Question: Are there any stores—online or in the real world—that sell affordable green furniture?
Answer: Fortunately, there are—both online and in the real world! Of course, which ones you buy from will depend on what you consider affordable and which green attributes are most important to you.
Depending on the materials used to make a piece of furniture, its green features could include any of the following:
* Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, sustainably harvested wood;
* nontoxic glues (or no glues);
* nontoxic stains and finishes;
* organic cotton or other natural fibers;
* untreated upholstery or nontoxic fabric treatments for fire resistance, waterproofing, and stainproofing; and local manufacture using local materials.While it’s rare to find products that meet all these criteria, the number of furniture manufacturers and individual products with green attributes is growing, providing more options in all price ranges... (read more by following the link)
ecohaus = Environmental Home Centre + Environmental Building Supplies (Seattle, Portland, Bend)
"We've spent over 10 years finding, using, testing and selling this wonderful array of items. They're what all building materials ought to be—stellar performers with Expanded Value Performance because they're safer, more durable and more energy efficient."
Our technologies deliver integral waterproofing that eliminate the need for external membranes, coatings and sheeting treatments. With our solutions, concrete is batched with Hycrete liquid admixtures to achieve hydrophobic performance (less than 1% absorption under BSI-1881 122). Hycrete Admixtures transform concrete from an open network of capillaries and cracks into an ultra-low absorptivity, waterproof, protective building material.Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/greenenergy/ci_7889323?nclick_check=1
Hycrete Admixture is Cradle to Cradle Certified by MBDC. Cradle to Cradle Certification provides a company with a means to tangibly, credibly measure achievement in environmentally- intelligent design and helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality.
Since 1992, EcoTimber has been the leading supplier of high qualitySource: http://www.mercurynews.com/greenenergy/ci_7889323?nclick_check=1
wood products from environmentally sound sources. We offer a beautiful
selection of hardwood flooring from FSC-certified well-managed
forests, fast-growing Bamboo flooring, and hand-scraped flooring.
Offering products made with finishes and adhesives that won't
off-gas harmful chemicals, EcoTimber is the healthy choice for your
home and the planet.
By ERIK SCHELZIG, The Associated Press
Published: December 28, 2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Al Gore, who was criticized for high electric bills at his 10,000 sq ft Tennessee mansion, has completed a host of improvements to make the home more energy efficient...
The former vice president has installed solar panels, a rainwater-collection system and geothermal heating. He also replaced all incandescent lights with compact fluorescent or light-emitting diode bulbs - even on his Christmas tree.
"Short of tearing it down and starting anew, I don't know how it could have been rated any higher," said Kim Shinn of the U.S. Green Building Council, which gave the house its second-highest rating for sustainable design.
Gore's improvements cut the home's summer electrical consumption by 11 % compared with a year ago, according to utility records reviewed by The Associated Press. Most Nashville homes used 20 percent to 30 percent more electricity during the same period because of a record heat wave.
Shinn said Gore's renovations are impressive because his home, which is more than 80 years old, had to meet the same rigorous standards as new construction. It houses his offices and those of his wife, Tipper, as well as a commercial kitchen for formal events.
coolest thing (and almost affordable!!!) i've seen in years.
Architects in California say factors such as building information modeling, green building and industry consolidation are changing the way they do business.
For instance, Irvine-based Ware Malcomb has placed a big emphasis on having its project management teams become LEED-accredited, says CEO Larry Armstrong. At the same time, Ware Malcomb is preparing its staff to do BIM projects later this year, he adds.
“(BIM) is a freight train and it’s coming,” Armstrong says.
Peter Devereaux, president of Los Angeles-based Harley Ellis Devereaux, calls BIM “the wave of the future and it will transform our industry.”
BIM also means that design firms will be looking for more experienced, licensed architects and that will mean less opportunities for the drafters and novice architects, Darden adds.
“Everywhere you will see people trying to hire licensed experienced architects,” Darden says. “With BIM, there is no room at the bottom.”
Finding experienced and qualified architects is a concern for Kit Ratcliff, president of Emeryville-based Ratcliff.
There has been a 50% falloff in the last 10 years in U.S. licensed architects, Ratcliff says. “We are running out of architects,” he adds.
Source: http://california.construction.com/features/archive/0710_Cover.asp
Architects: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Charlotte, NC) with Allison Architects (Fayetteville and Little Rock)
architect: Kieran Timberlake AssociatesSource: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1663859,00.html
- the greenest school in the U.S., the first to earn a platinum LEED rating
- if initial cost of going green is high- savings can be even greater:
the energy bill for primary and secondary schools in the U.S. is $6 billion--and that's per year (more than spent annually on computers and books combined)
Features:
- constructed wetland (first in Washington, DC), treats building waste water on site - part of a closed system that recycles water back to the building and lavatories
- Green roof vegetation holds and filters rainwater; gutters and downspouts direct rainwater to a biology pond, which supports native habitat. Herbs grown by students on the green roof are supplied to the cafeteria
- Building orientation
- passive and mechanically assisted ventilation
- solar chimneys
- solar panels
5% of the building’s total electrical load is generated on the roof- double-glazed windows
- Window placement, skylights and reflective panels maximize use of natural light so energy for lighting in this building is 10 – 15% of that of a comparable code compliant building
- Recycled, rapidly renewable and locally produced materials such as cork, gypsum, linoleum, bamboo and wheatboard substrate
Exterior cladding is western red cedar (reclaimed from wine casks)- Paints, carpets and adhesives were selected for low emission of volatile organic compounds
- carbon dioxide sensors in the classrooms automatically adjust temperature by detecting how many people are inside
one of the country's first green communities will rise:Source: http://www.nbc6.net/news/14151987/detail.html
- 33-acre development has an environmental focus
- $350 million project is still under review
- could begin as soon as 2008
- 600 residential units, along with office and a revamped shopping mall, all within walking distance to help cut back on car use
- Eco-friendly materials will be used throughout the project
- green screens where plants can grow on some outside walls and rooftops
- tinted glass that will allow for the shading
- sustainable woods like bamboo and palm and products made of recycled material like the carpets and countertops
- maximizes the amount of natural light that gets indoors
- paints, adhesives and other materials will also have a low chemical content
- part of a nationwide pilot program to expand LEED for Neighborhood Development
(LEED certified building ends up with 35 percent cost reduction in energy consumption and 40 percent in reduction of water consumption than a non-LEED building)- economic data supports the decision to green your facilities
Developed in the U.S., the LEED program has come to Canada in stages, with commercial, institutional, industrial and multi-unit residential certification now in place. With increasing concern over environmental issues, there's been growing demand for the individual homes component, which has been tested in the U.S. for two years and is due to be formally launched in November, said council vice-chair Andrew Pride, also vice-president of energy management for Minto Homes.
"We're going to take the U.S. program and make it Canadian," he said.
The U.S. expected 50 builders and 300 homes to be certified under the pilot project, but ended up with about 400 builders and 6,000 homes, Pride said.
"Rather than trying to market LEED for Homes and create demand for it, they've been trying to manage the demand and grow fast enough to meet it," Satnik said. "There's been no lack of interest. We're already seeing the same in Canada."
DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Choose one or both databases to search.
