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{Re}habitat
Learn how adaptive reuse and upcycling can add hip design to your home, apartment, or yard with the Go Green channel's {Re}habitat series. Follow host Rachael Ranney as she shows you how to repurpose salvaged and found materials, adding fun and function to your space without breaking your budget.
Not Just Numbers on a Piece of Paper
Project managers, whether they are construction managers, general contractors, or architects, regularly supervise multiple projects concurrently. Each of these projects must be managed independently, particularly with regard to cost accounting. For this example let us consider the following scenario; a general contractor’s project manager is responsible for two projects that were each awarded on a negotiated basis with guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contracts. All savings under these GMP agreements will be returned to the owner. Project #1 is progressing well and expected to finish well under budget. Project #2 is not going well, has incurred many problems and is expected to finish substantially over budget. The general contractor’s president and vice president are placing tremendous pressure on the project manager to minimize their losses from project #2.
In 1914, Robert Frost wrote, in his poem Mending Wall, "Good fences make good neighbors." You may choose to build a privacy fence on your property for any number of reasons: to increase safety, privacy or security; enclose pets or children; eliminate sight lines beyond your property; or simply to enhance your home's curb appeal. Once you gain an understanding of the materials required as well as layout and installation techniques, building a wood privacy fence is a job many do-it-yourselfers can accomplish.
One of the most important and effective ways to create sustainable designs is by taking a collaborative approach. Ideally all of the project stakeholders (owner, architect, engineers, contractors, etc.) are brought together before the design process begins, and the design process can be completely collaborative, with all parties providing valuable input based on their expertise. The reality, however, is that this collaboration rarely happens, especially on smaller-scale projects.
Green Speak: FTC Provides Guidance on Environmental Marketing
Written by Lisa Taylor Minor Wed Jul 06 2011In the past two decades, the environment has become a hot topic across most economic sectors, and the homebuilding industry is no exception. As new technologies continue to emerge and as builders and homeowners continue to adopt environmentally conscious practices, the way that we talk about green products and practices is of ever increasing importance. Not only do homeowners expect builders to build green homes, they also expect builders to be able to explain why and how the home is green. Enter the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and their "Green Guides," which aim to provide guidance on environmental marketing.
Not a day goes by when we don’t get bombarded with more talk of jobs, be it from politicians or the media. It seems that this is the single most important factor on which we must base all decisions. City, county, and state budgets are depleted, but we continue to allocate tax payer money to economic development strategies that have proved too costly and ineffective. Economic development has, for the most part, become a mechanism by which we redirect taxpayer money to out-of-town companies to relocate low-paying jobs. This is not development in any sense but a short-term political strategy that redistributes scarce community resources to those who need it the least. Revitalizing the nation’s urban centers and small town Main Streets is a strategy that can do much more to create strong, sustainable local economies at a fraction of the cost, while retaining and fostering local resources.
Miscellaneous Metals: What Needs to be Reflected in the Design Documents and Why
Written by Jason G. Smith Fri Jul 01 2011The need for secondary steel often arises for heavy items mounted on gypsum board walls and ceilings when the stud framing itself is not structurally sufficient to carry the load. Secondary steel in this case is constructed in line with the stud framing to augment its structural capacity. Coiling doors and ceiling mounted toilet partitions are two examples of when secondary (also commonly termed supplemental or miscellaneous) steel will be required behind or above the gypsum board. Coiling door and ceiling mounted toilet partition fasteners will actually bridge though the gypsum board and fasten directly to the concealed secondary steel.
Activating NYC’s Roofscape: Solar Roof Pod by Team New York
Written by Murrye Bernard Fri Jul 01 2011Imagine that all of New York City’s rooftops are covered with photovoltaic panels. They could provide enough electricity to meet around 14% of the city’s needs, according to calculations by Tria Case, one of the City College of New York's directors. Comprised of students from The City College of New York’s (CCNY) Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture and Grove School of Engineering, Team New York, who are competing for the first time this year in the Solar Decathlon, asserts that NYC’s roofscape is vastly underutilized, not only for its potential in collecting solar energy but also for its potential to provide prime living and outdoor space for its citizens. Their design for the Solar Roof Pod could prove a versatile and sustainable solution.
Organizations and manufacturers have been researching green building materials for years now, inundating the market with a wide spread of green products for sustainably inclined developers and builders. Recently developed products go beyond the reduction of emissions and waste to the elimination of pollutants from the atmosphere. New smog-fighting technologies and products are still in testing, but some will be available for purchase by 2012. With their introduction to the marketplace, however, comes a myriad of questions.
