2 North Shore

Over the next few weeks I will be posting case studies of the projects we have incentivized. Click on the image for a larger version. Each case study provides an overview of the project as well as points earned in the LEED rating system.

The first one is 2 North Shore, home of Greenlife and Rock/Creek Outfitters. 2 North Shore was already in the planning phase when green|spaces started and we were thrilled about how open the owner and developer were regarding reaching for LEED Certification. This project was completed and certified in 2009. 2 North Shore has recently added a solar array in their parking area that is part of the Green Power Switch program. This array also offers a nice shady place to park.

Inspiring Change

We started this blog to share good news. We do talk about scary things from time to time – we look for reliable answers and options, and present them. Today, we're talking about sad news, but with a real sense of hope for the future.

When we started green|spaces in 2007, we were selling a vision of what Chattanooga could be. We talked candidly about Chattanooga's industrial past, and pinpointed the current problems that keep us from being a cleaner city. We're still working for Chattanooga to become a true environmental city.

This idea of vision (not yet) and reality (already) was influenced by many voices, one of which was Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface, Inc. and author of two books on sustainability. He passed away earlier this month.

I first heard him speak in 2005, and – like many people – was inspired. He believed that sustainability as a movement, at its core, was about doing just that. Inspiring people to change.

Martin Melaver recently wrote this about Ray:

“Ray was one of those rare individuals who somehow touched the core of what human-ness is all about – a blend of ambition and selflessness. He would begin most every talk he gave with the statement that he was as driven and as competitive as any businessman you would ever meet. And yet somehow, he would “flip” this all-so-common human trait, one most of his audience identified with, into something filled with a higher purpose: stewardship of planet earth. He was a self-proclaimed plunderer of natural capital, a sinner – but then by implication so weren’t we all? And his hope and undiminished optimism gave us all a clear path toward redemption.”

“A sustainable society into the indefinite future...depends totally and absolutely on a vast re-design triggered by an equally vast mind-shift - one mind as a time, one organization at a time, one technology at a time, one building, one company, one university curriculum, one community, one region, one industry at a time, until the entire systems of which we are each a part has been transformed into a sustainable system, existing ethically in balance with Earth’s natural systems, upon which every living thing utterly depends - even civilization itself.”

We are inspired by change. We are inspiring change.

Click here to hear a two-minute video where Ray talks about what was most important to him.

A tightly sealed house is a safer house.

If you are thinking about buying or building a house, or even just making improvements to your existing home, what should you look for when it comes to sustainable construction?

Energy efficiency is a practical goal, to reduce energy bills and improve comfort. You might also consider a tightly sealed home, to impact indoor air quality and keep the air inside your home safer.

But be sure that your contractor knows best practices. For example, proper ventilation systems are key, and windows don't count. We found a wonderful article on Energy Recovery Ventilation - showing how you can control the amount of fresh air coming into your home, while minimizing energy loss.

Read by clicking this link to the EnergySavers website.

Our homes are unhealthy. What can we do about it?

A couple of years ago, green|spaces turned our office into a crime scene to raise awareness about air quality – click this link to see the amazing pictures. But we weren’t talking about outdoor air quality (which isn’t receiving any gold medals in the US) we were talking about the air inside our homes.

We get a lot of questions about better building practices, energy efficiency and water reduction, but indoor air quality is easily missed.

But it’s so important. The average American spends 90% of their time indoors.

Most of us know where problems like pollen and animal dander come from (hint: plants and animals), but what about mold, chemicals, radon and volatile organic compounds?

Many harmful chemicals end up in our homes, carried in by us. Everything from our mattresses and carpet to our cabinets and cleaning products contain chemicals that are hazardous to healthy breathing – fire retardants, stabilizers, binders, sealers and more.

Ironically, many of the chemicals found in these products were created to mimic something found in nature, but be produced at mass scale, faster and cheaper. For example, a polymer is made to mimic rubber or amber. Synthetic cleaning products mimic the good properties of natural cleaning products.

So the good news is that there’s a simple solution. When selecting products for your home, pay attention to what they’re made of. Look for natural products and materials where possible – buying natural products doesn’t make you hip, or a hippie. It just makes you breathe easier.

*photo curtesy of treehugger.com

something smells funny...

If you are in Chattanooga this Saturday, go check out Riverfront Nights. green|spaces is the stage sponsor this year, so we will be there along with Chattanooga's first residential green building program Better Built. Come say hello!