Space, time and architecture; the growth of a new tradition by Sigfried Gideon.

I was given this book as a graduate student in architecture at The a Ohio State University. Like all of the very best architects.... I, too, am dyslexic & didn’t read it. No time like the present... I plan to read it now & provide commentary. Let’s just say, right now, I believe it to be an overstated book that is hardly relevant in both practical architectural practice as well as in theoretical discourse. I am wholly and entirely disappointed by the majority of books and critical articles I have read to date. So, why am I sitting around and not writing myself... tho I do have nearly 250 published articles thus far.

"Buildipedia.com - Going Google Over Green" by Stephanie Aurora Lewis

geothermal is universal

Photo credit: Exclusive Geo Works, LLC

Geothermal technology no longer consists of simply harvesting energy from the earth and underground water resources. The energy-efficient technology consists of a specialized furnace that circulates water through buried tubing to supplement the conventional source of either heat or coolness to achieve the optimum human comfort temperature.

Passive Solar Design

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WM. G. Murray Conference Center, Living History Farms, Des Moines, Iowa.

Photo credit: Patsy K. Anderson.

I just completed a CEU course for registered architects related to Passive Solar Design for Design Arts Seminars.

I first saw this building as an elementary school student with my mom, brother, sister, and another mom & her kids. At a young age, I was interested in architecture... and this building was probably the first building to make me think! As a child, I thought it was ridiculous to bury a building or a home... afterall no one could really answer my questions.

In fact, I couldn't have answered any of my questions until I completed this CEU course this week. The biggest discovery I made was that Passive Solar Design is not so complicated and not so expensive... I found that many of the high confluent architecture books are attributed to making passive solar design ethereal and unattainable unless you become a scientiest or an engineer.

Not so, may I recommend Daniel D. Chiras' book, The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling? He provides a list of "do's" when designing passive solar homes... which easily translate to passive solar principles for commercial buildings as well.

Passive Solar Design is completely attainable and well worth all the effort... energy savings start out at a minimum of 30% and go all the way up to 80%.

Summer Porches

As an architect, I am beginning this blog to inspire other designers to think in the most creative ways to be green.

Many years ago, homes were built with summer porches. So, in the evenings and for sleeping, the family would camp out on the second floor porch added to the rear end of the home. Besides the exotic aspect of this sleeping arrangement, it was one way to achieve a good night's sleep without sweating like a pig. The natural breezes of the summer night air were unobstructed and the family slept like content babies.

So, no air conditioning for the summer porch family.