Green Modern Kits.com's blog

A dear childhood friend is visiting Richmond from New York City and we hurried over to visit. Turns out her father's urban Museum District home has the most beautiful yard... and zero grass.

A rain barrel could easily irrigate this simple, luscious yard, especially if gray water were redistributed from the shower as well. For those that scoff at lawns without grass, here is a great example at how attractive, and amendable to entertaining and enjoyment, a zero grass yard can be.

Here, multiple herbs, perennials, and accents of splashy annuals gave their house more outdoor "rooms" in which to while away the day, perfect in its mix of sun and shade, a lovely accent to a beautiful, restored home.

We toured inside and saw beautiful examples of Barbara's stained glass work- and in their upstairs stairway they had installed a SolaTube! They said adding the SolaTube was the most dramatic impact of their dark Tudor home renovation, brightening up the house with natural light and showcasing Barbara's beautiful artisan windows.

(P.s. If you look to the right in this photo you can see Barbara's stained glass studio, where she does all of her work.)

Here's a great tool I found that utilizes Google Maps to help you calculate the potential of your home for solar.

http://www.springwise.com/eco_sustainability/using_google_maps_to_calculate

RoofRay uses modeling tools, past weather data, and Google Maps to help consumers estimate how much potential their home could have for solar.

What a great way to evaluate your home's possibilities before taking the financial plunge to invest in solar energy!

As of today, we are under mandatory water restrictions.

Neighbors, when you see me hopping around the yard watering daily, please know it is grey water, water that is being reused for another purpose. And that's what we've been doing all along.

It's actually quite easy: Put a large pail in the shower. As the water goes from cold to hot, it collects. Take a smaller pail and transfer water into watering can. When you bathe the children at night, leave the tub full at the end, and use it to water your yard the next morning.

Your plants will thank you! : ) And you will be not only conserving but re-using a precious resource!

(Of course noting restrictions on gray water use on edible plants...)

P.s. Pictures taken by 5 year old. Thank goodness for digital cameras, otherwise it would have been 293 pictures worth of film that day.

There are elements in our modern casa ti SIP house kit that I envision like the old bridal tradition:
"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue."

As much as I appreciate turnkey prefab, there's something in my farming Virginia soul that insists upon reusing items from the past, within our architectual structure.

Using the latest green building technology, merged with timeless passive solar design, I now begin to focus on the interior. In my mind, I meld industrial modern elements with nostalgic reused materials:

• the sophisticated strength of a poured, polished concrete floor (which also collects thermal mass, and with fly ash, reuses local byproducts!)
• juxtaposed with the natural embrace of sustainable pine walls
• deft, no nonsense modern lines of built-ins
• the faded tales told by old wooden doors through whom how many hands and lives passed through?
• And if we're lucky, a special, plain, reused farmhouse sink.

Strolling through research, I came across CoolStuffIsCoolStuff.com and other neat architectural salvage sites. I will be sticking closer to home and shopping locally at Caravati's, but did want to mention a special site, Second Chance.

There, not only do they repurpose materials and give old buildings new life, but they also give people another shot at opportunity and learning valuable skills.

From their web site, here's what they say:

"Job Training Second Chance is working with low-income residents of Baltimore to train them in a wide variety of skill sets, ranging from carpentry to craftsmanship. Our goal is to create skilled workers making a living wage with benefits for themselves and their families.

Through the use of public and private funds, we teach our workers to safely deconstruct a building without damaging its historic elements. They become self-supporting members of the community with new skill sets.

At Second Chance, we believe that second chances are not just for buildings, they are for people, too. "

Like the bridal saying, sometimes "something borrowed" might mean borrowing on the strength of community and pooled skills, and recognition that when community comes together to help others succeed, we all benefit.

Whether it be good friends helping out for a few weekend hours as we work on a house kit project together, helping my family but where the structure and land will be a benefit to all our friends, or craftsmen investing their time in training someone new to later help them on future projects and rely on them as part of their paid, skilled team.

Sometimes, pushing ahead with the advances of cutting-edge technology, what we also need is a good ole fashioned barn-raising.

Is this topic green building? Maybe not, unless you consider building green encompassing your local community and materials chosen in daily life... and as such, then I do. It's not just our choice of building material but the materials our schools and community use, every day, that make a difference. Any-hoo...

Sigh...
This fall (sniffle) I will have a child in kindergarten. (Eep!)
With the arrival of August, suddenly I realize "I'd better get on it!" and research exactly what it is we are supposed to send on with a child entering school. My husband is German, so we will have a proper "send off" on the first day with school supplies and candy packed in a Schultüte.
(Fear not, as much of a dork as I am, I won't send him to school with it and therefore brand him forever as a complete weirdo in the USA, much less the south. I know better. It's bad enough they have me as their mom.)

Fortunately, Grist and other green bloggers have walked this road before- I am not the first mom to attempt the "greening" of the school supply list; thankfully I do not have to re-invent the wheel. So if you are on a similar quest, just Google "eco-friendly backpack" or "eco-friendly school supplies." But finding affordable green alternatives to the school supply list can be daunting. Really, anything you can reuse that you already own is economical and eco-friendly.

This year, I learned my lesson with the 4 year old: Annually I would shop 80% off sales to stock up for clothes economically a year ahead. But I did not consider the young'un's adamant, individual taste in fashion. Who knew practical, striped dresses with nice, comfortable leggings would be ignored for a ribbon-bedecked frilly hand-me-down "princess dress"? That she wore over, and over, and over? (And often wore ALL her favorite dresses at the same time, thickly layered, to her teacher's amusement?)

Fortunately we pass on the clothes that survive the first wearing to others, so it was not wasteful, but I really could have saved time and money if I had known...

So, this time, wiser, I sat the future kindergarten-er down to allow him the choice of picking out his backpack, his lunch box, for his own personal style of responsible gear.

This is what we had for our school supply list, and then, in bold, what we chose:
(Items with an asterisk are supposedly required to purchase that brand)

1 standard-size backpack without wheels
Easy enough to find eco-friendly options. But affordable? Maybe I'll just head over to the thrift store. But finding a non-vinyl backpack? Hmmmm. Back to research.

I did run into stylish, recycled English Retreads, but er, um, not for a boy in kindergarten. ; ) But I finally found this interesting post, and from there ended up on SierraClub.org- who is, for a limited time, having a GREAT offer of a rucksack as part of their membership drive! What better way & opportunity to explain this organization to your child?

1 marble composition book
Regarding paper, what you need to remember is to look for high content recycled paper (PCW) and processed chlorine free (PCF) , which avoids the dioxin and mercury used in bleaching the paper.
1 box large *Crayola washable markers
1 * Fiskar scissors-blunt, metal blades
Looking for higher recycled-content scissors.
1 box 16 crayons
1 plastic supply box (8 1/2" x 2 1/2") I Googled the dimensions and added "eco-friendly" to the query and discovered recycledproducts.org. From there I was able to purchase the scissors, crayons, glue, and much more... except, sigh, a supply box.
Plastic Mat-* Kindermat, plastic, quad fold, blue/red about 1" thick (available at Wal-Mart, Ben Franklin, etc)
Although I could easily find a way to purchase Kindermats, I surprisingly could not find a manufacturer link. The only descriptions of the product was on retail sites, and then they used words like "vinyl" and "plastic"...
Er, I will not be sending Kindermats with my child.
(And think how many Kindermats end up in landfills a year?!?)
Not to mention avoiding any PVC, whether it be in mats, backpacks, shoes, or clothes.

From Grist:

"...soft vinyl contains plasticizers called phthalates, many of which affect reproductive health and sexual development, according to animal experiments. And di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, which is widely added to soft vinyl products, is considered a probable carcinogen by the U.S. National Toxicology Program. In some studies, phthalates have been shown to migrate out of soft PVC products, so they can be inhaled or ingested. Tests by Greenpeace have also found the toxic heavy metals lead and cadmium in vinyl backpacks and raincoats. Clearly, PVC deserves not only a failing grade but expulsion from the planet."

So an eco-friendly version? That took me awhile... In fact, it took me *more* than awhile, and I was surprised and irritated by the lack of immediate options to Kindermat. Ironically I found children's yoga mats and lots of pet mats but no practical, simple, cheap eco rest mats (a nice organic cotton yoga mat I thought might work turned out to be $200!).

Finally, in frustration I turned to Etsy.com, thinking, "Well heck if I can't find it maybe someone there can *make* it." (I am not crafty with a needle & thread)

I found one gal who had a bunch of creative, fun prints and emailed her. Another gal, who I will call Gal #2, also replied to my inquiry:

Good afternoon and thank you so much for your question. The covers for the nap mats are made out of 100% cotton with velcro. I use the Vinyl Kindermat that the schools require due to health regulations. That is the only style I offer. Thanks again for your question.

(Obviously gal #2 doesn't read Grist! ; ) I sent her information on the bad health effects of vinyl.)

Gal #1 responded favorably, we discussed the issue, and she's agreed to offer a trial product of rest mats. I chose mine in a tattoo fabric, kinda boyish but not baby-boy or too stereotypical.

So if you're looking for something similar, hurry and visit to purchase the mat now!!!! The bonus is we can also offer our mat later to friends' children when camping on our land / spending the night in our zero energy house, so it will be used for years to come.

6 #2 standard sharpened pencils: Recycled content pencils are easy to find at Office Max / Office Depot / Staples.
16 glue sticks
1 *Elmer's School Glue, 7.6 oz. bottle
Hmmmm. Just for kicks I researched "vegetarian glue" since most glue is made out of animal by-products (no I am not vegetarian so don't call me a hypocrite when I talk about my meat!). I found this, which I found fascinating, debating whether Elmer's is environmentally friendly, which compelled me to seek a non oil by-product glue... and I stumbled across MagiGlue. If you have time, visit the manufacturers page, whose story is interesting, as well as the product's site.
(white glue only)
1 family-size box of anti-viral tissues
1 container of baby wipes--new
1 bottle instant hand sanitizer Pretty easy to find eco-friendly options, I liked All Terrain's mission statement.

Girls:
1 box Ziploc baggies (snack size)
1 box Ziploc baggies (quart size)
Boys:
1 box Ziploc bags (gallon size)
1 pkg. brown lunch bags
First of all, I'm curious as to why they separate it out by gender. Secondly, hellz no I'm not sending plastic bags to class! (Snort!) Who do ya think I am?!? I don't see why sending a few recycled tote bags can't hold any crafts & stuff to bring home daily... and for smaller stuff? How about folding it neatly into a cloth napkin? That's what we did with towels & our bathing suits/goggles/etc. at camp!

Oh, Geeeeeez Louise: Fine, here's how ya do it: Lie the napkin on a table. Or the floor. Or ground. Put whatever in it (picture a bead necklace or whatever the heck it is they make in kindergarden- recycled popsicle stick art, anyone?) in the middle. Fold the left side over, covering 2/3... fold the right side over, covering 2/3... kinda like a burrito... and then roll, from top to bottom, or bottom to top, whatever floats yer boat. Place in recycled tote bag. Taaaa daaaa! Now that didn't hurt, did it?

So, sitting down wit my chile', we picked out a lunchbox at ReusableBags.com:

He chose the plain bento box, with a stainless steel thermos, because he "wanted to look like an adult." We also picked up some Wrap-n-Mats for sandwiches, which also then turn into a "plate" for his lunch.

Wrap-N-Mat®

I eyed the cute reusable bamboo utensils but opted to reuse flatware from home. And of course we'll be packing cloth napkins for his use; this household certainly does not have paper napkins or towels!

If you have any good, affordable links for kindergarten supplies, I'd love to hear more! Just comment below, people will appreciate them.

Went to Richmond's Green Drinks last night, at Built Gallery. Built Gallery's exhibit revolved around the Southface Eco Office, targeting to be the south-east's first LEED platinum new construction building designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent, and Jim Nicolow presented the project.

"Jim Nicolow, a nationally recognized expert on sustainable design, joined Lord, Aeck & Sargent in 1997. Jim leads the firm’s Sustainability Initiative, overseeing the incorporation of sustainable design strategies and features into the firm’s design projects. As one of the firm's first of a growing number of LEED® Accredited Professionals since 2001, Jim has extensive knowledge of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating system and drives the firm's efforts to help other architects become accredited. Jim is a frequently published author and noted presenter at conferences nationwide, including the Labs 21 Annual Conference and the USGBC’s GreenBuild International Conference & Expo."

Last night's sponsor was CKB Swanson, who provides fryer oil service management to restaurants, Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) distribution, and sells biodiesel processors. But even more importantly, the owner's two young daughters were with them and got a round of applause and recognition for recently donating their hair to Locks of Love! : )

What I like about Green Drinks is that whether you are an architect steeped in green building or just a non-industry person interested in "being green", people are welcoming and friendly. I met two girls separately who had just moved to Richmond, didn't know anyone, and had shown up alone just because they were interested and wanted to meet people... I hope they felt welcomed! I admired their initiative and bravery!

From Wikipedia:

Green Drinks is an informal networking event where environmentally minded people meet over drinks. Started in London in 1989, by Edwin Dashefski and friends, it has spread to 30 cities in the United Kingdom, 49 in the U.S. and many more in Canada, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Puerto Rico. As of March 2008, there are 350 Green Drink Chapters worldwide.

To learn more about Green Drinks in your own city, please visit GreenDrinks.org. If you don't have one in your city... then, whatcha waitin' for?
Start one!
: )

Oh, yes.
A year ago, we were discussing how to enhance our casa ti's passive solar functionality during the summer to help keep the sunbeams from heating up the house. Our green Virginia architect, David Day, suggested a seasonal canopy. He and his wife used camouflage netting on their own porch: it billowed gently in the wind, yet, with the holes throughout, let in little beams of light here and there while still providing shade. The effect was fabulous: The light colors (white and a light, light blue) interspersed in the netting combined with bits of sunbeam made you feel like you were in an organic, moving, magical woods.

But there was just one drawback: Cammo is made of polyurethane. And I don't care what their industry sez: It just don't feel right.

I giggle as I begin my quest and type into the search bar: organic camouflage netting.
I bet that's one Google doesn't see often! ; )

A result pops up: "Natural, Organic products 8x10 Pro Series Ultra-lite Camouflage"
What? This can't be real.
It wasn't.

But I did find EcoVeil!

"EcoVeil™ is a non-PVC screen cloth, with healthful properties. Constructed in the same manner as ThermoVeil®, a core of TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) fiber filaments with a TPO coating, EcoVeil™ has similar characteristics to ThermoVeil®, plus the added benefit of being very environmentally friendly.

• The first "Cradle to Cradle™" shade cloth
• Is more than PVC free
• Can be reclaimed and recycled
• Is durable and washable
• Is anti-microbial
• Is flame retardant
• Optimized and under continuous improvement by MBDC, a product and process design firm founded by William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart
• Selected by Environmental Building News as one of the Top-10 Green Building Products of 2004"

Although I wish I could find something with the more interesting texture/color properties of the aforementioned camouflage, I feel better about choosing the EcoVeil.

Can't wait to seek shelter under the shade in my very own casa ti!
I picture slow afternoons, lazily sprawled in a comfortable chair, just lookin' at the view.
...With a frosty mint julep in my hand. ; )

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know!

Believe me, I have been waiting for this longer than any of you.
; )

So here's my update on our zero energy casa ti being built in central Virginia, in response to a reader's question today on our own experience with building loans and how we, personally, did what we did.

"...Where do I get info about getting loans for buying land and building. Right now I’m pre-approved for a FHA loan.

I hope I’m wrong with my assumptions but I have a feeling I can get a loan that's good for building a (green modern kit?) home.

thx-Sarah"

Dear Sarah, This is what we did, and I would love for those in the business of green loans to chime in:

We did tons of research then found our land on UnitedCountry.com. I looked for areas close to history and culture and within 20 miles of infrastructure (hospitals, jobs), where rural land was available but where people were of a mindset to preserve instead of develop, and community was strong.

Got the mortgage through Colonial Farm & Credit. They are great because they are a co-op, and when their entity makes money, we got a check at the end of the year as "shareholders"! I would look around for a similar land cooperative in your area.

We paid off the land for a few years, enjoyed camping there, then saved up for (My! Yes, disclosure: I'm GreenModernKits.com and GreenCottageKits.com) our passive solar modern house kit. And even then we didn't jump on building it.

For the past year I've been throwing extra money to the factory, so that by the time we ordered our kit... it was paid for! AND I've paid off the windows!

But that's obviously not going to *finish* the house. We decided to refinance our primary residence instead of going for a construction loan because... well, let's face it, Virginia is not the most progressive green building state. A lot of the things we expect to do... well, have not been actually accepted yet by traditional construction loans.

By using a re-fi loan, we can do more cutting edge things and then wait for local zoning to catch up since it is not yet our residence.

When the children are older we will sell this house and use those funds for our financial security. This is not just about "being green" and preserving land where you can purchase those parcels already on the market to preserve; yes, it's all that, but it's also about financial freedom, making different choices than many who have a similar income to become debt-free. And telecommuting is on the rise; so our move could easily be sooner than later.

In the meantime we will spend the next years helping the land: practicing crop-tree release, encouraging quail and other wildlife habitats that have been in decline, gently working through no-till agriculture to grow food yet encourage quail in existing fields, and dismantling a dangerous falling-down tobacco barn for reuse on the property.

What I will love about living in an off grid house is that I can be older yet secure about not having to pay those $500 monthly heating bills, and that by selling our city house we will have everything paid off, living debt-free and not a burden to our children.

Ah... but how's the project going now?

Well, my fabulous contractor is back from vacation.

: )

And really, he's worth the wait because I trust him and it's not his fault my husband did a last minute (I hate being married to an MBA!) systems audit / foundation plan audit that held everything up 6 weeks since he then only did it on the weekends. (Ah, my cute, sweet, dear, thank- goodness- he's- handsome- or- I'd- really- be- letting- him- HAVE- IT- right- now husband.)

(Grrrrrr)

So... onward!

Oh p.s. though: As of this week:
We have a barn!
Not very mod but made by the Amish in the area, therefore supporting the local community.
: )

This is the fun part: Finally, I am creating the "honey do" list of... stuff my HUSBAND needs to do so that as soon as the casa ti, one of our modern kit homes, is finished we can put it all together in the interior quickly. Interior design choices are an area where people can take deliberate steps to reuse, recycle and reduce their lifestyle while creating a welcoming environment they will happily share with friends and family.

(Ooooookay, maybe I'll help him a little... : ) )

Fortunately, through years of using eagle eyes while thrift shopping and scouring local yard sales, we have squirreled away some fabulous, recycled finds. But now we need to buff 'em up, and have 'em ready and waiting for the move. Recycled / reused items include:

• A precious 1950's blonde desk/drawer for my daughter's room $15
• A long, simple yet formal Owen-Suters mahoghany dining table $150
• Dining chairs - you won't believe 'em till ya see 'em but they're so simple and mod and beautiful $15 a pop
• Knoll couch found in an antique store that specialized in "Virginia colonial" $65 Bwha-hahahaha!
• Two matching coooooooooool open ended rounded corner bookcases, veddy mod $30
• A Danish 1950s china cabinet $100
• 12 piece silverplated flatware- an entire set from the 1960s $65
• A plethora of assorted dishes / serving pieces / bowls etc. Hmmm... I have no idea the actual cost as I've been collecting that stuff for years but I assure you they were cheap, cheap, cheap!
• Various recycled lamps (I'm sure I can spare a few in here ; ) ) $10-ish bucks a pop
• Awesome coffee press of unknown origin but makes like 18, yes, 18 cups! Woo! $5
• Cool 1970s fabric art piece I bought at a yard sale for $15

And now, to look for and try to find in our local reuse stores like Habitat For Humanity's Restore and Caravati's:

• A cool tub (more on that later because there is a feature David Day, the LEED accredited architect, designed that I need to be careful of when choosing a tub plus it needs to fit with a composting toilet in that space)
• Plain sink for the kitchen island (more on that in a later post)
• Marine stove top (propane powered since the house is off grid)
• Juice glasses for thirsty-clamoring-for-water children!
• Wine glasses for, um, thirsty-clamoring-for-wine adults!

So... sweetie-my-dearest-husband... that's all we have to do! Honey... Get on it! ; )

Spent the long weekend on the Chesapeake Bay with two friends and their children. M. and I immediately hit it off when we realized we were both the only other modern day brides we knew whom had received guns as wedding gifts, and have many of the same outdoor interests: archery, fishing, sailing, camping, and agriculture.

Sailor husbands, a shared love of history, their two children who immediately fell in with our children cemented the friendship.

What I love about sailing with Mr. H. is that, as a history teacher, he pulls in something interesting of note to every adventure we have. As a Virginian, I've grown up with this history- I have 1600s settler and Indian blood, so, heck, my family lived it! But his recounting of our tales makes it new and exciting, for myself, my immigrant husband, and the next generation.

Yesterday, at a leisurely 12ish knots on the Bay with the children, we discussed Captain John Smith's near-deathbed at what is now known as Stingray Point- so named because he was stung, and then, with the help of the Indians, taken to a point to be "healed" with mud, now appropriately named Antipoison Creek. We sailed in sight of both.

Pochohantas was born nearby, and here, pirates pillaged and prospered.

Our discussion turned towards alternative energy, and wind power.

As sailors, we know the winds and tides better than most. But as a green building gal, I explained my hesitation- that what wind we harness on the water is not so accessible inland in most places, so for ourselves, it is just not as efficient a technology.

For other alternative energies, I look forward to see what comes to the marketplace in the next 18 months. It is an exciting time for energy. 

Coming home, we took a detour off the interstate and traveled along the *old* highway, route 60, which was the main road in the '50's & '60's. I always love these lanes, because you travel from town to town, and can really see the spirit and strength of entrepreneurial communities, despite massive corporate culture. Cultural, historic, small town tourism is on the rise.

And thank goodness. For much of the 80s till now they struggled against NAFTA, against larger cities, faster processing plants, outdated industries. They still do, and many business models need to be re-thought or abandoned.

People are finally looking at themselves, their small, beautiful parades manned by volunteers, realizing their culture is not only valuable to themselves, but others- a rise of gentle tourism, helping these communities economically, bettering their schools, their industry, and financially allowing them to preserve their structures.

We passed a Bicentennial farm and admired new additions to the local culture, like a Mexican restaurant and little specialty stores... these are places where you should stop, enjoy the community, make friends, take in and hopefully preserve the beautiful scenery.

As people start to look more close to home for their vacations, as the rise of eco-tourism spreads, as communities begin to realize the value of bike trails and their local culture, maybe more of these small towns will experience a resurgence.  I hope so.

By the way- for those with a love of history- in researching Bicentennial farms I randomly came across this great link of Virginia historical markers- http://www.markeroni.com/catalog/cats_tag.php?tag=virginia&country=USA&state=VA

Here's some other photos that didn't fit into the post...

Hope you enjoy.

And one more thing: To all the regular, fellow die-hard volunteers that read this, wherever you are in the world, that make the parades happen, that carry on community sports, veterans, the Rotary Clubs, the Moose lodges, the Shriners, the many wonderful organizations that make people laugh, feed, encourage cultural exchanges, that glean from the fields for the foodbank, and help in any way your local community:

THANK YOU.
Thank you for all you do.