Sustainable Homes Made Easy TM
Sounds impossible! But it is not! Green Sail Inc. has a utility patent issued (US 11342692 B2) for a junction box that does exactly this. Introducing the first generation 30 second J-Box “OxKor” along with the 30 second Switch “OxWitch” and 30 second Outlet “OxLet”. Go from empty box on the stud to safe and…
These are construction progress photos of a joint effort renovation project with Yvonne Hidle from 2012 to 2017. After we sold the house to Iron Bridge Property Solutions they contracted with Home Tech Contracting and Remodeling Co. and the interior stylist Courtney Favini Lichty to finish up the rooms we were not able to complete,…
As it stands, AI is a powerful tool for pattern recognition and copying. This means that it has the ability to extend and amplify current patterns of human behavior indefinitely. Examples include hiring biases that systematically eliminate qualified female resumes, and copying artist styles to make new works of art that are not truly innovative….
This is a project I did way back during my years at Iowa State University. I have developed my marketing, aesthetic, and presentation skills significantly since the creation of this project, but the core concepts behind this proposal are still very powerful, relevant, and broadly applicable. The original presentation is shown in the image below…
American cities are notoriously spread out. Since the highway building boom of the 1950’s American cities have moved strongly away from public transit and walk-ability towards a more auto dependent infrastructure. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year on our roads and highways alone (1)(2). In rural areas, this road and highway infrastructure…
I wanted a desk for my new apartment. Work had scrap lumber they can’t use and will throw away due to warps, splits, nails, dings etc. that make it not suitable for what they need. Work let me use their scrap wood and workshop. I made a desk. Making the legs all at once, made…
A long list in no particular order.
The purpose of this post is to highlight some of my favorite urban spaces in Barcelona and get a better understanding of what makes these spaces so wonderful and successful. I am using the term Urban space here to indicate any space, facility, street, plaza, buildings, or infrastructure that is open to the public free…
I just finished reading the book “White Fragility – Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism” by Robin Diangelo. This is a must read for all white folks and people who enjoy the advantages and privileges of passing as white. The book explains racism better and much more thoroughly than I…
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About three years ago we started to see wind turbines get even more wind behind their sails. Here is the article. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/3/8/17084158/wind-turbine-power-energy-blades At the time the biggest, newest wind turbine blades that were not even out yet had a rotor diameter of 220 meters (~720 feet) and a total height of 260m (~850 feet). The…
We all have a limited budget. If you are fortunate enough to be able to build your own home from scratch here is a simple framework for you to prioritize your spending when aiming for the most efficient house possible with a limited amount of money. Control the air. Insulate like hell hath frozen over….
Humans and human institutions are master procrastinators. We know this. Everyone knows this. It is a lot easier to continue doing whatever you are doing that it is do try something new. This fundamental human behavior is why our calls for climate action with ten year and twenty year plans have not been met for…
Introduction I am doing this case study as a capstone project after completion of the Google Intro Data Analytics Certificate Course. This covers all steps of the data analysis process. These steps are ask, prepare, process, analyze, share, and act. Growing up in Chicago, I took the train to high school throughout the year and…
Part of answering this question hinges on the answers to a ton of other questions. It also may depend on a set of values that are subject to debate. So the first question is what new information is this analysis attempting to uncover. My goal in writing this is to explore which countries in the…
Cool developments in Science New cancer treatment re-activates the immune system. https://news.mit.edu/2021/new-cancer-treatment-may-reawaken-immune-system-1019 Accountability watch over the Tech Giants Facebook fails to hold dictators and other bad actors accountable to violations of Facebook’s own code of conduct. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/12/facebook-loophole-state-backed-manipulation Food for thought Munger thinks that other people should live in a building that (let’s be honest here)…
Whenever we are looking to renovate our home we want to know what our return on investment will be. Financial implications are just one aspect we must look at. The other, and more difficult, aspect is the impact our renovation has on the climate. How effectively are we utilizing our resources to help mitigate the…
Step 1: Chop down a tree that shades your home. Step 2: That’s it. Results: Your air conditioning bill and electrical energy usage during peak summer cooling seasons will go up since the roof is exposed to the sun during the hot summer days. You house will be hotter and more uncomfortable during the summer…
Context It should be no news that we are facing an urgent climate crisis. One of the main contributors to this crisis is our building stock. One of the easiest, most cost effective, and fastest changes we can make is in improving the energy and water efficiency of existing buildings. Renter occupied units make up…
One of the great issues of the day is the inequalities seen within the modern corporation whereby executives are rewarded very well financially while many laborers executing the day to day tasks that make the corporation possible are not even paid enough to make ends meet. Often the people doing the physical work required to…
This schematic design proposal didn’t meet the client’s aesthetic desires but I thought the Mountain Valley A-Frame was still worth sharing due to the awesome unique location and some interesting client requirements that resulted from that unique location. The site is located near Yellowstone National Park a few miles from a lake in a valley…
It will make it easier to:
It is definitely possible to accomplish a net zero energy and net zero carbon home within a reasonable price range. There is nothing special, complicated, or magical about it. Here are nine simple steps that you can use on your next home construction or renovation project and estimates of their associated costs. Please note that…
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At Green Sail we can provide you with a virtual walk through of your project before anything ever gets built. Walk through this virtual environment and explore at your own pace and see the impact of your decisions and interior design choices. Now you can see how everything comes together before construction begins. Please enjoy…
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There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
This is a competition proposal for the City of Brantford in Ontario, Canada. The challenge was to create a landmark project at the most prominent location in the city at the edge of the downtown core. This project had to accomplish several tasks, the most important of which was to continue to revitalize pedestrian activity…
Humans are foolish creatures, in particular when it comes to how we build. You know those crazy people who wear shorts and a t-shirt outside when the temperature is hovering around freezing? That is exactly what a poorly insulated building looks like. Put on a coat! What crazy fool would want to be so uncomfortable?…
Why? We are in a climate emergency and need to eliminate all carbon burning operations immediately. It is more efficient Cheaper operational expenses because there are less moving parts to maintain, no oil to change, etc. No need to haul in or go get fuel Less air pollution Less noise pollution In case you think…
We are in the midst of a climate emergency. We must eliminate carbon usage in our homes and everywhere else too. We still need to heat, cool, light, and operate our homes and electricity is a widespread commercially available alternative to fossil fuels. Every fossil fuel appliance now has an all electric counterpart that exceeds…
In the last two years Wind and Solar just wiped U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates on the floor. Here is a graph of their estimates in 2018 for which fuel sources would provide our electricity in 2020. Well, it turns out that the EIA drastically underestimated the power of wind. Here is a graph…
My parents are “up in age” if you will. Like many people in their 70’s and 80’s mobility is more difficult and simple improvements in architecture and design can make a tremendous difference in their quality of life and how long they will safely be able to live independently. For many years I have been…
Welcome to the future of housing. Looks like a normal house but it doesn’t act like one. From a super insulated and air-tight envelope to the elimination of all indoor combustion appliances, this house completely eliminates on-site pollution other than methane from its inhabitants. But even so the air is always fresh inside because of…
Many people in this world behave as though our economy is a zero sum game. But, in most cases, it is not a zero sum game. In many cases simply re-arranging our thinking or our systems can actually support a better economy and more biodiversity with fewer resources. This article is a perfect example of…
Great resource for finding manufacturers and distributors for most construction products. 4specs Sweets Construction Catalog Arcat Material District Transparency Catalog
“A design team is like an orchestra. You get a better building when everyone works together.” – Dawn Hollingsworth – Dark Horse Light Works
Shout out to Gayane for bringing this resource to my attention. This tools gives you site shape files. The website is Cad Mapper.
If you have a common workflow issue that just can’t be done in Revit… I hate to say this but… Just google it. 99% of the time you will find an answer. This is just a link slash shout-out to the folks at CADD Community for a great tutorial on how to add images to…
This post is the fifth in a series. Please read the main article before beginning this part. Due to the broad scope of the topic at hand this issue has been divided into multiple posts. Each post is centered around a topic related to homes might change as a result of Covid-19. Topics will be…
Fancy renderings are not my strong suit. Modelling everything so that a rendering can be done quickly with the data already in the Revit model with and without any additional photo shop. On this project you can see some of the results of modeling and texturing done exclusively in Revit before the advent of Lumion…
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Korte Construction approached Michael Baker International to provide a design solution that would change the client provided design from a two story building to a single story building. The goal of this change was to eliminate the construction costs of providing an elevator and stairs, create additional usable square footage for the client, and play…
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This post is the fourth in a series. Please read the main article before beginning this part. Due to the broad scope of the topic at hand this issue has been divided into multiple posts. Each post is centered around a topic related to homes might change as a result of Covid-19. Topics will be…
“Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares? He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes.” – Bill Connolly
America should be ashamed that, despite being the wealthiest country on earth with one of the most vibrant business scenes, we still have a massive amount of homelessness. To address this issue some people have proposed building tiny homes for the poorest to make homes more affordable. The thought behind this idea is that smaller…
We rely on AIA for our contract documents to ensure that homeowners and everyone involved in the design and construction process is protected in a fair manner. Terms in this industry standard set of legal documents are often included due to case law and are very thorough in addressing and covering almost any “unforeseen” circumstances.
And we are failing our planet miserably. JFK once said “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Well some wise folks at Commvault have remixed this to “Ask not what your planet can do for you. Ask what you can do for your planet.” In…
Just need scale drawings for your project? We got you covered. We use Revit to ensure that your documents have accurate dimensions and are high quality. See below for some of our work. Please contact us for references.
Not sure what you want to do with your property yet? Have us come out to measure and evaluate your site. We can create accurate plans for you to make design and planning decisions with before you begin the design process. You might even get some helpful design tips along the way. Please contact us…
Need some advice on a transition plan? Need some analysis to decide if your project is a good idea? Need help selecting a site? Need help with a project? Looking for a independent designer for a few months? Architectural and design consulting services by Green Sail will help you find a path forward and start…
Building Information Modeling is the new catchphrase. But in spite of all the hype many people are still having a tough time seeing the value added. The reality is that the software you have is only as good, fast, and efficient as the people you have operating it. Many people who are very familiar with…
Green Sail Inc. provides full architectural services from white paper or interview to construction administration and everything in between. What follows here is a rough outline of what a typical Green Sail home design process looks like and what you can expect from us. Scope of Work and Requirements We will take your written requirements…
This post is the third in a series. Please read the main article before beginning this part. Due to the broad scope of the topic at hand this issue has been divided into multiple posts. Each post is centered around a topic related to homes might change as a result of Covid-19. Topics will be…
This post is the second in a series. Please read the main article before beginning this part. Due to the complexity of the topic at hand this issue has been divided into multiple posts. Each post is centered around a topic related to homes might change as a result of Covid-19. Topics will be linked…
This post is the first in a series. Please read the main article before beginning this part. Due to the complexity of the topic at hand this issue has been divided into multiple posts. Each post is centered around a topic related to homes might change as a result of Covid-19. Topics will be linked…
Born and raised in Chicago, I have been fascinated by the built environment from a young age. I knew that I wanted to be an architect since before I can remember. Now I am licensed in California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania and committed to make it easy for anyone to build a sustainable home. For more…
One of the most important parts of an architectural project that often gets overlooked is the documentation of existing conditions. The importance of this step is threefold. It enables the owner to look at what they have in an objective way and make realistic assessments. The second part is that having good measurements to start…
I recently read an article about the influence of disease on bathroom design in the United States. This article made me wonder about the role of Covid-19 on the home. What kinds of impacts might this current pandemic have on the design and construction of our homes? Will it change where people want to live?…
The difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make sense. – Tom Clancy
This is a university project where I animated and textured an existing digital lamp model to tell a story that spoofs the Mac vs. PC commercials. Hope you enjoyed!
The client is a young male lawyer in New York City looking for a slick modern open plan pad to call home. He likes to entertain small groups friends on a fairly frequent basis for drinks, games, or for small parties. He also wants a home that makes it easy to keep organized, neat, and…
The goal of this post is to encourage people who are considering building a new home to go all electric. The main reason to do this is environmental. At the moment going all electric may cost a little bit more because of a lack of market penetration. However the cost disadvantages of the equipment required…
Another week another list! The Living Building challenge is one of the most holistic sustainability standard. Most standards like LEED and Green Globes are designed in such a way that you can still build a building that uses toxic chemicals you just get less points. The Living Building challenge really gets sustainability right starting from…
Procrastination is awful. At least reading is enjoyable. Super adobe is a cool system that reshapes an abundant resource into beautiful housing with minimal materials and energy. Kudos to Fabio for bringing this company to my attention!https://www.calearth.org/intro-superadobe Indoor vertical farming in Chicago’s back of the Yards Neighborhood.https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-backyard-fresh-farms-vertical-indoor-farm-20190807-j7bzv2axi5cfrfuvspqyht7xku-story.html The limitations of neighborhood councils and participatory democracy…
Looks like this is becoming a habit. Truly original content just takes longer than I anticipated. “Washington’s greatest and most lasting contribution was his example in establishing what is called “ordered liberty.” Ordered liberty requires that citizens be honest. The opposite of ordered liberty is dishonesty and confusion. Washington was known for his honesty. ”…
Because I didn’t take time to write last week. Frick Environmental Center is a building that I have had the pleasure of getting a personal tour of while I lived in Pittsburgh. Here is a link to their website which has much better descriptions of the building that I could hope to compile.https://www.pittsburghparks.org/frick-environmental-center-building Earthquake hazards…
It appears that I will be too busy to write a real article this week as well. So, for the sake of convenient education, here is another set of links for your brains to munch on. This is an interesting article from a blog that is tailored more specifically to Pittsburgh but also looks at…
Since I do not have time this week to write a real post that involves research I am simply posting some links to interesting reads or cool stuff that people have told me about or that I have found during the week. The topics of these links span everything from home construction and sustainability to…
Martin Luther King Jr. made the world a better place through the power of vision, determination, and powerful community organization. But even in his time he recognized that the fight for justice was only beginning. I would like to take this day to see how far we have come as a nation and how far…
This post is an evaluation of the idea that new housing built today skews luxury while leaving affordable and mid-priced new home construction as under-served markets. To be clear this is a sub-issue of the larger issue which is a simple lack of sufficient supply as seen by the following quote from a research paper…
Many people hail the arrival of the autonomous car as a solution that will alleviate traffic congestion by reducing accidents and allowing for coordinated and fluid motion of traffic. While these characteristics of future driving automation that are not yet possible may indeed help improve traffic they will not eliminate traffic jams nearly to the…