tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31915240329127519772024-03-05T08:54:20.824-05:00ecomodista: sustainable architecture & fashionecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-69757668245563113072009-07-25T17:51:00.005-05:002009-07-26T21:11:15.134-05:00sustainable Dublin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMgJGU-8Ei-G9CNGowWlaDof-Zyv04ZiTbwx26yi1oSWWnagvsdG2jaUirPEBoqXKSoYzRB-CS-wAma5WBTqz4Sr92tI0rKtmr7LcUNyDgKbglfwKTlu5P-fENCS7I7e3BPh4j-GIFVo9/s1600-h/dublin+door+copy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMgJGU-8Ei-G9CNGowWlaDof-Zyv04ZiTbwx26yi1oSWWnagvsdG2jaUirPEBoqXKSoYzRB-CS-wAma5WBTqz4Sr92tI0rKtmr7LcUNyDgKbglfwKTlu5P-fENCS7I7e3BPh4j-GIFVo9/s400/dublin+door+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362535016075316498" /></a><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Eu countries are making serious efforts to become sustainable. When one checks into a hotel, the electronic key card must be inserted into a utility slot to operate the electricity, ensuring no lights or lamps are left on when one leaves the room. Very sensible. This same system was also used at the very pleasant hotel in Edinburgh, Apex European on Haymarket and elsewhere throughout the EU, Hamburg, Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, among other cities. Of course every hotel in the EU has encouraged guests to re-use linens for the past 11 years.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">An online Free Trade service is offered by Dublin’s waste management department, and allows one to pass on or pick up unwanted goods free of charge. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline; letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.dublinwaste.ie/">http://www.dublinwaste.ie</a></span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.dublinwaste.ie/">/</a> The online database allows one to browse for a specific item or list unwanted furniture, etc. that includes a description and photograph of item.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> What a fabulous idea, it’s so simple and logical. This service certainly eliminates some waste, how often does one feel guilty about adding clothes or whatever to recycling.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; min-height: 12px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Historic preservation, another sustainable building practice, is evident in Dublin. Newly developed neighborhoods such as Ballymun are experimenting with various green projects. Ballymun earned the national title as ‘Green Community’ in 2008. The program also focused on resource recovery, featuring recycled furniture and fashion. </span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">There is a sustainable fashion venue Summer ’09 according to one of the planners, the brilliant designer, Lisa Shawgi, who has also been instrumental in managing The Loft, </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.dceb.ie/news/the-loft-~-a-haven-of-dublin-fashion-"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://www.dceb.ie/news/the-loft-~-a-haven-of-dublin-fashion-</span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">where she, Matt Doody, and other Dublin designers have a retail venue. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.mattdoody.com/Matt_Doody/Matt_Doody.html">http://www.mattdoody.com/Matt_Doody/Matt_Doody.html</a></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; min-height: 12px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">More and more designers are becoming committed to fair trade by supporting workers in their own countries, instead of searching for the cheapest labor abroad. Shawgi is training women in a community center to learn hand loomed machine knitting to produce her knitwear. </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.lisashawgi.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://www.lisashawgi.com/</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In terms of fashion, Dublin, and Ireland in general, continue to produce hand knit aran sweaters made by Irish knitters, also providing employment and maintaining their cultural </span></span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">heritage.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 26, 139); text-decoration: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.inismeain.ie/en/knitting/index.html">h</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.inismeain.ie/en/knitting/index.html">ttp://www.inismeain.ie/en/knitting/index.html</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://www.aranislands.ie/component/option,com_estateagent/Itemid,0/act,object/task,showEO/id,177/">http://www.aranislands.ie/component/option,com_estateagent/Itemid,0/act,object/task,showEO/id,177/</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To combat litter, Dublin Waste Management has set a recycling target of 60% for the region which may be feasible because of another concept, Bring Banks. Households may bring objects that are not collected in green refuse collection, such as glass and textiles, and BATTERIES! <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The digital bane of ecomodista’s existence, especially using an external flash for two digital cameras, the Canon 5d II and a G10 is batteries. The amount of energy spent will be calculated in several months, but between these, the flash, the laptop, and the cell phone, one clearly uses more energy, not less going digital versus analog. ecomodista was disappointed upon discovering the digital Hasselblad had an effective ISO 100, clearly not designed for location work. </span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">copyright carla breeze 2009</span></p>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-3690167719418644602009-03-06T10:18:00.008-05:002009-03-06T11:19:28.504-05:00sustainable photography + slow clothing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViXFkCV3YgUAGf_qVjgygvoDW2PLmG84Wwf22oZpqUR1JqIMWcnc_anJb3mJ3rkDbt8bDWnbqPDeeVBzV5ZovbBAJt3KBXopDlYmegZ3bzswU6m0g8dmz5LtGDZmp_-gmwxeOhVYqgm2f/s1600-h/ham+canal+copy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViXFkCV3YgUAGf_qVjgygvoDW2PLmG84Wwf22oZpqUR1JqIMWcnc_anJb3mJ3rkDbt8bDWnbqPDeeVBzV5ZovbBAJt3KBXopDlYmegZ3bzswU6m0g8dmz5LtGDZmp_-gmwxeOhVYqgm2f/s320/ham+canal+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310101665717497682" /></a><br /><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">For those who noted there is practically a year missing on this blog, a year of familial illness and death was the primary contributing factor. </span></span></span><div><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ecomodista will be on location during april, may, and june in the EU working on a new project that will be published by Stewart Tabori Chang: hand knitting. Numerous devotees of ecomodista will find this unbelievable, however, the construction of clothing is simply architecture on a smaller scale. In fact, one of ecomodista’s projects is to produce hand knit wool yurts for the homeless. Hand knitting also produces extremely warm garments, encouraging less dependency on heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. Yes, you may have heard me scoff about the use of summer cashmeres, but the insulating quality of wool or cashmere works for warm and cold seasons.<br /><br />Wondering whether analog images create a greater carbon footprint than digital, ecomodista will keep a log of energy consumption comparisons. To decrease the carbon footprint of travel, eomodista will fly from NYC to Dublin and thereafter travel only by train through out the EU.<br /><br />Sustainable fashion responds to the insanity of “throw away” garments, and is fair trade, organic and less water intensive, recycled, and aware of how to reduce environmental side effects of manufacturing fibers, textiles, and clothing. ecomodista will interview knitters, hand knit designers, and groups that are creating new industries in their own countries as a result of fair trade ethics. As President Obama has stated, we must again produce; ecomodista assumes he is referring to objects, not services--how many more day spas and nail bars does a country need?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span style=""></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /><br />The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that, annually, the clothing and textiles sector in the UK alone produces around:<br />3.1 million tons of CO2<br />Two million tons of waste<br />70 million tons of wastewater<br />1.5 million tons of unwanted clothing being landfilled<br />see <a href="http://earth911.com/blog/2009/02/24/sustainable-clothing-initiatives-launch-at-london-fashion-week/">http://earth911.com/blog/2009/02/24/sustainable-clothing-initiatives-launch-at-london-fashion-week/</a><br /><br />Imagine what the statistics must be in India, Asia, and the Americas. Hand knitting has often provided the only affordable means of producing stylish clothing, to such an extent that during the 1930’s & 1940’s knitters would unravel a previous season’ sweater to re-knit in a current style.<br /><br />Influenced by her editor at STC, Melanie Falick, a well known knitter and editor, ecomodista will explore knitting traditions, old and new, in the UK, EU,Scandanavia, the Baltic, and the Eastern EU. Out takes, and other documents tracing the creation of this work will be posted on ecomodista’s blog whenever possible. see <a href="http://www.hnabooks.com/category/show/94">http://www.hnabooks.com/category/show/94 </a></span></span></div></div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-54225185562807767192008-07-08T08:44:00.004-05:002008-12-10T06:16:58.192-05:00cool to cotton<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUiPXF5th0vq4UBxNw92OKii0DF7SFG-67V7P39bVL2deA7rU2dfJNHuaJXDp-1jXDnJzHoZHhy3GaP9lj0UGwE506iPzdp7ZPSXmtx8PDwAnyt4U5emC9zVo1JzmdzWBuLBlG2HxWfOP/s1600-h/sarah+f.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUiPXF5th0vq4UBxNw92OKii0DF7SFG-67V7P39bVL2deA7rU2dfJNHuaJXDp-1jXDnJzHoZHhy3GaP9lj0UGwE506iPzdp7ZPSXmtx8PDwAnyt4U5emC9zVo1JzmdzWBuLBlG2HxWfOP/s320/sarah+f.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220641304528839634" /></a> Cotton is an extremely water intensive crop, and processing this fiber also has environmental consequences, contaminating fresh water supplies. Continuous cultivation of cotton in the Aral Sea basin of Uzbekistan has decreased the actual surface area of the sea which has been diminished 45% because of the diversion of the two rivers for cotton production. Massive amounts of pesticides are used in cotton agriculture, but even if cotton is cultivated organically, is it still viable as a sustainable product? Cotton Inc. denies any such impact from cotton cultivation. see: <a href="http://www.cottoninc.com/Water-Management/Cotton-Irrigation-Systems/">http://www.cottoninc.com/Water-Management/Cotton-Irrigation-Systems/</a> <br /><br />Apparel and home furnishings manufacturers are beginning to use recycled fiber. Jimtex Yarns and Martex Fiber recycle cotton t-shirts to produce the ECO2cotton™ brand. ECO2cotton™ promotes an environmentally responsible product while also reducing landfill and conserving water and energy. Created from new, pre-consumer post-industrial cotton knit cuttings that are discarded during the cut and sew process, the fragments are reprocessed and blended into fiber similar to new cotton that can be re-spun into yarns or mixed with other fibers. <br />see:<a href="http://www.jimtexyarns.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=32Teijin"> http://www.jimtexyarns.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=32Teijin </a><br />One firm, Teijin Fibers Ltd. recycles uniforms and curtains to create fibers. Teijin Group established the first chemical recycling technologies for fibers, films and bottles and organized EcoCircle.<br /><br />Landfill is controlled in Japan by steep pricing, and the sayonara or moving sale is common, simply to avoid such charges. Recycling clothing via resale is substantial in Japan and other countries. According to the US Textile Recycling Agency it is estimated that each person in the US generates over 60 pounds of textile waste annually, although over 90 percent of this could be recyclable, only 15% is recycled via re-usu. Adverts for pre-worn clothing are imminent.<br /><br />Sarah Ratty designs ensembles from recycled jumpers (pullovers). Do Redo recycles sweaters donated by the Salvation Army by felting, then transforming the textiles into garments that are inspired by today’s trends as well as traditional design. Designers Katarina Brieditis and Katarina Evans recycle textiles, knitting, crocheting and embroidering to create sustainable garments. Their manifesto states: "Do Redo is a protest against society's tendency toward conspicuous consumption. Take a worn out wool sweater, wash it in hot water, grab a pair of scissors and give it new life! You can find inspiration anywhere-on the street, in a fasionable boutique or on the Web. And don't forget to look in museums, where you can find a treasury of old textiles to inspire you. We think handicraft can change the world, or at least make it a more pleasant place." Their book, Do Redo: The Art of Slaughtering a Sweater provides basic instructions on how to knit, embroider and crochet. Fashion reporter Anna-Stina Lindén Ivarsson wrote the text and chose the pictures and references to current trends and yesterday's fashion. Published by Alfabeta Publishers, Stockholm, Sweden. see: <a href="http://www.doredo.se/display.aspx?lang=2&tid=1&id=2">http://www.doredo.se/display.aspx?lang=2&tid=1&id=2</a><br /><br />Luz Claudio's white paper, Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry explores the actual statistics of clothing re-use and discovered that only one-fifth of all clothing donated to charities is directly used or sold in their thrift or retail stores. “There are nowhere near enough people in America to absorb the mountains of castoffs, even if they were given away.” see: <a href="http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1964887">http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1964887</a><br /><br />10 years ago, Sarah F. at the School for the Physical City in NYC was purchasing her clothing by the pound at Domby’s in Williamsburg instead of doing laundry and she may have been prescient, given the environmental impact of laundering. It is estimated 60% of the energy used in the life cycle of a cotton T-shirt is related to postpurchase washing and drying at high temperatures; transportation constitutes only a small portion of the energy profile to produce a cotton product. Why not dry clothes outdoors? For most of the US this is a viable option.<br /><br />Certainly if one is consuming cotton, organic is preferable, and in order to support fair trade, ecomodista advocates hand knitting, no not in China or Cambodia where wages barely support life, but in one's own home, with one's own hands. Rowan International recently launched its organically grown naturally dyed yarns. Knitting with organic cotton in a fair trade zone--ecomodista may just cotton to cool.ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-46330318308572324832008-04-19T00:54:00.005-05:002008-04-21T00:48:36.305-05:00more of a primitive source of warmthKnit wear is sufficiently popular and the climate sufficiently inclement in Copenhagen to sustain numerous boutiques specializing in sweaters and scarves. ecomodista found the Danish climate challenging, but coped, wearing a vintage Prada ski jacket worn under an Allegri, needless to say layered over an alpaca sweater and wool scarf. At home, Nanny Glerup's felted wool slippers are absolutely addictive and essential, and every yarn/knit store seems to stock her products. <a href="http://www.glerups.dk"> http://www.glerups.dk/</a>The Sabine Poupinel boutique on Kronprinsensgade features hand knits from Gudrun og Gudrun (G & G) as well as machine knitted designs by p.feilberg and others. Helga Isager, daughter of famed knitter Marianne Isager, has opened Amimono on Jaegersborggade, once a working class neighborhood, now rapidly becoming gentrified with cafes--The Coffee Collective for instance--and hip boutiques. <br /><br />Founded by Gudrun Ludvig (the designer) and Gudrun Rógvadótti, and located in the Faroe Islands, once a Danish dominion. G & G, debuted in 2007, presenting appealingly sophisticated sweaters and dresses that subvert knitting for warmth by their very transparency.<a href="http://www.gudrungudrun.com/"> http://www.gudrungudrun.com/ </a> Btw, while at the Poupinel boutique, we were advised that Bill Clinton bought two G & G sweaters recently while in Copenhagen. ecomodista should have explained that his purchase is not necessarily a fashion imprimatur, but in this case his choice is totally endorsed. <br /><br />G & G is devoted to sustainability, using only waste products, wool and leather from sheep raised for mutton. Their colors are often limited to natural variety creating bold black and white motifs on sweaters based on historic Faeroe motifs. Double coated sheep on these islands are of ancient origin, probably wild sheep originally introduced by the Vikings over a 1000 years ago.G & G's knits are incredibly tempting, hand knit according to Fair Trade principles, from the softest wool, and chic design (black lace shoulders on a white sleeveless sweater banded at the hips with pale peach silk). Designer, Gudrun Ludvig is inspired by Norse mythology and the Viking technique that preceded the use of two needle knitting-- nålbinding, a looping technique, similar to knitting with two needles, involving a single, eyed, needle. Also known as netting without knots, nålbinding continued to be used until the innovation of working with two needles pervaded Denmark in the 16th century. The sheep are grown organically, a trend that appears to be increasing.<br /><a href="http://www.ota.com/organic/woolfactsheet.html">http://www.ota.com/organic/woolfactsheet.html</a><br /><br />Remind ecomodista to report on organic wool production in New Mexico, since it is the largest in the US. The only other organic wool produced in Denmark, of which ecomodista is aware is Ruth Juul in Bakkegården, on the North Atlantic coast of Jutland. The shop on her farm features organic and naturally produced products such as Lambskin slippers, organic jams and natural dyed yarns from her own sheep.<br /><br />Denmark's per capita consumption of organic food is one of the world's highest. and biologische restaurants abound. Consequently, ecomodista felt at home, not that we ate out. Peter and Anne, cooking with organic produce and ingredients made the most incredible meals. Organic restaurants that have been recommended are: Geranium, located in Kongens Have, the park surrounding Rosenborg Palace. Rasmus Kofoed and Søren Ledet are outstanding chefs. <a href="http://www.restaurantgeranium.dk">http://www.restaurantgeranium.dk/</a>; Cap Horn which was one of the pioneers in organic restaurants; and Huksfluks, <a href="http://www.huksfluks.dk">http://www.huksfluks.dk/</a><br /><br />Sustainable hotels include: AXEL Hotel Guldsmeden (<a href="http://www.axelhotelguldsmeden.com/">http://www.axelhotelguldsmeden.com/</a>),Betrams Hotel Guldsmeden, and Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden located in the trendy district of Vesterbro The breakfast buffet is 100 percent organic with homemade yogurt, French cheeses and rustic bread and pastry from Emmery's, a well know organic bakery. <br /><br />And don't be intimidated by the Danish language, every Danish website seems to have a "Kontakt os" feature and if you can read this, you can grasp other phrases, although everyone in Denmark, except in the tiny tiny hamlets, speaks English.<br /><br /><br />please note all material on ecomodista is protected by copyrightecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-85637542050541485722008-04-04T09:22:00.016-05:002008-12-10T06:16:58.559-05:00a primitive source of warmth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1OPEEzpewVKBfCPIOM6Pvtn-LRC8kc3MVE5uPNOSrIJd9C3Fmy7DW8Gzz9Ihp7vneIqSwgtL9dno9fePmR0HLQyC63mRi-PS6dwxQdhd0zflA5tCnw9yYoEaVuz3TBKbmCQmdaXfbplh/s1600-h/europa+pass+3+copy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1OPEEzpewVKBfCPIOM6Pvtn-LRC8kc3MVE5uPNOSrIJd9C3Fmy7DW8Gzz9Ihp7vneIqSwgtL9dno9fePmR0HLQyC63mRi-PS6dwxQdhd0zflA5tCnw9yYoEaVuz3TBKbmCQmdaXfbplh/s320/europa+pass+3+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185419609816169378" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">ecomodista spent a month this winter in Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Ribe (the oldest town in Denmark near the west coast of the Jutland) researching a primitive source of warmth--hand knitting--a great substitute for energy consumption. Sex also qualifies as a source of warmth, but one can't or shouldn't indulge in public, giving sweaters an edge. In the course of this research, we also experienced several new buildings in Hamburg, most notably, Europa-Passage, (<a href="http://www.europa-passage.de/">http://www.europa-passage.de</a>) or arcade, designed by Hadi Teherani one of the largest inner-city shopping malls in Germany. Teherani has been quoted, "The economic and ecological prosaic construction technology in the background, is merely an indispensable precondition...Architecture is defined by atmosphere and not by reason." And the parabolic Europa-Passage is exciting, primarily illuminated by the clear ceiling, and an openess not often encountered in an arcade. Not that our friends, Brigitte and Ulrich were impressed, in terms of the quality of the boutiques, and horrors, a Starbucks! Considered to be spatially innovative, green aspects of the building are the norm in this country. The Germans have built numerous commercial passages, essentially strip malls indoors, sheltering one from the frigid winds off the North Sea, usually on the ground floor of commercial office buildings. Europa-Passage represents a new direction in material consumption modes for the Germans--the mall...</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The Danes and Germans are incredibly energy conscious, despite rampant freezing temperatures. In fact, in Copenhagen, our hostess, Anne met us at the train station on her bicycle, and there were numerous cyclists on every street. ecomodista loves the fact that one can leave a bicycle on the street without security chains and locks. According to Anne, the only time one really needs to be concerned is New Year's Eve, when those in a drunken stupor might "borrow" one's bike to ride home.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Copenhagen is definitely the city for au courant knitwear, from hand knits to machine knits, everyone wears layers of sweaters and scarves. The best selection of scarves is found at the Tekstilgalleriet, <a href="http://www.textilgalleriet.dk/">http://www.textilgalleriet.dk/</a> Not only fashionable, knits continue to provide utility and warmth for which they were originally designed. In northern sea faring climates, fishermen relied on wool sweaters that retain body heat even when wet from the fiercest storms and sheets of rain, a tradition traced back to Vikings, who practiced a form of knitting, nälbinding, a looping technique involving a single needle.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Also known as netting without knots, nälbinding continued to be used until the innovation of knitting with two needles arrived, migrating north from what is now Germany. Knitting has become synonymous with Nordic countries, and while one might be more familiar with Norwegian Setesdal sweaters, Denmark is also home to internationally recognized knitters. See <a href="http://www.isagerstrik.dk/1-35-topmenu-1.html">http://www.isagerstrik.dk/1-35-topmenu-1.html</a> for Marianne Isager's site, her daughter, Helga Isager, <a href="http://www.amimono.dk/">http://www. amimono.dk</a> and Vivian Hoxbro, <a href="http://www.viv.dk/English/default.htm">http://www.viv.dk/English/default.htm</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">From Hamburg, we took a train north to Ärhus, the second largest city in Denmark, a country which has a population of 5.5 million (ecomodista loves tiny tiny countries). Textile artist, Ruth Sørenson met us at the station, but had some difficulty recognizing us, having described myself as blond, and Wayne and I wearing black. You can imagine how many blonds there are in Denmark, not to mention everyone wears black. Fortunately, we had our comrade in arms, our faithful, but vicious pekingese, Tong Zhi, as an additional identifying factor. Ruth drove us to Ebeltoft, a small fishing village in Djursland, where she lives. I had made an appointment with Ruth to interview her and make photographs of her work, not on a model, unfortunately, that must wait until warm weather pervades the north, about July. Ruth kindly invited us to stay with her, but having a dog with a NYC bite number (two bites and you and your dog are out) we declined, concerned for her and her husband's safety. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ruth Sørenson studied textile design at Designskolen Kolding. Hand knitting was included in the curriculum. At the time, Ruth disdained knitting, preferring weaving, and other art forms. When her children left home, four years ago, she decided to research knitting and wool in the Faroe Islands and Shetland Islands, which has since inspired her designs. Working in the traditional stranding technique, her work is stunningly innovative yet simultaneously traditional. See<a href="http://www.ruths.dk/engelsk/index.htm"> http://www.ruths.dk/engelsk/index.htm</a></span></div><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-4168961-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-46795646095458395462007-06-22T15:10:00.002-05:002008-12-10T06:16:58.776-05:00less is more expensive, sometimes<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7LDdhYOepbrXD_7WW1jEHJ3kuDqj9_wMMTXyAezznh4jd1Xd7LefBRtMpUWqr7KIwn2oapZu0cCizDZ8oOwg4r4YiRynzOm2IwA5f5OxA2N_YUKmDA2lXcv39c9C3UEXxUoKenV8eF2l/s1600-h/chaffee+2+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7LDdhYOepbrXD_7WW1jEHJ3kuDqj9_wMMTXyAezznh4jd1Xd7LefBRtMpUWqr7KIwn2oapZu0cCizDZ8oOwg4r4YiRynzOm2IwA5f5OxA2N_YUKmDA2lXcv39c9C3UEXxUoKenV8eF2l/s320/chaffee+2+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078986962728805186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">judith chafee, architect, designed a passive solar residence in southern arizona in the mid-1980's using lexan and cast concrete. Having grown up in an adobe home, she understood how mass could modulate the Sonora Desert sun.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />see: <a href="http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/currents/Content?oid=oid:42143">http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/currents/Content?oid=oid:42143</a><br /><br />After graduating from Yale, Chafee had worked with various architects, Eero Saarinen, Edward Larrabee Barnes, and Paul Rudolph before returning to Arizona. ecomodista met Chafee through Marcus Whiffen, preëminent British architectural historian who, after pioneering research on the houses and public buildings of Colonial Williamsburg, was ultimately tenured at Arizona State University in Tempe. During a photo shoot for Triglyph, Chafee and ecomodista had a tug-of-war over a potted plant (plants outdoors please, not inside unless inhabiting a greenhouse).<br /></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">see <a href="http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=33063_0_42_0_C156">http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=33063_0_42_0_C156 </a></span></span>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-8892383354276497152007-06-22T15:03:00.000-05:002008-12-10T06:16:58.962-05:00less is more expensive, sometimes<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgPPpgWwCcaP-iW_aBIQ4xrhFas9B9R7raX7-_QhFO3u8EqpG-xhyphenhyphenPjmN6Q0T1sOEvit9W9NF0SFGGrluxJF7_DFUOEmF65a9xRITW9-tFp1DMkgH2XvSWcyjwiMAqMvVnX5o_jZSxrCD/s1600-h/more+cans+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgPPpgWwCcaP-iW_aBIQ4xrhFas9B9R7raX7-_QhFO3u8EqpG-xhyphenhyphenPjmN6Q0T1sOEvit9W9NF0SFGGrluxJF7_DFUOEmF65a9xRITW9-tFp1DMkgH2XvSWcyjwiMAqMvVnX5o_jZSxrCD/s320/more+cans+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078982603336999714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">michael reynolds earthship wall constructed with recycled aluminum cans</span></span></div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-79880783294154028682007-06-20T13:03:00.002-05:002008-12-10T06:16:59.254-05:00less is more expensive, sometimes<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOn1TKfZZDRe7fD0LpsGQ0Pd9GefdYx8JgA3rWCrpZ2hZJ_B_48z5OShlgJUj3MXQkNP3BDahsKHihE2nRMnSLyJ8Q_OSSbgGWshNeh78Fq4cM5UoCJatXX4nQytbYkd89exuG8t_Zy51/s1600-h/reflected+farmhouse+1+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOn1TKfZZDRe7fD0LpsGQ0Pd9GefdYx8JgA3rWCrpZ2hZJ_B_48z5OShlgJUj3MXQkNP3BDahsKHihE2nRMnSLyJ8Q_OSSbgGWshNeh78Fq4cM5UoCJatXX4nQytbYkd89exuG8t_Zy51/s320/reflected+farmhouse+1+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078208912223265538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Reflected Farmhouse, left, designed by Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gluck</span> illustrates the expense of minimalism, primarily because craftsmanship is visible and must be perfect. Using natural materials for ornament, pioneered by Adolf Loos and Frank Lloyd Wright, are often expensive, too. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gluck</span> is so attentive to the production of his work and concerned with quality control, that he formed his own construction firm. Does this entirely answer why should less be more expensive? As consumers begin to exert greater control over production possibly quality, durability, design excellence, and low maintenance products will gain greater market share, although touring any new suburb, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ecomodista</span> despairs the current status of mass housing design. Perhaps <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lot-ek's</span> prefab container modules will prove popular </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(http://www.lot-ek.com/)</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Container Home Kits are available.<br /><br />See also http://www.trendwatching.com/briefing/ for their monthly briefings, especially Crowd Clout.<br /><br />Another issue posed by minimalism is storage. For an interior to appear minimal, yet work, storage must either be built into the walls and modules, or eliminated by minimal consumption, possible for only the most austere consumer. Adolf Loos' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Müller</span> Villa is one of the earliest examples of built in furniture and storage. Amazingly, when photographed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ecomodista</span>, the silk upholstered built-in couch was still intact, although threadbare. Threadbare is definitely preferable to replacement of the upholstery.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></span> </div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-12734851024434114502007-05-14T12:15:00.001-05:002008-12-10T06:16:59.430-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn2e8g7WnxqGVFAquZnF8_SDmFCC_a_Wtp84GBInQlt9X_8MJd1UROzFG-ABF013DAJdwnTDHITr_iWtg5wWoZ59CYNgp24lIpfVaa95lk5sM0rHYQ6g6dWD6ihN4ET3UfLKmGeAk-RT-/s1600-h/loos+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn2e8g7WnxqGVFAquZnF8_SDmFCC_a_Wtp84GBInQlt9X_8MJd1UROzFG-ABF013DAJdwnTDHITr_iWtg5wWoZ59CYNgp24lIpfVaa95lk5sM0rHYQ6g6dWD6ihN4ET3UfLKmGeAk-RT-/s320/loos+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064466399941259922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">müller villa, prague, adolf loos, architect, 1928; copyright carla breeze 2007</span></span>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-26283445667627653932007-05-14T10:24:00.001-05:002008-12-10T06:16:59.755-05:00less is more green<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpztWTt5Qt6XyE4v7zBZUjsjcqA7UcueMlHzvb390lVvFQT0GXZ3JWkScIPmiKYTatpBqUyO-FQpLhCJh5R-pvylUVBmgZmE_GFei7mTuAg6wgdsSG38WvzI4Hg59Vnl9TQzSteupRvy4/s1600-h/loos+4+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpztWTt5Qt6XyE4v7zBZUjsjcqA7UcueMlHzvb390lVvFQT0GXZ3JWkScIPmiKYTatpBqUyO-FQpLhCJh5R-pvylUVBmgZmE_GFei7mTuAg6wgdsSG38WvzI4Hg59Vnl9TQzSteupRvy4/s320/loos+4+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064465751401198210" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >muller villa, adolf loos, architect, photograph copyright carla breeze, 2007<br /></span>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-88309230807954759092007-05-14T07:15:00.000-05:002007-06-19T17:49:44.353-05:00less is more green<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Don't be concerned, the following actually does segue into less is more green. Techniques for body ornament, such as piercing and tattooing have been applied to architecture since the inception of modernism. The Library at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Eberswalde</span> Technical School in the former <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DDR</span> (East Germany), designed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Herzog</span> & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">de</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mueron</span> is a contemporary example. The project consists of bands of concrete alternating with glass, which have windows. Doors occasionally pierce the walls of this small but elegant structure. According to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Herzog</span>, “The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Eberswalde</span> Technical School Library is a collaboration with [artist] Thomas Ruff, who collects photographs from magazines and newspapers, frames and exhibits them. The concept of tattooing a body is an archaic means of decoration, an issue which I find alluring.” He remarked that Adolf Loos'<span style="font-style: italic;"> Ornament <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">und</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Verbrechen</span></span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Crime Against Ornament</span>, a collection of essays published in 1908) was totally unappealing to him and that the desire to ornament is a human tendency. Austrian architect, Loos, despised applied ornament and advocated the use of materials instead, well illustrated by the 1928 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Müller</span> Villa in Prague.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Crime Against Ornament</span> proposed the theory that the use of applied or superficial ornament was the result of criminal degeneration. Directing his tirade at Secession architects such as Henry van <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">de</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Velde</span>, who designed houses, housewares, hardware, and even his wife’s dresses, Loos believed ornament should derive from the materials used for construction, not the economically enslaved populace who produced ornament. This ethical position would seem to coincide with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Herzog</span>’s own use of materials evinced in the Tate Modern.<br /><br />Loos was openly derisive of one of the last decorative styles at the end of the 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">th</span> century, the Secessionist movement. Not only did Loos design extraordinary houses he was equally involved with fashion, editing a men’s fashion journal for a brief period. To illustrate the Secession’s obsession with designing every facet of life he related this anecdote, “Once it happened that [a client] was celebrating his birthday. His wife and children had given him many presents. He liked their choice[s] immensely and enjoyed it all thoroughly. But soon the architect arrived... He entered the room. The master greeted him with pleasure... But the architect did not see the man’s joy. He had discovered something quite different and grew pale. ‘What kind of slippers are these you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ve</span> got on?’ he ejaculated painfully. The master of the house looked at his embroidered slippers. Then he breathed in relief. This time he felt quite guiltless. The slippers had been made to the architect’s original designs. So he answered in a superior way, ‘But Mr. Architect! Have you already forgotten? You yourself designed them.’ ‘Of course’ thundered the architect, ‘but for the bedroom! They completely disrupt the mood here with these two impossible spots of colour. Can’t you see that?’”<br /><br />The alternating glass and concrete bands of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Eberswalde</span> Technical School Library allude to similar bands of glass, cladding material, and steel of skyscraper construction. The basis for modern architecture is not only the series of engineering feats originating during the late 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">th</span> century in Chicago, but an ethical position, not unrelated to the current emphasis on sustainable living. Minimalism in architecture and design continues to be a viable strategy and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ecomodista</span> even advocates minimal consumption.<br /><br />Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Gluck</span> is the first architect to receive a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">LEED</span> Silver rating for an affordable housing project, Little Ajax in Aspen, Colorado. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Gluck</span> designed the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Kaplan</span> Residence in Chicago, using a melange of materials, wood, copper, and stainless steel in this opulent, but minimalistic home.<br /></span></span><br /></div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-27813296921622083032007-05-02T12:02:00.000-05:002008-12-10T06:16:59.871-05:00deconstructing adobe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFSFOpuItXN2pjCEhhCnVT2OkTGnZNY70iVHQwoPhlA2_KZb1ihPrggCepZ1FRIf_yjIt67nQUYTPpw19JLNbv11iGkGyaEhWGbnXIgsHgNij-6BDIJUIID8WEWBZEl0IcCPaSiTO6s_5/s1600-h/horno+detail+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFSFOpuItXN2pjCEhhCnVT2OkTGnZNY70iVHQwoPhlA2_KZb1ihPrggCepZ1FRIf_yjIt67nQUYTPpw19JLNbv11iGkGyaEhWGbnXIgsHgNij-6BDIJUIID8WEWBZEl0IcCPaSiTO6s_5/s320/horno+detail+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060011286199693874" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;">ecomodista is working with adobe master Albert Parra on repairs to the property, and in the course of discussing this with him, remarked how the horno should be torn down because it had been stuccoed with cement rather than the traditional mud slip. Because an horno needs to breathe while bread is being baked, we must build a new one. Albert suggested he rebuild it with us for a documentary being made by the Smithsonian Institution, so suddenly ecomodista has a deadline, and to style the photo shoot it is critical to remove the asphalt in the parking area.<br /></div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-90489745152034189842007-05-02T09:02:00.000-05:002008-12-10T06:16:59.976-05:00sustainable style<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIZue_E0QX_i3cE90d1O0aj9Xh5sy0uONaN0L5YkiuzQfbsf2KpW8UQo3kygsCQvsepihHWMH4Yw2jdg8Pzv3xigwgMYQW99roExXBynR27DZ9wAYwK1W53MZFT1WCSiUvDCXwQg4HGuV/s1600-h/andrea+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIZue_E0QX_i3cE90d1O0aj9Xh5sy0uONaN0L5YkiuzQfbsf2KpW8UQo3kygsCQvsepihHWMH4Yw2jdg8Pzv3xigwgMYQW99roExXBynR27DZ9wAYwK1W53MZFT1WCSiUvDCXwQg4HGuV/s320/andrea+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059966695849226738" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Artists,Tom Mullaney and Andrea Ackerman's loft in Williamsburg; table constructed by Mullaney with recycled plastic lumber. Is recycled plastic lumber a sustainable strategy?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Certainly as a material, it out performs wood in terms of maintenance and composed of "renewable" resource, if one considers plastic recycling a resource.<br /><br />Yesterday ecomodista obtained an estimate to remove the asphalt parking lot at our apartment compound because it is a massive heat sink, essentially an environment that absorbs and dissipates radiant (the sun) heat. The visible vapor above an asphalt road in the summer perfectly illustrates this issue. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">To implement sustainable concepts for our adobe apartment compound, we are first tackling the low tech solutions, such as asphalt removal.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Asphalt surrounds our cities, and if in the summer, the temperature in New York City was measured in midtown, rather than Central Park, there would be an increase of 10 to 15 degrees F. Asphalt is not only used for highways, as ecomodista discovered to her dismay when she purchased adobe blocks, <span style="font-style: italic;">torrones</span>, from a vendor in the North Valley in Albuquerque. Most adobe bricks are stabilized, generally by mixing a small percentage of concrete into the mud. Hybrid adobe is also being explored, and is a great way to recycle weeds and garden cuttings. This would not affect degradation resulting from exposure to water, which is why most adobes are stabilized. For reference see: http://www.hybridadobe.com/how_to.shtml<br /><br />ecomodista bought adobes for repairs in one of the units, and intended to order a truckload to rebuild the <span style="font-style: italic;">horno</span> (adobe oven used by indigenous people for baking bread or firing pottery). When told that the bricks were stabilized with asphalt, she inquired about non-stabilized adobes, and the vendor remarked that he made these only in May and June when women from the Pueblos bought them for their hornos. He scoffed at the idea that these women found bread baked in <span style="font-style: italic;">hornos</span> constructed from stabilized adobe tasted like a petrochemical.<br /><br />Asphalts are bituminous materials which occur naturally or are derived from nondestructive separation of petroleum fractions. Typically, this is achieved through fractional distillation or solvent de-asphalting. Asphalt should not be confused with tar, which is obtained through destructive processing of coal, wood, or petroleum. Asphalt contains aliphatic hydrocarbons in addition to the mononuclear aromatics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mixtures found in asphalt & tar.<br /><br />The National Park Service, </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Water Resources Division,</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> has published an Encyclopedia of Contaminants by Irwin, R.J., M. VanMouwerik, L. Stevens, M.D. Seese, and W. Basham which contains the following information:<br /><br />"The primary hazard associated with asphalt arises from PAHs and alkyl PAHs in asphalt that can move into the ecosystem from the breakdown of asphalt. Since asphalt contains so many toxic and carcinogenic compounds and since leaching of harmful PAH compounds has been documented even in water pipe use, asphalt should be kept out of rivers, streams, and other natural waters to the extent possible NIOSH urges caution related to human exposure to asphalt. Current NIOSH research indicates that asphalt products are carcinogenic to laboratory animals and, therefore may be more toxic to humans than previously believed [366]. Air concentrations of PAHs have been shown to increase to potentially dangerous levels in National Parks in response to forest fires and asphalt roads burned by lava flows; although the human health risks from low levels of PAHs is not precisely known, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health position is that any exposure to certain carcinogenic PAHs is too much and therefore the exposure should be limited as much as possible."<br /><br />After reading this information and other research, ecomodista's decision to remove the asphalt is confirmed, and the asphalt that is removed can be recycled, although the consumer pays for recycling. Gravel and red crushed rock will replace the asphalt, preventing flooding, and allowing precipitation to reach the aquifer under Albuquerque.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-54543576977107874162007-04-16T08:14:00.000-05:002008-12-10T06:17:00.212-05:00dyeing to recycle<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWBEeC9anYnJ1tCvisgECiCyENLh86TE_s_C2RxwNZPy0uwdGt81Riv_BQCN4eFKukSRg7uXkjPaykbnTeefwtrQLbc7s38v8kNh9cwpuHTowbeUZUZr4qIOpTtABjyyhLtRIzGM-mZz-/s1600-h/DSCN1370.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWBEeC9anYnJ1tCvisgECiCyENLh86TE_s_C2RxwNZPy0uwdGt81Riv_BQCN4eFKukSRg7uXkjPaykbnTeefwtrQLbc7s38v8kNh9cwpuHTowbeUZUZr4qIOpTtABjyyhLtRIzGM-mZz-/s320/DSCN1370.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054018285940586050" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Designer, Gianni Lauren, formerly with the boutique, Burrow in SoHo (now relocating to Nolita), paints recycled t-shirts with dyes and uses safety pins as closures. Burrow represents designers working with recycled materials. </span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Mary Jaeger is producing incredible shibori dyed t-shirts, and although the website hasn't been updated since 2005, it's worth looking at,unless you happen to be in Nolita, <a href="http://www.maryjaeger.com/sp05/index.html">http://www.maryjaeger.com/sp05/index.html</a></span><br /></div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Feeling guilty about using Durock, ecomodista is still researching the environmental impact of concrete, and because the weather is gloomy, will dye a few garments that need brilliant color. This is an excellent means of recycling clothing that happens to be last season’s color or simply the wrong color. Dyeing a darker color over a pale shade is definitely easiest. For many years, ecomodista didn’t care what color she bought, as long as it was silk, cotton, cashmere or wool, it could be dyed black, favored by those New Yorkers laboring under self imposed sumptuary laws, mandating black--black sweaters, black skirts, black trousers, black</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">jeans, etc. I bought quart cans of Deka black dye at Pearl Paint.<br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br />German dyes are most effective, especially those designed for batik. Unfortunately Deka is no longer available in this country, so ecomodista is using vegetal dyes when possible or Leight & Bunt manufactured by Marabuwerke GmbH & Co founded in 1859 by Albert Martz in Stuttgart, Germany. <a href="http://www.maryjaeger.com/sp05/index.html"><br /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >If you are wondering if dyes are toxic, see Paula Burch’s site, which has technical information regarding the various types of dyes. Queried whether Procion dyes are safe, Deka is also discussed:<br /><a href="http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyelog/B1063361308/C1307213733/E1925627151/index.html">http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyelog/B1063361308/C1307213733/E1925627151/index.html<br /></a></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br />OSHA,<a href="http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/textiles/index.html"> http:/</a><a href="http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/textiles/index.html">/www.osha.gov/SLTC/textiles/index.html</a> and the CDC have information regarding the safety of chemical dyes, and personally I use a respirator whenever using ANY material with particulates.</span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > Another site with useful safety information is: <a href="http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/text1.html">http://</a><a href="http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/text1.html">www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/text1.html</a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br />You get the point. Generally, natural dyes have numerous advantages in terms of safety. An excellent source of black may be derived from black walnuts, in fact, the dye is so intense, wear disposable gloves when picking these in late autumn. </span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >See:<a href="http://www.mannamcarpets.com/dyeBr.html"> http://</a><a href="http://www.mannamcarpets.com/dyeBr.html">www.mannamcarpets.com/dyeBr.html</a><a href="http://www.mannamcarpets.com/dyeBr.html"> </a>for instructions using walnut bark to make brown dye and for other websites, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/natural+dyes" rel="tag"><img style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 0.4em;" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=natural+dyes" alt=" " />natural dyes</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">All Fiber Arts is an excellent resource, including instructions for natural dyes, including cochnineal derived from the insects, Dactylopius coccus, inhabiting prickly pear cacti and a recipe for indigo derived from Indigofera tinctoria and Indigo suffraticosa. Indigo for commercial use is synthesized. In temperate climates indigo is obtained from woad (Isatis tinctoria), indigenous to Europe, and dyer's knotweed (Polygonum tinctorum) from China, Japan and Korea. These plants have been considered inferiorsources of indigo dye because they contain less indigo than the tropical indigofera. Modern analysis shows that this assumption may be incorrect and a result of inefficient processing and poor understanding of the dye. Farming dye-bearing crops is enjoying a renaissance as people in western countries look further and further into a more organic and sustainable lifestyle.<br />See:<a href="http://www.allfiberarts.com/"> </a></span><a href="http://www.allfiberarts.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> http://www.allfiberarts.com/</span></a></span></div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-84269590895605323242007-04-05T19:45:00.000-05:002008-12-10T06:17:00.432-05:00reynolds' earthship, taos, nm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiGcdbomOQUnANgFjkhpZhlP5Xe6y182U1DnLdPmW44XvS8_xkEJxQ7s1IRX7QuMZA-tiufdTa4MjWs-wiX7Qd5MMf7OwEw-g4J-qdh7CF4vW04NASAZq9CPFAAaNnDMnrQT5yp11ibWe/s1600-h/reynolds+gv+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiGcdbomOQUnANgFjkhpZhlP5Xe6y182U1DnLdPmW44XvS8_xkEJxQ7s1IRX7QuMZA-tiufdTa4MjWs-wiX7Qd5MMf7OwEw-g4J-qdh7CF4vW04NASAZq9CPFAAaNnDMnrQT5yp11ibWe/s320/reynolds+gv+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5050110265600959842" border="0" /></a>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-52206294808950554392007-04-02T09:36:00.000-05:002008-12-10T06:17:00.584-05:00recycle: retrofitting existing buildings<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh79ee2JncbCNF9-hhWEkbWQufdkl08ryHvP51kYsuNw_fEcllTxeKHU8zhSUbL276CE6kk29qyX4h9n6RLhl2sHsDczGCJGk2L0sfmQzSxjeO7xAjCHMT9WGtwFretPCOlt13er0SCf6g/s1600-h/reynolds+2+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh79ee2JncbCNF9-hhWEkbWQufdkl08ryHvP51kYsuNw_fEcllTxeKHU8zhSUbL276CE6kk29qyX4h9n6RLhl2sHsDczGCJGk2L0sfmQzSxjeO7xAjCHMT9WGtwFretPCOlt13er0SCf6g/s320/reynolds+2+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5050094554610591026" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">In the course of retrofitting existing adobe structures in New Mexico to become sustainable, ecomodista has been researching various approaches. Michael Reynolds, in Taos, New Mexico has been constructing affordable homes since the late 1970’s by using recycled aluminum cans, bottles, and discarded tires in conjunction with rammed earth.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Reynolds describes his work as, biotecture, and explains, “Earthships are made when a hole is excavated into a slope, then tires are laid in a brick-like pattern and filled with compacted soil. The tires swell and interlock under the pressure of manually rammed earth, becoming very thick and resilient. Chinks between tires are stuffed with partially crushed, used aluminum cans. Like an adobe wall, integrity is further secured by a bond-beam atop the wall. Roofing consists of the classic vigas (large wooden girders) and latillas, or modern laminated beams, along with plywood and foam sheathing. A sloping glass wall along the front, oriented generally to the south, exposes the thermal mass of the tire-and-earth frame to direct solar gain. Exterior walls and rounded, sculpted interior surfaces are plastered and painted to look like adobe and rammed earth homes. Earthships are often designed to be completely self-sufficient: water from roof catchments, photovoltaic electricity, and innovative indoor waste disposal are all common features. Effective passive solar design can keep a well-balanced earthship hovering around 65F with no expenditure of energy, winter and summer.”<br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Biotecture appears to be a sensible approach and the use of indigenous materials (given their pervasiveness, aluminum cans, bottles, and tires may also be considered inherent in a region's resources) is energy efficient. During the Public Works Administration era, public buildings were designed by regional architects and use of regional materials was mandatory. Recycling materials locally as building materials may be more cost effective than closed loop.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">In 2003, 54 billion aluminum cans were recycled within a closed loop, saving energy equivalent to 15 million barrels of crude oil - America's entire gas consumption for one day. Since aluminum and glass are relatively inert, use as construction materials poses little health hazard. Using tires in construction may be problematic, since petrochemicals are integral to manufacturing this product, and these chemicals leach into the ground over a period of time. Fires occurring where scrapped tires are stored are extremely toxic and various state environmental agencies have focused on reducing scrap by recycling. Currently, 80% of scrapped tires are recycled as fuel to power cement kilns (and we will be discussing cement kilns), pulp and paper mills, power plants, waste-to-energy plants and industrial boilers.<a href="http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling/awareness/facts/tires">http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling/awareness/facts/tires/</a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">While energy efficiency is critical and we want to explore working with rammed earth, ecomodista prefers a sleeker contemporary appearance. Reynolds has argued that the appearance and aesthetics of earthships should not be the issue, but there will be consumers demanding that ecological principles are merged with euro/american modernism. Reynold’s ethic is directed to those who want to build their own homes and become as self sustainable as possible, if not off the grid using easily available materials and technology. Reynolds is truly a pioneer, and has made important contributions to sustainable architecture, disseminating earthships globally.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Adobe and rammed earth are inert and easily replenished building materials composed of granite and caliche (calcium carbonate or decomposed limestone soil). Frank Lloyd Wright’s textile block houses in Los Angeles utilize site specific soil to manufacture the blocks, to harmonize with the natural landscape. Lime, portland cement, and pozzolana ( originally volcanic ash mortar) are used to modify clay soil, the most effective being lime which is often used in conjunction with portland cement. Lime is inexpensive, but workers must wear respirators to avoid pulmonary damage from lime or cement dust. Since 9/11, OSHA has a poor record enforcing existing regulations regarding such exposure, at least in New York City. Cement is relatively inexpensive, but has massive energy requirements during production, however, cement produces the strongest bond. Adobe and rammed earth </span><span style="font-size:100%;">with minimal cement additives </span><span style="font-size:100%;">have low embodied energy (the energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a material, from the acquisition of natural resources to product delivery) and less impact than concrete and lumber products.<br /><br />The environmental impact of cement kilns is massive, which is unmitigated at last investigation. As of 2005, Potential environmental impact of mercury emissions from Portland cement kilns by R.O. Richter & P.J. Sheehan found, "The reduction of mercury (Hg) releases to the environment, particularly airborne mercury emissions, is currently a major focus of both US state and federal regulatory agencies. While mercury emissions from hazardous waste incinerators and fossil-fuel power plants have been and continue to be regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA), non-hazardous waste cement kilns are currently excluded from regularly controls."<br /></span></div><span style=";font-size:100%;" > <a href="http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url+/iel5/10161/32484/01516358.pdf?arnumber+1516358">http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/10161/32484/01516358.pdf?arnumber=1516358</a><br /><br />As early as 1992, RACHEL'S HAZARDOUS WASTE NEWS #314 reported cement kiln dust contains dioxins and furans (both hazmats are extremely dangerous), according an EPA report, that also found 20% of the kiln dust that the EPA tested contains radioactive elements plutonium-238, plutonium-239 and cesium-137. Dioxins and plutonium are extremely carcinogenic. <a href="http://www.ejnet.org/rachel/rhwn314a.htm">http://www.ejnet.org/rachel/rhwn314a.htm</a></span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > If this is interesting, do refer to U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Managing Industrial Solid Wastes From Manufacturing, Mining, Oil and Gas Production, and Utility Coal Combustion-Background Paper, OTA-BP-O-82 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1992).</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ota/Ota_1/DATA/1992/9225.PDF">http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ota/Ota_1/DATA/1992/9225.PDF</a> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;" >So essentially, the problem with cement is its production or destruction, as the collapse of the World Trade Center towers demonstrated.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Kramer Woodard, the architect of the bathroom we are renovating, is using a generic material, Durock, as a surface cladding, normally used as a backing for tile work. When standing vertically, it has a calligraphic appearance. Woodard is using Durock horizontally to work with the module size of the material. We like the contrast of rough board and sleek aluminum, and when the bath is finished, ecomodista will post images. Endur-O-Seal, </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling/awareness/facts/tires">http://www.concretesealants.com/</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling/awareness/facts/tires">Concrete_Sealeants.htm</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">, an environmentally compatible sealer with a self binding catalyst will be applied to the Durock to seal and protect the material from moisture before being attached to the walls.<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />See Sweets for Durock technical data: <a href="http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling/awareness/facts/tires">http://sweets.construction.com/mfg/2112/P33332.htm</a></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />There are other problems with adobe construction, since the use of stucco exteriors seem to be endemic; the alternative is to use mud. Albert Parra, our adobe expert, believes traditional buildings, such as moradas, should use mud, and that the annual application of an external finish reinforces the communal experience of adobe construction. Parra believes adobe buildings are living entities that change with the seasons, and devotion to their maintenance is an affirmation of life.<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3191524032912751977.post-64510161684819522742007-03-29T09:35:00.000-05:002008-12-10T06:17:00.907-05:00reduce, reuse, recycle<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69NlmZqN_qEWEiTimGwwAome0vDdy84sGDcWbo5f1OhobzsT1P4uY327cHXG_XfIWlqvEFKTk1YnoUnP2DojojiINgQk9ydEUMrmItDhyphenhyphenj5Lmls30txKrbr8u9Z1CfTTFvIuyWvkwSytY/s1600-h/garrett+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69NlmZqN_qEWEiTimGwwAome0vDdy84sGDcWbo5f1OhobzsT1P4uY327cHXG_XfIWlqvEFKTk1YnoUnP2DojojiINgQk9ydEUMrmItDhyphenhyphenj5Lmls30txKrbr8u9Z1CfTTFvIuyWvkwSytY/s320/garrett+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5047355628393332130" border="0" /></a><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Every decision we make as consumers has environmental consequences. Architecture and fashion can no longer be consumed strictly on the basis of design. As architect David Hertz has remarked, “Green building should not come at the expense of good design.”<br /><br />In terms of sustainable architectural design and innovation, skyscrapers in New York and other cities offer an exciting vision of the future. Innumerable architects are working with innovative energy conservation strategies, ie. with the reuse of buildings and materials and reducing energy consumption.<br /><br />Reusing high schools, manufacturing lofts, and banks, by converting these to residential dwellings has become a major trend in the U.S. and abroad. As oil prices continue to affect the suburban lifestyle, clustering and multi-dwelling mixed with commercial are essential.<br /><br />Bothe, Richter & Teherani’s Bürohaus Berliner Bogen in Hamburg conserves energy via its glass “jacket” protecting the building core within. LoTek recycles shipping containers as prefabricated housing. Salvaged buildings and products save resources and energy, exemplified by David Hertz’s Rehwald Project, using a defunct Boeing 747 airplane or Garrett Smith’s Royal Fork project (see photograph above) in New Mexico. Building components that reduce heating and cooling loads such as structural insulated panels (SIPs), insulated concrete forms (ICFs), autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks, and high-performance windows and glazings are becoming de rigueur.<br /><br />Often the technology to reduce energy use is initially developed by military/industrial complexes, and while ecomodista deplores violence and aggression, benefits may coexist. Iowa Thin Film Technologies, Inc., has completed the development of integrated solar technology for US Armed Forces tent prototypes, integrating the company’s Power Film, flexible solar panels. directing with the tent fabric.<br /><br /><br /></span></span> </div>ecomodistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17832348342850845200noreply@blogger.com