materials

EcoRock's not out yet, so it looks like it will be DensArmor Plus® Paperless Drywall by Georgia-Pacific for the prototype. You can pick it up easily in most Lowe's.

Again, cost at Green Modern Kits is everything: we celebrate affordable great design!

To compare prices, I trundled over to Lowe's and see the following:

Georgia Pacific 11/32" 4' x 8' Ply-Bead Classic: $16.97

Ok, so that's a standard plywood solution.

Now for cheap-o traditional drywall:
1/2 4x8 $6.75

And the DensArmor Plus® Paperless Drywall?
1/2 4x8 $10.98

And oh yes, I checked, it is actually in stock in my local store.

I will also mention that the cute guy I spoke with paused and said,

"And just so you know, if you work with that stuff, be careful with it! Me and my buddies had to unload it and my arms were on fire!"

"Oh you poor dear! Yeah, that's probably because there's fiberglass in it."

So don't forget:
It may be paperless, but
(cue in Bryan Adams here) it Cuts Like A Knife!
(na na na naaaaah na nah, na na...)

Hello,

We are a high end furniture manufacturer looking to move into the green or organic / "eco-friendly" furniture space and become certified sellers of this type of furniture. We are just beginning our search and need a good and reliable source or sources (suppliers) of materials...

These include:

Sustainable wood / hardwood
Soy glue
Latex
Organic foam
Sustainable metal springs, etc.

If you are or know of a great source for these items, please let us know.

Thanks in advance!

Nelson
nfreytes@gmail.com

Turning Poetry Into Material
by Daniela Morell

Abhinand Lath has transformed the solid wall into a glimmering surface that responds to movements and colors around it. His company, SensiTile, makes panels from optic light channels that are embedded in concrete. The result, inspired by an eleventh century Japanese poem about sunlight streaming through a bamboo forest, is a visually kinetic surface. ...

More at: http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3041

Image: Courtesy SensiTile

The yearly GreenBuild Expo doesn't start until November 7th in Chicago and we already have a great update to pass on to you! Officially launching at this year's event, Green2Green's beta website version is up and running.

Built by GreenBlue, an organization founded by William McDonough of Cradle to Cradle fame, Green2Green "features comprehensive information regarding green building products, materials and practices. The site offers side-by-side comparisons of products using a variety of environmental, technical and economic criteria." The site also features expert advice, forums, direct feedback from users on all products, and dealer locations.

Green2Green is guided by an expansive advisory team, which Building Green TV's very own COO Max Mead is a part of. According to the G2G website, the team is compired of members who "guide key decisions about data presentation, green building issues and policy."

"Green2Green has been developed in response to the growing demand for green building materials and the difficult process of choosing among so many products and possibilities," says the GreenBlue organization's website. "Together, we strive to maintain a balance of perspective, addressing the very practical day-to-day decisions an architect, builder or homeowner faces, and the limitless theoretical framework that inspires innovation."

Sonia’s Marine-Grade Wood 25 Tools for Greener Living

As the measures of sustainability grow even more sophisticated, these products rise to the occasion.

By Paul Makovsky

Going green is no longer just a fad. It’s a sign that more people realize the individual part each of us plays in reducing our overall impact on the planet. The daily actions we can take have long been understood, including buying dur­able water bottles instead of disposable ones and bringing your own reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. However, when it comes to long-term design decisions such as product selections, matters are a bit more complex.

While most designers know to opt for low-impact materials with recycled content, it is finally becoming easier to consider the full life cycle. Suppliers are making their environmental management systems known and are advertising the sustainable sources of their wares. Many sponsor take-back, reuse, and recycling programs. Another encouraging sign is the increased provision of “environmental product declarations,” which measure performance against numerous criteria. The selections culled for these pages go beyond basic sustainability—in both style and execution.

More at: http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2995

Finding just the right materials for your new kitchen cabinets or dining room floor can be more difficult than finding a hydrogen car on the road. This common problem for sustainably-concerned consumers is on the road to being solved, thanks to a new online directory of eco-materials.

Based in both San Francisco and Providence, Rhode Island, Ecolect is not only a listing of green materials, but also aims to be a community for people to share ideas and sustainable design experiences. Though the online directory recently launched, it already features an extensive collection of eco-materials and products.

Didn't find a material you already know of? Take the time to suggest it to the Ecolect folks; they'll review your suggestion and, if it meets their green criteria, they'll add it to their ever-expanding browsable listing.

Are you free tonight? Are you in the Bay Area? You should drop by Ecolet's San Francisco Launch Party at the Swissnex Event Space (730 Montgomery St) from 6pm-9pm - there will be drinks, products, samples, and a drawing for a gift certificate to the Branch store.

With a wide variety of sustainable, newly-manufactured supplies, it's easy to forget that there is an extensive number of outlets with rare and salvaged options.

The Building Materials Reuse Association, a non-profit based in Pennsylvania, is an "educational organization whose mission is to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse/recycling of recovered building materials."

Open to a wide variety of members who want to help support and expand the availability of reuseable materials, the BMRA's most popular resource is their online directory. Nearly 200 different companies are listed throughout the US and Canada - most of which both receive and sell building trimmings of all kinds.

Heading to the West Coast Green event later this month in San Francisco? Check out the People's Choice Award for the 2007 Lifecycle Building Challenge - you can submit your vote from the expanse of entries online before the event.

Related - Episode Five: Doors & Windows

To read this newsletter in full HTML format, and to sign up for this and other newsletters on green business, visit http://greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter.

===========================================================
GreenerBuildings News: August 9, 2007
===========================================================

Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed to
bringing you the latest information and resources on the full spectrum of
environmental issues related to buildings and facilities. Log on to
http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news, tools, case
studies, and other resources related to greener building practices.

A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST NEWS & FEATURES =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Creating a Truly Healing Environment with LEED Hospitals
By Jenny Stentz
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=35597
A new outpatient healthcare facility in Titusville, Florida, is applying
evidence-based design and the latest LEED-certified building technologies to
show how the country's hospitals can take the next step forward in providing
full-circle healthcare.

A Primer on the 'Green Building Advantage'
By Dan Meza
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=35598
Although it may seem that, from the perspective of green building professionals,
there is no stopping the momentum of green design, there is still a vast
community of people who are unaware, indifferent or unconvinced of the
advantages of green buildings. This overview lays out the many benefits of going
green.

Thin-Film PV Market Could Top $7 Billion by 2015
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35595
The global thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) market is poised for explosive growth
during the next 10 years, an industry analyst firm predicted Wednesday.

Researchers Use Nanotubes to Create Solar Cells
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35591
New Jersey Institute of Technology researchers claim they've created a solar
cell that is cheap and can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets.

Nearly 500 More Solar Homes Planned For Sacramento Area
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35587
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) announced Monday a deal that
will bring nearly 500 additional solar-powered homes to the region.

Chase Opens its First Green Bank in the U.S.
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35578
The Denver location, which was built to LEED guidelines and incorporates Energy
Star office equipment and lighting, is the first of at least four more green
branches to be opened by Chase in the coming months.

Columbia College Launches Sustainable Design Degrees
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35586
The school's Masters of Fine Arts degrees in Architectural Studies and Interior
Architecture will be among the first in the country to focus on sustainable
practices.

ASHRAE/DoE Team to Promote Building Energy Efficiency
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35574
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
and the Department of Energy want to improve energy efficiency in buildings by
30 percent over 2004 levels by 2010.

Company Opts For Recycled Steel Frame Panels Over Wood
By Tilde Herrera
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35576
A solar array will power a Rohnert Park, Calif., manufacturing facility that
will trade trees for old cars to make steel frame panels used in commercial and
residential construction.

More Than 300 U.S. Hotels Now Certified 'Green'
By Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35544
At lease eight states have some form of green lodging program in place.

PV System Textbook Hits The Market
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35527
The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) for the
electrical industry announced the publication of what it claims is the first
comprehensive guide for solar energy system installations.

S.F. Ponders Tough Green Building Code for Private Buildings
By Tilde Herrera, GreenerBuildings.com
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=35517
San Francisco's Department of Environment will meet Monday with Mayor Gavin
Newsom's office to discuss the future of green building code recommendations
made by a specially-appointed task force.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/news.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TOOLS & RESOURCES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

GreenSpec 7th Edition
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tool_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=89487
The latest edition of BuildingGreen's directory of green building products has
been fully updated to include over 2,100 products, including over 230 new
additions and new, tighter standards that raise the bar for green products.

Building Materials Reuse Calculator
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tool_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=53007
This free downloadable software program estimates the environmental benefits of
salvaging and reusing building materials.

MORE TOOLS & RESOURCES... http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tools.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FEATURED EVENT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

West Coast Green
Date: Sept. 20-22, 2007
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
http://greenerbuildings.com/event_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=75316
West Coast Green is a feast of innovations, ideas and opportunities designed to
expand your ideas of green building, widen your vision and stimulate your
thinking.

MORE EVENTS . . . http://www.greenerbuildings.com/search_events.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= GREENERBUILDINGS AND YOU =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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you'd like to share with others? Please write to
GreenerBuildings@GreenerWorldMedia.com, or click on the "Contact" link on
the home page.

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