Archive for the ‘sustainability’ Category

March 16, 2011

Integrating a Contractor Early at the Castaway House

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet A lot of times designers and architects tend to dream big and forget about the budget. And important part of making realistic plans is to put numbers to the design as early in the game as possible, so you know you’re not way off track. So at Castaway House, now that we have solidified a schematic design for the house, both interior, exterior and landscape, we are getting bids from contractors. There are two reasons to do this early in the game rather then when the drawings are complete and into the city for permit review, which is the…

March 02, 2011

Retaining the Existing Roof Structure at the Castaway House

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet In this update: I. Claire walks us through the multiple considerations that go into every decision II.The idea of a triple bottom line approach III. An illustration of the stack ventilation concept created by Cavin I. Claire at the Site II. The Triple Bottom Line Approach Claire talked about the multiple benefits of keeping the existing wood roof structure of this 1950s house and actually exposing it as a vaulted ceiling in the remodel. We try to use the triple bottom line to make most of the decisions at Castaway House. In the case of the existing roof…

February 23, 2011

The Importance of Place at the Castaway House

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet In this update: I. Claire talks about the outdoor lifestyle in Phoenix II. The urban context of the Castaway House III. A quick survey on modes of transportation Outdoor Lifestyle: Urban Context: We’re designing for a sustainable lifestyle at Castaway House. A huge part of leading a sustainable lifestyle is where you live. Nowadays, big home builders are building new subdivisions way out in the outer suburbs, but are claiming to be green. Here at Blooming Rock and The Ranch Mine, we believe that location and place are fundamental to sustainability. Those “green” homes way out in the…

February 16, 2011

On Site at the Castaway House and Why Flexibility is Key

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet On Site with Claire: Flexibility is a key component to our concept: Flexibility is a little-known, but key aspect of sustainability. When flexibility is designed into a house, it makes it easier for it to “flex” as the owner’s needs change or as owners change. Designed flexibility reduces waste and energy when it comes to implementing the inevitable changes that happen in life. A common scenario where flexibility comes to play is when a couple has a child. Is their home flexible enough to effectively house the child, not only in her infancy but as she grows up? What…

February 09, 2011

The Castaway House – A New Project in Collaboration with The Ranch Mine

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The Castaway House Project Synopsis: Address: 3932 E. Fairmount Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85018 An existing 1000sf painted concrete masonry house, stripped to the studs, “thrown away” by a speculative owner during the economic downturn creating a blight in the neighborhood. The Ranch Mine acquired the property with investor Cycle Development in the hopes of revitalizing not only the house, but restoring life and vibrancy to the neighborhood. In collaboration, The Ranch Mine and Blooming Rock will completely renovate the existing building and add about 900 sf to the house, while creating an exceptional desert outdoor space. Project Mission: Inclusivity:…

February 07, 2011

An Interview with Josiah Cain of Design Ecology

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Josiah Cain and his firm Design Ecology, based in Petaluma, California, do something I had never heard of before. They design living built environments. The work they do includes things like living roofs, living walls, rain harvesting, natural swimming pools, graywater recycling, stormwater management, urban agriculture and sustainable landscapes. Josiah and his multi-disciplinary team are breaking new ground in adding to the things we build an element of natural nourishment, whereas traditional buildings normally deplete their natural environment without giving anything back. I’m so excited to hear Josiah speak at Rogue Green this Thursday! See the end of this…

January 31, 2011

In Search of the Perfect Shade Tree

by: Lysistrata Hall

Tweet This is a special guest post by Lysistrata “Lyssa” Hall, a Landscape Architect I with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department and one of the principal authors of the Tree and Shade Master Plan. Lyssa is an Arizona native that was born and raised in Jerome, Arizona. So often, I am asked what is the perfect shade tree for Phoenix? There really isn’t one perfect tree that can be planted in every place and meet everyone’s needs. Trees are living organisms that have diverse growing habits and needs, so it is critical that we apply the concepts…

January 26, 2011

How Phoenix became a City of Freeways and not Rail Transit

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Believe it or not Phoenix was one of the last major cities in the country to complete its freeway system. By the 1960s Phoenix still didn’t have many freeways other than the 1-17. Starting to learn lessons from other parts of the country, especially LA, many in Phoenix weren’t sure that adding freeways would be a good answer to our people-moving dilemma. “…by the later 1960s, people in many cities were beginning to see that near total reliance on the automobile for transportation imposed significant unanticipated costs. Many people now regretted the decisions to bulldoze older neighborhoods that resulted…

January 25, 2011

How Far has Phoenix Transportation Come since 1974?

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Well, not very far. We may, in fact, have taken a few steps backwards. While I was doing some research for another article I’m writing, I ran into a very telling story written by Pam Hait called “Transportation” in the August 1974 Phoenix Magazine. Below are two excerpts from it that I found fascinating: “Bicycle paths also made giant strides as Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix all initiated bike-only paths and lanes. Cities now request that developers build adequate room for bicycle paths into their subdivision plans. Bikers converged on Phoenix City Hall this year, and made the most of…

January 12, 2011

Play It Again…and Again

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I’ve been in the middle of reshuffling my office, making it more comfortable so I will actually work in there. Up until now, the office has really been a magnet for random storage. It also housed our workout equipment, including our elliptical trainer. Today, we successfully resold our elliptical trainer to a buyer for Play It Again Sports, who saw our ad on craigslist. Play It Again will in turn resell it to somebody out there who’s made a new years resolution to exercise more this year. When my husband Paul and I were first engaged, we were looking…