Something that I believe in

I just happen to come across this post and it just struck a cord with me.  With all my work on an affordable LEED Home and the AIA Ohio Affordable Green Home Design Competition, what this architect writes about is exactly what I believe in and want to advocate as my professional career progresses.

The Case for Affordable Housing & A National Energy Standard
They must go hand-in-hand. ( October 2009 )

Certain items are needed for all people to live a decent (modern) life: decent housing, decent (safe) food, clear (safe) water & air; fair wage/job; access to health care.  All other things are possible (for a people) from there.

Making a (high end designer) commodity of any of the aforementioned, makes those items inaccessible by lower income people and the poor, and now we see, inaccessible to even the middle class in America.

Behind affordable health care, Affordable Housing is the largest problem facing our nation.  When jobs are harder to get, it makes it that much harder to maintain one’s health, and to maintain a decent place to live.  Basic, decent housing, healthcare and  food are a human right.

Continue reading the article at ShantyWorld

Looking to drop the title "Intern"

For most of us in the architectural profession, this past year has been painful.  Many have lost their jobs, and a good amount of us have had pay cuts, which is equally stressful with the amount of strain it puts on our families.  However I have taken the attitude that even though the time is difficult, you just need to push through it.  Because even with the few jobs that are out there, the competition is fierce.  I interviewed for a new job a couple of weeks ago to try and get my salary back to normal just to be able to provide for my family better, and I was up against 15 other people.  That was just how many they interviewed, who knows how many resumes they actually received.  Because I think the latest statistic that I heard was that close to 30% of the architectural profession is without a job.

I also believe you need to prepare for the worst.  Now for a lot of us, stashing money in a savings account is not an option.  But there are other things that can be done.  My local AIA chapter (AIA Columbus) recently held a seminar for the recently unemployed on various issues to consider if you decide to work for yourself.  Believe it or not, a lot of architectural firms get their start during a recession (article).  Attend AIA meetings and other events and start networking with colleagues.  Let them know who you are and what you are up to.  Even though they may not have work to take you on at that time, keeping an open line of communication with others will put you in the loop when new jobs are available and that personal connection may help you get your foot in the door.  Because it truly is not always what you know, but who you know.

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Building Science Sunday: Basement Insulation

I have been helping the parents of a friend visualize a basement remodel project, where they are going to be claiming a portion of the basement for living space.  Therefore while helping them, it has brought me back to a few article written on how to properly insulate your below grade walls.  Building Science Corporation has lots of good articles on the subject (here & here), however I will bring your attention to an article that talks both about the good and the bad systems used.

RR-0202: Basement Insulation Systems

by Building Science Corporation

The Problem

Meeting Energy Star levels of performance is one of the criteria for constructing homes to Building America levels of performance – levels defined by the Building Science Consortium and others.  Homes constructed with basements require some degree of basement insulation to meet Energy Star.  As a result all Building America homes with basements constructed by the Building Science Consortium have basement insulation.
In any event, heat loss from basements accounts for such a significant portion of the energy loss from a home that it is clear that a home with a basement must have basement insulation to be called “energy efficient.” Additionally, in many jurisdictions, basement insulation is a building code requirement.

Finally, most homeowners with homes with basements finish the basement area for additional living space.  When they do, they typically insulate the perimeter walls.  Homes with basements often end up with basement walls that are finished and insulated.

There are only three ways to insulate a basement wall: on the interior, on the exterior or in the middle.  Of the three,
the most common approach has been to insulate basements internally.  The reasons for this have been due almost strictly to cost.

Continue reading the article at buildingscience.com

Incorporating LEED into Project Specs

“A LEED rating system does not confirm sustainability,” Susan Kaplan, CSI, CCS, a specifier for HLW International in NYC, explained to CSI’s Sustainability Practice Group during a recent meeting.

LEED is not a complete roadmap for running a green project. There will always be new material and system requirements, regulations and standards, etc. These are all LEED “special needs.”

Although it uses a great organizational method that covers attributes including Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality, LEED does not cover the entire life cycle of the project. www.storyofstuff.com was mentioned to emphasize that one needs to view the project from the stand point of the entire life cycle.

In the future, LEED will move toward a multi-attribute focus. ISO standards are beginning to address these attributes through LCA, and to look at products more comprehensively. Today’s owners do not necessarily understand that the products they are getting are not as green as they are made out to be. Michael Fuller, CSI, AIA., NCARB, CDT, LEED AP, member of the GreenFormat Program Management Task Team, believes that in the future, there will eventually be more comprehensive definitions of what constitutes a green or sustainable product.

Continue reading the article at CSI Blog

Video Friday: e2 design – Architecture 2030 (Full Episode)

I had the great pleasure of spending some time with Edward Mazria from Architecture 2030® last week at the AIA Ohio Valley Regional Convention.  Architecture 2030 was a major sponsor of the AIA Ohio Affordable Green Home Design Competition, and Ed Mazria sat in on the Best of Show jury, along with presenting, “Architecture: On the Brink of Greatness” to the convention attendees.  Therefore as I start posting season two of the e2 series, I am going to skip to the last episode on Architecture 2030 and hope you get inspired as I did.