revolutionary wind turbines

Selsam is flying wind-turbines for maximum power. It’s like a kite, only with giant spinning blades. Looks so scifi …. resembling a field of wind-swept reeds swaying on the horizon
Source: twitter from inhabitat

… on what makes a building green

Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and
implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
Patagonia’s Mission Statement
I have mentioned Patagonia the outdoor clothing organisation a few times before on this blog, and recently searching for a model CSR policy or statement for a Masters course I am in part delivering, went [...]

zero carbon ‘floating’ development for Preston

Green, innovative and zero carbon project development on our doorstep in Preston, Lancs, !

The RIBA have recently awarded a zero carbon design as the visitor center at the new Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Nature Reserve in Preston, to regenerate a former quarry site into a major visitor attraction.
The project called “A Floating World”, consists of [...]

interseasonal heat transfer

Pams second post on snow and ice clearance over at Public Works blog, reminded me of two items I had collected into my google notebook for future isite posts.
Reported in the Guardian Friday last Under Road heaters may beat snow and ice , the Highways Agency plans to install pipes underneath a section of [...]

Facilities Management now in Second Life

The inaugural Centre for Facilities Management Second Life (SL) seminar took place today, Wednesday April 2nd 2008. The seminar, facilitated by Martin Brown, (aka Brand Woodin in SL) focused on Sustainable FM, but also referred to the developing research area of Community-based FM which looks at FM outside of the traditional boundaries and organisational settings [...]

time for built environment transition?

We may now have a handbook for sustainability change in our sector.
When facilitating sessions on sustainability in the built environment, I often get delegates to ’stand in the future’, 2030 is always a good date, imagine what buildings and our use of them would be like, and try to identify what messages they would send [...]

zeroHouse

A search over a coffee, starting from Pam’s link (here) led me to zeroHouse.
Now this may be hitting a lot of boxes on the zero list, may be an architects vision or dream, but to call eco (as in ‘eco’ =’home’ and a place to live?
Does this primary school Lego construction have a soul - [...]

wanted … eco home builder

I have for a while now been exploring Second Life’s contribution to the built environment - on themes of collaboration, education and usability.
One of these ideas is to create a UK Level 6 Eco Home within second life to use as an educational device. A meeting a month or so ago with Pam Broviak [...]

a real school for the future - without eco-bling

Education Guardian reports today on the development of Acharacle School on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in Scotland.  The report by Tariq Tahir, should make ‘essential ‘ reading for those involved in school design, construction and in community assets. In addition the school childrens blog ‘they are building outside our class‘ illustrates how construction can be a [...]

on building school futures …

school things on my radar this weekend…
In May the Lancashire Construction Best Practice Club will be held at Devonshire School, Blackpool an exemplar school that is a significant step forward in the design of learning environments for young children. Details of the event and site visit will be posted on the Events pages [...]