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comment Division 13: Special Construction
BlueSky Mod
www.blueskymod.com
November 2005
BlueSky Mod creates beautifully designed, eco-friendly modular
living structures. Using new growth lumber and recycled materials,
the company buys locally whenever possible and minimizes waste
in its manufacturing processes. The structures are designed
for placement in any number of settings, in a variety of configurations.
The system includes interchangeable walls, windows, and doors,
and a range of outside and inside material finishes. The BlueSky
Mod system allows for transportation and assembly in remote
locations using no large equipment. Every component can be
carried and assembled by two skilled workers.
DIRTT
www.dirtt.net
November 2005
The environmental mandate of DIRTT (Doing It Right This Time)
is based on the behavior of its products: movable walls, low-profile
access floors, modifiable furniture, and modular power all
built on the principles of reduce and reuse. DIRTT’s
easily adjustable and interconnecting components allow end
users to reconfigure and reuse their architectural elements,
technology, and furniture for several years, at which point
the products are designed to be dismantled and recycled. Wall
tiles come in several materials: veneer, low-pressure laminate,
back-painted glass, thermal-foil, and fabric, and their skins
can be changed by adding whiteboards, projection screens,
or wood.
Based on what you have seen and read about this project, how would you grade it? Use the stars below to indicate your assessment, five stars being the highest rating.
Marston & Langinger
www.marston-and-langinger.com
March 2007
Marston & Langinger, a designer and producer of conservatories, garden rooms, and other glass buildings, has helped to create the first ³green² forests in West Africa, and attain certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Company founder and design director Peter Marston personally lobbied the Republic of Congo government to ensure reforestation and helped to gain FSC certification for hardwood suppliers in the region. Prior to FSC intervention in the region, hardwood from West Africa had been illegally or irresponsibly logged.
The company typically harvests about one million dollars of Sapele hardwood from the world's second largest rainforest, the Kabo forest in the Republic of Congo. The trees will be carefully felled with a minimum of damage to the surrounding woodland, and new trees of the same species will be planted to replace them. The company also imports certified American Tulipwood when durability is not a priority.
In addition to their FSC-certification requirement, Marston & Langinger has other environmentally-friendly policies in place. These include using sawdust and shavings from the manufacturing process to heat the company factory; developing water-based, non-toxic paints that comply with VOC levels for 2007 and 2010; using high-performance insulated glass; issuing salesmen only hybrid cars for business use; and adhering to a strict, company-wide recycling policy.
Solmetric
www.solmetric.com
December 2007
The Solmetric SunEye is a hand-held electronic device that measures solar shading and calculates solar access for solar installers and green builders.
Its digital camera captures images of a site; users can then edit images by simulating removal of obstructions such as trees or structures.
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