for roof sheathing. The provision applies both to repairs and new roofs, and... Read more

By Dorothy Mackenzie; Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 300 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010. 176 pages, hardcover. $35.

Design for the Environment by Dorothy Mackenzie is a gallery of environmental design solutions, mostly from Europe. The book covers an extremely broad range of topics, including building design,... Read more

with Resource Efficient Construction

The ReCraft 90 demonstration house built last year in Missoula, Montana by Steve Loken has received a great deal of attention for its use of leading-edge building materials. Concerned with dwindling supplies of solid, large-dimension timber, Loken chose to use... Read more

By Jim Broadstreet; Loompanics Unlimited, Box 1197, Port Townsend, WA 98368. 162 pages, hardcover, $19.95.

Building With Junk is an excellent guide for owner/builders who are trying to build an affordable and interesting home for themselves using recycled or used materials. It provides ideas for sources of scrounged materials, methods... Read more

As the plight of forests gets more attention, the number of groups and organizations that have taken on the task of certifying sustainable forestry practices has multiplied. With this proliferation, a need has emerged to coordinate the different certification efforts and establish... Read more