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Category Archives: Cool building materials
Nifty kitchen solution – 2, complete with a “retiree incubator”
I was recently in Sweden with my mother, working on a new kitchen for her. She spends half her time in the US, and half in Sweden. A few years ago, tired of planning their summers around the content of their … Continue reading
Posted in Cool building materials, On Design, Scandinavia
Tagged 60's patterns, glass backsplash, glazed-in balcony, incubator, orange, p-lam, renovation, small kitchen, Sweden, white
9 Comments
The seven year wait…
So far, this week has been a pretty normal week for me, but it contains a GIGANTIC mile stone for my friend and co-worker Gina. After the upcoming weekend, she and her husband will be at the end of a process … Continue reading
What exactly is Cor-Ten, and is it worth it?
If you pay any attention at all to design and architecture, you may have heard the term Cor-Ten thrown around quite a bit. Cor-Ten is a registered trademark name for a type of weathering steel alloys, owned by the US Steel … Continue reading
Posted in Cool building materials, Environment
Tagged A36, alloys, Cor-Ten, mild steel, rust, staining, weathering steel
21 Comments
From field to finishes – agricultural waste transformed!
In a world of dwindling resources, shrinking forests and threatened ecological habitats, it is more important than ever to embrace sustainable, environmentally sound alternatives, and find ways to reduce waste. In my quest to become a full-fledged locavore, and make … Continue reading
Posted in Cool building materials, Local interest, On Design
Tagged Building, creativity, environment, Green, Interior Design, LEED, Materials, Renewable, Resources, sustainability, TorZo surfaces
7 Comments
Subtle, simple and sensual – material expressions in the Japanese Garden
One of the top destinations in our fair city – in my book, at least – is the Japanese Garden. It never disappoints. Every time I go, I see new things, depending on light, weather, seasons – what have you. … Continue reading
Posted in Cool building materials, Gardening and Landscaping, Local interest, On Design
Tagged creativity, Design, fences, garden, Garden design, Japanese, Landscape design, Nature, paths, sculpture, Traditional
9 Comments
The beauty of clean, Green E-board – put the leftovers on your roses!
Did you know that we here in the U.S. throw out 221.7 million tons of garbage – every DAY!!! A whopping 20% of that comes from the building and construction industry! So not surprisingly, when I find a product or … Continue reading
Posted in Cool building materials, Environment, On Building
Tagged construction, drywall, Green, Green E-board, Greenewall, magnesium oxide, Materials, non-toxic, silica
2 Comments
Celebration of the times before the big disconnect – how the old masters selected wood
I spent my childhood summers on a farm in a rather desolate part of northern Sweden. At one point, much later in life, we were looking into moving a small grain storage barn on the property. It was situated a … Continue reading
Posted in Cool building materials, Culture, On Building, Scandinavia
Tagged Building, history, lumber, Materials, Nature, Swedish, timber, Traditional, Trees, wood
5 Comments
From shou-sugi-ban to acetylated wood – a clean, green future in wood preservation
Tar kiln or “tjärdal” from Öland, Sweden. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. Since humans began using wood, the material has always been subject to more or less successful methods of wood preservation. Alexander the Great is said to have soaked wood … Continue reading
Posted in Color, Cool building materials, Culture, Environment, Green Living, On Building
Tagged acetylated wood, cool building materials, environment, green building materials, Green Technology, Japanese, lumber industry, modern, pesticides, Scandinavian, shou-sugi-ban, Traditional, wood preservation
27 Comments
Good Sources for Cool Building Materials that May Help Green Your Project
The exhibition catalog for the PNC SmartHome Cleveland (the Passive House I wrote about in my last post) – included a list of companies that provided the materials for that project. In an effort to spread the Sustainable Building Gospel, … Continue reading
It’s not easy being green – an exploration of the purported sustainability of ipé
Politics is ever-looming, wherever you turn in the design world. Kermit the Frog was right when he famously sang that “It’s not easy being green”. In fact, it’s damn tricky! Being a conscientious consumer (and materials specifier) is balancing on … Continue reading
The Creative Flux 