Lido Beach: The Next Step

Bouler Architecture's Lido Beach project moves forward. Here are the final renderings of this 4,000 square foot waterfront home. Being fueled by photovoltaic panels and a geothermal system, along the passive system of overhangs to prevent solar gain will work together to create a home that treads lightly on the earth in terms of its carbon footprint. By using the Oak Beach project as an example of efficiency, we hope this house will also produce more energy than it consumed.

Blogger Visits

Check out this wonderful post by Modernemama who took the trip with her Guy over to Captree to check out the family compound designed by Bouler Architecture and for a toast of prosecco over the anticipated success of her kitchen renovation, should she survive her MIA contractor.

Banding Birds

One of Olivia's dreams was to band a bird, so we jumped at the chance for her to band one of her favorite birds, the barn owl. Don Riepe, director of the northeast chapter of the American Littoral Society, invited Olivia to join his group in banding barn owls in Jamaica Bay, Queens, and boy, did she have an adventure. After a few attempts to locate the sleeping birds, the fourth try struck gold, and Olivia was able to observe the beautiful birds up close as they were banded for tracking purposes.

Banning the Bottle, Or How I Learned to Love Stainless Steel Waterbottles

I admit-- a case of water is a convenience. Grab a bottle and go-- but is it really that much more convenient than a reusable stainless container? Hear me out.

• Plastic leeches into the water, which we then ingest.
• In the majority of cases, bottled water isn't more pure than your tap.
• There are great and inexpensive purifiers if needed.
• Plastic is made with petroleum, requiring billions of barrels of oil a year to produce.
• Only 30% of all bottles are recycled.
• The energy used to package, transport, dispose of, and recycle bottles is unconscionable.
• And nowadays you can find well-designed ones like my new Keith Haring bottle.

These are the reason why I am banning water bottles from my house and my classroom. Wish me luck.

Backyard Sanctuary

As a healthy ecosystem seems perilously close to being a thing of the past, please consider acting locally. The National Wildlife Federation is holding a challenge of turning our backyards into safe havens all across the country. I was surprised to find that our suburban backyard was able to gain certification of a wildlife habitat by the NWF with one or two tweaks. The checklist is incredibly straightforward-- seeds or berries, trees and shrubs, nesting location, water source, organic fertilizer-- it is quite easy to meet the standard, leaving me to wonder why shouldn't we all get on board. The Audubon Society also has information on their site on how to make your backyard bird-friendly. With the marsh areas of the Gulf chewed up with oil, perhaps we can do our part for bird populations in our own region.

Captree: Nearing Completion

Several pictures of the Captree family compound as finish work takes place. James was able to design three distinct versions of Long Island's shingle-style architecture that are at once unique and connected-- to the tradition and each other. Blogger Modernemama and the Guy get a tour this Friday; stay posted for her assessment of another Bouler Architecture project.

Sweet Home Alabama

James took these great pictures of the kids while visiting his parents at their camphouse in Tunnel Springs, Alabama this weekend.