PROJECT FILE: Union Block

Bruss Construction, Inc.'s project, Union Block, located in Claremont, New Hampshire, has been featured in the latest edition of NESEA's BuildingEnergy Magazine. Click here to view the magazine (the feature is on page 15).

Among the project highlights discussed in the article are:

- Froling wood pellet boiler to heat the building (fed by a 30-ton pellet silo).

- HTP solar hot water panels
- R-60 attic insulation
- 60% energy savings
- 75% energy costs savings

SUSTAINABILITY: Policy Roundup

The Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) has shared a report that municipalities can follow to establish energy disclosure policies. What does this mean? Basically, buildings in these jurisdictions must meet certain guidelines for energy efficiency and their performance data would be public information. It is an accountability measure for owners, architects/engineers and contractors and allows consumers to properly judge a buildings true value.

International Vs. Domestic Policy Timelines. Page 2 of IMT Report

In 1997, Denmark became the first country to require energy certification for buildings and in 2002 the EU adopted directives to require all member states to submit their plans for energy certifications. In late 2007, California became the first in the United States to require energy ratings and disclosure during sales, leases or financing. Thus far Washington, DC; Austin, TX; Portland, OR; New York, NY; Washington; Massachusetts; and San Francisco, CA all have policies regarding energy disclosure. We encourage you to check out the PDF report and learn more about how these policies will be a part of our future.

IMT also has a great summary sheet available for the SAVE Act, which is "legislation to improve the accuracy of mortgage underwriting used by federal mortgage agencies by ensuring that energy costs are included in the underwriting process."

SUSTAINABILITY: YVES BEHAR

Check out this interview with designer extraordinaire Yves Behar. 

He has redesigned the packaging for Puma. In a 2010 speech, Behar said "If it's not ethical, it cannot be beautiful. But if it cannot be beautiful, it probably should not be at all." We think that is brilliant.

Other designs by Behar include: 

Y Water Bottle

Y Water Bottle as toys.

Sayl Chair, Herman Miller

Sayl Chair, Herman Miller

Also check out his 2008 TED speech below for good insight on how good design is inherently sustainable.

CONSTRUCTION: Community awareness.

We came across this video this week, and it got us thinking.

In researching more about this story, we found this article from Builder magazine. It turns out that the local neighborhood was home to many artists. The community, when faced with a long-term construction project, came together with the city and the builders to make the containers more at home with the streetscape. We think it is rather clever!

And it turns out that it is quite the artistic movement. Check out these items from around the web:

Re:Construction - Public Art Program in Manhattan featured in this New York Times article.

"The Art of Construction" creators wrote this article. And we have one more link for you, a TED video.

DESIGN: Branding in the workplace.

Whole Food's IT space was featured last month in Interior Design magazine. Their downtown Chicago location was transformed by Gensler, whose challenge it was to keep the employees linked to the essence of their brand - the retail stores themselves.

Reception Area. Photograph: Eric Laignel

The reception area contains a product display wall, which features items that are actually sold at Whole Foods. 

Reception Wall Detail. Photograph: Eric Laignel

Reception Desk. Photograph: Eric Laignel

The wood from the front of the reception desk is reclaimed from a grain silo.

Retail Wall. Photograph: Eric Laignel

The retail wall is a great, flexible way for the IT employees to maintain a daily connection to the stores they service.

Meeting Rooms. Photograph: Eric Laignel

The core values covering the glass-partitioned fronts of these meeting rooms are great for branding, but they also distort the view into the meeting room, affording some privacy.

Another prominent feature of their new space is the lunch table in the kitchen. In keeping with the nature of their business, their monthly meetings take the form of a pot-luck. And now they have designated space for this ritual. 

Lunch Table. Photograph: Eric Laignel

Note: For more insight into Whole Foods, check out this great feature from the New Yorker from a few years ago. 

HISTORY: Uncovering 221B Baker Street.

With Emmy nominations only a few weeks old, this article in the Smithsonian immediately was linked in our brains with the immensely popular and nominated Sherlock. This contemporary interpretation of Sir Arthur Connan Doyle's detective stories, finds that the Victorian excess of previous productions has been swapped for a smattering of antiques and mid-century modern furniture. Witty embellishments, such as the earphone wearing bison and the kitchen which doubles as a laboratory, nod to Sherlock's idiosyncrasies. Check out this tour of the set with the production designer:

It is interesting to note how television and film influence design and how design influences television and film. Season 3 of Sherlock will air on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery some time in 2013.

Note: If you are also a fan of Masterpiece's Downton Abbey, check out this article from Architectural Digest.

SUSTAINABILITY: Responding to the super-sized era.

An article in the New York Times a few months ago, triggered a train of thought which began with American consumerism. Why do we consume so much and is it necessary? First, let's look at the tiny house movement that has cropped up in recent years. Check out this clever video:

How much space do we actually need? Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has been around and in the news for awhile now. There is a great introductory video from Yahoo here. 

B-53 Cottage, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

B-53 Cottage Plans, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company 

While living in only a few hundred square feet may not be practical for most, it is worth noting the adage that less is more. Good design isn't frivolous. The brand Apple is a great example of that. From the minute you purchase a product, you get a lesson in the elegance of simplicity. First the minimal packaging: everything has a place and a function. Then the device itself is sleek. And its usability has sealed the deal to make Apple one of the most recognized brands in the world. If you have seen the 2009 documentary "Objectified" you will have heard this better communicated.

Yes, less is much, much more.

Weebee, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company