EQUITY GREEN

Greensburg Cubed To Help Residents Rebuild City After Devastation

On May 4, 2007, a tornado struck the town of Greensburg, Kansas.  Yesterday, I posted about Studio 804, a design-build program at the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and how they are helping the residents of Greensburg rebuild after the tornado.  Add KSU to the list of schools helping out.  During this past spring, the graduate architectural design studio at Kansas State University will help to rebuild the city through a design-build project called G3:  Greensburg Cubed.  Greensburg Cubed will design and construct modules, 10'x10'x10' cubes, that highlight sustainable materials and demonstrate green construction methods to meet a community need.  Check out the video...I think the Book Nook and the Ice Cube are awesome designs and can picture them in parks and cities across the country.  If I could, I would put a Book Nook in my backyard!

Radiant City: A Documentary About Suburban Sprawl

A new documentary has surfaced that explores the North American phenomenon of "suburban sprawl."  I haven't seen it yet (trailer below) but it looks really interesting.  If anyone has seen it, please comment below and tell us what you think.  The documentary explores how this "sprawl" is embedded in our culture and is "eating the planet."  The film was written and directed by Gary Burns and Jim Brown.  Check out Jetson Green's post on the top ten problems with sprawl and Stephen's post at greenbuildingnyc.com.  Thanks guys! 

++Problems With Sprawl [Jetson Green]
++Via Stephen [GreenBuildingNYC.com]
++Radiant City [Website]

San Francisco's New Civic Center (525 Golden Gate Avenue) = Greener Than Green!

Green is good, especially in San Francisco.  And the city's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has plans to build a green tower, the likes of which have never been seen on American soil...at least for an office building.  Agency consultants describe the project as "the most energy-efficient office building developed in an urban setting in the United States to date."  Other experts tag the green initiative as aggressive, which is definitely a compliment in SF!  The building will be a 12-story structure located at 525 Golden Gate Avenue (cross street Polk Street) and is just two blocks away from city hall.  Greening the building will cost an additional $16 million to the already hefty $178 million budget.  However, the savings may be well worth it.  Currently, the PUC's employees are renting out space at $9 million per annum.  The estimated cost to house all of the employees in the new "green" structure is estimated at $3.8 million per year.  Some of the buildings green features include the following:

• Wind turbines stacked on the roof to generate energy (positioned behind glass to fit in)
• Solar panels embedded in portions of the buildings facade
• Waterless urinals, faucet sensors and on-demand water heaters
• Wastewater recycled through basement filters

The windturbines are extremely lightweight and employ slow-moving swirls, which reduce vibration (especially important since they will be on the roof) and they are safe for birds.  The are produced and manufactured by Aerotecture (cool website, check it out).  KMD Architects commissioned Timmons Design Engineers in association with ARUP to carry out the sustainable design services for the new building. 

PUC Sustainability Plan
Timmons Design
Via SF Gate