Why aren’t city buses smaller? From time to time, I’ll admit it, I catch myself staring out my office window trying to think of an idea or walk thru a design detail in my head. I’ve always notice how damn loud buses are and how much exhaust they expel, but recently I’ve started to notice that city buses are rarely ever full.

Now I don’t believe that we should force people to utilize public transportation nor should we necessarily offer financial incentives for people to do so as well. (I think the incentives should be obvious.) Personally, I believe that people will utilize the form of transportation that is the most convenient and/or the least expensive. But I think that we need to determine if those 50’ long buses are necessarily required during certain hours of the day, in every city, much less at all. We’ve grown accustom to seeing those long buses as the norm, but what if one city started to view it differently. What if they started to use buses that actually fit the number of occupants on the bus.

It makes you think, what if people in our industry—builders, architects, remodelers, contractors, etc—started designing and building homes to fit the number of occupants it? With the current state of the economy, even more people will be designing or building for what they truly need rather that what they think they need.

The more I get to know about green products, the more I get confused about what really green is. For our first interior project, Allison and I started looking for eco-friendly furnishings a few months ago. What I have found in the claims of green textile (upholstery, rug, bedding) is that some are made of 100% organic or rapidly renewable fibers, some have low VOCs emissions, and others are made by child labor free.  With 3rd party certification, each claim is truly a green attribute. But here are my questions: What if a fabric has a Green Guard Certification, but is imported from Italy and made of synthetic fibers that are derived from petroleum? Is it still green? What if a rug is Rug Mark Certified, but the wool is not organic and dyed with synthetic colorants? Do we still call this rug green? I don’t know which side to look at the most in defining eco friendly products. I feel like there is no such thing that meets all the green criteria; sustainably produced, ethically made, no chemical used, locally sourced, and long lasting, and also meets the aesthetic need. Where do you draw the line on defining a product as green?? Right now I am lost in the ”green maze”.

Rebuilding Together Part 2

Chie Morioka and I designed a plan that was affordable yet durable and highly efficient. We lined all the plumbing up on one wall, found donated eco tile from left over projects, and created simple storage solutions, while encouraging a well thought out task analysis.

We designed a sink unit that was located outside the bathroom, a shower area with a curtain for private showering and a single toilet nook. The layout allows the children to do their hair and makeup while one child can use the toilet and another is showering. The storage is adjustable which encourages the children to feel empowered through controlling ones own space. The tile design on the floor is playful yet subconsciously divides each of the spaces for different tasks.

When Chie and I presented the plans to the client she began to cry while stating that we read her mind yet exceeded her vision of what was possible. The impact of design and how it can change someone’s life is amazing. In my opinion, and that of my company’s, every design must encapsulate form and function, while surpassing our client’s expectations.

 I have found some cool furniture at their exibition held in St Paul. Their style is mostly modern and craftsman, but they are also able to make traditional style furniture. Details like matching wood grains in a piece not only the face panel but also the sides and the corners make their work interesting. The beauty of nature (wood) just stands out! All items are made of reclaimed wood from Duluth Timber company or FSC certified wood and no formaldehide glue is used.    

There plenty of builders and remodelers out there who scoff at the Green “trend.” I’ve met carpenters and handymen—skilled workers, mind you—who are downright belligerent when it comes to the subject. I imagine that to them firms like Otogawa-Anschel look like a bunch of dreamy hippies hawking the latest snake oil. And perhaps that view of the Green movement is not entirely baseless. The word Green is everywhere you go these days. Many businesses have caught on to the fact that marketing themselves this way is a savvy method in a tough economy regardless of whether their methods or products are actually sustainable. Last month I had a gentleman from a company that installed elevators in luxury homes try to convince me that they were Green because elevators took up less space than stairways and therefore cut down on the overall footprint of the home.

In fact, I myself am rather sick of the word Green, particularly due to all the “greenwashing.” But Green means the other kind of green these days. Like it or not, money is a powerful instigator of change. Americans are buying more fuel-efficient cars en masse not exactly for the environment’s sake, but because gas prices are skyrocketing. The same is true when it comes to home building and remodeling. More efficient heating and cooling systems and insulation save a lot of money in the long run. Contractors will adjust to what the target market wants because that’s how their businesses can flourish.

The price of gas may have dropped a bit in the last couple of weeks, but the days of cheap fuel are gone forever. There are more people on Earth that ever before and that number will keep growing. Space will become a major issue—even in the US; so will potable water. This generation is finally waking up to the fact that many of the resources mankind relies upon are limited…and we are beginning to adjust.

People are catching on and Green is selling, but eventually it will all be standard. I look forward to the day when green building is the only kind of building, 50 mpg is considered poor mileage, and the kids give you a confused look when you say the word “garbage.” The truth is that these constant threats to our resources goad us into better habits. Once our society makes the change, there’s no reason to turn back. The aberrant concept of Green will fold into daily life and become invisible; nearly unthought-of.

And there will no longer be those dreamy hippies or wily sales folk using the word Green 40 times in a blog. That is a trend. Sustainability is here to stay.

This summer OA was contacted to work alongside Rebuilding Together, which is a non-profit organization that aids low income families in home restoration. This was my first time working with the organization so I had no idea what to expect. Chie and I met with the organization’s project manager at the family’s home for a walk through. It was upsetting to see the home’s condition: water leakage, holes in the floor that could be seen down into the basement, poor air quality and a lot of children for such a small space.

The children were all different ages: teens, preschoolers, and a college student, who received a full ride to a major university for academics. They are a hard working family who deserve good things. Luckily there are people in Minneapolis that give their time helping others in need, so I felt privileged to work with Rebuilding Together.

The scope of the project seemed challenging; the client wanted a bathroom and bedroom in their basement for her children. The question is: how to create an earth friendly and durable space for children of all ages, giving the teenager her privacy, the college student a getaway, and a small child her safety, while still creating something beautiful and affordable?

-Allison

Rebuilding Together Link:

http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/section/about/

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