August 22nd, 2021
There’s an excitement about newness. Moving into a new space, with fresh paint, unmarred counters, crisp door frames. The shininess of a countertop says “new,” not just as in “unblemished,” but “made just for you.” It says “this will not have to be repaired or replaced for a long time.” There is an excitement about […]
Posted in Aesthetics, Essay, History, Nature, Theory | No Comments »
October 25th, 2020
My new video on bringing natural light into a house form without side windows.
Posted in Aesthetics, Building Science, Nature, Uncategorized | No Comments »
December 12th, 2019
Often, architecture’s beauty comes from its deference to nature. Often nature’s beauty comes from walking by at the right moment.
Posted in Nature | No Comments »
December 4th, 2019
Unfortunately those recycled tires, ground up and sprinkled throughout the artificial turf for traction, contain heavy metals and other road toxins known to cause childhood leukemia in soccer players who come into contact with too much of it. There are other types of artificial turf available without the recycled tires, but those are still subject […]
Posted in Building Science | No Comments »
November 22nd, 2015
Peeling paint in only some areas of this exterior suggests vapor was gradually making its way through from the inside, loosening the bond between the paint and the wall. Behind the peeling areas you’re likely to find a bathroom, kitchen, or other humid area without a good vent. If this were new, tightly-sealed construction, but still […]
Posted in 94110, Building Science, Oops | No Comments »
November 1st, 2015
The solar energy that today lands wasted on thousands of acres of deteriorating San Francisco roof membranes will in the future be treated as a hotly contested resource. Rooftops will have to be thoughtfully partitioned, with sunlight allocated in proper proportion to roof gardens, interior daylighting (skylights), photovoltaics, and solar hot water (though increasingly efficient PV panels are […]
Posted in Nature, Uncategorized | No Comments »
January 21st, 2013
If we learn from our mistakes, students at Sanchez School will certainly benefit from the placement of this fence-top wind turbine. As anyone walking by could tell you, the generator would do better on top of this 40-foot edifice than at the sidewalk. But would that be enough? Industry rule of thumb suggests placing turbines […]
Posted in Building Science, Oops | No Comments »
January 4th, 2013
For a basic understanding of building science, here’s a powerpoint presentation from EnergyStar. Click on “Crash Course in Building Science” to download it. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.ResESMktgSalesPresentation
Posted in Building Science | No Comments »
October 25th, 2012
The watering system on the Dolores Street median looks grossly inefficient, but is actually par for the course. The EPA cites studies that show up to 50% of the 7-billion gallons of water a day used for residential landscape irrigation is wasted — due to overwatering, evaporation, or system over-design.
Posted in Oops | No Comments »
September 17th, 2012
Well, at least they put in compact fluorescents. Now their bill for this pair of lights is a quarter of what it was. Obviously a photosensor would cut that down to an eighth or so. Say the original pair of 75w incandescents cost 150w x 24 hours x 365 days = 1314 kwh, x .15 […]
Posted in Oops | No Comments »