Archive for eco-friendly construction
Val Kilmer slashes the asking price on his eco-ranch
Posted by: | CommentsWhile I don’t know about you, I know I don’t have have $18.5 million sitting around waiting to invest in property, but if you did you might be tempted to acquire one of the ultimate environmentally friendly homes/parcels of land that’s ever been on the market. While $18.5 million sounds like an awful lot (which it is) it also represents almost 50 percent off of the original asking price when it went on the market over a year ago.
The land and home is the New Mexico ranch of actor Val Kilmer who originally purchased the acreage with the intention of developing eco-friendly homes throughout the property. A series of upscale homes developed with indigenous materials, solar panels, wind turbine power and the very best in green construction technology was the initial plan for the land which as of today has not come to fruition. However Kilmer originally selected the site due to its location and potential which remains in place. The original asking price of $33 million was never met so in relative terms the current asking price truly would be a bargain if you’re in that price range. To be fair it would be hard to think of a more beautiful location when you look at the photographs of the Pecos River Ranch location, it’s truly breathtaking.
Kilmer, the star of ‘The Doors’ and ‘Batman Forever’ originally acquired the property in 1997 but the prevailing economic conditions have led to a large drop in price. The ranch offers over six miles of trout fishing, canyons, forests, a stable and meadows and is located about a 45 minute drive from Santa Fe. The primary residence is a 5,600 square foot log and stucco eco-friendly home and the land also includes two other guesthouses and a property manager’s house. The actor eliminated cattle grazing when he moved in to help reestablish the natural habitats of local species and has also changed the infrastructure of the energy provisions for the homes to make them as green as possible.
Originally he had been trying to sell parcels of land within the ranch but has elected to sell the entire 6,000 acres and residences. Sadly there’s also little bit of intrigue behind the sale as various reports suggest that Kilmer has run into some problems with the IRS and also that his neighbors have been less than satisfied with his attempts to initially parcel off the land and then a short-lived proposal to launch a bed-and-breakfast plan on the ranch. Let’s hope this has a happy ending for such a beautiful location. Does it include the doors?
Tags: batman forever, eco ranch, eco-friendly construction, green building, green construction, kilmer ranch for sale, new mexico ranch, pecos river ranch, solar panels, the doors movie, val kilmer, val kilmer ranch, wind turbine powerThe height of Eco-Friendly – World’s tallest buildings face new contender
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London's Post Office Tower
It all started with the church in the village where I grew up , it’s stone spire could be seen from a few miles away as it was the tallest building in our little town. As a youngster I was ridiculously impressed by tall and grand buildings, as a little kid when visiting London I was amazed at the twin spires of Westminster Abbey (69 M 225 FT) and the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral (112 M 366 FT), before then being transfixed by the tallest tower (at the time) in London – The Post Office Tower (now named the BT Tower standing at 188 M 617 FT). As a small boy that building seemed impossibly tall and so it remained until the first time I visited Paris on a school trip when I was about eight. It was there that I first saw the Eiffel Tower – not so much a building as a steel observation deck but certainly enough to thrill me and the tallest yet (not to mention very metric exactly 300.0M or 984 feet).
burj-khalifa in Dubai
My dad used to travel to the US and Canada on business a lot and when I was ten we were taken on a family trip which was really masquerading as a business trip but my tall building buzz saw new highs. We flew into JFK and I was lucky enough to visit and go to the top of the Empire State Building (381M) and The World Trade Centre (417M 1368 FT). At more than double the height of the Post Office Tower plus the incredible vastness of the building I remember just looking up in awe – and of course there were two of them! It seemed to my 10 year old brain that the trip was designed around my tall building hobby (it wasn’t) as we also visited Chicago which of course features the Sears Tower, the tallest in the world at the time (442M 1451 FT). My holy grail was visited and I had the photos to prove it.
As I grew older my interest in tall buildings waned, and although I ended up living in one and working in one for a short time I found other interests that replaced my early passion. I’ve paid marginal attention as the Sears Tower was trumped by new skyscrapers in Asia and wept (for reasons beyond the obvious) when the twin towers in New York came crashing down on that dark day in 2001. My interest was rekindled by the recent construction and opening of the new top tower in Dubai – the Burj Khalifa is a staggering height (828M 2717 FT). I can’t even conceive of a building being that tall and photographs and videos such as the one beneath make it seem computer generated against the desert background.
From an environmental perspective the newest buildings are also using more methods of green construction. Not just smaller buildings and homes are benefiting from new concepts of sustainable construction by skyscrapers around the world are also incorporating design ideas that consider more than height. There is now news of a potential tower being constructed later this decade in Miami, Florida that would not only been taller than the current pinnacle in Dubai but also potentially the one of the largest eco-friendly buildings ever built.
The proposed Miapolis
The proposed structure is the Miapolis, if it gets built the 975 meter high tower could potentially beat out Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest building if built. Designed by KOBI KARP, Miapolis would be more than just a building – it would be a vertical self-contained city. They utilize the most cutting-edge sustainable systems and practices within the design, it would be the largest LEED-certified structure at any rating level in the United States. The staggering 160-floor tower would contain entertainment and residential spaces within including an amusement park, observatory, restaurants, 2 million sq ft of shops, over 1000 apartments, 1 million sq ft of office space and a 792 room hotel. *(some elevators too I’m guessing)
Miapolis’ eco-credibility includes the use of 60% wind energy, a modular green roof, greenhouse gas management, water desalinization, storm and wastewater management, solid waste management and much more. Will it actually happen? There is a list of proposed super towers as long as my arm that never came to fruition – but to think that the tallest building in the world might also boast a very green core – that would be the height of eco-friendly.
Tags: burj khalifa, dubai tower, eco-friendly buildings, eco-friendly construction, empire state building, green construction, greenhouse gas management, history of tallest buildings, LEED, miapolis, modular roofing, New York skyscrapers, post office tower, sears tower, skyscrapers, St Pauls Cathedral, tallest building, tallest buildings, water desalinization, wind energy, world trade center, world's tallest buildingsTop ten green building trends (part two)
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Recently we looked at the first five of the top ten building trends that are anticipated in 2010. The list was compiled by the Earth Advantage Institute and compiled some very practical examples of what can pass for achievable practices to incorporate in eco-friendly construction. Its very encouraging to see the changes and progress recent years have brought to green construction and the logic and desire for long term objectives over short term cost savings is a balance that is swinging in the right direction. So, onto the final five:
6. Eco districts – Perhaps above all of the other concepts this is the most logical step when new communities are being built. Again it involves learning from the past and is very European, constructing homes so that the residents can walk or bike to the places they work, shop or dine. Planned construction can reduce the reliance on cars and urban living can be achieved even in suburban areas. The incorporation of green space and making districts very pedestrian focused can be further enhanced by green coding on the building where the residents work and play.
7. Water Conservation – The EPA have announced ‘watersense’ specifications for all new homes which reduces water consumption by 20% versus a traditional home. When you consider that over half of all water use is residential the positive impact of the program can be monumental. Energy labeling and certification for homes is probably just around the corners as such programs are already in place in Europe.
8. Carbon Calculation - This may surprise you but building contribute about 50% of all carbon emissions that are released into our environment. In the years ahead this will become a critical component of green construction, presently both methods to measure a building’s performance coupled with more efficient construction methods are being developed. The evolution in this process will create carbon credits and local or regional units equipped to make improved recommendations and set standards.
9. Net Zero Buildings – The ultimate badge of honour in residential or commercial construction. This type of construction would (naturally) generate more energy than it uses. While this presents quite a challenge, the move toward smaller more energy efficient buildings coupled with renewable energy resources onsite such as wind, solar or geo-exchange systems make this possible. The developments in solar alone make the concept in sunnier regions fully viable in the near future.
10. Sustainable Building Education - This is a bit of a catch all but is a necessary step for an industry that is needing to reinvent itself in some circumstances. Ensuring developers make time to learn about green building and establish credentials, will enable the momentum for being buyers not to be lost. So much of the progress will be contingent on local municipal bodies but the change is definitely occurring in many cities. The crest of this progress is once again when people understand and more importantly can actually see the value of greener construction. Hence the education aspect is vital in all spheres from roofing manufacturers, to city planners and even estate agents.
So there you have it, ten very tangible trends that in harmony will create a society that impacts the environment in a positive way on a daily basis. The key will be awareness – as ever.
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