What is Not So Big??

While one can argue the exact limits of what constitutes a "not so big house" there are some principles that help to define it. It is a house in which each room is actually used every day. There are no formal dinning rooms or parlors that are used only on holidays. There is a place for everything and everything is in it's place--there are not entire rooms used only to store "stuff" that we never use and have no real reason to hang on to. It is a house of beautiful details and qualities that make use want to be there. it integrates the outdoors. It offers both pivancy and openess with equal success.
We have all driven through (or lived in) neighborhoods of identical looking rows of McMansions in which the occupants could pass the salt to their next door nieghbor without ever leaving their seat at their own table. Many offer large expanses of space, much of which is unuseable because of the way it is configured. Soaring ceilings can make a space feel cavernous, which is impressive until you realize what it feels like to live in a cave --and how much it costs to heat it. After all, does a family of four really need a 6000 square foot home? Probably not unless they are operating a Bed & Breakfast Inn.
Most people find that they are most comfortable in a space that is scaled to human dimensions. Since most people are somewhere between 5 and 61/2 feet tall proportions that are generally comfortable for someone in that height range are comfortable for most people. The advent of Universal Design has added another dimension of creativity to make spaces that will remain useful and comfortable over the life course even if we should find ourselves disabled or wheelchair bound. There is little besides some thoughtful attention to detail and a little creative planning required to make these work.
I was previewing a home that was on the market with a listing price over a half million dollars. Much of the work was exquisite; the travertine tile was beautiful. the cabinets were wonderfully handcrafted and all the doors were wide enough for a wheelchair....except the ones into the bathrooms!!! Since my client was due to have an operation that was likely to leave him wheelchair bound, we kept looking.
Why do we insist these days on huge MasterSuites? We sleep less (an average of an hour and a half less per night according to recent studies). Instead of getting more done we are actually less productive--probably due in part to the fact that we are sleep deprived. If we remove the television set and the exercise equipment and the computer, we might find our bedrooms more functional and more comfortable for their intended purpose.
Not so big may not be a specific size, but it is definitely a way of being in the world. It is having a place that is comfortably intimate without being crowded. It feels open and spacious without being cold and empty.

Some Things NOT to reuse

I am a big fan or reusing most building materials whenever possible. There are, however, some things that are better used for other purposes. While the faucet that was in the 1950's house might be perfectly serviceable and have that "retro" look, it most certainly is NOT as efficient as the ones produced today. Use it to decorate if you must but do not use it on your sinks.
Toilets are much more efficient today. Older models can use 7 to 9 gallons per flush as opposed to 1.6 gallons for new models. There are even newer models that have a dual flush mode and alter the flush depending on the type of waste being disposed of. Leaks and lack of efficiency in old tolets account for huge amounts of wasted water. An efficient, new toilet can save from 9,000 to 20,000 gallons of water per household per year. If you saw or read AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH you understand just how important that can be. There are many small differences we can each make in our lives to contribute to becoming the hundreth monkey.
Refrigerators are best replaced with newer energy efficient models. Old refrigerators can be recycled properly by contacting your local utility company or waste management company. Some creative folks have been known to turn them into backyard smokers or dryers for making jerky or dried fruit. Always take proper precaustions to keep children and pets from getting into them and getting stuck inside.

WELCOME TO THE PERFECT MARKET

We are entering a period of normal market conditions. Despite the hype about a falling market, the truth is that the market for the last couple of years has been crazy. People will always need a place to live. As a result they will always buy and sell homes. Unfortunately because of the past spiral of ever increasing home prices, many have not been able to purchase. Others have purchased way above their means because of the availability of interest only mortgages and unrealistic lending practices. Many of these people will be facing foreclosure because they will not be able to refinance--if they were making interest only payments they may actually experience negative amortization in some areas--they will owe more than the current market value of the home.
Since many of these homes are newer they may need little or nothing in the way of retrofitting or remodeling to meet EnergyStar or better standards. Thermal windows, good weatherization and correctly sized HVAC systems are much more likely to be in place. A significant amount of outgassing will already have occurred. These will be great homes to recycle because they may be in foreclosure for financial reasons but are likely to be in good condition.

Home From Work

Just returned from New Orleans and the National Association of Realtors Convention. Met lots of great people both in the convention and in the city. New Orleans is still in tatters but her people are what makes her so incredibly unique and they are coming back and they have not changed. If anything, they are more kind and more friendly than I remember them from a couple of years ago when I went there for the first time.
I have the luxury of being able to work from home most of the time. One of the most exciting things for me about the conference was getting involved in the business of Employer assisted Housing which encourages businesses to assit their employees in being able to live close to where they work. New Orleans is an example of a city (or at least it was) that has a good public transportation system that enables people to travel to and from work effeiciently and inexpensively. It remains a very walkable and bike friendly city. While not many people are interested in bringing back the old "company town", many of us ARE interested in creating more affordable housing in areas close to where people work. It will not only save them transportation costs but cut down on congestion and pollution. Walking to work will help you get more exercise and be more familiar with your neighborhood.
Some employers see the benefit of encouraging and assiting employees to buy housing near work as a way to ensure that the area around thier business remains (or becomes) a desireable place to live. Many people who work in retail and service jobs can not afford to live near their jobs and are often late or miss a lot of time with their famiolies because of long commutes and lack of control over traffic. Hospitals and school districts as well as other employers with high turnover rates are beginning to understand that partnering with their employees to help them buy affordable homes helps them to build a stable, loyal workforce. The cost of subsidizing an employee purchase is in most cases less than recruiting and training for the same position over and over.
There are many layers to creating a more sustainable housing situation and we all can contribute in some way.

Simple Green

What are the simple, affordable things that people can do to have a greener home? I can not say enogh times that buying existing homes is the best and easiest place to start if you are looking to change residences. No new energy is used in the transport of materials, the creation of those materials or moving people and equipment to construct them. It has already been used.
Add insulation if necessary. Seal ducts and replace old HVAC systems with EnergyStar rated equipment properly sized for the house. Don't forget to check the seals on thermal windows and get an energy expert to evaluate whether your windows are the most efficient for their location. If they are not, evaluate whether or not to change them. Think skylights and solar tubes to allow as much natural daylighting as possible. If you replace flooring use natural or recycled materials for your replacements.
Use native plants and fruit trees for landscaping. This will cut down the need for water use. Fruit trees will provide both shade and food. Think small and efficient. A small house can seem expansive when the space is efficient and open.
Honestly ecaluate wheter there is too little storage or you have too much stuff.

The Big Small House

I was looking at a floorplan to.day from a house built in the early 1970's. It was not at the time meant to be particularly energy efficient or anything other than a regular middle class tract home.
Many of us grew up in those homes and can remember how cozy they were. They usually had larger lots than homes have now (this one was an a half acre). They often had large trees for shade and treehouses. This home was typical of those built at the time; stucco with brick facade, three bedroom and 2 baths. The bathrooms were arranged back to back so they shared a plumbing wall; the utility room was directly across the hall making for a short plumbing run and a practical location since the master bedroom was at one end of the hall and the other two bedrooms at the other end. This effectively separated the Master from the other berooms but kept the laundry convenient to all bedrooms and bathrooms. Ine entered the house through a covered porch which had a door into the garage and an opening to the atrium that occupied the area between the garage and the two front bedrooms. The entrance led to the great room, one end of which served as the dining room since the kitchen was at that end. The opposite end of the great room opened onto a second covered porch which was also accesible from the masterbedroom. Total square footage? 1,236.
Maybe the people currently designing motorhomes and travel trailers should sit down withthe architects and home designers who are still designing McMansions and explain to them how this kind of quality use of space allows for elegant solutions , smaller scale and happier clients, let alone a better planet for us all.

The Way Too Big House

I just saw a house the other day that was mind boggling. Why does anyone need a 9300 square foot home? This was literally built to look like a castle. It was not even a copy of an existing castle somewhere--at least that would have been some kind of excuse. It might also have created a floor plan that made some sense...9300 sq ft and 4 bedrooms??? There is no excuse for this kind of excess. If you aregoing to have and B&B, great; have more bedrooms and bathrooms and lots of cozy spaces for hanging out and reading or talking, a library, a music room...a gym even. This was jsut a collection of expansive rooms, most, granted, with gorgeious views, but enough already!! Build a nice patio or deck and njoy the views outside....

Old House Issues

Recycling an old house is a wonderful reuse of space and materials and a worthwhile undertaking. You have to be prepared, though, for the challenges as well as the rewards. Recently I helped a couple looking for a larger home in a mature neighborhood. They were preparing for both children to come and the possibility of long visits from extended family. Two great houses both turned out to have big renovation issues. While they had planned for things like replacing floors, windows and perhaps renovating a kitchen....we had found a house with aluminum wiring. Now THAT is a major renovation issue we had not planned for! While many of the 2 million or more homes with aluminum wiring never have a problems, a significant number do and the risk of fire is high.
The other house also had a problem not planned for but infinitely easier to solve; still expensive but simpler to deal with and not as critical. The concrete block retaining walls were bulging on three sides of the property. Fortunately, they could be dealt with in several different ways over time and since the house is not on a slope or built into a hill it was a much less serious problem.
For information about aluminum wiring use the link above.

House hHunting

What should you look for in a house? It depends on how much you are willing to do after buying it and what is most important to you. Right now, I am helping a couple whose bottom line is square footage. If the house is structurally sound and in a decent neighborhood they are willing to fix it up to get what they want as long as they can buy it for an amount that leaves them with enogh cash to do the work.
On the other hand, I also have a client who remodeled and sold the last two houses he lived in and he only wants a small townhouse that he can move into with no work whatsoever. He is willing to pay a premium price to do that but he also has strict limitations on where her wants to live. Both of these situation offer examples of people who have already met the most difficult challenge of finding a home...they have decided exactly what they want.
In recycling homes, I have found that one person may be selling their home to escape exactly what a buyer is seeking. People are different and their needs are different. No house is perfect for a given individual but the work you are willing, or not willing to do can determine how close you come to finding someplace to call home.

Mainstream Green

DWELL magazine's cover series on the sustainable building movement getting more and more mainstream contains some thought provoking article. One of the most interesting is the one by Robert Sullivan.
The first of a four part series it looks at the question of how our transportation patterns, the location of public transit or the interstate affect where and how we live. He uses history and observation to make us think about getting from here to there and what is in between in ways we usually do not consider.

Small is Beautiful

Have been looking for small houses lately for a couple of clients who want simple, functional living space that are conveniently located. This has led me to a couple of wonderful finds in the downtown area and reminded me again of how functional a small space can be. There is a renovation project going on in the old high school. They are doing a good job of green renovation there but the result is high end loft apartments for sale. In the surronding area, however, there are lots of old (50+) small homes less than 1400 square feet that are well built but run down. With a little imagination, some of these homes will become wondeful living spaces again.
Storage space is an issu in many but there are many creative storage solutions available now and, of course, the best solution is to own less stuff anyway.
An ongoing issue in housing is how to upgrade the housing in an area without gentrifying the neighborhood. While the high school renovation is an admirable reuse of space, it prices many people out of the neighborhood. I hope we can maintain a conciuosness that allows us to seek the highest and best goals for everyone, not just the most money for developers and real estate investors.

Challenge 2030

I wanted to share this information with everyone who is interested. Please pass it on to everyone you know.


"2030 Challenge" Resolution Adopted Cities across America have just taken an historic step in addressing the issue of global warming. The US Conference of Mayors has made a commitment to reduce global warming pollution from buildings in order to protect the world for future generations. On Monday, June 5, 2006, the US Conference of Mayors adopted the "2030 Challenge" (Resolution #50) for ALL buildings. The resolution was put forward by the mayors' of cities from the 4 corners of the continental U.S. - Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. As buildings are responsible for emitting half of the green house gas emissions that cause global warming, cities are committing to implement an immediate 50% fossil fuel greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction standard for all new and renovated buildings (50% below the national average for each building type) and setting benchmarks and timelines to increase the reduction standard for new buildings to carbon-neutral by 2030 - meaning they will use no fossil fuel, GHG emitting energy to operate. Last week on May 31, 2006 the City of Santa Fe became the first city in the US to formally adopt the "2030 Challenge". This means that all new city buildings, starting immediately, will be built to use 50% less fossil fuel, GHG emitting energy. By year 2030 all new city buildings in Santa Fe will be built to operate without emitting any greenhouse gases. Additionally, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued his first executive order this year requiring that all new state buildings and major renovations meet the 50% fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions reduction standard called for by Architecture 2030. This is another important step in the "2030" initiative to address major greenhouse gas reductions in the Building Sector. The 78,000 member American Institute of Architects formally adopted the "2030 Challenge" in January 2006. As this initiative spreads across the country and around the globe, it will be the most significant movement to influence "

Wish Lists and Reality Lists

As I have written elsewhere, I have been browsing THE NOT SO BIG HOUSE again and am struck by a lot of the practical approaches taken in this way of thinking and building. In order to get a big enough house that feel appropriate without turning it into a "McMansion" there are some easy things we can do.
A wish list has all the things that you would love to have in your dream house. Be it a commercial kitchen with sub zero appliances and a master suite with a hot tub on the redwood deck outside the french doors and a 600 square foot studio and workshop your dreams can be unlimited.
A reality list identifies the things that you must have--the things you can't live without. The 600 square foot workshop may not be a practical or affordable reality but a workbench and tool storage or a skylight in the garage might be an affordable way to accomodate the wish in a practical way.A commercial kitchen may not be possible but the best quality energy efficient appliances you can afford and creative design that gives you lots of storage and counter space to work on those (healthy, organic)gourmet meals might be something you caqn accomplish.

Reading List

Commit random acts of literacy! Read & Release at http://www.bookcrossing.com/friend/Unityworks

"Tis A Gift To Be Simple

I was reminded today of the deep longing that many of us have for simplicity in the midst of our ever more complex and rushed lives. Why is it that so many retirees spend a lot of their time traveling in RV's? I used to own a large 5th wheel trailer. It was 37 feet long and with all three slide outs it was just shy of 400 square feet. Now mind you, this was "street legal" so it was only 8 feet wide.....think about it the next time you see a motorhome or trailer on the road.
Many people become "full timers" and sell their homes and most of their possessions for the pleasure of living in a home on wheel that they can take with them wherever the feel they want to live at the moment. They can go where they want and never leave home. The average motorhome or travel trailer, even for a full timer, tends to be 8 feet wide and 28 to 30 feet long. With multiple slide outs the square footage can get up to between 300 to 350 square feet. The largest one are 40 feet long. That is still going to keep you at 400 square feet or less. If you have ever looked closely at these vehicles, you know that have great design and an amazing amont of storage for their size...but it is still very limited.
While one may be skeptical about the fuel required to move them from place to place, you have to admit that once there, they are very efficient. Many fulltimers only move two or three times a year anyway, prefering to stay in one place for several months and explore the area by car or to work so they can travel to a spot they want to be able to go to and NOT work.
In comparison to most homes, they are very small. Second, since many use propane and have their own generators, their useres tend to be frugal. If you look closely, you will see that some have solar panels.
My question is how we translate this ethos into homes that are NOT mobile? Check out the link to NPR's All Things Considered for some interesting thoughts and examples of really small homes!

What Can You Do Now?

"The energy consumption of most buildings can be cut 25 percent through retrofits and better operation. New construction, too, benefits from energy-efficient designs, effective commissioning and smart operations." This quote is from the Rebuild America website which offers good suggestions on affordable ways to save on energy retrofits. It gives information about federal and state programs that assist with accomplishing the work.Check it out for yourself at http://www.rebuildamerica.gov
Most people already live somewhere. They may choose to simply renovate or add on to their current space if the own it. Others are buying for the first time or may choose to buy a house with "good bones" and improve it. For someone facing a huge winter heating bill or in warmer state a summer cooling bill, 25% is quite a significant savings.
Correctly applied caulking and properly installed insulation combined with the best windows and doors you can afford will go a long way toward getting you that 25% savings.

Green Roofs

Green roofs have been used in some parts of the world for a long time. Today, systems are being developed that will allow us to retrofit almost any existing roof to bee a green roof. Why is this important? Habitat and green space that is being lost to building can be replaced to a dgree by green roofs. Many species of insects and birds who are being pushed out of their native habitat can remain there if there are green roofs.
Research shows that green roofs can also help lower the temperature of urban heat islands.
Plants will assist in controlling rainwater as well. Because they will retain water it eases the stress on drainage systems. Lightweight growing mediums and lightweight planting and waterproofing mediums make it possible to have a green roof without any chaqnges to existing roof structurs in most cases. Some installations will require more structural reinforcement to grow trees or have a rooftop plaza.
According to some studies, the existence of a green roof also extends the life of the roof by as much as 200%. And you never have to mow it.

Small is Beautiful

There is a great opportunity for being creative in a small home. Storage in older homes is sometimes a challenge but there is a plethora of storage systems and organizational systems on the market today and many of them work quite well. Closets are often smaller than what we are used to but those can be easily organized too. Built ins are a great solution.

The most practical solution, of course, is to reduce the amount of stuff we have to begin with. Do we really need that much? Consuming less helps us appreciate what we do have and maybe we will make choisce to have fewer things that are higher quality. What we don't have means that those less fortunate may be able to have something rather than nothing at all.

Creative use of light and color also can make a room seem spacious. Different furniture or different arrangement of furniture can change a room dramatically. Multi use spaces and multi use objects can expand a space many times over.

THE 2030 CHALLENGE

The 2030 Challenge issued by Edward Mazria, Santa Fe architecht and author of The Passive Solar Energy Book is stunning.He argues that this is not a matter of whether we can afford to do this or not but a matter of we CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO. Mazria is calling for all new buildings and developments, starting NOW, to be designed to use half the fossil fuel energy they would typically consume throughout their lifespan.

He goes further, mapping out a plan for a 60% reduction by 2010, a 70% reduction by 2015 and continuing 5% reductions in each 5 year period until in 2030 all new buildings would be carbon neutral.

The good news is that it has been predicted that next year will be the tipping point at which the majority rather than the minority of builders will describe their buildings as having green features. The ability to build homes that meet the standard of using 50% less in energy consumption is available today and has been for decades. It is time to put it to use.

Piano moving to New Mexico

For those of you who may not know it, my husband plays piano and guitar. In a recent post I wrote about buying a used piano at a garage sale for him. Here is some information from the wonderful piano technician whose work has made it sounds great.

"Now that you've had some time to play it, how is the piano working out for you? Thanks for your help with shimming the bottom board. That's not quite the level of craftsmanship they taught us at the North Bennet Street School (!), but in this case I think it's an acceptable field repair.

Since you're both Realtors, I thought I'd share this Q&A with you that I'm adding to my website, to help protect pianos that people bring in from out of state. I'm a big fan of humidity control, because I've seen what humidity swings can do to wood (as you know from your woodworking experience, as well). I was talking to Jim Boren over at the Piano Source the other day, and they heard a loud crack as a soundboard in a new Chinese piano let go. Apparently the wood wasn't seasoned properly.

Q: I've just moved my piano to New Mexico. Will the dryness here damage it?

A: Possibly; it depends. Sudden changes in humidity can damage pianos and anything else made of wood. Even though it's dry, the evaporative ("swamp") coolers we use here can quickly add a lot of moisture to the air. Cycling between wet and dry is particularly harmful. Pianos may sound better at a constant 45% relative humidity rather than a constant 15%. This is both because dry wood shrinks, causing less tension in the soundboard assembly, and because felt hammers change in characteristics such as resiliency with humidity.

Any brand new piano should be okay here; manufacturers typically dry wood down to a lower level than we get here. But if a piano has acclimated to a more humid climate for a year or two, an abrupt humidity change may in fact be harmful; wood cracks when it dries quickly. It's better if the change is slower. A way to avoid this is to use room humidifiers, or better still, to install a humidity control system right in the piano (see http://www.pianolifesaver.comContact me for more information on this.

These systems are available only from technicians, as the installation has to be customized for each piano. Generally they run about $400 for uprights, and $600 for grands (parts and labor), so it's not cost-effective for every piano (and yours has already adjusted to this environment). Room humidifiers can work; I'm not trying to come on with a hard sell here. But as you've heard me say over and over on Pianoworld, humidity control can only prevent damage, it can't repair it, and I sure like to let people know before it's too late. Damage can happen in less than a month."

Recommended Reading List

Even if you have seen the movie, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH should be required reading for all of us. To be able to refer to this material when you need to or when you just need a good fright is invaluable! Remember, he did win the popular vote. The people usually know the right thing when the hear it.

FIELD NOTES FROM A CATASTROPHE is a further laying out of the scientific and indisputable climate and other changes occurring around the globe on a daily basis. This is not at all strident or polemical....it is just downright chilling.



On a more positive note LITTLE HOUSE ON THE SMALL PLANET is a celebration of the small house movement. It recounts the stories of people who have realizeed the benefits of scaling down.

Home Again

I haven't written anything here for awhile. I've been traveling and celebrating birthdays. In the process, my laptop died which made written communication a lot more difficult. My mother in law turned 92 and I turned 55. My husband's son turned 27 the same day his grandmother turned 92. Great family get togethers!
The best part of the trip to Oregon was the absolute abundance of goods and services oriented to recycling and reuse of products in all kinds of ways. Curbside recycling is a given in the small town where my mother in law lives. No one gives it a second thought. It is just natural to do it.
My husband has begun playing the piano more seriously in the last five or six years, so his Father's Day gift from me was a piano---recycled from a garage sale two houses down the street. For $100 I was able to buy the piano and have the owners move it into my living room. After some research, we found (by tracing the serial number) that the piano was actually a Howard by Baldwin (that will mean something to the muscians out there) built in 1923. When the piano tuner came, we discovered that the piano had started out as a player piano but the mechanism had been removed. The people we bought it from said it wound up in their garage after someone donated it to their small church. After a few years the church disbanded without them ever locating anyone who knew how to play the piano. Long story short with the combination of the piano sitting unplayed for many years and New Mexico's extremely piano friendly consistently low humidity the piano is in very good shape for an 83 year old. Lance is enjoying playing more on a real piano than on the low-end keyboards he's been used to for several years.
In the process of shopping for a used piano, Lance met a piano technician/tuner, Cy Shuster, through an online Piano Forum who was coincidently moving to Albuquerque from Boston in June. So Lance and the 1923 Baldwin got to be Cy's first customers in Albuquerque. The piano got a much needed tuning along with a few other tweaks and adjustments and the piano and Lance are even happier now.

I was reminded lately of the great food and travel writer M.F.K. Fisher. She traveled extensively and wrote about not only her travels but her fascination with the people and places in which she lived. She created great simple recipes from locally grown and harvested foods wherever she was. I was rereading her description of her apartment in France with it's tiny kitchen and the delight she took in describing how efficient it was.
She retired to a one room studio in a vineyard in Sonoma County in northern California. She could have choosen a large home with multiple subzero freezers and all manner of amazing appliances but she did not. She chose to live simply in a small,light, airy and place. We should all be so wise.

Cooling Your Home

Okay, so natural ventilation is always the best.Place your windows and doors to allow for the cross ventilation that keeps you cool. Opt for low e glass. The next level would be fans. The effect of moving air on the skin is a wonderful thing. Remember, fans can be used to help circulate warm air in the winter as well.
The question is whether evaporative cooling is better than refrigerated air. The answer is not really that clear to me any more. Refrigerated air is getting more sophisticated and less expensive both to install and to operate.Old fashioned evaporative coolers did sometimes cause problems with humidity and inefficiency. Refrigerat ed air used to be much more expensive and the benefits of going from a hot outdoor environment to a downright chilly one and back again were questionable. Now, programmable thermostats and a new breed of air conditioner that essentially combines the best of both worlds may provide a good compromise for all of us. Check out the Coolorado at www.coolerado.com

Green Remodeling ideas

Remodeling is always an adventure. Green remodeling offeres an opportunity to make a major difference by doing small things and not getting overwhelmed. If you are going to get new carpet or flooring, consider carpet from recycled plastic fibers. The stuff is indestructible and no one will know the difference--unless you tell them, which you should so they can consider doing the same. Tile is a good flooring choice and now you can get tile made from recycled glass. If you are considering wood floors, you might want to consider bamboo or recycled wood of many varieties. Look for sustainably harvested woods for floors and cabintes. Use recycled windows and doors to give your home character.
You do not have to do everything at once. Small changes add up.
Don't forget to use compact florescent lightbulbs!

STORAGE SPACE SOLUTIONS

It always seems like there is never enogh storage space in older houses. It occurred to me that the real problem is that we have too much stuff. How many of us actually wear all the clothes or shoes that we own? How much of that clothing have we not worn for a year or more? Why do we need to keep it and have a place to store it?
In the 1950's the average home was a two bedroom, one car garage 1200 square foot affair. By 1974 it had grown to 1600 square feet. I just read today that by last year it had expanded to 2400 square feet of living space. If we are honest we know that a lot of that space is rarely used. The additional space that is used is most often for a home office....or storage.
How many people do you know like me? I almost never have used my garage for parking my vehicle. Why? It is full of stuff.Granted, a lot of it is woodworking tools and sports equipment that might go into a workshop if we had the time and money and space to build a real one.
There are a lot of innovative storage systems on the market tohelp us get organized. The real solution is to take a look at our stuff and make some decisions about what we really need. Me, I'm using up all years of hoarded fabric and old clothes in making crazy quilts and patchwork that I will actually use. The Goodwill should be able to stay in business for another year or two if I really get honest with myself and get rid of ALL the stuff I really don't need! And I'll have tons of storage space!

Save Money and Resources

In the interest of saving the planet while we save money for ourselves, it is good to remember that simple changes can do a lot. If you are going to replace an appliance, large or small, purchasing and Energy Star rated one can save 15% or more on its energy consumption. Low flow toilets and shower heads mean that you will never even notice the difference in most cases but save a lot on water bills and water consumption. "On Demand" tankless hot water heaters mean instant hot water and lower bills because you are not heating a 30 - 50 gallon tank all the time. Solar hot water tanks can either heat all your water or preheat it so that your conventional hot water heater works less.
Wood laminates, plantation grown wood , rubberwood and alternatives like bamboo or tile are good flooring choices. You could also choose recycled wood or carpet made with fibers from recycled plastic containers.
Using fans and natural ventilation saves on cooling costs and evaporative cooling is less expensive and enercy consuming than refrigerated air (and probably healthier too).

What's in Your House???

According to the 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, lighting and appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, and stoves) used 27% of all energy used in residences and accounted for more than 45% of energy costs. These numbers do not include the cost of water and the cost to heat water, resulting in savings potential that is even higher than these numbers reflect.
Most of us learn to conserve water and weatherstrip our windows, but we often forget to think about other practical ways to reduce our energy consumption. Compact florescent light bulbs and energy efficient appliances help reduce unwanted summer heat as well as cost less to operate. Reuse the old lamp...just change the bulb!

Al Gore Rocks!!

Just finished reading more about Al Gore's new movie AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. It is a must see for those of us really concerned about the state of the planet. If we have family and friends that need convincing, this might just do it. If you want more information about the validity of the science presented go to http://www.realclimate.com and read their review. There is als a great interview with Gore and others in the current issue of Vanity Fair.
Is anyone else out there familiaqr with the EcoBroker designation for Realtors?

Creative Reuse

Just saw in the Sunday paper a great article about the creative reuse of space for housing. We all are a lttle crazzy now and then but most of us never seriously considered voluntarily moving into an "insane asylum"....until now. Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts is currently being turned into condominiums. The old State Hospital will join Dammasch State Hospital in Wilsonville, Oregon and one in Traverse City Michigan as condominiums geared to living units that provide short commutes, parking and charm. Another development has been built at the former New York City Lunatic Asylum on Manhattan's Roosevelt Island.
As developers become more concious and land becomes more scarce, they begin to do what they should have been doing all along....converting existing structures to a different use. Schools, old mills and wharehouses are finally being used for offices and housing rather than destroyed to put up a completely new structure. I recently saw a listing for a commercial building now used as a local health club that began it's life as a school. Buildings have a much longer useful life than anything else we use on a daily basis. We are well served to learn to use them better for longer.

REVIVING FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S USONIAN HOUSE

I was reminded today of the elegance of Frank Lloyd Wright's solution to affordable, beautiful housing. There were about a hundred Usonians built over a 15 year period. They were meant to be easily affordable and simple enough that the owner could do a lot of the building. These homes featured underfloor hot water heating with concrete floors and lots of glass, wood and masonry. The predominant material of the house was determined by what was locally available.
Clerestory windows provided natural light in the interior of the homes and the "workspace" was open to the dining and living area so that the cook was not separated from family or guests.
Space was sometimes defined by a step up or down or a piece of built in furniture. Built in beds, seating and bookcases were common as were desks and dinning tables. The building materials--glass, concrete, wood and stone provided lots of mass and there were many windows and doors for cross ventilation. Because he was an artists, Wright's solutions were not only practical and simple; they are also beautiful.
Click on the title above to see Matt Taylor's tribute the Wright tradition and learn more about the history and development of the Usonian House..

Heating and Cooling Issues

As warmer weather approaches, many of us are getting our cooling systems geared up for the summer. Here in the southwest evaporative cooling is still installed on many homes and most older homes have evaporative systems rather than refrigerated air. This serves a puropse other than cooling--since there is literally next to no humidity in our air, evaporative cooling tends to be very effective and helps us have some needed moisture in the air we breathe.
The least impactful system is a passive location that allows breezes to circulate. Unfortunately, we often have windstorms that cover every surface with sand and tumbleweed rather than cooling breezes. Strategically placed ceiling fans can work wonders and many people prefer them. They use less energy than even evaporative coolers and are certainly healthier the refrigerated air.
In older homes, windows and fans are often the most effective, especially if you have good insulation.

Reduce Recycle Reuse

There are multiple ways to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and other materials while recycling our houses. Some homes will need increased insulation as will room additions. Wool batt or recycled denim (THAT's what happened to all those blue jeans!!!!) are good choices. Some foam insulation systems are made from recycled styrofoam--see, there is a better use for all those coffee cups and take out containers. Products like RASTRA blocks make additions an affordable option. Remember, not only will this kind of consturction reduce your energy consumption in the building process it will also lower your future heating and cooling needs thus lowering your expenses. That means that they can also help you obtain and energy efficiency mortgage. Yep. Lenders will give you a reward for adding energy efficient features to a house you are buying. Check out www.fha.gov for details.

HUD acquired housing is another way to recycle a house that needs a caring owner. HUD does not want to be in the real estate business. HUD guarantees loans for lenders so the lender get their money if the borrower defaults for any reason. HUD then sells the homes through local Realtors. Most need only minor repair and a coat of paint, (non-toxic, of course) and perhaps some earth friendly floor coverings.

In this country we still seem to think that the word "reduce" means some sort of sacrifice on our part. In reality it can bring us more. We can reduce the need for airconditioning by planting appropriate trees and shrubs strategically around our home. We can reduce our use of greenhouse gases and slow down global warming by unplugging small appliances when not in use ---yes, that means turn off the computer....if you use a power strip just unplug it and you have automatically taken care of unplugging all those gadgets at once.

Buying an existing house may allow you to have a bigger lot since many older houses were built on considerably larger lots than is common in most places today. More and more people are reusing other types of spaces for housing from barns tand schools to warehouses and lighthouses. Almost any existing building can be made into a home with a little creativity

Green Cleaning

Older homes start out being greener than new ones just by virtue of the fact that the materials have already outgassed. Many built in the 70's and 80's during the "energy crisis" have good insulation and many have had their windows replaced with thermal ones.
If we think about the cleaners many of our parents and grandparents used, we will remeber that not only did things sparkle but we rarely had trouble breathing in a recently cleaned ares unless someone got carried away with the bleach. Vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemon juice and bleach pretty much covered every cleaning situation that needed something more than pure soap. (Remember Ivory Flakes and 20 Mule Team Borax?) These ingredients and pure castile soap clean just as well today as they did then and lessen the toxins in our home environment. They often save a lot of money as well.
Homes with good ventilation rarely need either refrigerated air or air fresheners. (Or the chemicals they contain.) The best way to have clean fresh air in your home is to open the windows and doors and install ceiling fans.

Green Cleaning

Older homes start out being greener than new one just by virtue of the fact that the materials have already outgassed. Many built in the 70's and 80's during the "energy crisis" have good insulation and many have had their windows replaced with thermal ones.
If we think about the cleaners many of our parents and grandparents used, we will remeber that not only did things sparkle but we rarely had trouble breathing in a recently cleaned ares unless someone got carried away with the bleach. Vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemon juice and bleach pretty much covered every cleaning situation that needed something more than pure soap. (Remember Ivory Flakes and 20 Mule Team Borax?) These ingredients and pure castile soap clean just as well today as they did then and lessen the toxins in our home environment. They often save a lot of money as well.
Homes with good ventilation rarely need either refrigerated air or air fresheners. (Or the chemicals they contain.)

Rubberwood

Remodeling a kitchen can be challenging. There are a lot of energy efficient refrigerators and stoves available. Many healthy choices exist for healthy flooring--tile, cork, linoleum, recycled glass and recycled wood for example.
One alternative for floors and cabinets is plantation wood. I just got cabinets made from lumber harvested from rubber trees---no, they are not rubber cabinets! The trees produce latex for 20 to 30 years and then they are cut down and new trees planted. Until recently they felled trees were just trashed. Now they are milled into lumber. The wood has a beautiful grain and is quite strong, resistant to warping and inexpensive.

Communities Becoming Aware

Local governments and ordinary citizens are saying 'no' to so-called Hummer houses and starter castles. Tactics include energy-consumption restrictions, petitions and outright building moratoriums.

In February, Austin put in place interim rules that limit the maximum size of a new single-family home on any lot that previously had a house. For now, a builder can build up to the greatest of the following: 2,500 square feet; 20% larger than the home that was removed; or a 0.4-to-1 floor-to-area ratio for the lot.

After two years of study, Georgia's DeKalb County, which has seen McMansions appearing in older neighborhoods, put a new strategy on the books earlier this year: A neighborhood that doesn't want the megahouses can gather the signatures of 60% of its residents, then petition the county's board of commission for a zoning overlay. "You have to do it on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis," said Jones, the county's chief executive. "It gives the politicians, the elected officials a grasp of what the people really want in that area." (Read about how you can fight for your neighborhood here.)

Trumbull Village

Does anybody have experience with neighborhoods that have begun to decline but then been turned around by the residents and by new folks moving in without it becoming totally gentrified?
I had a conversation today with a single mother who has one teenage daughter and is looking for a reasonably priced, diverse neighborhood. We talked about Trumbull Village, an area was once known for drugs and violence.The people who live there refused to let the neighborhood die and through hard work, mentoring youth and encouraging development of moderate income housing it has changed. One of the most succssful efforts was one of the simplest as is often the case. The hard part was the politics of getting the city on board. Getting barracades and speed bumps installed that make quick, easy entry into and out of the neighborhood impossible dramatically reduced drug activity. One of the things criminals most want is a quick escape route.
While the area has not yet become gentrified, partly because it's reputation remains, it has become a much healthier place to live and the site of some of the most reasonably priced homes in the city.
The trick will be to keep the homes in the area afforadable and have people move in who are interested in developing an interesting, vibrant, diverse place to live. There is some infill development going on in the area which encourages new residents and seems to motivate others to improve their property.
I think it makes a big difference when residents feel that their efforts are appreciated and will not be lost in the morass of a decaying neighborhood.

Prestige of Ownership

As a realtor, I am constantly amazed at why people choose the homes they choose. Many homebuyers, especially first time buyers seem to believe that they must own a newly built house. The status symbol of a new house in a new development is often a driving factor.

Fortunately as awareness increases and the reality of living in a too large house with no space around it begins to set in more people are looking at older homes in established areas. Many of them are realizing that an existing home is a much better situation and with minor remodeling will more than meet their needs at a much lower price. Green building awareness is encouraging people to buy these homes and remodel them responsibly. Many are realizing that the health benefits of avoiding off gassing from new materials are significant.

Affordable Recycled Housing

While many people think of manufactured homes as the trailers of the 60's and 70's the truth is that they have come a long way. They are comfortable and well insulated for the most part though in colder climates more insulation is a good idea. Many manufacturers make use of recycled materials in their construction making them "green" that way. Many older mobile homes are abandoned when their percieved useful life isreached. Many communities have started recycling projects to recycle the materials in them Look at what is going on in North Carolina at www.p2pays.org/ They are built to be efficient and use less resources both when built and whlie being lived in than a "stick built" home of similar size.

Manufactured homes and modular construction offer affordable housing alternatives for people who do not earn enough to buy a conventional home. There are even some dedicated and creative folks who have made a business of buying old mobile homes, remodeling them and selling them at affordable rates to people who have a hard time finding affordable homes. Check them out at this link www.recycledhousing.com

If you are looking for a way to help the environment, help others and help ease the housing crisis in the process, here's a great investment. If you have the resources and live somewhere that has a need for affordable housing here is a business to start in your own area.

Is your home a cause of global warming?

Few people realize that buildings contribute much more to the disaster of climate change than all the SUV's on the road combined. Failure to do simple things like insulate; upgrade windows to thermal, use programable thermostats and wear a sweater instead of cranking up the heat can make a huge difference.

While we all know we should turn off lights we are not using and not let the water run when brushing our teeth we seldom realize what an impact it has when multiplied by millions. How many of us know that we should unplug small appliances when we are not using them but we leave our computers on whether we need to or not? Small things can make a big difference!

Creative recycled building

I am looking for an investment property for a client and in the process, I ran across a great example of creative recycling of space. A building that started out as a Christian school has been converted (no pun intended) into a state of the art fitness center. The wood floor of the auditorium are great for aerobics and Pilates!

This is the kind of outside the box thinking that can make use of an existing building to fulfill a current need with the least embodied energy and get a great result for everyone.

Recycling my house

Finally finished moving out of our condo in Albuquerque. Had it cleaned and did the walk through inspection with the buyer this evening. His agent went out of town for a few days...not the best of service for his client but since I am my own listing agent and I believe in good service, I was happy to do it. The buyer is happy and has plans to make the place his own.

In the meantime, my new tile floors are wonderful and I love my "new" house. It was built in 1979, is very open and feels larger than its 1300 square feet. We are replacing all the appliances with new, energy efficient ones. The house has good insulation and windows already. The roof is starting to show its age but will be fine for awhile.

Will post some pictures this week.

Architecture for Humanity

See what great sustainable building projects can do to address the real problems or real people. This is the kind of building that we need more of. It will contribute more to the development of a community than many people can even imagine.

Design Principles

Someone asked me today why I have a statement on my website saying that it is dedicated the the design principles of Frank Lloyd Wright. It is because I believe that his vision of the Usonian house is the way we need to think about housing. While Fallingwater and other more famous buildings represent what much of the public knows about Wright it is the Usonian house that most embodies his thinking.

These homes were designed to be simple, built on the measurements of available materials and built by owners themselves if they wanted from local materials. Much furniture was built in (bookcases, beds, seating) and rooms were multi functional; space was delineated by level changes or furniture arrangement and much as by walls. Living space was intended to be private from the street side of the home but open to the outdoors as much as possible on the private side. Wright used radiant hot water in floor heat and lots of concrete and glass in theses homes.

If he were alive today, I think he would be building in rammed earth, ICFs and strawbales!

These principles are not difficult to incorporate into older homes, many have them already. While some older homes have hazards such as asbestos and lead paint, many do not. The ones that do take more care to update but they are still a great way to preserve resources.

WHY BUY RECYLED HOMES?

Houses have doubled in size over the past 50 years. Households averaged 4 people living in a 1200 square foot home with 2 bedrooms, one bathroom and a one car garage in 1950. By 2003 the average household had declined to 2.6 people but the house had expanded to 2000 square feet with 4 bedrooms and two baths as well as a 2 car garage. The dishwasher no longer had two hands and the house consumed twice as much energy as homes built during the previous three decades.
Smaller spaces can be more livable than large ones and still feel spacious. Recycling old housing saves not only resources but energy and money. Even if you have to replace a roof or flooring, you can use recycled and non toxic or less toxic materials to do so. You can use paint and floor coverings that do not outgas toxic fumes, replace outdated, inefficient doors and windows with energy efficient ones and/or ones made from recycled materials. You can add solar systems and take advantage of energy efficient heating and cooling systems tool. If you start with sound "bones" -a solid foundation and basic structure- beautifying the "skin" is a simple matter.
Americans seem to have fallen in love with the idea the bigger is better. Frank Lloyd Wright is perhaps the best known American architect for most people. His Usonian Houses and the humble American bungalow are perfect examples of the kind of living this page is about. It is meant to be a tribute to those who are trying not only to salvage those homes and bring them back to life by living in them but also to inspire others to give some thought to the ideas they embody.