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New Green House Exhibition gives you ideas to take home
By Robin Tierney
Architect Kara Strong is glad to see the green message taking root throughout the area, evident in a bright new exhibition, The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design, at the National Building Museum in downtown DC.
Strong, who works and lives in South Silver Spring, got to preview the groundbreaking 7,000 square-foot exhibition. Featuring a broad spectrum of green building materials and technologies, show highlights include 20 detailed displays about real-world examples of modern sustainable homes (single- and multi-family) around the globe, a hands-on resource room and a full-size, working model of several rooms of the Glide House, a trademarked home plan that can be built in nearly any environment. Sprawl and oversized, expensive-to-maintain homes are losing appeal as energy prices soar, and such human-scale houses are attracting fans within the building industry and among lay audiences.
Go Green Tips from the Exhibition:
1. Choose rugs, window treatments and other textiles made from natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, which are untreated and free of pesticides or chemical cleaners.
2. Buy flooring products made from rapidly renewable resources. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, requiring no replanting and little fertilization or pesticides.
3. Select solid woods harvested from sustainably managed forests for furniture or cabinetry, rather than pressed woods or composites that may contain toxic chemicals.
4. Eliminate waste by choosing biodegradable and recyclable products. Consider the lifecycle of furnishings before purchasing: can their materials be reused or recycled? |
This is good news to Strong. She not only specializes in green design, she lives in a shining example of it: Eastern Village Cohousing, the cool new community in Silver Spring's revitalized "SoPo" (South Point) district. Cohousing is a green condo in which members participate in their building's design, construction, and operation. Smaller individual units are offset by an abundance of shared space. Eastern Village is the nation's first cohousing to be certified LEED (a tough set of criteria for sustainable buildings).
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You don't have to be an architect to be inspired by the National Building Museum's survey of environmentally correct, socially responsible abodes. These residences require far less energy to build and maintain - and release dramatically less greenhouse gas. Unlike environmentally correct homes of yesteryear, these green houses are attractive and practical. The ideas, materials and techniques can be adapted for renovations and additions to existing area homes and new construction.
- For the Glide House, structurally insulated panels serve as mold-resistant, well-insulated walls and roof. Furthermore, the prefab house yields little construction waste.
- Some solutions are refreshingly low-tech. For example, sliding panels of wood louvers cover the Glide House's long glass facade. They can be adjusted to control the amount of sunlight entering the house along with airflow. And wait until you discover the potential of caulk!
"This show will help spread the word about how beautiful green building is and how it is now within reach," predicts Strong, a member and 2005 chair of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment. Visitors can touch, open, walk on and fully sense the materials - and "discover there isn't anything to be afraid of."
| Photo: Julie Wiatt |
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Strong wished the show focused more on geothermal rather than photovoltaic heating/cooling systems. "Geothermal is less expensive and a very good solution for the mid-Atlantic." At Eastern Village--a project on which she worked as an architect with Sustainable Design Consulting before moving there--geothermal is one reason that the average power bill for her 900-square-foot residence is under $35 a month.
Observing the model home's bamboo floors, Strong notes the importance of getting bamboo from a reputable source. Bamboo--which is a grass, not a tree--must be aged at least three years before harvesting. Otherwise, it won't hold up--which she learned from experience in her own residence.
Planned in 2003 and completed last year, Eastern Village's green credentials include its award-winning vegetative/green roof, linoleum flooring, geothermal system, and brilliant convention-busters such as common-area guestrooms--obviating the need for guest bedrooms within each unit.
Strong hopes that more attention will be paid to the issue of affordability so that green building is not perceived as a luxury. "Beyond inspiration, how do we make [green] more practical?" Some developers want to be in front of the market, but many don't want to go green if it costs them more green.
| Photo: Julie Wiatt
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A common misperception is that sustainable buildings must cost more. According to a California study, LEED-certified buildings cost on average $4 more per square foot. But over 20 years, the study projected savings of $48.87 to $67.31 per square foot.
Green can be done on a budget. While in Florida, Strong worked on a cutting-edge sustainable-communities project. Her lauded, visionary work included a 900-square-foot prototype house that cost only $30,000 to build.
How do you orient a house to take advantage of winter sun and summer shade, and to minimize damage to the plants, animals and land? Where do you find systems that collect and recycle rainwater? Could thermal massing and high-efficiency glass work for your home? What age-old building practices can be realistically adapted for better living? Answers abound in the Green House exhibition.
The "Principles of Sustainability" gallery presents the newest know-how about orienting a house on a site for maximum efficiency as well as comfort and aesthetic appeal. You'll also learn ways to eliminate toxins from your home, choose truly energy-smart appliances, discern what makes a resource or system sustainable and renewable, and harness Nature to cut those power bills.
Free printed guides are chock-full of tips - perfect for those inspired by the green-eyed muse after visiting the National Building Museum or Eastern Village.
The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design
Exhibition runs through June 3, 2007
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Monday- Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday 11 am to 5 pm
202-272-2448
Programs include tours, lectures, films and hands-on family activities
Admission: Free
For details, visit www.nbm.org
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