Talk is cheap, and 2010 was full of inexpensive shameful words and labels. As the green movement took hold and stepped into mainstream economic awareness, there was more than an offensive amount of greenwashing (we have already taken to our soapbox about this issue). Greenwashing was everywhere. Everything and every product was eco, recycled, upcycled, biodegradable, etc. The only thing missing from all these widespread environmental claims was honesty.

One of the major 2011 shelter trends is honesty – honest materials and a new era of candid green accountability. After twelve long years of silence, the Federal Trade Commission is releasing an updated Green Guide, this is where the candid green accountability takes place (devour this piece by Scott Adelson for more information on the long overdue FTC update). Products and labels will now have standards to meet and responsibilities to back up their environmental claims. I (unfortunately) doubt this will wash away all greenwashing, but this kind of forward progress is welcome.

Along with the less deceitful labels and products comes a shiny new electronic device to challenge claims and monitor energy management. JWT Intelligence recently shared the cherry on this honestly green sundae – home energy monitors. The age of managing energy consumption within your home, gadgets, and appliances is happening in 2011. I cannot wait to explore this deliciously quantifiable new technology.

Last year we saw the green industry truly take hold of reality, this year we’re refining and quantifying our claims. Lucky for us, not everything from last year is changing this year. Some things still make sense – like modest and modular homes. How can you argue with efficiency of both space and materials combined with stunning design and beautiful geometry?

In 2010 we admired the growing collection of gorgeous modular options (including my favorite muse, the itHouse). This year prefabricated affordability and efficiency will continue to flirt with home owners. Most of our yearnings for small square footage and modules exhibiting effective use of space is attributed to the grave economy. As optimism swells and wallets bulge, let’s not let our egos swell our desire for consumption and square footage (even the dying McMansion is slowly getting smaller). I propose that we continue our love affair with humble space allocation (plus, then we can all drool through more Dwell issues dedicated to prefabricated delights and smaller footprints).

Peruse the rest of our design predictions and 2011 shelter trends.

(Image by Gregg Segal for Dwell. Click here for a full tour of the lovely itHouse).

The post Talk Is Cheap, Modular Is Not appeared first on EcoSalon.

Have you always fantasized about the perfect modular home? Me neither. I will politely pass on the modular home. And then one day, the itHouse illuminated my computer screen and entirely enticed me. Suddenly I need at least one modular home.

The itHouse is “conceived as a minimal house with a maximized experience.” This modular system by Taalman Koch Architects can be completely customized to match your every whim and plopped onto a plot of land with minimal construction waste and site disturbance in twelve short and blissful weeks.

The geometric wonder, “utilizes a series of components prefabricated off-site in order to better control the construction waste, labor, and quality of the finished product. Conceived as a small house with glass walls and an open floor plan, the itHouse maximizes the relationship of the occupant to the surrounding landscape while minimizing the impact to delicate site conditions.”

If one-stop shopping makes you swoon, you will love that the itHouse even offers a selection of furniture (including that gorgeous Fireorb fireplace). The only question left: Two acres or three?

(Images from Pure Green Design and Dwell).

The post Model Modular appeared first on EcoSalon.

There are (or were) few things as wonderfully tech-free as the little red schoolhouse. A single room, a few wooden desks, a corresponding number of quaint textbooks (paper) and, well, okay, a chalkboard. I guess that counts for technology. But, still, write on it 100 times: “Keep it simple. Keep it simple. Keep it simple”¦” And then add: “With nothing toxic. With nothing toxic. With nothing toxic”¦”

Unfortunately, the classroom has not been immune from the hazards of “progress,” both in terms of its impact on our environment as well as on the health of the people (namely, kids) who benefit from it. But from asbestos to lead paint, where our children learn has rightly been on the forefront of our society’s efforts to clean itself up. And this summer, the Bolsa Knolls Middle School in Salinas, California, turned such efforts into a proactive initiative by installing new, environmentally friendly schoolrooms for its sixth and seventh graders.

The modular classrooms are dubbed Gen7, by their West Coast manufacturer, American Modular Systems (AMS). The prefab “green learning spaces” were constructed off-site and delivered to Bolsa Knolls over the summer, just in time for the start of the school year.

To create the classrooms, AMS started with green and efficient electrical and mechanical systems and integrated them into its established “building envelope.” The finished product contains mostly recycled and recyclable materials, and low and zero VOC (volatile organic compound) interiors. Insulation in the walls and roof make for a quiet learning space and minimize heat and cooling loss. (Oh, and how’s this for school cool: One of the recycled materials used in the structures’ insulation is denim fabric scraps.) Meanwhile smart lighting is provided by “natural daylight harvesting.”

Test results: the whole shebang exceeds California’s Title 24 Energy Code by more than 30 percent.

The off-site construction method, says AMS, means reduced energy demands, without chemicals or toxins or waste requiring landfills required at the project location, which is good for the local community. And “because our Gen7 schoolrooms are modular, they can be installed and ready for students in as few as 90 days,” said Tony Sarich, AMS’ vice president of operation. Read: over the summer. (Summer. As in “where did that go?”)

Here’s some more info for our loyal “Spec-Heads”: Smart Thermal Displacement Ventilation (TDV) system reduces electricity use and costs by 35 percent; grid-neutral design structure; programmable lighting that’s natural daylight harvesting; Low-E, solar band 60 dual-glazed operable windows and programmable Energy Star-rated tubular skylights that lower electricity usage. Oh, and the roof is designed to allow the installation of photo-voltaic power panels. Okay, folks, now settle down.

Behind the scenes, AMS is also promoting itself as an excellent green corporate citizen “dedicated to earth-friendly manufacturing practices.” Its facilities “employ a range of green practices, including daylight harvesting at its 280,000-square-foot enclosed manufacturing space, efficient office lighting and heating/cooling, effective water-saving devices and have installed a rooftop solar-capturing system to offset energy usage.” Want more? Its site even mentions that plant employees carpool to work and jobsites in “modern, CA emission-compliant vehicles.”

The results of all this could be dramatic: According to AMS, kids attending green schools are posting “20 percent higher test scores, fewer absences due to respiratory illness, lower faculty healthcare costs and higher teacher retention.” Also big on the agenda is money savings, which can mean strapped school systems end up with more green. According to The Californian, Trevor Miller, the district’s facilities consultant, each 1,000-square-foot classroom costs the district about $180,000 or half the cost of a conventional classroom. Write that a hundred times: “Half the cost. Half the cost. Half…”

Also see: Crisp Green

The post A Little Class: Clean, Well-Lit Modular Green Spaces for Kids appeared first on EcoSalon.

Michael Jantzen takes my breath away. The 61-year-old sustainable designer visualizes structures like an uninhibited preschooler, then harnesses his nearly four decades of experience, allowing him to turn fantasy into function. His structures are the perfect place to do some work, read a book, practice yoga, have a dance party or meditate.

Jantzen’s latest creation is called The Revolutionarium, a space that he deems a new kind of solarium. The prefabricated modular, interactive, functional art structure, is designed to stimulate the creativity of its occupants, Jantzen says. It can also be used as a greenhouse.

At 26 feet in diameter, and 14 feet high, it will be constructed from sustainably-grown wood products, steel, and glass. Four wooden screens can be pulled around the cylinder in a myriad of combinations, allowing the user to control the amount of light and heat from the sun; screens can also be used to control privacy. Eleven windows around the top of the steel and glass cylinder can be opened for ventilation.

If you want to power up your computer, electrical power can be supplied by a small, vertical-axis wind turbine. Photovoltaic solar cells can also be added to supplement the turbine. Energy captured will be stored in a series of batteries housed beneath the floor.

The Revolutionarium shown here is fitted with a movable center desk and chair structure that supports several computers. There’s also a specially designed light and ceiling fan combination mounted above the desk.

Remember the tree house growing up? Well life’s just gotten a whole lot better.

The post Michael Jantzen: the Revolutionarium appeared first on EcoSalon.

I’m not referring to my favorite pasta dish or sports car, but rather the fabulous modern kitchen designs of the Italian manufacturer, Valcucine. Founded in 1980, they’ve perfected the art of the sleek, clean and simple space where we cook. But what I find even more commendable is their effort to be green.

For almost three decades, Valcucine has been diligent in its technological and engineering advances – all geared toward lessening their environmental impact. They embody the ultimate in cutting edge design meshed brilliantly with an eco-conscience. To wit, Valcucine supports reforestation projects and founded an organization that promotes environmental education and preservation.

In 1988 Valcucine introduced a one-piece “dematerialized” front panel resulting in cabinets made with 65-85% less material than other brands. More recently they created an all glass base unit that is non-toxic, resistant to heat, water and steam and 100% recyclable. Read more about Valcucine’s environmental philosophy here. And learn more about their products and all the possibilities here, here and here.

In the current climate of all things prefab, modular and adaptable the Valcucine kitchen fits right in. In fact, the Artematica Vitrum fit right into one of the full-scale prefab prototypes (the Cellophane House) built for the 2008 MOMA exhibition – Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling (read my post about the show here). Both the house and its kitchen cabinetry use aluminum structural frames for support. Artematica Vitrum cabinetry is also made with tempered glass, a lightweight and completely recyclable and sustainable material.

If you’re not into modern, a Valcucine kitchen may not be right for you. But please don’t deny them a little well-deserved praise for their multitude of eco-accomplishments. Molto Bene!

The post Hip, Slick and Eco Never Looked So…Molto Bene! appeared first on EcoSalon.