It's SusDaveable!

Identifying Your First Investment Property in Philadelphia

2011-10-05T13:30:00.002-04:00

Philadelphia is known for it's abandoned buildings, it's overlooked lots, and it's urban decay. At the same time, many neighborhoods like Northern Liberties, Fishtown, and Brewerytown are undergoing revitalization and redevelopment projects that garner national acclaim.
If you're looking for your first real estate investment property, the resources available to you are countless. Between all of the clunky real estate websites and online tools, it's challenging to make sense of where to begin. Below is my consolidated list of resources that will help you identify and calculate wether or not an investment property in Philadelphia makes sense for you.

Investment Property Calculator
This calculator is designed to provide a guide to possible financial outcomes of the purchase and rental of an investment property. (Hat tip to Sharon Jaffe)
http://www.goodmortgage.com/Calculators/Investment_Property.html
Property Search Map
This is a REMAX tool that has access to the full MLS. You create your own account for extended property information. I believe this tool will show on any REMAX website, this one is courtesy of Mittman+Rehling in Coshohocken
http://www.mittmanrehling.com/remaxparealtygroup/modules/agent/agent.asp?p=findahome.asp&page=search&selected=qck&mode=n
Taxes and Closing Costs
Everyhome Realtors has a tax and closing cost estimator. Replace the last 7 digits in this link with the MLS number you would like information for.
http://www.everyhome.com/e/ebcc.php?n=5951646
Philadelphia Property Tax Records
Search for a property and find out what it sold for, what it's assessment is, who the owner is, tax history, and other property information
http://opa.phila.gov/opa.apps/Search/SearchForm.aspx?url=search

There's other useful sites out there, including Zillow.com that gives you estimated property values and Walkscore.com to determine what's next door and how walkable a specific property is.

To maximize your investment, buy an existing property that needs some TLC and make it energy effifcient. For materials and furnishings, look into Greenable.org and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

The Case For A Hands-On Math Class: MSSD Thesis

2011-08-16T00:11:00.052-04:00

THESIS SUBMITTED! After a grueling summer I managed to get my ass in high gear to write my thesis for the MS Sustainable Design program at Philadelphia University. I had to take days off, ignore the girlfriend, be a hermit... but I think it was all worth it. I now have time to dedicate to this blog and many other initiatives. Yes! Back to life!

Time to discuss the "Hands-On Math Class". Let's start with a small story...
~~~fades into old European school~~~

In the late 1700’s, a child in Pestalozzi’s school challenged his teacher: “You want me to learn the word ladder, but you show me a picture. Wouldn’t it be better to look at the real ladder in the courtyard?” The frustrated teacher went to Pestalozzi, the Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer, who told her that whenever possible “children should learn from real objects, the real world, and the experiences it offers”

I came upon this quote, courtesy of Doug Stowe, this Spring as I gathered research for my master's thesis. I posted earlier about what was then my topic: To revitalize shop class by means of sustainability education. The underlying theme was to get students involved in a hands-on learning environment, something I strongly feel should be an essential part of our education system.

I always thought it would be epic to retire as a shop teacher teaching students the skills of manual craft...Making items out of wood and steel, passing my yet-to-learn wisdom onto the children ....But is there a place for such a shop class in the school of today and tomorrow? ....No....

After much guidance from a few advisors, the thesis was transformed into a take on a traditional core subject: Math education. Math is a subject that is taught abstractly, disconnected from physical meaning and is of little relation to a students interests. The goal became to engage the students with hands-on projects dealing with math examples from real, relative career and technical professions. The red thread being that those careers and projects must keep the theme of sustainability, be it efficiency, energy, social or environmental progression, etc.

Over the past three weeks, I've successfully presented my thesis in a verbal defense and submitted my final document for review. I plan is to post all of the sections in my thesis to the blog, breaking it up into the chapters so that's its easier to digest. This should also allow me to expand thoroughly on each section and discuss all of my ideas around the topic.

The Case for a Hands-on Math Class
Introducing Students to Sustainable Careers

Abstract: This research identifies pressing social and economic issues that can be addressed by the creation of a hands-on math class. This class is presented as a replacement of a traditional seventh and eighth grade math course. With the assistance of industry professionals who help develop coursework, students are introduced to sustainable career and technical fields. Working with their minds as well as their hands, students are exposed to career paths in sustainability.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Pressing Social and Economical Issues

Issue 1: Lack of Skilled Trade Professionals Entering the Workforce
Issue 2: Negative Perception of Skilled and Manual Trades
Issue 3: Decline of Industrial Arts Programs
Issue 4: Disconnect Between School and Industry

Chapter 3: History of Hands-On Education

John Dewey
Rudolph Steiner

Chapter 4: Studies that Support Hands-On Education

NRCCTE: Math-in-CTE
Perdue University: Water Engineering Module

Chapter 5: Existing Programs

West Philly Hybrid X
ACE High School - Nevada
Outward Bound
Many More...

Chapter 6: The Hands-On Math Class

Curriculum Requirements
Course Overview
Course Schedule
Sample Assignments

Chapter 7: Implementation
Chapter 8: Conclusion
References
Thesis Document (.docx)
Final Defense Presentation (PowerPoint)

Chapter 1:
Introduction

In the late 1700’s, a child in John Heinrich Pestalozzi’s school challenged his teacher: “You want me to learn the word ladder, but you show me a picture. Wouldn’t it be better to look at the real ladder in the courtyard?” The frustrated teacher went to Pestalozzi, the Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer, who told her that whenever possible “children should learn from real objects, the real world, and the experiences it offers” (Bennett, 1926, p. 119).

Educational theorists have echoed this sensible wisdom, yet it is lost in modern math and science programs where “artificial learning environments” are instead created (Stowe, 2006). This research explores the feasibility of a hands-on math class that engages students with their curriculum to foster interest in sustainable careers. The roadmap for developing a hands-on math class for seventh and eighth graders is studied to predict how a class can be successful. The goal of such a course is to expose students to sustainable careers and technical fields they may not have encountered elsewhere in their life experiences.

There is a strong need for increasing Career and Technical Education (CTE) so that America can meet the increasing demand for a skilled, professional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce. These fields, while not always appreciated in our society, are essential for our countries’ continued growth. Skilled trades and STEM professions can provide a substantial, meaningful way of life. In addition, learning with one’s hands is a more engaging and effective way to cover curriculum.

Only a generation ago, hands-on education was synonymous with wood shop and metal shop, also referred to as Industrial Arts education. With the decline of these classes in favor of technology education, hands-on and experiential learning has dwindled in America’s public schools. There are immense benefits to using the hands for education, and many philosophies support this idea. To revive these invaluable experiences, hands-on education will be combined instead with standardized math education, a vital element of all curricula. The class is the embodiment of these arguments and ideas.

The term sustainability carries many ideologies that are often applied to the built environment, agriculture, and manufacturing. Defined by the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations: “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environmental Development, 1987). This definition asserts that there are quantifiable, measurable bounds. But sustainability is also a call to action, a chance to make a better world socially, economically, and environmentally. This notion has been recognized by the United Nations when they declared a decade of education for sustainable development that aims to “challenge us all to adopt new behaviors and practices to secure our future” (Education for Sustainable Development, 2011).

This is not an argument for one profession’s superiority over another, but rather the encouragement of all students to experience multiple skilled trade and STEM career opportunities in an engaging manner. The research here investigates whether an experiential hands-on math class will be an effective means to expose students to career paths in sustainability.

Next Up:
Chapter 2: Social and Economical Issues

Thoughts? Let me hear it in the comments.

Skillshare: Teach and Learn

2011-08-12T16:55:00.007-04:00

Skillshare has landed in Philly and is kicking off next Tuesday with an event at the Fieldhouse.
Skillshare is a community where anyone can teach or take classes. The classes are all taught by people like you and me, in person - their slogan is "Learn Anything From Anyone". I prefer to describe it as "Share what you know" and that's what I'm hoping to get the opportunity to do.

Here are classes I'm thinking about teaching:

Hardcore Photoshop
This may sound ridiculous, but Adobe Photoshop is a program that takes only days to grasp but many years to master. I've been working in .PSD layers for over eight years. I can share my tricks for keeping an organized workflow, UI design, color corrections, cutting out hair (go ahead, give it a try), photo retouching, best practices, etc. Also how to get these images to websites and print properly.
Homeowner Obstacle Course
I know a lot of people that own homes, yet they have a hard time doing basic repair and upkeep. My thoughts are to set up a few small workspaces and show people how to fix leaks, replace outlets, patch holes, paint, etc. I would have to set up small areas for each exercise. In my mind, it's playing out like an episode of All American Handyman, but with more assistance.
Specialty Construction Projects
This can be anything that's more crafts related. I've already created a pilot to gauge interest called Learn How To Build Café Benches. I would also consider Building Garden Planters and Create a Rainbarrel for Stormwater Collection.

Here are classes I would sign up for in an instant:

Small Project Welding
For my apartment, I have been looking for 34" bar stools. The only ones I can find are horrid looking and over $500. I'd love to learn how to weld so I could make my own. Learning how to weld would also allow me to incorporate it into my construction projects for railings, grab bars, and creative shelving.
Appraising and Buying Investment Property
This one I would pay dearly for. I can run numbers on what buildings will cost to fix and what it will rent for, but that's where it ends. I'm always thinking of buying a duplex or triplex that needs some loving. I'm trying to position and educate myself on making the right moves when the right place pops up.
Grow A Rooftop Garden
I've really been wanting to create a small garden on the rooftop of my apartment. Outside of buying some planters, filling them with soil, and burying seeds, I need some guidance.

Screenshot of my pilot class

Who's stepping forward to teach these classes? Currently, it has a very tech-forward following - the same people who use blogs and twitter. About 1/2 of the classes on NYC's Skillshare board are about Social Media, Web Design, Web Development, or Web Publishing. Philly's pilot classes are starting fall in line with this trend. It's early, so as Skillshare matures so will the course offerings

Here's why I see Skillshare being successful:
Over the past few years, everyone has been writing blogs and using Twitter and Facebook to build an online presence. There's so much noise and information floating around that info is digested and forgotten so quickly. Can you tell me a single Twitter post you read earlier today? The truth is anything being taught in these classes already probably has a Youtube How-To video...But that's not the point. It's all about personal connections and humanizing education. It's about getting back to the basics of person to person communication. It's networking done right. I'm ready to help this take off.

Build and Share...

Siemens Green City Index: Lessons for Philadelphia

2011-07-05T12:18:00.000-04:00

US and Canada Index

Siemens put together a comprehensive report entitled Green City Index which studies different cities' environmental sustainability in different regions of the word. Philadelphia was included in the US and Canada Region.

The US and Canada Green City Index, a research project conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Sponsored by Siemens, seeks to measure and compare the environmental performance of 27 major U.S. and Canadian cities across nine categories. Cities play a fundamental role in national life: 82% of Americans and 81% of Canadians are urban dwellers - and the trend is increasing. The ongoing urbanization poses tough challenges for infrastructure and environment.

Goal of the Index is to allow a comparison of cities against their peers and thus to provide insights for city stakeholder groups, such as authorities, policymakers, and citizens into their city's strengths and weaknesses.

From the Philadelphia City Portrait (PDF):
Philadelphia ranks 13th overall in the Index. Its best rankings are in the categories of environmental governance, where it places fifth, and air quality, at sixth. These results are driven by the city’s much lauded green action plan, strong public participation in environmental management, and low overall air pollution levels. Additionally, while it places seventh in land use, Philadelphia is first among middle-income cities in the land use category, a score driven by strong policies that are likely to positively influence the city’s overall environmental performance in the coming years. Philadelphia’s weakest ranking is in the water category, at 23rd, largely because it has one of the highest leakage rates in the Index.

Looking at the North American Report, Exemplary projects are identified for each of the nine category findings. Not surpisingly, San Fransisco has exemplary projects identified (Energy and CO2: A comprehensive approach to renewables; Waste: Recycling Laws). Philadlphia's strongest project, "Greenworks Philadelphia" only lands us near the top (5) for governance.

Looking globally, the European Report is also avalable and highlights even more aggressive strategies being implemented. Copenhagen takes top spot in the European analysis, where our MS Sustainable Design program offers a choice of two summer choices at DIS.

Please take some time to download and review these reports.

Siemens Green City Index
City Portrait Philadelphia (PDF)
North America Report (PDF)
European Report (PDF)

Mike Rowe Speaks To Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

2011-05-16T19:58:00.002-04:00

Mike Rowe, the infamous host of Dirty Jobs and now the face of Ford, went in front of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and called for a national campaign that promotes the skilled workforce.

This couldn't be any more timely since my thesis discussion has shifted from just a Shop class trying to highlight the benefits of manual work, to a hands-on math and science course that exposes students to skilled manual professions. While I lack the clarity that Mike possesses, the point that he is trying to convey rings true in a national narrative that is getting louder every day: our educational system has created a gap in the workforce. One that is promoted by all levels of society, your parents, teachers, and friends. He discusses the need for change in the work force of USA's citizens to promote skilled trades as a desired job, rather than that being exclusive to jobs that requires a 4 year degree or more.

Development Project: East Falls 'Rivage' Site

2011-05-09T21:13:00.002-04:00

Here's a look at a sustainable development project put together by Mamta Borker, Alex DeNadai, and myself for a vacant lot in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. This was for our Sustainable Development class within the MSSD program at Philadelphia University and was taught by Nancy Cleveland from Resonate.

At the corner of Ridge Ave and Calemut St in East Falls, theres a large 73,000sf lot that has been an eyesore for quite a few years and is known as the 'Rivage' site. Gina Snyder, Executive Director of the East Falls Development Corporation, came in for a day to talk about what their expectations are for development of the site which include a gateway for people entering the neighborhood, a grocers market, setbacks for extra parking and green buffers, and most importantly, a community friendly project. The goal is to bring in a project that can help propel the neighborhood forward as a place to work, live, and shop. Being located minutes downriver of Manayunk, EFDC looks to fashion itself after the revitalized and exciting neighborhood upstream. Much like the well-noted Piazza at Schmidts in Northern Liberties, we wanted to create an iconic space that defines the neighborhood.

Our team was well-balanced, with Mamta being an architect who has worked professionally in India, Alex a project manager for Weston Solutions, an infrastructure re-development firm, and myself, with no specific specialty but a rounded understanding of building construction. We focused on how to integrate the site with the community and how to tie it to the riverfront.

OUR DESIGN:
Our design intent for the Rivage property is to provide a river front center point for the East Falls community to come together to socialize, shop, enjoy green space, and connect with the Schuylkill River. The space consists of (1) a Market serving fresh, local foods, (2) an outdoor Plaza with walkways, tents for seasonal events, and a view of the riverfront, (3) a sub-level parking garage, (4) ground level retail along Ridge, (5) residential units of varying size, and lastly, (6) a restaurant space located on the third floor above the Market. We will be seeking LEED Gold for this project.

The drawing above was our initial sketch and stayed pretty true through completion. The greatest element we feel was the flow of the space and how it all overlooks the river. We ran the financial calculations and were coming in at an 11-year payback on a project that costs nearly 30 million dollars. Generally, the rule of thumb for developers is to get a 5-7 year payback. Because we were focusing on optimizing the community integration and public spaces, as well as our sustainability initiatives like daylighting, stormwater management, high-performance buildings, and more - our payback was less than optimal. Still, it shows what's possible with the right ownership and vision.

I would like to thank Elizabeth Lankenau at KSK architects for taking time to look at our plans to see how it would integrate with East Falls. I saw her team present the Conshohocken Revitalization Plan and it served as the blueprint for our market study research. Her husband, Chris, also worked with Alex to develop or construction schedule and budget.

Executive Summary Draft (PDF)

Final PowerPoint Presentation (PDF)

Final Proposal Document (PDF)

Supporting Documentation: Owner's Project Requirements, LEED Scorecard, Project Schedule (ZIP)

I know these documents are HUGE and may be burdensome to look through, but if you want to see an extensive market analysis, technical review of Philadelphia Zoning codes, LEED Scorecard, Financial Analysis, and much more - then take a few moments to check it out. If anything, it will make for some good reference material for future projects. Thanks for reading!

New Job In The City Prompts Move

2011-04-25T00:43:00.000-04:00

Quite a bit has happened since I've last posted - I've been ignoring my loyal readers and for that, I apologize. Here's an update of what's been going on.

In March I was offered a position in Center City at a law firm working as a Web Application Designer. While I've long been mentioning a total career change into construction and real estate, the chance to work in the city and put some money away was impossible to resist. The first month has already flown by - it's turning out to be a smooth transition. I'm now spending my days designing internal applications and helping with a large intranet re-design. My limited CSS knowledge by default makes me a guru among the developers. One of the interesting things about the company is that they encourage outside involvements and passions. I don't feel like I need to hide my conversations about what second life I lead. With the spring semester at PhilaU wrapping up, my thesis behind schedule, and the new job - my world has been spinning.

The 40-minute train ride from Conshohocken is ideal for reading, writing, and collecting myself. The morning ride into the city always has something for me to discover. Look at all these people hustling - these old forgotten cars and roads - this trash - this renovation - Look at how beautiful these old buildings are...

Still, I want to be in the city and experience Philly first-hand. After looking at a few places in Old City and Art Museum, Erica and I signed a rental agreement on a great loft-style 1br apartment at 509 Vine St. It has views overlooking downtown to the West, an easy 10-minute walk South to Market Street, and a 10-minute walk North to the Piazza in Northern Liberties. We'll be moving in over Memorial Day weekend. Here's a photo from the living room that overlooks Franklin Park and into the city. I think it's going to awe at night with a few friends over for drinks, what do you think?

The Next Generation's Sustainable Woodshop

2011-02-22T15:27:00.007-05:00

It's been a hectic spring and I apologize for not updating more. I'm currently taking Thesis 1 and a course called Development of Sustainable Buildings. I was mentioning earlier how my thesis topics were leaning towards building a modular green home or working with towns to create a low-budget sustainability program. While these are strong concepts, I didn't feel that these merited the research as there are existing successful ventures in both those venues spread across the region. The goal is to come up with something that's relatively new, or at least, define something that's not yet understood or organized. Which is what led me to a very satisfying conclusion: Shop Class.

Like many, I remember shop class as the antiquated way of woodworking and creating things with belt sanders and band saws. I've always joked that I would love to be a shop teacher when I retired, and there was a reason I've kept this in the back of my mind. Shop class is more than just an elective that's fading from current school curriculum, it's about growth and student development, education and responsibility, personal challenges and accomplishments.

This is going to be the focus of my master's thesis: Developing a Sustainable Shop Class Curriculum. I would like to re-introduce shop class to schools that have removed it from their course offerings. What if shop class (or technically, the Industrial Arts) were to be re-programmed for today's challenges, today's students, and today's budgets? By focusing on a sustainable education curriculum, schools could empower and educate young adults, while helping them discover their natural skills and passions. Schools can also have economic reasons to support a such a program, as it would also use the course to propose cost saving strategies around the facility.

If you have a few hours, I highly recommend the book "Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work" by Matthew B. Crawford. It's a moving story that details detachment we have of items in our lives, and how we've lost manual competence. The author goes from working at a political think tank to leaving to start his own motorcycle repair shop. It's a healthy reminder of what values in live are the most satisfying.

What do you think? How do you see such a program being a success? Can you see schools adopting something like this when they're trying to cut costs? Do you know any school administrators with whom I could talk?

Must Read: National Service Is More Than Military. Step Up For Your Country

2011-02-20T22:48:00.001-05:00

Here's a inspirational piece published in Newsweek from Gen. Stanley McChrystal reminding us that we all have an obligation to serve. It's a powerful read that makes you want to get up, get involved, and create a better community. This isn't a conversation about national policy or what has happened in Afghanistan. It's a reflection on us as a people, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

…Even the most basic responsibilities of being an American are considered optional by many. In the seeming anonymity of modern life, the concept of community responsibility has weakened, yet is needed more than ever…

…We can always outsource work—hire other people to complete projects—arguably with greater efficiency. But we must understand that our real objective must be in shaping Americans. We must build into our society, and into ourselves, a sense of ability and responsibility.

We must recognize that service is typically doing things that you would not choose to do, but that must be done. It can be rewarding; it can also be difficult, onerous, and even dangerous. It cannot rely on short-term volunteers any more than our independence could be won by the people Tom Paine termed “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots.” It must have people with a firm commitment, backed by a society that values their contribution…

Read the full article here: Newsweek: Step Up For Your Country

Fire at ZAP & Co. Causes Damage to Pillar and Other Local Businesses in Lancaster

2011-01-29T11:24:00.003-05:00

A 4-alarm fire ripped through ZAP & Co., a vintage clothing retail store at 315 North Queen Street in Lancaster, on Thursday, January 20th at about 9 p.m. ZAP was an iconic store at the center of the boutique shopping and historic area of Lancaster. The owner, Steve Murray, was badly burned and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He survived and has been working on recovery with the prayers of friends, family, and local business owners.

Sadly, the fire caused damage to neighboring businesses, one being the Pillar Lounge where I have spent the past two years working and remodeling. Smoke and flames came through the windows on the shared wall and also destroyed the roof. Water damage from the fire rescue crews further damaged the walls, carpets, furniture, and hardwoods.

The way it's shaping up, it will take about 3 or 4 months for insurance repairs to be completed, then the lounge will need additional preparations to try and open in the late spring or early summer. It's heartbreaking, but the most important thing is that Steve survived and the community is pulling together for him.

Downtown Lancaster Loses A Landmark In Zap & Co.
Neighbors pick up pieces after Zap & Co. blaze forced them from their businesses

Cafe Benches: Built to Last

2011-01-18T00:44:00.001-05:00

The past two weekends I've spent building a set of benches for the soon-to-be open coffee-shop cafe section of The Pillar Lounge. These benches are to run on the side of the cafe opposite the large concrete sales counter I created over a year ago.

When planning out the 16' long bench (2 benches @ 8' each), I was considering how to build it on multiple levels.

Build it cost efficiently - tight budget and schedule
Make it look good - timeless and clean
Make it durable - daily usage and beatings
Build it sustainably - be conscious of materials and waste.

After some improv planning and brainstorming at the Home Depot, my materials list looked as such:

Two sheets of 4'x8' 5/8" thick oak pre-finished plywood ($40 each)
Fourteen 8' long 2"x4"s ($2.25 each)
Two oak 6"x1"x8' planks ($20 each)
1lb of 2.5" multipurpose screws (just the right amount) ($4)
1lb of 2" trim nails (way too many) ($4)
1 tube of liquid nails ($2)
1 quart of dark stain. ($6)
25' Electrical wire, 4 outlets, 4 boxes and covers ($30)
Total cost = $197.50 + tax

The bench is comprised of a 2x4 frame, spaced every 16" to distribute the weight. Seven frames were used for each bench, each shaped like the a lowercase "b". Measurements were made so that each 2x4 was used with only a few inches scrap. I worked with a 10˚ angle on the cuts so the backing and kickboard would be more comfortable. The kickboard, seat, and back are all cut from one piece of ply with exactly no scrap left over. (15 1/2" kickboard, 16 1/4" seat, 16 1/2" back, allowing for 1/8" cuts from saw blade). The oak planks were fastened to the top to make a narrow sill.

Because we are covering two outlets, I decided to bring the power out to the kickboard for customers using laptops or chargers. In doing so, we wired plugs to tie into the existing power so that if the benches are moved in the future, we simply unplug and go.

The benches are simple, sturdy, and beautiful - a perfect addition to what is going to be a lively and creative coffee shop. I believe they will welcome many years of abuse. Thanks for looking!

Weekly Dose: News, Articles, and Events

2011-01-17T23:32:00.000-05:00

Detroit, community resilience, and the American dream - An uplifting article in Grist about the entrepreneurs and culture than has sprung from Detroit urban decay.

You've heard about the flash flood in Brisbane, here's two articles that talk about how it happened. How sprawl killed Brisbane: A report from inside the flood and What happened in Brisbane could happen to us.

The Food Crisis of 2011 - Lester Brown discusses the raising grain and rice prices and how the demand for food supplies is creating an evermore unstable world.

More on the Shale Fracking in Pennsylvania and voices arising from sickness associated with the drilling.

Weekly Dose: News, Articles, and Events

2011-01-07T11:51:00.003-05:00

Pennsylvania allows dumping of tainted waters from gas boom - The state doesn't have the resources to regulate or restrict this as much as necessary. I called this a year ago, I'm hoping voters speak up and leave the quick buck for long term health. Here's a scary infographic to accompany the story.

Investor Home In Conshohocken - Every now and then a house hits the MLS that is just a home-run as far as ARV with some simple repairs. Here's a 3-bed 1 bath in Conshy on a nice, quiet lot. It's even a Fannie Mae Homepath property which means subsidized loans. This will be bought quickly.

Postgreen Home Tour - Thursday evening I went to an open house of Postgreen's 2.5 Beta home. It's their 4th build project following their 100k homes, Passive Houses, and Skinny Houses. The event was busier than I had expected, and I didn't recognize anybody. Erica came along and we were just a fly on the wall for a few moments before we had to escape. I respect their build philosophy, but I came away from this project with the feeling of it being overly sterile. I'm hoping they recognize and address that in some way.

2011 The Age Of Remote Workers - I've been giving this a decent amount of thought recently. Why do we commute to sit at a desk in a digital age? Think of all the revenue, time, cost, and happiness that is lost with our current system. I think many employers will start allowing employees to work 20-40% of their time from home, and realize it's a win-win.

Design For Dark - During the winter, we're left with more hours of darkness than daylight. Build LLC is a design-build firm in Oregon and they have an article discussing what to keep in mind when designing homes. Peruse their site for other beautiful photos and portfolio work.

2011 Outlook - A Year of Progress and Change

2011-01-01T11:42:00.013-05:00

Resolutions.

Some people do them to highlight areas of their life that need improving, others try to get in shape or quit smoking. I prefer the approach that it's an annual re-evaluation of my goals and self-development. Putting it out there and expressing your goals holds you accountable and pushes you harder to achieve them.

2010 was a great year for growth, ticked all of the items off of my list - Here's a recap of everything that happened this past year.

Credentialed as a LEED Green Associate in the Spring.
Studied in Copenhagen for 3 weeks in June for the MSSD program.
Assisted getting the Pillar Lounge in Lancaster open. Ongoing projects and improvements.

However I still cruised and could have challenged myself more. I'm still at my desk, looking to take my career into my own hands. Looking forward, I feel that 2011 is going to be a great year. Here are my targets:

Get behind a thesis project. I'm still debating multiple topics. Stay tuned for updates.
Buy property. I'm looking at either an investment house for myself, or property to use to develop my thesis.
Take LEED AP+ Homes or LEED Green Rater exam.
More involvement in DVGBC.
Bring my Dad and brothers into the city for a Phillies game and urban development tour.
Give back to hometown of Renovo, be it through educational or investment avenue.
Hone my craftsmanship more by building bookcases, counters, and other items.
Weekly updates to this blog - a recommended reading list, ongoing projects, opinions, etc.

It's not much for the time being, but I'd like to continue to add to this list. If you stumble across this, please share your goals for 2011. Here's to a great year.

Using Sensors To Create Reactive Environments

2010-12-22T10:32:00.002-05:00

Can a building be alive? Can a smart passive system save energy and create comfort for the user?

The final project in studio this semester was to explore the usefulness of information technology tools towards accomplishing goals of sustainability. The working hypothesis is that artifacts that are able to sense and respond to changing environmental data could provide more comfortable spaces that consume fewer overall resources.

With the assistance of Bryce Beamer, we would learn about ARDUINO, sensor controls, and how to make an object that could react to inputs to increase human comfort ranges. We divided into two teams after learning the basic code structure to work on conceptual designs. One team being Cass and Colm, the other being David, Maryn, and myself. Our team started thinking about ways to change a roof structure so that it could allow heat and light while preventing rain and without compromising insulation.

Reactive Roof Panel

Our initial design was a rectangular panel that would collect solar energy on one side, and a moving ventilation area on the other. This was a single unit trying to serve ventilation, daylighting, solar reflection, and solar collection needs. After working with this design for about a week, we thought it may be more beneficial to break the system apart and create a modular panel instead.

We then designed three panels to work together: (1) a solar thermal collection panel, (2) a daylighting panel, and (3) a ventilation panel. By changing form from a square to a hexagonal shape, it would allow us to contour the roof to non-flat surfaces. Also, by dividing the jobs into three separate panels, we are able to introduce them at different quantities to suit geography.

Building the Ventilation Panel
We met in Dave’s basement in New Jersey to prototype the ventilation panel. Unfortunately, we lacked the time and tools to create a polished model, but as you can see we made due with what we had. The panel was made of two sheets of 2" rigid polystyrene epoxied together, held within a wood frame. A plexi top would prevent precipitation from entering the module. Cutting, smoothing and preparing the foam was much more challenging than expected. If I ever would do this again I would make sure to get a hot wire to sear through it. Dave's mechanical abilities allowed him to build a complicated elbow look amazingly simple. It would pivot the foam plug up (open) or down (closed) based on the screwgun commands.

Proof Of Concept
In class we were able to successfully show the module responding to humidity, temperature, and barometer readings. The reacting mechanism failed in lifting the insulation plug up and out, due to a weak screwgun.

Overall, the assignment was a great way to introduce us to the possibilities of reactive environments. Working in balanced teams allowed us to create a successful modular roof ventilation panel. It's amazing to see that technology like this is within short reach and that it's easily implementable.

On Mixed-Use Developments

2010-12-09T00:27:00.002-05:00

A common social understanding is it's no longer attractive to live in the suburbs where one is geographically isolated from neighbors, services, and cities. People are realizing that urban living and smarter city planning can re-create the successful community layouts of generations past.

From Wikipedia: "Throughout most of human history, the majority of human settlements developed as mixed-use environments. Walking was the primary way that people and goods were moved about, … People lived at very high densities because the amount of space required for daily living and movement between different activities was determined by walkability and the scale of the human body. This was particularly true in cities, and the ground floor of buildings was often devoted to some sort of commercial or productive use, with living space upstairs."

Today, mixed-use developments seem to be the answer when it comes to urban renewal projects, and what's not to love? — Shops, housing, restaurants, green space, and social and cultural interactions makes for an ideal place to live. Isn't that what we're hearing? Are they not the answer to re-urbanization over the next century?

Let's look at some recently completed mixed-use developments and how people are reacting to them:

The Piazza at Schmidts, Philadelphia, PA. Developed by Tower Investments
From VisitPhilly.com: "Since the days of William Penn, Philadelphia’s five original squares have been prized places to rest and relax outside. And now, the Piazza at Schmidt’s — affectionately designed and named after Rome’s famous piazzas — is giving Philadelphians and our visitors a new place to hang out outside. Located in Northern Liberties, the Piazza at Schmidt’s is a 80,000 square-foot, open-air plaza with free events year-round, surrounded by three new buildings including 35 artists’ studios and boutiques and four new restaurants." Comments from Yelp Reviews:
Positive: "I came here during the day on a beautiful Saturday morning to grab some brunch and see what it was all about. First I suppose I should mention that I've never been here, so it is possible I was just caught up in the modernness of it all. I love the look of the place, kind of like a planned neighborhood (like suburbs) but prettier. I'm sure the stores are expensive, but when I was there I really just wanted to see what it was all about. (…) Truly, I thought it was a great time, and a very interesting space to hang out in. I like the idea that if feels so different from Philadelphia, it basically made me want to move to the neighborhood (probably not actually in the Piazza, but a house nearby could be pretty great.) I will definitely be returning in the future to see what it's like at different times and to visit more of the shops." - Mary S

Negative: "I used to live in one of these buildings. First off its way too expensive, secondly you can hear everything! … The other part about this place that bothers me is how artificial everything feels. Aly M. had a good point, why isn't there grass in the middle? … I love Northern Liberties; I've been living there for the past 2 years. There are so many fun things to do here, and the people are awesome. But the Piazza just doesn't fit in, its too fake, and trying way too hard to be cool. Plus the restaurants in there don't even come close to what you'd get at a classic place like Std. Tap (excluding Bar Ferdinand of course)." - Sean M.
The DOMAIN, Austin, TX. Developed by UDR
One of many mixed-use developments cropping up around Austin (others include Triangle, Midtown Commons), the DOMAIN is the spot for high end shopping, chain restaurants, and modern living. I toured these apartments and came away very impressed with the floor plans and amenities. However the lack of a dedicated bus or rail stop that heads to downtown will be a deal-breaker for most, not to mention the restaurants and shops are all nice but expensive, and it has an exclusive feel to it. It lacks that weirdness that Austin is known for and feels like housing built around an outdoor mall. Comments from Yelp Reviews:

Positive: "I really like how the Domain is designed. It is kind of like a nice little downtown area, with sidewalks, and I think there are apartments as well. I heard a wine bar will be opening soon, and I know a neat little gourmet grocery just opened and I can't wait to go check it out. … They have some pretty good restaurants. I have not eaten at the Steeping Room, but have enjoyed their coconut iced tea on more than one occasion. Jasper's was pretty good, we had salads and sit on the patio on a nice day for lunch (the fries were a bit saturated in grease, tho). Also love the California Pizza Kitchen. (try the white pizza & Greek salad). There are other restaurants I am dying to try. A great place to go, especially if you have self-control, shopping-wise. I do not. Especially when I go by a Coach store..." - Laura A.

Negative: "The Domain reminds me of a woman who has gotten a lot of plastic surgery. She might be nuveau riche and dripping with diamonds. She will be wearing the latest fashion. If you're a guy, she might even be someone you'd consider jumping into the sack with, but don't let her fool you, she is definitely not as put together as she would have you believe. There is a lot of drama lurking in her cold heart. Approach this one with caution, she'll take your money and leave you begging for more." - Javier D.
Brewery Blocks, Portland, OR. Developed by Gerding-Edlen

A culmination of many buildings, Brewery Blocks is a five-block shopping and professional district in Portland’s vibrant, post-industrial neighborhood known as the Pearl District. Comments from Yelp Reviews:

Positive: "I was skeptical about the Pearl District coming in, and it has room for improvement (both figuratively and, more importantly, literally), but where it is now is already the makings of a great neighborhood. I find it odd saying this, but what it most reminded me of is the Chueca area in Madrid. There are a lot of differences between the two of course, but for some reason that was the vibe I got. And that's a good thing. If the Pearl keeps that path it will continue to be a wonderfully urban neighborhood...." - Eric M.

Negative: "There is the Pearl, and there is the rest of Portland. The two are not the same. At all. Me? I prefer the rest of Portland. (…) Pearl Cons:
* Shopping: No one needs all this crap. No one. Especially at these prices. Just stop.
* Tanner Springs Park: I understand wanting to preserve habitat, but it strikes me as more than a little strange that we think that habitat is at its best when surrounded by high-rise condominiums.
* Concrete Ticky-Tacky: And they (the new buildings) all look just the same.
The biggest problem with the Pearl is its delusion of being some sort of Faux Portlandia: a mashup of Portland Bohemian with Californian Chic. The result is a scruffy, sandal-wearing, DINK couple who feel a sense of pride in paying $70 or more for their meal before driving back home in their Range Rover to their inner-eastside neighborhood (which has changed SO MUCH since they moved in when it was still a "bad area"), all the while bitching about how the city needs to "do something" about the dive joints in Chinatown." - Aaron R.

Positive Trends: Sustainable features and LEED Buildings. Providing a walkable community on pre-developed land. Located on existing urban transit infrastructure. Introduction of parks and green space. Independent restaurants, shops.
Negative Trends: Expensive housing, restaurants, and shops compared to local neighborhood. Blending of social and cultural classes creates animosity towards project.

Analysis: I find it interesting that private developers are able to create micro-communities within larger urban fabrics which are often encouraging gentrification and creating polarizing environments. By and large, these projects are necessary to move cities in a positive direction. By creating a buzz and getting people involved, these projects keep conversation alive. Because who would want a city where there's nothing to talk about?

This is an endless conversation than can spill over into development, cultural, social, and political issues. I hope this post gave you a understanding of progressive mixed-use projects that are going on today.

If you'd like to spend more time reading up on this topic, here's a few links I would recommend:

Get Your Green at Green Hill Bank

2010-11-02T18:35:00.031-04:00

I touched on the studio project a few weeks back: Sustainable Bank of the future. After 8 intensive weeks, our project concluded with a small open house on Monday.

Our team, Green hill bank, was comprised of myself, Cass Corcoran, and Cathy Panas. We were fortunate enough to be balanced in our skill sets, with Cathy having designed banks in the past as well as having the Energy course over the summer, Cass having design knowledge and the willpower to learn Autodesk Revit, and myself knowing branding and graphic design.

The goal of the project was to design a sustainable bank that strived to be carbon neutral and also to be resilient to economic shifts over the next 30 years. More than just a design project, we had to find a way to differentiate our bank and brand from the competition, thinking about practical business practices and strategies to create a successful enterprise.

About Green Hill Bank
Our Vision: To build a healthy community by improving the quality of life utilizing sustainable methods and practices focusing on economics, individual well being, and the environment.
What We Stand For: Green hill bank is a community bank located in beautiful downtown Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. Our objective is to build a business model and a built environment that supports the community to take a green leap forward in sustainability.

We focused on engaging the customers and tried to educate them by using our building as a showcase. The idea was that we'd have educational kiosks, and signs that speak about sustainable products in plain english, with easy to understand loan options. We also set up a mock web application that would follow their progress and allow them to track their neighbors as well.

Also, 5 other teams from the class presented very different programs and design directions, all of which came out impressive. It was a successful and rewarding project for all of us, and I'm sure we're all sleeping better at night now that it's over.

Thesis Ideas and Other Thoughts

2010-10-12T10:24:00.004-04:00

Concepts Need To Be Focused

"Mobile Home" by Antoine Valentim

"Give me your thesis proposals by Thanksgiving"
Asked by professor Fleming last week, it's dawned on me that I'm not ready at all. Not so long ago, I wanted to just be a green builder/developer. It seemed simple enough - but I'm quickly getting interested in the psychology and policy making of urban development and housing projects. Thesis is meant to catapult us out of the MSSD program an into our respective career paths, setting the focus and niche skill-set that will be invaluable in the years to come. I'm similar to a lot of my peers: with a few ideas but need to focus them. Here are my ideas in no particular order:

Builder focusing on sustainable and efficient homes and apartments. (Which seems the most likely career-path but also the most lame for a thesis project)
Extremely low-cost LEED certified homes in rural areas. An extension of my position paper from last semester which asked: Can you build at a lower price point and change the surrounding community?
Develop a modular building for use in disaster relief areas, similar to FEMA trailers. Could be build using existing mobile-home/modular strategies and stored on railcars ready for delivery.
Transform an existing modular or building company into a highly-efficient sustainable one.
Working with neighborhoods or small cities to transform their waste/water/energy systems. Going way above and beyond state/federal requirements.
Sway perception that space=better homes. Using shared resources (such as laundromats) and smaller urban housing units, moves us towards a more sustainable way of living. (Had a good argument about whether you can make people want to do this, as opposed to forcing them to accept it)

So there's my current thesis ideas. I'm open to other ideas as well, so let me hear it if you can think of anything.

Other Thought #1:

Have you noticed all the paving projects currently going on? I have been looking for a news article to touch on this but couldn't find any. I know the Fed dolled out billions for infrastructure improvements (which I fully support), but couldn't there have been a stipulation that a percentage of these local-dollars had to benefit public transport? Be it even upgraded bus stops and walking paths along busy streets - I haven't seen anything but black asphalt being put down everywhere! Isn't this like prolonging the changes we know we have to make?

Thought #2:
This article has caught my attention: Obama Administration Rolls Out the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. It recognizes the failures of other government initiatives, like HUD, and seeks a more comprehensive approach to neighborhood improvement. I'd be interested in working on projects like these if the opportunity presented itself.

Thought #3:

The Annual Green Building Celebration is next week, Thursday, October 21, 2010 from 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Put on by the DVGBC, it's the biggest event and the best green industry networking opportunity of the year and will feature the presentation of their 2010 Leadership Awards. Come if you want to meet some great people and collect a lot of business cards as you drink beer and good food. I'll be working one of the tables for two hours or so, signing people up for either the Emerging Professionals committee or general DVGBC registration. Hope to see some of you there!

Electrical For Espresso Machine

2010-09-20T09:51:00.015-04:00

Just a quick update. Last weekend I went over to The Pillar hoping to install an espresso machine. Unfortunately, it didn't come with instructions and this is a BIG problem - it's a very complicated and delicate machine. After doing a bit of research, I found out it's best to give it a dedicated breaker on a 10-2 line (20amp, 220v). I hard-wired the machine in and also gave it a shutoff switch that will be accessible behind the unit.

In addition, I added a few more service GFCI outlets on their own breaker along 12-2. Thinking into the future, they may want to do more accent or spotlighting on the service area and cafe so I hid some extra wire behind the panel. Always plan ahead...

Note that we can now paint and mount shelving on the backsplash and also add accent lighting. A professional recommended by the manufacturer is coming to finish the install, as I'm out of my league on this one.

Studio Project: A Community Bank of the Future

2010-09-15T11:41:00.007-04:00

Studio assignment for this semester is to design a Sustainable Bank of the Future on a car dealership lot in Chestnut Hill. It's a huge 20,000 SF building on Germantown Ave. Located in the heart of Chestnut Hill, it's a walkable neighborhood in northwest section of Philadelphia that is a destination for shopping, restaurants and family fun.

Sounds silly, but a bank of the future isn't all that different than current banking practices. However, it's about finding the right match of services and products that position it to be successful for years to come, all while operating under a triple bottom line philosophy.

Triple Bottom Line, also known as "people, planet, profit", captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring success: economic, ecological and social. Organizations usually govern themselves within these principles and publish some form of corporate social responsibility report. (You'll notice these appearing on annual reports and company web sites. Understand that many companies jumping on the sustainability bandwagon publish these reports and they lack substantial meaning.)

This bank needs to have a community focus, strive to be carbon-neutral or greater, and profitable (hello, it's a bank!). With the given site I've been thinking of ways to re-introduce green space as well as bringing in the public. I'm leaning towards ripping up all of the asphalt and doing a farming co-op. Space for an adult education center can get citizens involved and excited about residential improvements and opportunities - thus being eligible for home-improvement and other business loans from our bank! Check out my cartoon site plan below.

Our current program:

Sustainable bank (4,000 SF) in NE Corner of Building.
Asphalt to green space and farming
Cafe (2,000 SF) and farmer's market (3,000 SF) in the NW corner of building.
Sustainable Children's Playhouse (distract the little ones while you're involved in other on-site activities) (6,000 SF)
Educational Center/Classroom and Working Shop (5,000 SF)

Current strategies we're going to try to implement:

Rainwater Harvesting from the huge roof
Daylighting opportunities through strategic window placements
Photovoltaic arrays on the…
White-roof (reflects solar heat gain and collects rainwater faster than green roofs)
Natural ventilation

An 8-week project, we're just getting started so this is more of an introduction to the project, as well as an arena for discussion about possible direction.

Any ideas you'd like to see here?

Current Projects: Sealing Prep for Fiber Cement Paneling

2010-08-16T14:18:00.007-04:00

Just wanted to keep my readership (two or 3 readers) updated on what I've been up to. This past weekend I was working at a friends house in the Germantown area of Philly. The siding is going to be modern-looking fiber cement panels, as seen on local projects by SoLibs and Postgreen Homes, installed by yours truly.

Here's a few early photos of the insulation board, air sealing techniques, and re-used Trex decking composite used for the fiber cement support structure. We're installing 1" rigid foam on the exterior, with taped joints and silicone and tar sealing techniques along the brickwork, widows, and doors. This is going to be our main waterproofing layer so it's imperative that no area is left vulnerable to water penetration.

Once this is secured, I started to build the framework to support the fiber cement panels. You can buy channels and supports of wood or stainless steel, but the recycled Trex is perfect - a material that won't rot or warp. Usually, you run your supports vertically to allow the water to flow quickly out through the bottom, but in some areas I'm forced to do horizontal supports. In these instances, small water channels were cut to keep water from pooling.

Comments or disagree with my methods? Let me hear it in the comments.

Quick Vid: Copenhagen Car-Free Streets

2010-08-06T09:43:00.001-04:00

Here's a short video showing streets where Copenhagen removed the vehicles and in turn created a better place to walk, ride, and live. What would it take to transform streets here into pedestrian friendly havens like this? Copenhagen's Car-free streets & Slow-speed zones from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Also check out this link from TreeHugger About Copenhagen Bike Lanes

A Flawed American Dream

2010-08-04T16:14:00.004-04:00

Forget for a minute everything you know about your life and how you live it. Forget your friends and neighbors. Forget about politics and economy. Forget your bills and your job... Now picture a place where people live together, friends, family, neighbors, strangers. They share good ideas and experiences, growing up and raising each other as a community and without competition. Peaceful, friendly, utopian.

Now add the American Dream. def Wikipedia: The American Dream, sometimes in the phrase "Chasing the American Dream," is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of prosperity and success. In the American Dream, first expressed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, citizens of every rank feel that they can achieve a "better, richer, and happier life."

The problem is how we define that better, richer, and happier life. We see better as being smarter and more cultured than our peers. We see richer as being wealthier and having nicer things than our neighbor. We see happier as some intangible improvement over yesterday.

One of my largest takeaways from European culture was their ability to be happy with what they have today. There's no talk of the future as if it's all going to be green pastures, they are able to enjoy the moment more so than we are.

As our culture has looked to fulfill these with items we can purchase; houses, cars, electronics. This issue is compounding ALL of the larger issues we face: (1) Housing Downturn: Unrealistic expectation of ever-increasing home values. (2) National Security: Arrogance and standard of living creates envy and animosity. (3) BP Oil Spill: Manufacturing of petrol-based goods. (4) Wall Street: I needn't say much.

The problem is with entitlement, I struggle with it myself more often than I'd like to admit. I drive a small and old pickup truck. I bought it as a tool to help me work. It's perfectly functional, quite utilitarian, and gets me from point A to point B. I find myself wanting a newer vehicle, one with more room and more creature comforts. Do I really need something newer if what I have is good enough? I have a two year old iPhone, it's beat up but still works. I feel that I should get a new one, that I deserve it. Clothing, computers, the list goes on. I don't NEED these, yet I catch myself wasting time thinking about items. Is it because my friends have such things and I feel as though I'm less because of it? I try to catch myself when I start to think that these will in some way enhance my life. What do you find yourself thinking about?

We all do it, and rarely slow down to realize what the American Dream is: That we already have a better, richer, and happier life than those before us. We have the ability to enjoy life more than ever before. So please, slow down.

Why Smaller Apartments Actually Provide More

2010-07-20T09:48:00.003-04:00

I guess the best way to start this is to describe my current, uncomfortable apartment. It's 12' wide and 40' deep, with one entry and one window (both at the front of the apartment). Upon entering is a shared kitchen and living space, then a small hallway with a bath, and finally the bedroom in the back with no windows. While measuring 480 sq ft, I always laughed about the size of my small apartment.

Then I visited Europe. My housing in Copenhagen was inside of a shared housing building called a Kollegium - an efficiency sized at a mere 10' x 20'. That's less than 1/2 the size of my Conshohocken apartment, yet the arrangement didn't make me feel any more uncomfortable or claustrophobic. The reason? - A smarter use of space. It sounds simple when you think about it, but I was amazed at the ability to fit both my kitchen and bathroom into around 80 sq ft. With a narrow small kitchen and a bath where the shower was directly worked into the floor design, the space was able to be recycled for the use of the occupant. Abundant storage allowed me to keep my items organized and out of sight. A bed, desk, TV, and sitting chair sat in the rest of the room. The far wall was almost completely comprised of glass and a large window that acted like a door. The abundance of light and ventilation also added the the feeling of space.

Why does this matter? I instantly thought back to my position paper on sustainability that I wrote last fall where I tried to design and estimate the cost of a one-bedroom home. The goal was to provide basic housing, not extra space. At the time I thought I was designing a very small space, but after this experience I started re-thinking the scale. I'm not an interior designer but I thought I had given modest space to occupants that would be living here. Looking back, I may have been thinking too large, too American.

This has filled my thoughts for the past few days - Can we bring smaller designs here and why haven't they been successful here? Can these smaller kitchens and dwellings enhance neighborhood interactions by encouraging you to go out to eat and out to meet your friends?

I love the layout of the Manchester apartments by Abito - Small, compact, beautiful. We are doing the same thing here, take a look at Philly's own ThinFlats. What jumps out immediately is our demand for space; more rooms, larger kitchens and baths, larger bedrooms, etc. It makes sense for a developer to add bedrooms when space isn't an issue, it's an very inexpensive way to increase the price of a home. But when space and land is at a premium, it's more profitable to make smaller units to increase the amount of units. Are builders and developers here afraid to build smaller? Or are they, and most likely, just delivering what Americans want. I know there's a lot more to this discussion, if you have anything to say let me hear it.

Oslo, Voss, and Bergen on the Norway Study Tour

2010-07-16T15:29:00.000-04:00

At the end of classes, we had a 4-day study tour planned to visit 3 cities in Norway; Oslo, Voss, and Bergen. Joining us on the trip would not be our professor, but instead the program assistant, Emilio, as well as

Saturday night we took an overnight cruise to Oslo, Norway. It was my first time on a cruise, it was amazing how incredibly large the ship was, hundreds of rooms, a half a dozen places to eat, a spa, movie theater, duty-free shops, and even a discotheque. After an evening of drinks I ended up at the disco with a few new friends, out of character but it was a blast. The weather was wet and cold, but waking up early to watch the ship maneuver through the straight was impressive.

Arriving in Oslo, the first thing we noticed was the striking white marble and granite Opera House. A quick summary via About.com:

Approaching the Oslo Opera house on an overcast day, you may imagine that the building is an enormous glacier sliding into the fjord. White granite combines with Italian marble to create the illusion of glistening ice. The sloping roof angles down to the water like a jagged chunk of ice. Completed in 2007, the Oslo Opera House (Operahuset in Norwegian) reflects the landscape of Norway and also the aesthetics of its people. The government wanted the new Opera House to become a cultural landmark for Norway.

After getting to our hotel, we walked as a group to the Nobel Peace Center for a guided tour of the main exhibit: Strengths and Convictions. The exhibit was about South Africa's struggle for democracy and dealing with apartheid. The lives of the four remarkable men Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, converge and divide as South Africa’s history unfolds. Their stories are told through photos, films and art never previously shown in Norway. It is constructed around a timeline depicting 100 years of South African history, with visual art used as a matrix for the life and times of the four laureates. Upstairs was the annual exhibit, this year for President Obama's Nobel Prize entitled A Call to Action. The connections between Alfred Nobel’s will and Obama’s work for peace are emphasized in this space.

Next we went to the Edward Munch Museum. I enjoyed this more than I had anticipated, both because of the artwork and the knowledge of our guide. She had worked over 18 years at the museum and knew the history of all of the paintings. My favorite pieces were the drawings from his childhood, when he was coping with the death of his sister and mother, they are gruesome and beautiful at the same time. Security was extremely high, it was like being at a penitentiary because the Scream had been stolen a few times in the past.

Not to be content with just these two galleries, a half-dozen of us headed over to the famous Viking Ship Museum. I think this was one of my favorite places of the whole study abroad. The museum displays the Viking Age Oseberg ship, the Gokstad ship and Tune ship along with a horse cart, wood carvings, and sleds, all of which are meticulously detailed. Just a 5-minute walk away from the Viking Ship Museum was Gol Stave Church. I hadn't planned on seeing this, but it was one of those tourist days where I took photos of everything I could see. The church was beautiful in it's own way, dark and powerful, it made me feel as if I was transported back into medieval dark ages.

Oslo was a small city, we were able to walk across most of it in about 15 minutes. It was cleaner than Philadelphia, but we instantly noticed it was less-maintained than Copenhagen. There also seemed to be more rough-looking people in the city square, people without an agenda or clean clothes. It's hard to get a good perception of a beautiful city in less than a day, but that's what happens on trips like this. Soon enough it was time to go, we packed our bags and took a 6-hour train ride to Voss, home of some of the Norwegian fjords and at the time, an extreme sports festival.

We arrived in Voss at around 11pm, and as if the late sun wasn't strange enough in Oslo and Copenhagen, it was even more strange here. Here is a photo that was taken behind our hotel, at around 11:30 at night - it didn't get much darker than this at all. The evening was spend just sitting on a patio by the lake, enjoying a few stories and drinks. Early the next day, we all gathered for our hiking trip through the Fjords - which are formed when a glacier cuts a valley by abrasion of the surrounding mountains, leaving behind awe-inspiring sights. We spent the day doing some pretty easy hiking through the mountains about 30 minutes outside of Voss. Look me up on Facebook for a lot of photos taken during this trip. Our tour guide told us a story about how trolls are a part of Nordic culture. The summer homes in the mountains were occupied by the women and children in the summertime, and when they would travel up in the spring, they would bang pots and pans to scare away the trolls. They blamed rock slides, fires, and other things on these trolls - anything unexplained that is now known with a bit of science and geology education. It was a great hike, one of my fondest memories of the trip.

Lastly, we took another train ride, this time it was a 2-hour trip to Bergen, which is located on the western shore of NorwayVoss, we spent the last two days of the trip here. The city was built as a trading post to northern Scandinavia, most of the business was cod fishing. Similar to Oslo, their diets were heavy in fish and vegetables. They have a very popular and tourist-laden fish market in the heart of downtown. I picked up some souvenirs like moose sausage and knitted hats, and also some fish soup (cheap and delicious). Then we spent time with the Bergen city government and listened to their plans to turn Bergen into a carbon-neutral city by 2050. With the introduction of a larger light-speed rail system and more public buses, they hope to consolidate growth and make public transit the more viable option to cars.

While it was ambitious, I didn't come away impressed, and perhaps that's because we had just spent two weeks in forward-thinking Copenhagen. Also, it made me respect the Philadelphia Greenworks plan set forth by Mayor Nutter. For the first time I missed and respected what we're doing in Philadelphia. No city is perfect, but great things are happening here. I guess it was the perfect last meeting we had on this trip as I started daydreaming half-way through about things I want to do here - building my network, affordable housing, community enhancements… With all of this in mind, I had plenty to think about for my trip home.

I probably missed many details - so next time you see me, strike up a conversation. Next I'll post less about me and more about some things that I've re-thought since this experience.

Copenhagen Study Abroad Recap

2010-07-08T12:05:00.001-04:00

I just returned from the DIS (Danish Institute for Study Abroad) Summer 2 Session after a very intense 3 weeks of classes and cultural immersion. I want to summarize up everything that happened, but I feel that anything I could squeeze into one post won't do it justice. Instead, I'll give a rundown of the events and activities, and then later go into some events in depth.

I flew put of Philadelphia the night of June 11th and arrived Saturday around noon in Copenhagen. The flight seemed to take forever because of both my excitement and uncertainty, also it was an 8 hour flight… Upon arriving, I met a few other students and we took a bus to the heart of Copenhagen where DIS is located. Picked up a temporary cell phone and public transit pass and then was shuttled to my living arrangements. My apartment was a small efficiency in Keops Kollegium, north of the city by a 10 minute bus ride. We had a pizza social and I met a few of the people living near me. The rest of the evening was spent settling in and getting internet hooked up.

Sunday morning I got up early to go for a run (only one of the trip) to explore the neighborhood. Some early observations that were reinforced as the trip went on:

It's a bicyclers paradise, with dedicated lanes and plenty of service and sales shops. Streets are lined with bikes of all types, whereas in Philadelphia you rarely see them outside for fear of getting vandalized or stolen
Everything is quieter in the morning. At first I thought this was just because this was a Sunday morning, but rush hour isn't until about 8:30 - 9:30. When I say rush hour, I mean packed buses and roads clogged with bikers.
Small cars everywhere. I have always been drawn to smaller cars, and seeing all kinds of offerings that we don't get in the US makes me jealous. Compact cars from Citroën, Peugeot, Ford, and BMW were the most common. Most all are turbo-diesel, something that Americans are demanding but have been challenged by emissions restrictions.
Social trust. Maybe it was the way I saw bikes and valuables outside, or the way the city seemed cleaner, or just how courteous and friendly all the locals were. Copenhagen citizens pride themselves on being polite and trustworthy, and it shows.

Later in the morning there was an introduction ceremony. A speaker talked about Danish culture and how it has been transformed over the years into the passive, content, and friendly society it is today. Caught a cool lunch with some students down by the canal, and then made our way back for the group trip to Esrum Abbey. There, we spent the afternoon doing field events such as archery and sword fighting, and followed it up by trying the beers that they make. After that, we had a DIS social back in town where they treated us to hotdogs and beer.

Class started on Monday, the course was entitled Sustainable Technology and Culture: Energy and Responses to Climate Change. There are about 20 students in the class, and 7 of us are from the PhilaU MSSD program (Rudy, Sharon, Toby, Carrie, Laura, Karen, and myself) The other students are mostly undergrad students studying everything from Environmental Policy, to Urban Development, to Geology. The class was structured so that in the mornings we would have class/lecture for about two hours, then take a break for lunch, then go to field studies in the afternoons to clean-tech companies and institutions. The professor, Nils Thorsen is a senior manager in Ernst & Young and responsible for Environment and Sustainability Services in Denmark.

Field Studies:

Hyldespjældet - Development in Albertslund, Denmark - The neighbourhood of Hyldespjældet consists of some 390 mainly small flats in 1 to 3 story concrete blocks, belonging to a public housing association. In the eighties, it was a “problem” neighbourhood, but now it is a safe and desirable place to live. The many green activities in Hyldespjældet have had profound effects not merely for the physical environment, but also socially. A large proportion of the inhabitants take active part in one or more activities, getting to know each other in the special way that people do through shared work for a common purpose. This has contributed to making Hyldespjældet an attractive place to live.
The National Art Gallery Of Denmark - Biospheres Exhibit - Biospheres can be seen as models representing his vision for alternative types of social spaces and habitats. Taking a metaphorical, poetic approach to serious subjects such as the overpopulation of Earth, environmental issues, and migration, Tomas Saraceno seeks to create a new relation between culture and nature. This exhibit was part of the larger one called RETHINK Contemporary & Climate Change that took place during the COP15.
Rockwool - The Rockwool Group is the world's leading producer of stone wool - a material that improves the quality of life for millions of people and helps to alleviate environmental problems, such as the greenhouse effect, smog and acid rain. Rockwool insulation gives us pleasant indoor environments by keeping out the freezing cold. In hot climates, stone wool helps to keep indoor temperatures comfortably cool.
Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (The Danish Society for Nature Conservation) - The largest nature conservation and environmental organization in Denmark. For nearly a century, the Danish Society for Nature Conservation has worked to preserve nature in Denmark and to ensure people's access to our natural surroundings. This has resulted in a unique line of preserved landscapes, views and habitats for animals and plants for us to experience and enjoy in the future.
Risø DTU, National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy - Risø DTU is one of Europe's leading research laboratories in sustainable energy and is a significant player in nuclear technologies. Risø creates pioneering research results and contributes actively to their exploitation, both in close dialogue with the wider society. Check out their 2009 Annual Report here.

The course packed a deluge of information to digest, I'm still going through my notes and files that I brought back. I also interviewed a clean-tech company, Liqtech. They manufacture Diesel Particulate Filters for large truck applications. I'd like to touch on that in depth as well in the future.

After the two weeks of class, we took a 4-day study tour to Norway. I'll recap that next

DVGBC Emerging Professionals Committee Earth Day of Service At the Paul Robeson House

2010-05-25T10:17:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, April 24 DVGBC's first-ever Earth Day of Service took place. With the help of Hanson General Contracting and volunteers from the Emerging Professionals Committee, we had a great day working to restore some elements of the Paul Robeson House at 50th and Walnut in West Philadelphia.

The idea came from Hanson General Contracting, their experience in helping New Orleans prompted them to want to do similar work here in Philadelphia. In their words:

The idea for this project came after one of our members from Hanson General Contracting participated in an event to make sustainable improvements to historic houses in parts of New Orleans devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita; we realized that we don't have to travel to New Orleans to make historic houses more sustainable when we're surrounded by them here in Philadelphia. We teamed up with the Robeson House and West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance because their work to provide access to the arts for the citizens of West Philadelphia, market and support the development of local artists, and serve as an advocate for the power of the arts to promote social change and economic development is in concert with the goals of DVGBC's strategic plan.

Work for the day included some obvious sustainable initiatives, like replacing light bulbs and plumbing fixtures to reduce resource consumption, as well as some not-so-obvious ones, like installing an insulated roof hatch to permit easy repair of the roof in the future, reducing the number of leaks and the associated materials needed to repair them, an installing rain barrels for storage and landscaping use. All work was done in consultation with the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia to ensure that we made only historically appropriate repairs to this building where Paul Robeson, scholar, athlete, performer and human rights activist, lived in the final years of his life.

The DVGBC posted photos from the event on Facebook, I'm copying over a few here:

Good Read: Top 10 tips to flourish in the current economic climate

2010-05-17T12:26:00.003-04:00

A recently discovered, and now new favorite design blog is that of BUILD LLC. While reading some of their past posts, I came across their Top 10 tips for not only staying alive but attempting to flourish in the current economic climate. This is worth sharing, so here's the list:

1. Diversify: and we’re not talking about doing hand renderings in addition to being a CAD monkey. We’re speaking of real diversity; learn how to engineer a simple wood structure, sign up for a welding class, take on some construction management. The age of specificity and spending every day comfortably designing a certain type of project is over. We’ve learned enough engineering over the years to do a structural package for simple projects and remodels. It’s rewarding, brings the engineering cost down a bit for clients, and puts more work on our plates. We’ve also taken on our own finished photography and we’re never going back.

2. Get Scrappy: get your hands dirty, make something. There is always a market for sensible, useful products. In our case we opened a cabinet shop and we’re in the process of designing and manufacturing a pre-fab re-usable Christmas tree for the next holiday season.

3. Get humble: we don’t particularly care where you got your degree from and what your masters thesis was about. In the new economy, if you can’t do something useful then you won’t be needed. Each of us here at BUILD (partners included) have put in some elbow grease at the SPD shop refreshing and upgrading our knowledge of craft and putting quality together, physically. This includes sanding, sweeping floors and making dump runs too.

4. Time is always valuable: the extra time you have now is not “free-time”, it’s a valuable commodity to be spent in different places like marketing, networking and blogging. We’ve made time to rework the BUILD website and have established a design blog full of valuable content.

5. Become part of the new social network: if you’re not running a blog you need to become part of one. Tribes are being formed in the digital realm based on beliefs, philosophies and the trading of significant information; it’s also where the important conversations are happening. These tribes are banding together, promoting each other and helping each other tackle things like a tough economy. All it takes is seeking out some blogs that speak to you, following along and getting involved in the discussion – so hit that comments button. Most magazines are slow, static and have politically correct agendas to abide by; the blogging world is fast, fluid and can be brutally honest.

6. Eject the distractions like a virus: what you spend your time and effort on is more important than ever. Down economies are victim to marketing seminars, round-table lunch discussions and walk-in-without-an-appointment cold callers. Entire industries are set up to take advantage of the fact that you’ve got more “free-time” than before (refer to #4). If they are not directly and substantially useful, eject them. God help the unfortunate sales people that walk into our office with their optimistic smiles and binders full of irrelevant things.

7. Re-appropriate your skills: take all the skills you’ve accumulated and find new avenues for them. One of our previous diversifications was developing our own projects. Given the lack of financing available, we’re pointing our property development expertise to start up new ventures outside of, but supplementary to, architecture. We’re currently in the development stages of some secret projects that we’ll release in a future blog post.

8. Get (stay) small: wear more hats and push your team to take on a wider spectrum of responsibilities and skill-sets. We’ve been a team of 4 for years now and we plan on staying lean. We’re each wearing so many hats these days that there’s hardly reason to add to our team, at the same time each team member is critical to the overall operation. At the project level, revisit previous clients to see what limited services you can provide. The risk of small projects is diminished when you perform them for highly trusted clients.

9. Sharpen the focus: it seems that there is more of a lackadaisical cultural shift we’re mired in currently. Our economy and our industry have been kicked squarely in the _____ (pick your favorite colorful term) and it seems like we’re more easily distracted than ever. As a profession, we’re sliding deeper into procrastination. Recognize this ‘slide’ into distraction and reset the focus. Make sure you do at least 5 important things a day. Just being busy is unacceptable; taking worthwhile and seemingly ‘hard’ steps to progress is all that matters.

10. Keep working hard: it’s important to be intentional and deliberate even if you’re not billing. There’s still an enormous amount of work to do, it’s just in a different arena now. One of preparation for work you’ll get later.

The recurring theme here is staying focused and get your hands dirty. I've had a hard time putting structure on how to keep myself moving in the right direction and a list like this is nice to read over to remember how to stay on track.

High Hopes For Marcellus Shale Drilling

2010-05-05T12:34:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago I took a trip home to Renovo. Located in central PA, Renovo is at the epicenter of the Marcellus Shale drilling. There seems to be a lot of optimism and hope surrounding the drilling and it's promises of jobs and economic growth. I can understand- I remember when I was younger, there was a rail repair industry as well as more restaurants and shops. Sadly, most of that is gone now. I've moved away with most of other college-educated friends. Small towns like this seem to be headed in the wrong direction though time.

So with the influx of business and money the drilling could possibly provide, communities like Renovo seem a bit starry-eyed about the benefits. This may encourage some decision-makers to overlook the risks associated with drilling in your own backyard. I previously touched upon this in my position paper, but let's drill further into this discussion.

From DEP Marcellus Shale FAQ

What is Marcellus Shale and why the sudden interest in it?
The Marcellus Shale is a rock formation that underlies much of Pennsylvania and portions of New York and West Virginia at a depth of 5,000 to 8,000 feet and is believed to hold trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. This formation has long been considered prohibitively expensive to access but recent advances in drilling technology and rising natural gas prices have attracted new interest in this previously untapped formation. The geology of the Marcellus formation suggests that areas in the northcentral and northeastern regions of Pennsylvania that have not traditionally seen much gas well drilling might be especially productive.

How is Marcellus Shale different from other natural gas extraction?
Extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation requires horizontal drilling and a process known as ‘hydraulic fracturing’ that uses far greater amounts of water than traditional natural gas exploration. Drillers pump large amounts of water mixed with sand and other proponents into the shale formation under high pressure to fracture the shale around the well, which allows the natural gas to flow freely. Once the hydraulic fracturing process is completed, the used water, often referred to as “frac fluid,” must be treated to remove chemicals and minerals.

Water Contamination is a huge risk to the surrounding communities.

From Duane Morris:

"…Two principal concerns about groundwater contamination have been expressed. The first is that the fracing process itself will cause fracing fluids and/or natural gas to contaminate drinking water aquifers. The second is that fracing fluid mismanagement or other aboveground activities at the drilling site could result in surface spills or other events that in turn will cause groundwater or surface water contamination."

Overlooking how this could affect the nearby communities would be ignorant. Cleanup could cost in the millions of dollars, and often the drilling companies are not held responsible. When they are, often the lawsuits can take years to settle. I'm hoping that for the sake of friends and family back home, the right steps are taken and no decisions are rushed, all in order to give a shot of adrenaline to a small town.

SDN603 Sustainable Systems Projects

2010-04-22T10:32:00.024-04:00

It seems appropriate that the first time I've had time to post about my projects for this class are a few hours after I completed my final project. That's just an idea of how demanding the coursework has been. Anyhow, my SDN603 Sustainable Systems Class, taught by two engineers, Shannon and Rob and from In-Posse, has been very intense. The course load has been an in-depth review of mechanical, water, electrical, and HVAC systems - How they integrate into a well-designed building, and how to make efficient improvements. It's a deluge of information, but I love the class. It's definitely the most valuable one thus far in the MSSD program. Here's a rundown of the things we've covered:

Case Studies
Daylighting
eQuest Energy Modeling (HVAC Analysis)
Sizing A Photovoltaic System
Water Budgets and Rainwater Harvesting
Final Design Project

Read on to learn about each of these in depth.

1. Case Studies
We kicked off the semester by doing individual case studies from past AIA top ten green projects list. I was assigned the Chartwell School in Seaside, CA. From AIA: "The shared vision for the new Chartwell School campus was to create an exceptional, high-performance learning environment for children with learning differences, including dyslexia."
Read my case study here

2. Daylighting

Working with a partner in class, we used shoeboxes to demonstrate successful daylighting strategies. The goal was to design a quality daylight strategy for a room that will allow the space to used all day light with minimal electric lighting. You can find the min and max sun angles over the course of the year via Ecotect's Solar tool. We modeled different options in Sketchup, ran scenarios, and then converted these into a physical shoebox model. Then the class use the Heliodon in the studio to test the models.

3. eQuest Energy Modeling (HVAC Analysis)
Coming soon

4. Sizing A Photovoltaic System
From assignment: The Camden Friends Community is planning to build another new building. Inspired by the results of their most recent building, they would like to install a photovoltaic system in order to try to minimize their dependence on the electric grid. We were given parameters of the building and then had to determine the energy usage.

You can determine the number of panels needed with this calculation:

# of panels = Total kWh x 1000/ (Panel wattage x Daily Peak Sun Hours x 365 days per year x system losses)

5. Water Budgets and Rainwater Harvesting

Using the water use guidelines in the LEED-BD+C Reference Manual, the assignment asked us to calculate the LEED baseline water budget for a sample project, then calculate a design case
water budget and determine the percentage of water savings. Take a look at my water budget calculations

6. Final Design Project

For our final design project, we were paired into teams, then had to utilize our understanding of site, program and climatic issues and challenges to develop a new project on a new site. My partner and I were given a Continuing Care Retirement Home Facility in Buffalo, NY.

Our design had to address Climate of the building location, Site constraints, Architectural response, Passive HVAC, Active HVAC, Daylighting, Electric lighting, Water usage, and Occupant behavior. Additionally, we did calculations in eQuest on the design with EEM improvements, sizing a Grey-water system, and amount of renewable energy that is possible to generate. You can view my presentation here.

Is Sustainable Architecture Growing Too Fast?

2010-04-09T11:35:00.004-04:00

If you're reading this, you're probably like me and sing praises for everything that is green and efficient. Think about the products that are new or still evolving in the green revolution; rainwater storage, photovoltaic systems, solar hot water heaters, wind and hydro power, intensive and extensive green roofs, organic insulation, to name a few… It's a transforming market where a lot of products are being introduced to help obtain levels of accreditation, be it LEED, EnergyStar, or any of the other standard. An interesting article forwarded to me from the Insurance Journal, highlights some of the concerns about construction defects from these products. Given that this is written from the perspective of the insurance industry, anything that strays from the norm is considered a liability, so take with a grain of salt. An interesting quote:

"While green buildings have many positive benefits, there is also strong evidence surfacing to suggest a direct correlation between new products and innovative design with building failures," says Paul Roecker, an attorney with Orlando, Fla.-based Roetzel & Andress, who focuses his practice on environmental litigation.

I'm sure many of us have never thought of the green homes and buildings as a liability, but they are. The truth is that many contractors, builders, and architects still don't fully understand the systems that are being installed and how to properly maintain them. It's an interesting thought. As we try and create homes that stray from simplicity, inducing complicated HVAC and electrical systems, water management, and synthetic insulation, we are stepping into a relatively untested world.

Still, I firmly believe that these flaws in green buildings need to exist to continue to move the industry forward. Just like any emerging technology, you want to get them to market quickly and safely, but to address and improve upon any defects as quickly as possible. With so many incentives to implement green features into buildings, people are taking advantage and buying whatever is on the market, so reliability of these products need to improve. Therefore, it's no surprise that insurers are coming up with green insurance coverage options.

I'm now a LEED Green Associate (!)

2010-03-25T14:00:00.010-04:00

I have been studying for the LEED Green Associate Exam for a few weeks. I took it this past Saturday morning and passed! I'm really excited as this helps validate myself within the field and is a stepping stone that I've been looking to achieve. The exam itself lasts up to two hours, but took about half of that. The questions were a bit tricky, as all tests like this seem to be. If you're looking to take this exam, make sure you study from multiple sources, as the USGBC study guide left out some of the basic questions. The exam is administered by the GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute) for professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice.

So now I can to use this logo with my name or on business cards. The LEED Green Associate credential denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations. After this, I'm now able to seek certification as a LEED AP+ specialty.

Copenhagen Study Abroad for 3 weeks

2010-03-18T20:01:00.004-04:00

Whoa! An opportunity presented itself within the MSSD program to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark for a three-week summer semester. There are two summer sessions and I applied to and will be participating in the second summer session from June 11th through July 2. The course is entitled "Sustainable Technology and Culture: Energy and Responses to Climate Change" and the description reads:

The course is a study of the link between technology and culture in the creation and maintenance of a sustainable environment – ecologically as well as socially. Environmental best practice, sustainable environmental and social policy, environmental/green technologies and their dissemination. Visits will focus on the Danish energy industry, “clean tech” companies as well as relevant research centers.

It's a two week course followed up by a one week study tour to Oslo, Norway where we'll learn how modern communities are using energy efficient technology to reduce human impact on the environment, also tour some factories. I'm seeing this as an opportunity I couldn't pass on. Yeah it's going to cost me a bit of money, but I think the real value will be in the experience. I'm looking forward to updating the events from abroad.

Potential on Fleming St. In Manayunk

2010-03-09T11:22:00.005-05:00

I'm getting the itch to buy a home. I've been keeping a lookout for affordable properties that meet this criteria:

are close to the train and bus lines
walkable neighborhood (restaurants, bars, parks all within a 15 minute walk)
hidden value in fixing up
have renting potential for long-term holding

Thus far, the two properties I've profiled here have these attributes, yet both haven't been right for me in one way or another. One had almost no space, and one was biting off more than I could chew.

And now, a property in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia has caught my eye. This property, located at 4353 Fleming St might just be in the sweet-spot. It's a short sale that has been on the market for a while and I've watched the price drop to a point where I think it's now affordable at 139k. It's 1000 sqft, with street parking and a small backyard space. Again, I had my agent Matt Mittman walk me through the property this past weekend, and the layout is very nice. Smaller than advertised, as it's realistically only a 2 bed 1 bath property. Someone was living in the basement in a makeshift bedroom and bath, both of which are of no value. Kitchen and Bath rooms both need compete renovations, and the electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems need to be looked at by an inspector and most likely replaced. That said, if the work costs what I have rough estimated, then this house could be very financially reasonable. I'll upload photos and more information shortly.

On a side note, I'm going to a lender next Monday to get pre-approved and to learn more about HUD 203k loan options. I'm trying to get in before the first-time home buyer's credit expires, but with it taking a while for things to fall in place with my income and credit rating, now is as soon as this has been possible for me. Also, short-sales often take longer to settle, so we'll see.

DVGBC Website Redesign Concepts

2010-02-16T11:25:00.004-05:00

Getting involved with the Philadelphia DVGBC network through the Student Design Competition committee and the EGB (Emerging Green Builders), it was only a matter of time until this happened. Being so involved with everything else, I've been trying to avoid it at all costs.

From the onset, I've noticed that the DVGBC website was poorly designed. The branding, color palette and everything has been successfully and professionally established by BarberGale, but the website is a separate beast. Visually it has the branding nailed down, but programmatically, it appears to be an off-the-shelf blogging CMS, and it is now restricting the growth of the site. Recently, the DVGBC has made comments that they are looking to revamp it by putting a team together to address the issues.

The DVGBC Marketing committee has created a Website Redesign sub-committee. Now this is just getting ridiculous, committees within committees, that's like a Turducken! I know, and you know what have I done? Yes - I have gladly stepped up and am now a member of the team, creating mockups for the page layouts and offering technical advice… To tell you the truth I feel this is probably my best fit within the organization because of my background. I'm not quite ready to leave it all behind.

Here is the design I came up with for the Homepage layout after extensive and organized feedback from the rest of the team. It's the first of dozens of pages that need to have their structure addressed, and hopefully this will get us started on the right foot.

Spring Classes Moving Ahead

2010-02-04T11:42:00.004-05:00

The spring semester is already 4 weeks in, and I haven't had any free time to explain what they've been about. Both classes started out with the idea of human comfort and what we need to do to create comfortable living spaces while building them as a efficient and sustainable as possible. Thankfully they are now both of my classes are diverging, with the one class being more of a lab/project creation, and the other is more of an engineering/research course.

One thing that's becoming apparent is my lack of specialty within the program. I've thought of myself as a visual designer with a great knowledge practical construction methods. However, I'm discovering that every one of my skills are trumped in one way or another by a number of peers and it's quite discouraging. There are Architects and Interior designers who can imagine a space better than I could, as well as common knowledge as to how things should be designed. Then there are those with construction management and development backgrounds that far exceed the skills I've accumulated. It's a little discouraging, but also it's forcing me to try exceptionally hard to catch up and get a better understanding of the material. Things have already drastically changed within one year, I'm excited to see what can happen in the next.

Student Design Competition Poster

2010-01-26T11:26:00.002-05:00

Early in January, my involvement with the DVGBC Student Design Competition Comittee led me to design a poster for this years contest with another graphic designer from WRT Design, Anna. Collaborating with her, we came up with this poster for the year's competition. I can't take much credit, most of my designs were discarded and she only used elements of mine in the final layout. The challenge is to design a sustainable bicycle transit center. You can see the program summary here.

One thing that was interesting about this was the design process itself. The DVGBC is still an emerging company and brand, which led to challenges obtaining fonts and proper guidelines. For the most part, the DVGBC design style is very clean and conservative, with light colors and subtle gradients with the use of light floral overlays. We are targeting young architectural and engineering students so we wanted to help our poster stand out as well as be in line with the DVGBC brand.

Reflections on 2009. Outlook for 2010

2010-01-03T01:38:00.014-05:00

2009 has flown by. Here's what has happened:

Renovated a 3500 sq ft property for a hookah bar/coffee shop in the heart of Lancaster, PA with friend and owner of the Pillar Lounge, Ralph.
Focused my long-term goals by applying to the M.S. Sustainable Design program at Philadelphia University. Got accepted and now have a semester completed already. Getting to know a handful of great designers, builders, and architects in the Philadelphia region.
Joined the DVGBC and am now involved in two committee chapters; Emerging Green Builders (EMB) and the Student Design Competition (SDC).
Bought a beater Ford Ranger pickup truck as a second vehicle. No car payments!
Improved my credit score to over 700 and met with a few different Realtors about local investment properties in Conshohocken.
My little brother Andy was married to his awesome wife Sarah in August, and I was fortunate enough to be the best man. Also attended about 5 other friends and family weddings.

Now what does this year have in store? There a few things I'd really like to do and see.

Study abroad in Copenhagen in June for the MSSD program. It's a 3 week intensive course, plus a few extra days to see the city.
Complete and see through permit issues at Lancaster property so it can open.
Visit Austin, TX again and try and bring some more friends along. Will avoid breaking my leg this time.
Visit Chicago, IL in December for my little sister Vicki's wedding to Tim. Will try and do a few stops from Man v. Food while I'm there.
Get my LEED Green Associate certification this spring. Then prep for LEED with a specialty.

What are your plans for 2010? Share them here.

Fixer on East Hector in Conshohocken

2010-01-02T19:49:00.008-05:00

Always keeping an eye out for my first investment property, I saw a new opening in Conshohocken for a large brick home at 240 East Hector St priced at $159,000. Contacted local real estate agent Matt Mittman of Mittman+Rehling ReMax to get a showing for Saturday, Jan 2nd.
A few interesting things about this property: First, the lot is exceptionally wide at 60', which includes the house and the vacant lot to the left as well. The house is a good size at 2000sqft. The house has been on and off the market over the past few years, and since last being listed in Dec 8th 2009, it's fallen 40k from it's original asking price or 199k in just the past month. The owner is an asset management company, so it's probably a REO or foreclosure of some sort and they're desperately looking to unload it. The interior of the house needs a complete rehab. I estimate the ARV (after repaired value) of this home to be around 250k based on neighboring home sales. New windows, drywall, bathroom, kitchen, electrical, etc...One can easily see spending 70k on this place, so as it stands, not such a great deal. If it could be had for 140k however, it's much more appealing.

Unfortunately, this probably will be nothing more than an exercise in real estate education. The current asking price, while fair, is still above my range of what I can afford. If I had a proven team or company in place I would hop on this opportunity, however I think I'll have to let this one slide.

-- Update --
This property sold on 2/11/10 for $130,000 and is currently under renovation.

Position Paper on Sustainability

2009-12-17T10:56:00.004-05:00

Our final assignment for the 601 Green Methodologies course was to write a 10+ page position paper on sustainability. This was very open ended, but had to include what sustainability means to me. I chose to write about my hometown, Renovo, and the possibilities of building green in rural areas as opposed to urban centers.

I was able to get a good interview with David La Fontaine, Program Director at Community Ventures. They are a non-profit developer in in Philadelphia, working mainly on revitalization and development projects. He talked about their mission to partner with neighborhood organizations to best focus their efforts, how they operate, where they find financial assistance, and what it's like working with builders and architects.

Then I outlined a project proposal for a vacant lot in Renovo, did some quick designs for modest single-bedroom homes, and considered all of the materials and costs to build. The goal was to minimize building costs through simpler methods and efficient materials. After a pricing breakdown, I came to the conclusion that some form of assistance or subsidy is necessary to provide these at the price that they could sell at.

This was both fun and challenging paper, so if you have the time, give it a read and let me know what you think. Download paper

Custom Concrete Counters: A Learning Process

2009-11-19T21:58:00.027-05:00

I promised a detailed wrap-up of the custom concrete counters I created for the lounge in Lancaster. The plan was to create custom concrete counters for the cafe area, where we can use one as a sales and service area, and the counter across the wall will act as the work area. Our overall budget for this was very tight, around $3500 for materials and my labor. Lastly, this was my first time doing anything like this, so I figured let's just go to town on it and learn as we go (it's more fun that way).

Step 1. Drawing and Layout
We knew what we wanted, but had no idea of the size relative to the room. We started by outlining the work area in painter's tape on the newly installed hardwood floor (see earlier posts). After seeing how the space worked, I attacked Google SketchUp and came up with a concept for it.

Step 2. Build Basic Structure of Counters
OK, my amateur rendering looked great! Or so we thought...Turns out, the scale was way off. Anyhow, I figured I'd just start building it because I can visualise things much better when I'm making them (duh!). Head to Lowes and picked up our basic materials:

2 sheets OSB for the top and bottom frames
Around twenty or so 8' 2"x3" boards
4 sheets nicer Ply Sheathing, for the face of the cabinets where they'll get abused
Misc. multi-purpose drywall screws
around 15 8' 1"x4" (Why you ask? Concrete tray...You'll see)

Since I don't know how to build counters and I do know how to frame a house, that's just what I did. I wanted to make these strong enough to support the concrete tops. 16" centers and one thing leads to another and here's what the frames look like:

One thing that turned out to be a challenge was building the concrete tray/lip for around the edges (with the 1"x4"!). I wanted the concrete to completely wrap around the top OSB board, and hand around the lip so that it looked like a floating slab. With around 3" on the edges, the concrete would be just over 2" everywhere else. Notice the cool recessed area for where we plan to put a cash register? This way we can bolt it down and it will be accessible yet hidden. Also, we had to caulk all of the inside of the concrete tray to account for any wet concrete slurry that might come through.

Step 3. Pouring the Concrete Tops
Now we have our forms in place. If you're going to do something like this I would suggest making them where they will stay permanently. After we add the concrete to the tops, they get extremely heavy and you'll need a team to move one. We went back to Lowes and got:

Chicken wire (small scale mesh rebar)
2' Rebar sections to place in high-stress sections (corners and overhangs)
A few bags of Fiber-reinforced concrete mix.
A few bags of finer-finish concrete

Below you can see us adding the wire, and then adding the fiber-reinforced concrete. This was built up in the centers and below the mesh. The fiber is more resistant to cracking, but it doesn't finish as smoothly as the other concrete. Thus the two types. We molded the fiber-cement to stay away from all of the edges, where we filled with the other.

You'll want to screed the excess concrete with a straight piece of wood. Then, Because I wanted a smooth surface along the face of the concrete, I used a vibrator to push out the air bubbles. I didn't have a professional concrete vibrator, but being resourceful, a blade-less sawzall will do the trick.

Let this sit for around 2 or 3 hours, then finish with a steel float. Cover, and let cure for 36-48 hours. Once the concrete has cured, you can CAREFULLY remove the forms around the lip, and voila!

Step 4. Wet Grinding Our Way To A Beautiful Finish
The counters are not done, oh not by a long shot. They currently feel like a sidewalk or other finished concrete surface. But what we're going for here is a countertop (a safe and sanitary one at that and it needs to be able to be cleaned). So, this is where the craziest step in the whole process lies: the wet grinder. What is a wet grinder? It's a grinder like you're used to, but with a hose that allows water to flow through the middle of the wheel for cooling of the diamond pads that we're using. If you go to do this, know that it will be VERY wet. We covered the floors and walls with tarps to protect them, but we had no idea how long this would take or how much water would be used. Let's just say, over the course of 4 hours, using varying degrees of wet grinder pads, we dumped the equivalent of a 55-gallon drum of water on the project. That's a lot of cleanup! Unfortunately, this was so messy I didn't get the camera out much. Here's the photos, notice the glassy reflective surface:

Step 5. Not Done Yet! Seal and Wax
Sadly, this is the one area that I wish I could do again. As the counters dried after the wet grinding, we realized they returned to their light gray color. There are mulitple ways recommended on how to seal the concrete counters for use. The options are usually between using an epoxy clear-coat sealer or a water-based sealer. We chose the water-based sealer because it was (a) cheaper, and (b) less-toxic and would dry much quicker. After application however, it never gave us that wet glassy look like above. It was more of a damp, semi-reflective look. Oh well.

Once that dried over a few days, we then applied the last step: Wax Polish. We ordered CHENG Concrete Wax and applied as directed with a buffer. This was a bit tricky, but once it was buffed out, we got more of that reflective, glassy-smooth result we were looking for.

Step 5. Now Finish The Rest Of The Counter
Now that our concrete counter top is complete, I built the rest of the units. One unique thing we added was custom lighting to the front of the counters to mimic the lighting already in the cafe. A bit of paint, trim around the edges, and we can call this a finished project!

If you have any questions or comments, I'd love the hear them! This was a fun project and I hope this will help you if you ever want to build you own cheap and durable concrete counters.

Getting Involved: EGB and the DVGBC

2009-11-17T09:41:00.003-05:00

Highly encouraged by my peers in the MSSD program, I recently joined the DVGBC to get a bit more involved in the events in the area, specifically the Emerging Green Builders Committee (EGB). The Delaware Valley Green Building Council's mission (DVGBC) "is to transform the Delaware Valley through sustainable and environmentally responsible planning, design, construction and operation of the region’s buildings, landscapes, cities and communities, mindful of the legacy left for future generations."

This should lead to more local involvement on my part, more connections within the industry, better knowledge of events, and hopefully some better blog material. The Green Home Tour I attended this spring was put on by the DVGBC.

If you'd like to get involved, Visit the DVGBC to sign up

Don't Forget Embodied Energy

2009-11-17T09:07:00.003-05:00

How often are you told about sustainably harvested bamboo or other flooring or other materials from across the globe that ends up in local buildings. While those products are usually great products, the energy expended to bring them into your house probably greatly offset the benefits of using it. Or how about the everyday common sense decisions we make that we think are better for the environment, do we actually know how much energy is used to create these? By quantifying the products in our lives through their Embodied Energy, we are able to compare products on a level field.

Let's back up a step here. Embodied energy is the sum of the energy that was used in the work of making a product over it's complete life cycle. This sum includes the energy used for raw material extraction, transport, production and assembly, installation, deconstruction and disposal. This sum can be quantified, and them compared across products. Doing so if a bit of a challenge for an everyday consumer, but just being aware that a thing can be done should open your eyes and let you question things a bit more.

Why should you be concerned? This is a great factor in determining if a product or service truly is green. While you may have thought that your new bamboo floors are green because they were advertised that way, the material is actually very hard to process. The energy expended to create those floors overshadow the end product. Local, privately owned forests can often produce a high-quality product, and deliver it with less energy and comparable cost.

So here's a simple question: Which is better for environment? A Ceramic cup/mug, a Paper cup, or a Styrofoam cup?
At first glance, many of us in my Green Materials class assumed a ceramic mug would be the best product. But it gets more difficult when we start crunching the numbers on each products estimated life cycle analysis. We took cost to make, cost to re-use, energy per usage. The results are that it depends on the usage. To be more efficient than a paper cup, you must use your ceramic cup at least 39 times. To be more efficient than a Styrofoam cup, you must use your ceramic cup at least 1,006 times! That's once every day at work for 4 years!

How long have you had your mug? What else in our lives do we easily overlook?

Can Good Design Change A Community?

2009-10-22T23:58:00.013-04:00

I've been wondering if it is possible to change a community through design alone.

Imagine small town USA, not ripe with development, or even an economically depressed area with high drug, crime, and unemployment rates. There are issues with kids dropping out of school, vandalism, theft. People dream of getting out. There isn't much of a sense of pride shared by the community. Sound like anywhere you know of?

Is it possible to make these people feel differently about their community through the addition of strategically placed, well-designed, sustainable homes and buildings?

Can you lower drug, crime, and unemployment rates?

Can you instill a sense of pride that transcends the immediate buildings and into the community?

I had a conversation with my professor about this and I'm going to make this the core of my semester thesis. I think the answer is Yes, and that this will be very exciting to study and experiment with. This idea must be proven true for sustainable design to catch on to be more than a niche market. Sustainable design means so much more than being green or efficient, it should improve how people feel and interact with their environment and with each other. It may sound like an idealistic hippie trip, but I think this can be proven and argued. I'll be gathering the data and be posting what I find.

Modular Construction is Essential for a Sustainable Future

2009-10-16T14:20:00.012-04:00

A discussion panel entitled What’s Next in Green Design: Factory Built Architecture hosted at the Build Green Conference looked at the current state of modular construction from the perspective of three separate industry professionals; Pat McDonald from the Onion Flats, Scott Kelly from Re:Vision Architecture, and Rick Terry from Pennsylvania College of Technology. What was interesting about this panel was the three different visions these men have for the future. Download discussion as mp3

Pat McDonald's Onion Flats focuses on the rectangular cell and maximizes it for an urban, flexible building. His projects are about as modern and efficient as we've seen, and their price-tags easily top 500k.
Download presentation

Scott from Re:Vision focuses on the design and thought process, finding the perfect solution for each project. He says each project is unique and will have unique solutions. I couldn't agree more. I was able to walk through his Bancroft Green project earlier this year, and the building lot posed a lot of challenges.
Download presentation

Finally, Rick Terry has long been a Director of Factory Built Housing, and argues that efficient production lines can create great homes. These are standard fiberglass insulation and stick built assembly. Rick's modulars are usually single family, single story homes. He was taking a beating in the urban modular conversation, but I have to stand up for him: The product he's delivering for rural Pennsylvania is perfect for the market because costs are lower and land ownership is plentiful.
Download presentation

Of course modular construction has many benefits over conventional site-built structures. Building modular on assembly lines or off site brings these benefits:

Waste reduction up to 90% compared to site-built
Increased product delivery time, sometimes out the door in as little as 2 weeks
Controlled environment prevents moisture
Cost savings through centralized production lines
Reduction in carbon footprint - less travel and wasted energy
Higher quality control

I hope to learn more about modular over the course of this program, hopefully getting a chance to talk further with Onion Flats and Re:Vision Architecture. These are progressive projects that are creating better housing options. Having a higher quality of housing (not always more $) creates a sense of well-being, leads to social equity, and builds strong communities. This should convince anyone who hasn't looked into modular to at least consider it for their next project.
PowerPoint presentations were copied from the Build Green website.

Social at 100k House

2009-10-04T11:44:00.002-04:00

Two MSSD students who bought the 100k house had a back-to-school/housewarming jam at their place last night. The 100k house by Postgreen over in the E. Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia is a really cool project I've been following for almost a year. From their site:

100k house is slated to be the first LEED Platinum, single-family home in Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania. Postgreen is also investigating the possibility of the 100K House as being the most affordable LEED Platinum home ever built in the world.

Having Avery and Claire invite everyone over was a great opportunity to see the project first hand, and get to know some of the other students. I wasn't able to show up until late because ofthe Phillies game, around 9pm, and at that point the party was in full-swing.

The house what I expected, but maybe a little more rough around the edges than I pictured. You can see that it's still a work in progress for the developer as they had quality control issues with things like drywall finishing, and a lot of the standard fine finishing were omitted to make the home affordable, which I think most of us would be perfectly fine with. It is really great to see what it's like to live in one of these modern green homes, with a few friends over to see how the space and flow of the house comes together.

One of the interesting networking opportunities that was new to me is Green Drinks. A few of the students frequent the event and have made some pretty good connections from it. I'll definitely try to add it to my schedule.

Will Web Design Skills Transfer?

2009-09-20T21:06:00.001-04:00

Thinking about my abilities within the sustainable design profession, I need to define who I am by focusing on what I am good at: Aesthetics. These skills are directly related to my current professional job as a web designer specializing in online app and user interface (UI) design. I'm always concerned about what the consumer wants to do, what the user is expecting, and how to naturally guide them through a virtual environment.

How well will these skills translate to Sustainable Design?
I've always had an appreciation for the skills I acquired on the construction job site. I can't say I've felt the same way about the skills I've acquired from sitting in front of a computer screen. However, I've slowly been fine-tuning my eye to catch inconsistencies and confusing UI elements. I am able to guide users through complicated web applications while making them appear simple on the surface. I'll soon be making the same kind of adjustments to sustainable technologies, I'm just wondering how easy it's going to be.

Class Projects SDN604: Trying to Re-Use Odd By-products

2009-09-16T16:30:00.011-04:00

One of the more interesting elements of my SDN604 class, Intro to Green Materials, is the professor giving us odd by-products and asking us to work with them. Our current project is the foam cutouts of the 50-state commemorative quarters presentation foam boards.

So now I have a plethora of blue foam quarters to work with. Impossible! After thinking of multiple uses and possibilites, I was leaning towards some kind of shoe sole. Knowing that there would already be a better product on the market, maybe the best opportunity would be to design a low-cost shoe for developing nations. While tinkering with a sole design, I just couldn't get it right. We would have to stack them a few inches tall just to get the proper support, forcing me to drop the idea.

Over the next few days I spent time talking with different people, trying to find an actual use for this weird product. The idea of a packaging/moving wrap came along. Small stacks sandwiched between two sheets of Tyvek should protect fragile items during transit while keeping them waterproof.

After gluing stacks of 3 coins together, we were able to have a substantial amount of impact resistance. Then we needed to space them out appropriately so that the wrap was still very flexible. Here's what our product turned out like:

Let me know what you think or if you have any better ideas.

A Few Weeks Into Classes

2009-09-09T22:29:00.000-04:00

So just like that and we're three weeks into the first semester. My two courses are both lectures; Sustainable Design (SDN) 604 - Design of Green Materials on Tuesday afternoons with professor Chris Pastore, and Thursdays I have SDN 601- Sustainable Design Methodologies with professor Rob Fleming. Both require extensive out of class readings and research, but they both are opening my eyes to a lot of concepts and ideas I haven't thought of before.

One point that professor Flemming pointed out that has resonated with me is that we are coming out of the age of trying to maximize human productivity, and now business and industry is shifting into focusing on resource productivity. Imagine 200 years ago telling people that you would soon be able to do the work of 70 men with ease because of the advancements of technology. You would be laughed at - but we know today that we exponentially increased our capacity for human productivity. So looking forward, we need to make those same advancements with resource productivity through technology.

One last thing, each of the professors have websites that they upload material and projects to - and man are they ugly. I can't even read the text for my 604 class. I might design a better site for the benefit of all.

PhillyU MSSD Meet and Greet

2009-08-21T09:44:00.006-04:00

Last night I went down to the PhillyU Meet and Greet for the incoming MS Sustainable Design Students. It was held in the Engineering and Design Institute in the downtown Manayunk section of Philadelphia, and this is where the majority of my time will be spent. I believe there are 48 incoming students; 20 part-time like myself, and 28 full-timers. The professors and directors introduced themselves and answered questions, all of them seem very in tuned to where the program is heading and what we are trying to accomplish. It's going to be very exciting! I'm really looking forward to seeing how I can contribute to the program. Classes start Aug 25th.

Re-using Old Cabinets

2009-08-11T08:49:00.007-04:00

Over the past two weeks, I've been helping my friends Joe and Nicole pull out their old kitchen cabinets. The units are around 30 years old and have a pretty basic design. There were enough cabinets for me to divide them into two groups; a small rental unit kitchen (one of my Dad's properties), and the other group will go towards the prep area at the lounge in Lancaster. With some paint and new hardware, I really think these are going to turn out beautifully. Score: 4 (I mean what can be better than straight up recycling?)

Forms Removed From Concrete Counters

2009-07-20T23:01:00.009-04:00

This past weekend I removed the forms from the concrete counters. I think they look great for my first time doing this. We ordered a variable speed wet grinder that should be here before next weekend, and that will give it a finished look. It's pretty amazing thinking about the cost for these compared to granite or other options. When this is said and done, total cost for materials is around $500.
I'll give this project a score when it's completed, as I want to do a detailed wrap-up.

Assigning a Score to My Projects

2009-07-07T10:35:00.006-04:00

I've taken notice that most of my posts are following established building practices, because honestly that's what I know and am comfortable doing. This is, in fact, supposed to be my documentation of my journey into sustainable building practices; Using new materials and going the extra step to ensure I'm being efficient and eco-friendly as possible. So from this point forward, I'll be rating my posts and projects with a Sustainable Score from 1-5. 5 being very sustainable, like me installing solar panels and green roofs, and 1 being the opposite, like me gutting a house and not recycling anything. So feel free to tell me if you agree with my scores or if you think I could go about things differently.

Creating Custom Counters

2009-06-29T23:53:00.006-04:00

We're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in Lancaster. This past weekend I framed sturdy counter shelving for the front cafe area. The plan is to hand pour concrete counter tops. I've taken many photos of the supports and it's as solid as it gets. The surface will be a 2" thick slab and 3" on the edges, creating a lip around the supporting plywood to give it a contemporary and modern look. Also, I have a recessed area to secure a cash register. I'll steel trowel and then stone smooth the tops before giving it a final water-seal stain.

Here are photos of my frames before we pour. Notice how the lip goes around all of the edges and will produce a very angular and square product.

I was looking online for a good tutorial for step-by-step instructions on something like this and didn't come across anything great. I'm considering taking video of the forms and the process involved and hopefully it will help someone else make (granted this turns out nice).

For the face of the counters I plan on punching holes for lighting, using under-cabinet lighting facing outward. In front of them, I'll put squares of wood contrasting in color and spaced apart from the face, so light will spill out around it. It will match the existing lighting in the property and should really add some character. The cost isn't bad either, $40 for the lights, and another $20 for the wood squares and 1/2" PVC pipe (will cut into 2" pieces and use as spacer with a screw in the middle.

Review of 2009 DVGBC Green Home Tour

2009-06-23T11:19:00.019-04:00

This past Saturday was the DVGBC Green Home Tour. Around 30 people were in attendance, most of them being in the DVGBC. We visited, in order, Bancroft Green, Montrose Green, and the Thin Flats.

Here are my thoughts on each:

Bancroft Green:
Key features: Geothermal heating and cooling, dual flush toilets, small green roof, rooftop patio, bamboo floors, energy star appliances.

Upon entering the 4 story units (basement included), it had a light and modern feel. Bamboo floors, modern cabinetry, the standard stuff. The landing is elevated from the kitchen, dividing the space, and giving more headroom and sunlight into the basement. The build quality was well done, using insulated concrete panels for the basement, and all of the finishes were very nice.

However, because of the narrow hallways and all of the walls dividing the spaces, the whole property felt a bit crammed. Nothing about the architecture or layout seemed overly innovative, and it had a very yawn feeling to it. The whole unit lacked defining character, character which we could easily see on the other two homes. It was easy to see that the Bancroft Green builders took a few common green elements, and added them to your 500k townhouse.

Bancroft Green photos: taken from http://picasaweb.google.com/BancroftGreen

Montrose Green
Key features: FSC Certified Woods & Recycled Metals, Spacious Green Roof with small deck, Rain Water Harvesting system, passive ventilation design, No- and Low-VOC Paints & Stain, Soy Based Spray Foam insulation, energy star appliances, Low Flow Faucets and Fixtures and more...

From the street the unit stand out as the only one with a 3rd story, and it being a silver colored addition makes it stand out even more. Stepping into this updated rowhome, you can feel the richness and character of the old building coming through. The exposed brick, and newly-installed steel handrails and staircase, give the home an industrial, aged look. They went with a deep cherry for the floors, which matches the windows and stairs. You can look up the stairs all the way to the 3rd floor and right out a window with a whole house fan for air ventilation. The second floor has spacious hallways, two large bedrooms, and a beautiful bath with subway tile. The 3rd floor is a master suite with an office and a narrow stairway to the rooftop.

Coming away from this house, you can really feel the hard work that went into everything they've done. The architects are working on site and were easy to talk to. (I met Chris as the Go Green Expo a few months ago)

Photos from Montrose Green:

Thin Flats
Key features: LEED Homes Platinum Certification, solar thermal panels, radiant floor heating, green roofs, FSC certified flooring, Low Flow Faucets and Fixtures, Fly Ash Concrete, No- and Low-VOC Paints & Stain, and more...

Approaching the Thin Flats, it screams for attention. Very sharp contrasts with the steel and glass and colorful paint. Located on a narrow street, the Onion Flats team really had to squeeze every inch possible out of the lot. Upon entering, we were greeted by Johnny McDonald. He talked in length about the challenges and benefits of seeking LEED Platinum. The properties are actually divided into 2-unit condo associations, lowering insurance costs and dues.

The most striking architectural element in the Thin Flats is the illuminated bathroom adjacent to the kitchen that they call the "Lantern". Completely surrounded by frosted glass, light flows in during the day, and out during the evening, providing a soft glow for both floors. The main hallway floor on the upper level is made of frosted glass, so light will shine through, opening the space even more. This project is on the cutting edge of sustainable, energy efficient, and smart design.

Photos from the Thin Flats:

The tour was a lot of fun, it's a shame there weren't more students. Most of the tour-goers were 50+ years of age and were probably established builders or industry professionals. Unfortunately, I didn't take much time to make many contacts like I had hoped. I should have been more outgoing. I'm looking forward to running into these builders and architects in the near future.

Small Property In Conshohocken - Large Potential?

2009-06-16T09:50:00.013-04:00

I'm a big fan of real estate. My father always had a handful of properties that he would pick up when they were distressed and then would turn them into rentals. However, living in Renovo PA, it's a lot like owning Baltic and Mediterranean Avenue...

So as a young man looking to start a bit of real estate investing, I've been kind of cheering the housing downturn. Prices have come back down to earth, and mortgage rates are more affordable than in the past 10 years. That said, I'm looking for something that I could handle renovating and turning into a nice house for the next few years.

That's why this unwanted and unsellable duplex in Conshohocken has caught my eye. I called the Coldwell Banker agent, Carly, and she showed me through the property Thursday after work. Yes it's zoned as a duplex, but I don't know if it's even fair to call it one; the bottom floor is a very small studio, and the second and third floors are no larger than 11' by 16'. The agent told me the borough won't allow the building footprint to be more than 60% of the property, so I'd have to get a footprint to see if I have any space to expand. The back yard is nonexistent, the whole thing is old and ugly.

The current asking price is $139,900, for 581 sq ft. That's $240 a sq ft, which is average for modern upscale townhouse, but well above average for a fixer with limited potential. Translation: although price is small, the space is even smaller...

After walking through, can't help but think if this is a perfect building challenge opportunity. I could see myself pushing it back into the hill if I'm able, on top of the second and third floor, I could split the space with a green roof and deck, since the back yard is so small.

Here is the current housing layout, recreated by yours truly in Google Sketch-Up I'm still working on remodeled layout options and will upload them shortly.

Join Me On The DVGBC Green Home Tour!

2009-06-02T23:25:00.003-04:00

Today I read about an upcoming home tour heading through a few of the areas progressive green building projects. I quickly signed up and sent the invitation around. If you read this in time, please consider signing up, it should be a great experience.

Green Home Tour - Sustainable City - Green Strategies For Urban Living

Join the Delaware Valley Green Building Council Residential Circle to examine three very different answers to building Green in the City. Thin Flats in Northern Liberties - the first LEED Platinum Duplex in the country. Bancroft Green, just south of South Street, are new energy efficient townhomes; Montrose Green, on nearby Montrose Street, aims for LEED Platinum status and is an innovative re-working of a Philadelphia rowhome. We will also visit New Market, LEED gold pending.

Tour Date: Saturday June 20, 2009
Time: 10am – 1pm +/-

Price: DVGBC Members-$15, Non-Members-$20, DVGBC Students-$10, Student Non-Members-$15

More Info and Registration

Engineered Hardwood Installation

2009-05-25T23:00:00.004-04:00

Saturday morning we got an an early start at 7am, took measurements for the hardwood, picked up sub-flooring from Lowes with a rental truck, and then stopped by Hardwood Floors of Lancaster. I had previously and talked to the owner, Tom, on the phone and he took me for an experienced contractor and promised me a deal...so when we met in person he was a little surprised at my age. Either way, we talked extensively about our options and we settled on Brazilian Cherry Engineered Hardwood. It's a darker choice with great contrast in the dark and lighter areas.

Installation isn't too bad, as long as you take your time and make sure the boards are tight. It's looking much lighter than in the store, that's because when we put the sealer on it - it will get a darker, richer look. I spend some time showing Erica, Ralph, and Matt how to install it. Matt is Ralph's lounge manager and has been really stepping up to lend a hand.

While doing this, my allergies were getting really bad. At the end of the night I could barely breathe. Then I broke out in hives on my chest, back and neck. I must have been allergic to something in the wood, possibly the glue. I really need to look out more and get proper breathing equipment when dealing with something I'm not familiar with. Matt and Ralph were able to make a lot of progress throughout the week after I had to leave on Sunday.

The next step to finish is put quarter-round around the edges, then we seal it. I'll be looking forward to posting the finished product.

Hardwood, Engineered, or Laminate Floor on a Budget

2009-05-14T12:29:00.007-04:00

Chances are you're familiar with this question: Hardwood or Laminate Flooring?

For the front part of the lounge in Lancaster, we have about 750SF of the cafe/coffee shop area. Ideally, we would lay natural, high-quality hardwood down, but everyone knows the price of doing so can be high. In the last property we renovated two years ago, we used the cheap laminate flooring that comes in at around $1 a SF and is about 1/4" thick. Under heavy use, it's opened up in a few areas in the butting areas, and has also chipped where furniture has been dragged across the edges. For these reasons, we should go with a higher quality material for this location, but as always, cost is an issue.

I recently read Green on Montrose's post about their choice of American Black Cherry because of it's a high quality material, locally produced, and comes from a company that is conscious of the environment, . It looks beautiful installed, but they were able to spend a bit more than we have in our budget. So what are we going to do?

There are higher quality laminate floor options, the engineered hardwood which is a blend of the best of both worlds. It has layers of engineered wood to increase flexibility and decrease shrinkage and expansion, it has up to 3/8" thick wood on top that will look and feel like natural hardwoods, and will also have the option to be refinished once.

I'm still looking into these and finding the best options. I'll try and post some photos of the available options and of the space we're covering...

--Friday 5/22/09 Update--

I've been in contact with local flooring store in Lancaster. The manager is very knowledgeable and told me they have a number of FSC Certified hardwood and engineered hardwoods available for under $3SF. I'll be stopping in tomorrow to look with Ralph, and we'll be making our selection. I'll try to take some photos of all of the options.

Responding to My Own Questions

2009-05-11T11:52:00.016-04:00

I sent a message to the MSSD Program Co-Directer, Professor Flemming, around three weeks ago. Since there's been no response I figured I'd give it a shot and play prof, answer myself, and see if my conclusions will change over the next two years. What the hell, right?

Hey Rob,

I love the radio show, thanks for putting on a great discussion every week. I met with you about two months ago about the MSSD program and was just offered acceptance a few weeks ago! I'm really thrilled and can't wait to get started. I have two questions for you though:

1. Do you see a pull-back with the term "Sustainable" anytime soon? As Architecture and Engineering Programs acknowledge the need for sustainable design take these principles and incorporate them into their studies, will the MSSD Program continue to be competitive in the years ahead? This specific article got me thinking about the issue http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/mocoloco-dumps-sustainable-design.php

2. I noticed on the PhillyU website that there may be a 12 credit Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Practices offered. Would this be separate than the MSSD Program and does it offer a lot of the same education? As someone looking for a career change, would it benefit me to look into this also as I want to move into this exciting field as soon as possible.

Thanks again,
David Ross

My Answer to Question 1: While the term "Sustainable" is used a little too freely, it's not something that is as easily accomplished. Yes, companies and educational institutions are taking steps to incorporate greener learning and business methods, but sustainability is an ongoing challenge. The term sustainable is not going anywhere, but public perception needs to change to understand that it's a movement. It's about being as efficient as technologically possible, minimizing usage and waste of resources far further than current levels. All the while, maintaining a comfortable standard of living for the masses. So yes, it's going to be a challenge for a long time.

Also, as other institution and career fields embrace the sustainability movement, there will be more doors opened. Philadelphia University will be providing access to architects and engineers on the edge of this movement, so it's your responsibility to get the most you can out of them. Therefore, I wouldn't be afraid of the MSSD Program being less competitive at all, in fact, possibly the opposite. By blending students with different backgrounds, you'll get a better understanding of all the facets of sustainability in a variety of fields.

My Answer to Question 2: Since there has been increased interest in the program, we are taking steps to get people into the growing green economy as quickly as possible while still providing them with a good education. The Graduate Certificate Program is not as in depth or thorough as the MSSD program, but it will prepare workers to take the step from blue collar to green collar jobs. It's really up to you.

Demo Continues, Electrical and Drywall Work Begins

2009-04-29T11:24:00.006-04:00

This weekend was my second in Lancaster and most of the insane ripping and tearing had been already been completed. So this time I was able to focus on knocking a door through where the café and prep areas are going to be. Once I opened up the wall, I was greeted with a multitude of wires that needed to be moved - that took a whole day's worth of work.

Ralph and myself also got started on some drywall work, in particular where we went a little demo-crazy by the bathroom, and the ceilings near the fireplace. All in all it was a pretty smooth weekend with few hiccups. This coming weekend Erica will be down to assist me, as well as Ralph's girlfriend from out of town. We should have a healthy crew to knock out a lot more work.

Demolition Weekend: Lancaster

2009-04-20T11:57:00.000-04:00

Ah, a little bit of hard construction work feels good once in a while. In this case, it was a fun weekend of demolition. Ralph, a great friend of mine, has been running a hookah lounge in Reading for almost two years. He's been looking to move into Lancaster, PA, and found the perfect property about a month ago to open his second place. We talked about the options after acquiring the blueprints from the city, I made a few sketch-up designs to show an architect and the city. Permits approved and we were ready to roll.

This weekend we started renovating the large property in downtown Lancaster. It's a 3500 SqFt property that had around 6 offices that needed to be removed. They were all non-load bearing, steel-frame construction, so they came down easily once we figured out how to do it properly. You can see from the pictures that there was a lot of steel, wood, and drywall that came out of it

Now as I've stated before, I'm keeping documenting stuff here to track my progress into the Sustainable Design Program and beyond. The whole time I've been on site I've been looking for ways to minimize our trash, and use less new materials to rebuild the place. I was able to salvage enough steel studs to create a small office with the scraps, the only thing we needed to purchase was the track pieces. The rest will be recycled. The trim and wood will be re-used where possible. The drywall is pretty much a lost cause, I don't know of anything that can be done with it off the top of my head. Any ideas are welcome. So this is the project for the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to publishing more.

MSSD Application Response...

2009-03-29T22:23:00.002-04:00

This Saturday night on my way back from dinner with friends, I received notice on my early admissions application to Philadelphia University. Six weeks of running to read the mailbox everyday has come to an end in the form of a small envelope...I'm in! A letter stating my acceptance to the MSSD program starting this Fall and running for 27 months. Fist is pounding in the air, I'm screaming a little bit. I don't know if I've ever been so excited or felt so confident of being on the right track. This is really going to help position my career long-term with where my passion has been all along.

Now, I really need to start focusing because it is quickly becoming a reality. My math skills are below par and my only construction experience over the past few years has been side projects for friends and family. I know that I've got a bit of work cut out for me to get up to speed, but this is a challenge I'm fired up for. I don't just want to come into the program with an understanding of sustainable design and building practices, I want to be well-versed and current enough to make compelling and educated arguments that show my passions. This is going to be a fun ride!

Go Green Expo, More of the Same

2009-03-17T00:38:00.003-04:00

This Sunday afternoon I went downtown to The Philadelphia Convention Center to check out the Go Green Expo that has been advertised in local media and sustainable networks. I was really looking forward to seeing some new ideas, small companies and visionaries who were helping shape Philadelphia's sustainable future. What I found was pretty disappointing. While I did find about four booths of inspiring companies and ideas, the rest fell short. It wasn't too different than the Valley Forge Convention Center Home Show, which feels like a bland blend of infomercials and large companies just setting up booths for the sake of it.

The Go Green Expo calls itself "The Nation's Premiere Eco-Friendly Tradeshow", but in reality it was a mostly a sales pitch for companies public relations departments.

The Good:
Grid - GridPhilly.com - A new local magazine focusing towards a Sustainable Philadelphia. I read both of the first two issues on my train ride home and it's very well written with great sustainable ideas.
SOLIBS - Building Green on Montrose - The small firm has a very interesting project going on over at their blog. I was able to talk to one of the partners, Christopher, and picked his brain for a little bit. They are very socially conscious and are building this project with a lot of emotion, sweat, and hard work. I wish them the best of luck.

The Bad:
WorkGreen - Workgreen.us - a company from LA pushing a green social network. "Really?" I asked, "are you doing anything different to set you apart from other social networks". Their answer was No. Basically an off-the-shelf, generic comminity site. Nothing is customized, they are just trying to get by on the word green alone. This is everything I hate about greenwashing. The sad thing is, this site will probably limp on for a while and they might make some money.

Preparing for a Change

2009-03-12T22:38:00.006-04:00

Hello world, my name is David Ross and I'm your average young guy from Philadelphia. Yep, pretty damn average as in I'm a die-hard Eagles and Penn State fan. I've been a a web designer for about 5 years now and I finally have a great position at a small company that really gives me the freedom and creativity I've always looked for. The problem is, I just don't feel the same fulfillment I get when I'm doing hands-on carpentry or construction management type work. Something about the tangible results gives me a great sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. I've finally got to the point where I realize I've got to get on track and change something now. I'm intrigued by sustainable design and construction management and "green" technologies. I've just applied to the MSSD Program at Philadelphia University after following it for almost two years. So here on Blogger, I plan on documenting my journey; from mid-level web designer - to sustainable design professional...