Why Can't a Building Be More Like a Machine?

Back in the day, buildings had to engage their climate in order to be efficient. Porches, overhangs, and the site, all had to work together to address the needs of the inhabitants. Then along came modern heating and ventilation systems, and quickly buildings no longer took environmental needs into account. Inefficient buildings account for 48% of all energy consumption in the United States, so it makes great sense to set goals and incentives to decrease the carbon footprint of our buildings.
This is not some fantasy initiative. Bouler Architecture's Oak Beach project generated more power in its first year than it consumed, making it better than a zero energy structure, but as it stands, it takes a special, forward-thinking client to take on such a goal. Local building codes, however, should take note. With a combination of alternative energy systems, comfort doesn't have to be lost to be efficient. Creative engineering which addresses the microclimate of the site can alleviate the need for turning on the AC or the heat. Towns should consider giving tax breaks to encourage alternative energy sources and eco-friendly landscaping elements, as well as setting incremental guidelines to encourage homeowners to invest in greening their homes. With the cost of off-shore drilling at $700 million dollars a rig, spills notwithstanding, it's hard to believe that making a building more like a machine isn't a cost-effective way to move into the future.

The Angry Landscape: The Gulf

With things with Olivia's fundraiser well underway, I was able to set aside some studio time this weekend to do a collage sketch for my upcoming show in December. Always looking for inspiration, I've been studying Asian prints, especially Taoist images of man dwarfed by nature. And as I inevitably pull for the underdog, I've been hoping to give my landscape images the teeth to fight back. Having started the Angry Landscape series a few weeks before the oil spill, I decided to include an image of the angry Gulf, swallowing a house in one gulp. It's been cathartic for me to provide nature with the ability to fight back against humanity.

Frida Kahlo: Artist

In thinking about the many functions art serves to a culture, one must include healing wounds. Artists often take their pain and infuse it into their work, serving as a cathartic experience for both artist and viewer, hence the cliche of the tortured artist. One of my favorite surrealists of the twentieth century is Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Her tragedy is well-known. Having survived a severe trolley accicent where she suffered extensive injuries, including a crushed spinal chord and an impaled abdomen, Kahlo found an outlet for her grief and pain by making art. The results are powerful and raw, the kind of personal revelation seemingly missing from the other surrealists. Unlike the cerebral works of Magritte and Dali, Kahlo makes her pain our pain.
As Olivia's fundraiser has grown to portions beyond our wildest imagination, it signals that art which heals the soul can take many forms. Her images, both sophiticated and childlike, have given solace to those whose hearts ache for the birds suffering the Gulf area, including her own.

Sunrise in the Gulf

James took these early morning shots of Bay La Launch, Orange Beach, Alabama. He captured the small fish creating a ripple while feeding on the surface of the water. I'm making one of these my screensaver, and welcome you to do so as well. It's an important reminder of what we need to save.

The Spill: Beyond Words

Zero Energy House

I'm guest blogging today on Bouler Design while Nadine is in the Gulf viewing the devastating effects of the oil-spill first hand. Her daughter Olivia has been walking the walk since April when a broken oil pipe allowed thousands of gallons of oil a day to gush into the sea, threatening the fragile eco-system. But Bouler Architecture has put sustainable building at the core of its philosophy since they started business. The zero-energy house at Oak Beach on Long Island is a great example how we can build smarter, not just to reduce our use of fossil fuels but to actually produce more energy than we consume.

For the architect, James Bouler and his client Jill Korman, efficient design was key. They sought to maximize the potential of the site for solar power by demolishing 50% of an existing structure and rebuilding using a geothermal pump, photovoltaic solar panels, an EDPM white roof, energy performance rated windows and Icynene insulation. The house has been finished for a year and has exceeded all expectations, producing more energy than it used and earning it the highest energy-rating on Long Island.
Jill's brief to the architect was simple: build me a comfortable house that is considerate of the planet using as few resources as possible - and Bouler Architecture delivered this functional and aesthetically pleasing design.


10 kw solar panels capture the strong South Shore sun; even in winter the house is energy efficient.


Careful placement of the roof lines and windows allows for passive solar heating and cooling, blocking the summer sun but allowing the sun's rays to heat the poured concrete floors.


Before the geothermal pump was hooked up and the radiant heating started this still kept the house a comfortable 60F in winter.


The angle of the windows in the barrel roof shades the sun, while the clerestory windows on the north side allow for ambient light


Salvaged and reclaimed wood from the original beach cottage was reused throughout the house - either decoratively as in this stair post, for framing the new house or as scrap lumber.

The Oak Beach house is a model for the implementation of green technology and great sustainable design, an irrefutable argument for environmentally-responsible building - modernemama

Birds of a Feather

What is it about the bird which inspires awe and art. With Olivia's project taking flight, literally and figuratively, I wondered about other artists who have painted birds. Of course James Audubon is important as his illustrations cross from didactic to artistic. Another that came to mind was Fred Tomaselli's great bird collages, where he combines smaller elements and crafts them into a cohesive image. that came to mind was Picasso. His Dove of Peace, which he drew multiple ways, has taken on an iconic status.