Wednesday night’s monthly meeting of the US Green Building Council Miami branch combined virtually all of my passions – urban Miami, real estate, green building, sustainability & environmental consciousness, great food, and bubbly champagne. We met at the Miami Culinary Institute, located at 415 NE 2 AV in downtown Miami, for a short presentation by […]
The Next Trend in Green Construction: The Net Zero Building
The Next Trend in Green Construction: The Net Zero Building (via http://greenbuildingelements.com) It’s an exciting time to be in the renewable energy or green constriction industries. Year after year, new standards bodies are formed and enable all kinds of exciting new building standards and adoption of eco-friendly materials. In 2012, green building trends are moving […]
Top Ren Reasons to Install a Metal Roof – Even in Florida
A metal roof in South Florida may seem counter-intuitive. Under our summer sun, metal gets hot enough to cook an egg, right? But a metal roof actually reflects over 65% of the solar rays compared to only about 25% for asphalt shingle. And coated metal roofing also has a high degree of “thermal emittance,” which […]
The Green Giant – Can a 10,000 Square Foot Home Be "Green"?
There is a green controversy brewing in Berkeley, California. Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corp and an international philanthropist, wants to build a 10,000-square-foot house complete with a 10-car garage. Under Berkeley’s current green point system the house would qualify for Berkeley’s “green” designation despite its size, and that has neighbors and local environmentalists upset. […]
‘News From Sebastian Eilert Architecture, Inc’
Every month I look forward to reading Sebastian Eilert’s newletter to keep up to date on his latest LEED projects in South Florida. Sebastian, a local architect with international training and experience, is dedicated to sustainable architecture. From his website: With S.E.A. as part of your project team, spaces will be better, healthier and have […]
The Art of Sustainable Luxury
“The Art of Sustainable Luxury” was how the event was billed and on March 25th I was privileged to tour the first LEED for Homes Silver Certified Luxury Residence in Miami-Dade County. What this magnificent 5200 square foot waterfront home shows is that luxury does not need to be sacrificed to low-impact sustainable living. When […]