Turn-key Sustainable Homestead on 14.7 acres. Greenhouse is 20 ft diameter state of the art and solar powered (from Growing Spaces) with aqua/hydroponics set-up. Excavation for in-ground greenhouse 36x18on great south facing slope. Orchard has well established ...and newly planted trees...a large variety, several variety of newly planted nut trees, 11 bluebe […]
$25k below appraisal! Austin/Travis County MLS# 8015445. Built in 2007, this modern and green home is for the most discriminating eco-friendly buyer. Only 20 minutes from central Austin and with a lofty, spacious feel, 2003 Little Beaver has an incredible list of green features: four-zoned HVAC, thick walls, metal and membrane roof, non-toxic adhesives and p […]
JUST REDUCED THE PRICE ON THIS GREEN HOME - NATURAL TECHNOLOGIES for HEALTHY LIVING & REJUVENATION! Designed to Catch the Rising Sun, this 4 Bedroom, 2,788 sqft Custom Home, sits on 4.3 Wooded Acres in the midst of rolling hills, abundant wildlife, & native wildflowers. Superior quality Granite kitchen counters, Premium style Travertine flooring, Bam […]
Upon entering this custom straw bale home, you instantly take in its unique character & earthy elegance. Your eye follows the soft, organic curves of the plaster walls. You observe the sunlight warming the reddish brown concrete floors thru passive solar windows. You note the pine vegas & beams glowing w/ a golden warmth, the copper kitchen wall shin […]
For a long time, straw bale builders have wanted to legitimize their favorite construction method by getting building codes passed specifically allowing plastered straw bale construction.  A lot of headway has been made, starting with the Pima County code for load-bearing straw bale construction back in the 90s, followed by a fair number of local and even some state (California) straw bale building codes.
But it takes a lot of work to get something like straw bale construction passed in each jurisdiction, and it seems that nearly each new construction project has to reinvent the wheel, educate the local code officials, etc.
To remedy this problem, a group of dedicated baleheads have been working over the past several years to get straw bale construction accepted into the Big Daddy of all codes, the International Building Code (IBC).
International Code Council will hold hearings in Dallas on either Monday, April 30 or Tuesday, May 1 regarding the Fire Resistance of straw bale construction, and a week later on structural considerations. These hearings are just part of the many important steps needed.
The hearings are free and open to the public, though you are required to register. They’re also being streamed, in the event you can’t make it but are interested in the proceedings.
To see all the supporting documentation including the proposed Straw Bale Construction chapter, and testing reports regarding moisture, structural, seismic “shake table”, fire, and of course thermal tests, see EcoBuildNetwork.
David and architect Martin Hammer will return the following week for Structural hearings.
As we enter our 19th year at Sustainable Sources, we’re happy to announce that we’ve completely revamped our long running Real Estate section.
Your listings can now have up to 20 images. Easier to list property. Easier to update. It’s on a much faster server. Improved searches. Includes green sales AND green rentals. New . . . → Read More: Green Real Estate ads – Major Upgrade!
On January 18 from 8am to 8pm, SustainableSources.com will join Reddit, Boing Boing and a growing number of other sites around the Internet in “going dark” to bring awareness of the need to loudly oppose SOPA and PIPA, the pending US legislation that creates a punishing Internet censorship regime and exports it to . . . → Read More: Sustainable Sources will go dark on Jan 18 to fight SOPA
The village of Gaviotas in the llanos of Colombia today announced a rare chance for outsiders to visit.
So far, few outsiders have managed to visit this special place. But public order has made a comeback in the region, and in 2010, two groups of 20 people each (including a 1-year old baby girl!) . . . → Read More: Rare opportunity to visit Gaviotas village
From Environmental Building News: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced revisions to Energy Star requirements for residential dishwashers and furnaces. Effective January 20, 2012, Energy Star dishwashers will be 8% more efficient than previous Energy Star models and 10%–30% more efficient than conventional models. . . . → Read More: New Energy Star Standards for Dishwashers and Furnaces
New research shows that installing a hybrid geothermal heat pump system can significantly reduce the cost of implementing geothermal heating and cooling. The hybrid system reduces the peak capacity of the ground loop, making a smaller, less expensive ground heat exchanger feasible.
Recent articles in the Guardian and other publications tells of strawbale “Council housing” in the UK. Council houses are a form of social housing. The local council builds the houses which are then offered at a subsidised rent to people who are unable to afford full rental values.
The Greenbuild Scholarship Program is now open and accepting applications. Designed for low-income individuals entering into the green building industry the Greenbuild Scholarship Program provides all-inclusive trips to the Greenbuild International Conference to those without the means to attend. Greenbuild is the ideal setting for those new to the green . . . → Read More: Apply Now for a Greenbuild 2011 Scholarship
Components-Materials-Systems Foil Insulation Ben Frein 2535 Bing Miller Ln Urbana, IA 52345 United States Toll free: 888-349-3645 Fax: 866-322-7883 http://www.ecofoil.com Area Served: All
Components-Materials-Systems Radiant Floor Heating 196 Henry St Hempstead, NY 11550 United States Phone: 800-818-3201 Fax: 800-818-3211 http://www.pexuniverse.com Area Served: US and Canada
