No direction home January 25, 2007

"This year we had to do something we've NEVER done in 35 years. We needed a lottery at 10 p.m., for emergency, one-night beds. Those whose number isn't chosen, we give them a bus token." Monica Nilsson, community development director, The Bridge for Homeless and Runaway Youth.

Lydia Howell interviewed Nilsson as part of her article "No Direction Home" in the December 27th issue of Pulse, a Twin Cities weekly publication. Howell powerfully weaves snippets of her own tumultuous childhood, with the changing perceptions of teenagers, and several personal accounts from the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Our office is currently working with the Bridge on a considerable expansion of their facility in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis.

No Direction Home, Lydia Howell, Pulse Twin Cities, Dec. 27, 2006

Bridge Center for Runaway Youth

 

Fiber, foam, and air January 19, 2007

Our office is currently investigating building systems and assemblies as part of a larger initiative to evaluate our role in making "green" buildings. One recent presentation focused on insulation materials: fibers, foams, and air.

Two of the most interesting findings:
1. Still air has an R-value per inch of 5.5. Most manufactured products struggle to be that high; in fact most are just trying to make the air in a cavity stop moving. (This is how a down jacket keeps you warm.)
2. R-values are roughly the same across a single insulation type. For instance, fiber-based insulation, including fiber-glass, blown cellulose, and cotton and wool batts all have roughly the same R-value per inch of material; about 3.5. (R3.5 x 5.5" cavity = R19.25)

One of the most promising resources we discovered was a company promoting bio-based insulation materials, including a soy-enriched, water-blown, closed cell foam.

And, for your inner chemist, check out this product, available from BASF in Germany: phase-changing powder.

 

Green Walls, Patrick Blanc January 11, 2007

While green roofs are becoming a familiar concept, French scientist and designer Patrick Blanc has developed a green wall system. Covered in the press around the globe over the past 10 years, Blanc has installed his carefully designed vertical gardens in schools, museums, shopping centers, and private residences.

Two aspects of Blanc's work distinguish it from other "green" installations. First, Blanc is a scientist who has spent 20 years rappelling down steep cliffs to find plant species suited to a soil-less, vertical environment. Second, the walls are carefully composed with a variety of these species, balancing nature and order in the built environment.

Japanese blog "pingmag" features an interview with Mr. Blanc.

Blanc's website is also quite a treat.