Home Recycling

I'm fascinated by Second Glass, a product that was recognized on Sustainable Industries' Top 10 Green Building Products list this year. Second Glass is a recycled glass product made in Portland of junk or damaged windshields using a patent-pending cold-melted process. The product can be framed, lighted, mounted, or hung and works just as well as a kind of wall, divider, or partition. Second Glass can also take on color when necessary to suit the aim of a certain design.

Before joining forces with Shepley Bulfinch, Merz Project, architect of the Galleries at Turney, had a small paragraph of information on their website of "asul" prefabs planned for "Prescott Community." While I never was able to learn any thing new about the endeavor, according to a new article by Inhabitat, ASUL will debut at Dwell on Design this week. ASUL, which is short for Adaptable System for Universal Living, is a semi-modular housing system that's flexible and workable on a variety of sites.

Reclaimed Space is teaming up with Ecofabulous again to showcase one of their prefabs made from reclaimed materials at Dwell on Design. The rustic prefab will measure 28' x 14' -- a little bigger than last year's 400 square-foot rehab -- and built with materials from old deconstructed structures, including an 1830s German farmstead home, in Austin, Texas. Zem Joaquin of Ecofabulous will curate the interior design with some pieces from eBay of all places.

If you've been to Bend, Oregon -- smack dab in the center of the state on the dry side -- you know it's a cool place with a ton of outdoor, vacation, and eco-friendly options. That's why the owners of this vacation rental, Helios NW Eco-House, decided to go ahead and earn LEED Gold certification. It's actually, according to the owners' research, the first vacation rental home in the state to receive this level of certification.

Due to the popularity of the Shack, an off-the-grid house in West Virginia, Broadhurst Architects, Inc., decided to design another shelter for individuals looking for a weekend retreat, home yoga studio, backyard home office, or a cluster of small eco-cabins. The firm created The Crib and two home models undeniably inspired by corn cribs. The Basic Crib includes 175 square feet of roofed space and 125 square feet of exterior deck space.

EcoHome recently published a case study of a single family home in foreclosure that was transformed into a super green abode. Philip Beere of Green Street purchased the home for $90,000, put $80,000 into it over 90 days, and quickly sold it for $240,000, showing us the economics of green renovations when done correctly. The house was named NAHB Green Remodel of the Year last month and is the first Emerald level remodel under the National Green Building Standard in Phoenix.