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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.
Most buildings are content to be four walls, a floor, and a roof, existing only to provide shelter and warmth for their inhabitants. A few, though, endeavor to be tools, ready at a moment's notice to serve the changing needs of their constituency. The new Wyly Theater at the Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas is a facility that embraces this subservient role to the point that it was designed as a ‘theater machine.’ The facility, opened in October of 2009, was designed by Rem Koolhaas | OMA and Joshua Prince-Ramus | REX and provides a new home for the Dallas Theater Center. Literally an assemblage of moving parts capable of transforming seating arrangements and orientation, the Wyly Theater redefines the meaning of "flexible space."
Having provided 43 years of service, the Ice Arena at Bowling Green State University is a popular venue on campus that serves the BGSU students and faculty as well as the local municipal community. Currently operated by The Department of Recreation and Wellness, the Ice Arena was originally designed in 1965 and contains the main ice sheet, sized at 200’ X 85’. It also houses a studio ice sheet that is 80’ X 40’ and a curling ice sheet at 150’ X 57’, as well as a lounge and other supporting facilities.
Safety tends to be overlooked while working around the house. I once tried to move a ladder while I was standing on top of it. Instead of climbing down and moving the ladder over a few feet, I attempted to save some time. As you can imagine, that idea did not turn out the way I had planned.
Homeowners spent an estimated $109.7 billion in 2009, which was down from $120.1 billion in 2008, according to the recent article, Home Improvement Spending: Looking Up. Experts forecast that spending will bottom out early this year and will be on the rise again throughout 2010.
Barbara McHatton speaks about her experiences avoiding what we are now calling the Greenwashing affect. We want to knowledgeably see past skewed claims to find those products that are legitimately green.
Confused about what makes a green building product “green”?
So am I.
With all of the labels out there touting “green” and “environmentally friendly” products, it’s no wonder we’re so mystified. If a product is manufactured using recycled materials, it’s considered green—if it saves energy, it’s considered green—if it is manufactured using non-toxic materials, it’s considered green.
This is the fifth article in Buildipedia's series on U.S. Infrastructure, following the January 8, 2010 feature on dams, "It’s About Dam Time!"
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) assigned the United States’ DRINKING WATER infrastructure a grade of “D-” on their 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Easy access to fresh water is a modern convenience that we might take for granted in our daily lives.
There are two different ways to harness the power of solar energy: active solar systems and passive solar systems. Solar panels and other solar energy collectors are considered active systems. Generally, their purpose is to collect, store and distribute solar energy to heat water or air inside a building. The term ‘passive solar’ refers to the process of constructing and orienting a building to take advantage of sunlight as a source of light and heat without the use of solar equipment. The goal, aside from the healthy benefits of natural light, is to reduce overall dependence upon mechanical systems.
The Caterpillar 938H
Caterpillar presents a new H-Series Medium Wheel Loader 938H available with enhanced performance, greater versatility, ease of service checks and an engine that is built to be better for the environment. An overview of the specific upgrades include: a new axle system, a larger holding capacity bucket, easier access for regular maintenance checks, an innovative engine that passes US EPA Tier III emissions standards from the 1990 Clean Air Act, better functionality for the operator, a larger variety of working tools available, provisions to keep the engine free of clogging debris, ergonomic improvements for the operator’s seat and gears, and increased power controls for the operator.
