Robert interviewed our architect, Kelly Mitchell, for Modern Dallas. The interview provides some insight into how Kelly approaches architecture, clients, and sandwiches.
To see Kelly’s really great work, click here for her website.
Our house has become the first LEED for Homes project featured on the website of the North Texas USGBC! Check it out here. The story’s a nice summary, and the photos look great. It’s nicely done.
Something near and dear to my heart: traveling in an eco-friendly manner. I travel a lot for work, and I often worry about the environmental effects of all of those airline miles. Here is a set of simple tricks to travel a little more eco-friendly. All of the suggestions are very doable.
I found a great link to 15 eco-friendly New Years Resolutions. See it here.
I might add a 16th after watching Julia Louis-Dreyfus on talk about the graduation address she gave at Northwestern University a while back. She gave three pieces of advice, the last being, “don’t be an ass.” Not exactly eco-friendly, but still very good advice.
I’ve been extremely patient with the City of Dallas. We have been trying to obtain the final regulation/code that governs the use of harvested rainwater in a washing machine for eight months. Our rainwater contractor presented information to the City twice early this past spring. And now, in January, it seems that we’re not any closer to having the regulations than we were in April of last year.
Lonnie Erwin, the City’s Chief Plumbing Inspector, informed me in an email back in August that we would have new regs “after October”. While technically that could mean 10 years after October, I assumed it meant November-ish. My last email to him (and to City of Dallas Chief Inspector Zaida Basora) dated 11/17 was answered in December by someone informing me that Mr. Erwin was no longer with the City of Dallas.
I was also told that Mr. Erwin left behind ZERO information regarding our request and our presentations. NO ONE had been working on our request for months! Thank you, Mr. Erwin!
Theoretically someone from the City Plumbing Inspection office is working on the request now, but it’s been almost a month since I’ve heard from him.
What should I do now?!?!
So I was going through my side links on the blog just to make sure that all of them still worked. I found that a link that I have had on the site for probably well over a year was not the correct link!
But that mistake gives me the opportunity to highlight Catalog Choice. Since we’re all getting tons (literally) of catalogs during this time of the year, it might be worthwhile for folks to check out Catalog Choice. It allows you to opt out or opt in to specific catalog lists. Alternatively, you can also go to the website of any catalog and find the Contact Us or Customer Service section (if you can’t easily find it, check the very bottom of the company’s home page). I’ve had a lot of success reducing the number of unwanted catalogs by going directly to the catalogs own website and sending an email (or using the catalog’s “unsubscribe” list). For example, click here to see a specific catalog’s really good and flexible unsubscribe mechanism.
Note that I said “UNWANTED” catalogs. I do like getting about 4 or 5, but there are dozens that I have no interest in. Every little bit helps!
PS: once you’re done with the ones you get, put them in your recycling!
This video is from Ray Brown, a high school student of a high school friend of mine (and my Senior Prom date from 1981!). It’s informative and well-done. Check it out!
(This is for you, Stephanie!)
We got many compliments on our dining table, and I couldn’t remember the artisan’s name at the time. So here you go: Cameron Van Dyke. His work is absolutely amazing, and chances are we’ll collect more of his work soon. Also, the coffee table (with all the holes in it) is also his work…the table is called “Fizz“.
We spent the last two years immersed in this project. It’s been full of hard work, education, frustration, and fascination. However, I’m happy to announce that yesterday afternoon we were notified that our home has been awarded the LEED for Homes Platinum Certification!
I want to thank the following folks:
And I’d like to thank our friends and co-workers who tolerated hours of me telling them about SEER ratings, HERS ratings, VOCs, U-factors, flow rates, permiability……….
Just got my electric bill for October 5th through November 5th. The bill was $142.29. Keep in mind, though, that the average high was 72 and the average low was 55 in October. But this bill for my 3500 square foot house is still lower than it was for my 1400 square foot house!