Archive for the 'Green Living' Category
Star Trek Meets Dewey Decimal
October 22nd, 2007 Categories: Focus on Arlington, Green Living, Out and About
A few years ago a leaking hot water heater took a chunk out of my coveted book collection. Then another move made me realize that hauling around boxes of books was not very practical and added a lot to the moving bill. So after years of avoiding the public library it seemed like a good idea to check out how they might have changed. In the Northern Virginia area we are lucky to have a huge selection of libraries to choose from including a new state of the art library that opened recently in Shirlington.
As soon as you walk in the door you realize this is not a place were you are going to find rows of those pesky card catalogs but instead a sleek state of the art computerized facility. Offering 26 PC stations, total wireless access if you bring your own laptop, a 75 person meeting room with Smart Board and check out with a library card with built in RFD chip. There are comfortable chairs scattered throughout the library and you are allowed to bring in a cup of java!
This $225 million dollar facility replaces the old “temporary” library which was flooded in 2006. The building was built following “green” building principles including recycled-content carpeting, low VOC paints, a reflective roof and energy efficient systems. Arlington County is in the process of applying for LEED certification from the Green Building Council. Originally conceived as a one story building the project grew when the Signature Theater learned that it would need a new home as well. Known for taking risks with adaptations of overlooked theater products, the Signature Theater has won acclaim with 54 Helen Hayes Awards over the last 20 years.
With community art on display, an LED architectural light show which can you can see as soon as you enter Shirlington Village and a mosaic fountain designed by Martha Jackson-Jarvis a local sculpter you will see how this library is one step above ordinary.
So if you have been avoiding the library because of the fear of the dreaded SHHHHH then you need to take another look at what is happening in your local library. The new one in Shirlington gives you a great opportunity to avoid heavy lifting the next time you need to move.
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Morning coffee -quick tidbits for you to think about as you start your day
Granite is so 2006. Concrete, glass and stone are gaining ground as popular materials for countertops. Concrete’s biggest advantage is that it can take any shape, and it’s not as pricey as some other natural stone materials. Because it is cast in molds, it can include subtle texturing and decorative objects such as pieces of metal, fossils or glass. If you are using concrete in the kitchen, consider placing raised strips of metal cast into countertops to support pots and pans near the sink and cooking area.
For those who crave ultra-modern design, another option is glass, which comes in nearly limitless colors, shapes, thicknesses and textures. And because it is nonporous, it is stain-proof and hygienic and can handle hot pots without cracking. Since it’s translucent, it can be combined with other design elements, such as glass over aluminum or decorative tile embedded into the slab. Installing lighting under the counter creates added drama and elegance. A nice option with glass backsplashes and countertops is the option to use recycled glass. Check out what is available in your local area. For inspiration you can look at Bedrock Industries and Oceanside Glass Tiles.
Finally, consider engineered stone, which is slightly cheaper than granite. It’s made from quartz crystals and polymer resin, so it’s nearly maintenance-free. Plus, it’s heat- and cold-resistant, mildew-free, stain-resistant and harder than most things you put on it, so it won’t scratch. Finally, it comes in dozens of colors — some mimic the real thing while others are made to match a designer’s palette. The cost ranges from $70 to $120 per square foot with installation.
*exerpt from July 2007 CRS Advantage Newsletter
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Potomac News Scoops Washington Post
August 6th, 2007 Categories: Featured Listings, Focus on Prince William, Green Living
I know it isn’t the Wall Street Journal or the London Financial Times but I was very happy to see an article about my Earth-Sheltered Home listing appear on the front page of the Potomac News today. Interestingly enough the Washington Post has been telling me for 3 weeks that they were going to run an article about the house. The reporter kept saying I’m working on it. Meanwhile my associate Pam and I picked up the phone and called the local paper. Get this time line. We called the paper on Thursday afternoon. Friday morning I met the reporter at the house. Friday afternoon she called the owner to chat with her and today it is in the paper and online. So much for the Washington Post!
One of the things that the reporter didn’t add to her story is besides the energy savings the maintenance savings are incredible as well. If you think of any other 25 year old house in our area you realize that the owners have had to at minimum replace the roof, the windows, and paint the siding at least 3 times. I will admit that mowing the roof seems a little odd but if you are going to mow your yard what’s the difference?
The best part of the story will be when we find new owners!
Other posts about this property:
Earth Sheltered Home Offeres Green Lifestyle
Who Lives Underground-Not Just Moles
What’s Growing on Your Roof?
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Earth Sheltered Home offers Green Lifestyle
August 1st, 2007 Categories: Featured Listings, Focus on Prince William, Green Living
Nestled in a hillside in the Hunter’s Grove development in Manassas, this earth-sheltered house is one of about a half dozen residential and commercial buildings in the Washington metropolitan area that rely on the earth’s consistent temperatures to assist in heating and cooling, and to provide protection from the elements.
With its weathered wood, glass front and clean, simple lines that meld with the large sculpted patio, mature trees and lush foliage, this home is reminiscent of the organic architecture championed by Frank Lloyd Wright but with a focus on energy efficiency. Constructed on three interconnected poured concrete domes, the home, located on a 1-acre lot, blends perfectly into the landscape on the back and sides and is purposely designed that way to be both ecologically sound and aesthetically pleasing.
At 2,100 square feet, this 3-bedroom, 2-bath home is spacious with abundant natural light. There’s a large center skylight, a second smaller skylight over the two smaller bedrooms and a wall of windows across the front of the house. The interior has conventional vertical walls with vaulted dome ceilings that increase both space and light.
Elements of nature have been incorporated in the large stone mantel behind the wood burning stove which is capable of providing all of the heating necessary for the entire home during the winter. There’s also a heat pump and air conditioning for those few occasions when they might be needed. The master bath is constructed of stone and wood, a theme carried out throughout the home.
What are the benefits of living “green” in this unique home? An 80 percent energy efficiency rating, passive solar from earth’s constant temperatures, low life cycle cost that is one-fourth that of a standard home, less than $160/month total utility costs that can be lowered even further with the addition of an active solar system, less dust and pollen able to infiltrate the structure, storm proof, termite proof and fire resistant.
This house is currently being offered by RE/MAX Allegiance and is listed for $475,000. For more information about this unique home, contact Cindy Jones or visit
http://6705foxden.com
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That was what the newspaper headline of the Journal Messenger said in 1983 when they were writing about my current earth sheltered home listing in Manassas. The current owner of the property is only the second owner of the home and she is fortunate enough to have the original photos of the home being built (which I had burned to a CD) and the newspaper articles that were published when the home was first built.
It is amazing to read how the original builder, a man named George Allison, thought that with all of the energy saving features the home provided that there would a lot of these homes built in the near future. Of course we all know that the near future is way past, this was 1983 after all and though there were a few more of these homes built in our area, they did not catch on.
Was it because they were too futuristic for the time? Is it because people think that living underground is dark or damp? Was it banks reluctance to make construction loans on underground homes? It may have been those and so many more reasons. Now with energy conservation and ECO friendly living is at the forefront I am surprised that more people have not taken advantage of the opportunity to build earth sheltered homes.
Everyone who visits the house is completely taken aback by the amount of natural light they find. The entire front of the house is a wall of windows. The only two rooms in the house that do not have a large bank of window are the two bathrooms. Pipes around the perimeter of the home take outside air and pull it underground which raises and lowers the temperature based on the current weather conditions. Since the earth stays a fairly constant 55-60 degrees all year long it does not take much additional energy to heat or cool this home. Amazing in a time where the standard heating and AC bills are through the roof.
I hope that more home buyers will consider learning about sustainability, ECO-friendly building practices and perhaps make the prediction of the original builder of this home come true and consider buying or building an earth-sheltered home.
A few other blogs I’ve penned regarding green living.
Earth Sheltered Home offers Green Lifestyle
What’s Growing on Your Roof
Going Green doesn’t require you become a Frog!
How Green is Your Money
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As someone who took out part of the front yard of two of my previous homes and turned them into a wildflower gardens, I have been thinking about the environment and green living for awhile now. As I try and wait patiently, okay I’m actually fidgeting, for a freelance writer from the Washington Post to finish her article on my Earth Sheltered Home listing for an upcoming edition of the Saturday Real Estate section, I have continued to look around the area for information on other green buildings.
I came across an article in the Washington Post that caught my attention about a bank in the local community of Bristow in Prince William County that has been certified by the US Green Building Council. Cool green money, green bank.
“With an abundance of natural lighting, carpet made from recycled material and wheatboard cabinets, PNC Bank opened its newest branch in Bristow last week, making it the latest building in Prince William County to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council”….read the rest of the article here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/15/AR2007061502723.html
One of the things that struck me about this article is the fact that PNC Bank has a national effort underway to build more green banks. One more small step for our environment. YEA!
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