Awesome Things

A few weeks ago my friend told me about this book called 1000 awesome things. Then came the author's book signing the week after in Toronto with an interview with Chapter's CEO Heather Reisman. Pretty cool to see it all in person (http://1000awesomethings.com/).


The book started as a blog in 2008 when the former comedy writer and Harvard MBA decided to cheer up and write a blog about 1000 awesome things. Counting down from 1000 he blogs about ideas of the little awesome things everyone could experience everyday. Then it turned into a multi-million hits blog and then a nifty little book.

As I commute to downtown Toronto to work everyday the hustle and bustle of commuters and tall buildings made me think of what could be more awesome than this?


"Driving down on an unpaved road on the country side with green grass and trees passing by the side on a beautiful sunny day as the sound of the gusting wind echoes into your ears."

Now thats awesome!


~Build It Green

Bringing Sexy Back

As I read the news this morning the headline these days are all about the BP oil spill. Such diastrous news, until I saw the sports section...Yup JT is bringing sexy back. This time with a LEED Platinum Golf Course. Working here at the CaGBC I have been hearing jargons like LEED-NB (Neighbourhood Development), LEED-NC (New Construction) etc...but a LEED for Golf Course? (I recommend that they call it LEED-GC..no really). As a scratch golfer who has been playing golf for 15 years myself its a breath of fresh air. Everytime I go to a golf course it seems ridiculous that people are cutting down trees, flooding ponds with a fountain, bringing dirt to a bunker all so that they can sell memberships for $50k a pop.

But JT (above) like myself thinks green, plays golf, likes Callaway golf clubs... and thats about it, has shown that you can retrofit a golf course.

Miramichi Lakes is the first LEED Platinum golf course in the world. It was opened in July last year and has received many acclamations. Here are some highlights of the golf course:

1) a renewable energy field an walking trail with educational placards and seating for public to learn about energy and natural resource

2) solar power electronic golf carts

3) irrigation system

4) microbes to treat greens vs the use of pesticides

5) native plant for landscaping

~Build It Green

Green Trip

It is the last day of the long Victoria weekend here in Canada the weather is amazingly beautiful. Last Friday our chapter had a chance to visit three really green buildings in Toronto. The TRCA Restoration Service building, the Earth Rangers centre and the Archetype Houses at Kortright. Here are some photos from the trip.

Archetype house A and B the one on the left is Archetype house A and has technology that could be retrofitted in any residential houses. The upgrade on the right is Archetype House B the future of green residential buildings. Can you see the difference in technologies from the photos?

One of the many exotic species being rehabilitated at Earth Rangers. That is one menacing bird I won't want to go near.

Here you go Minh-Huyen the recycled glass counter tops and electromagnetic stove from the Archetype House =P

~Build It Green

The Archetype House

A few weeks ago my Sustainable Buildings class had a trip to the Kortright Center for Conservation. On the side is the Archetype Sustainble House, owned and operated by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The cool thing about the building is that its a LEED Platinum building certified by the CaGBC. There are two units, House A and House B. Here are a few highlights of the building:

1. R20 basement walls were made with Durisol blocks.

2. Cisterns are storage tanks for rain that has been collected from the roof or other areas. The homes include these storage units for rain water disbursement.

3. Low volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.) paints and solvents we used on this project.

4. Volunteers who constantly comb the site for scraps and debris such as nails, wood, trim, plastics and compostable items and sort them into the appropriate bins.

Follow this link for the virtual walking tour of the Archetype House:

http://www.sustainablehouse.ca/virtual-tour/

Build It Green

~Marcus

Hello World

This is my first blog post and I wish everybody good luck on the start of their green building internship across the world. My internship starts tomorrow and I can't be more excited. I found this program called Shape Collage that could put photos together into a collage of a template you choose. Hope you like this one. The photos are from a trip to the Kortright Center for Conservation. If you're interested in putting your photos into a collage I've posted the link below.

http://www.shapecollage.com/

Build It Green

~Marcus