Tag Archives: Green Technology

From shou-sugi-ban to acetylated wood – a clean, green future in wood preservation

Posted on August 13, 2012 by annamadeit

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

Posted on January 11, 2012 by annamadeit

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 →

Posted in Cool building materials, Environment, Green Living | Tagged Building, cool building materials, Design, energy efficiency, environment, Green Technology, Passive House, R-value, sustainability | Leave a comment

Soften the Environmental Blow With a Green Roof!

Posted on April 5, 2011 by annamadeit

Ever since I attended an architectural product luncheon back in 1993, where a Swiss rep was showing his wares – various sizes of the plastic, egg crate-looking modules holding the planting medium used to create planted roofs – and lauding … Continue reading →

Posted in Client Education, Cool building materials, Environment, Gardening and Landscaping, Green Living, On Building, On Design | Tagged brown roofs, Building, climate change, economy, Energy, environment, extensive, Green Roof Initiative, green roofs, Green Technology, Heat Island Effect, intensive, Landscape design, storm water | 7 Comments

Look! Modular, recyclable laptops!

Posted on March 4, 2011 by annamadeit

“By 2015, there will be more than 60 million tons of e-waste….” begins this video clip. But wait – it gets better! Leave it to students to come up with something this ingenious. I wish they will find the right … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Green Living, On Design | Tagged environment, Green Technology, Renewable, repurpose, Reuse, waste | Leave a comment

Plug your cell phone into your solar curtain!

Posted on January 12, 2011 by annamadeit

1 August 2010 Shield your windows and collect solar energy to power your home at the same time! An ingenious concept first launched by Sweden-based Interactive Studios in 2005, as the Energy Curtain, a window shade that is specially woven … Continue reading →