The Next Generation's Sustainable Woodshop

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

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

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

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.

1. Build it cost efficiently - tight budget and schedule
2. Make it look good - timeless and clean
3. Make it durable - daily usage and beatings
4. 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

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

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

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

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.