Thin Flats, 2009 Philadelphia Sustainability Awards Winner

The Thin Flats project was recently chosen as one of the 5 winners for The Philadelphia Sustainability Awards out of nearly 70 nominees.  The other winners include Bob Pierson for Farm to City, The Energy Coordinating Agency, The Philadelphia Eagles Go Green Initiative and the Schuylkill Banks Greenway Project.  

On Sunday the Inquirer wrote about the award winners saying this about Thin Flats 

"As the first LEED duplexes in the country, and most importantly being sold at a market rate price, Thin Flats proves that sustainable building does not have to be more expensive. This is a fundamental mission of Onion Flats.

Thin Flats is a unique experiment for Philadelphia, the region and the country. Scheduled to be the first LEED Platinum duplexes in the country, this project demonstrates that the highest level of sustainable building and living is not only possible, but accessible in a dense urban setting. It also shows how this is achieved by working with existing typologies of dwelling in the city: the Row house/duplex. As such, Thin Flats will be model of sustainable building for the country. This project will educate the general public, private developers and politicians through concrete and measurable ways that sustainable building must be common place, not a series of novelty exercises for those who can afford it. They believe that through Thin Flats it will become that much more apparent to wider audience that the question is not what is the cost of “living sustainably” but rather what is cost of living otherwise.

GREENandSAVE.com is a free resource for anyone that wants to save energy, money, and the environment. The articles, product reviews, online tools, and return on investment calculations are researched from a diverse range of public and private sector sources. Overall, the company is passionate about saving money as well as creating healthy homes, offices, and lifestyles.

I am not a paper cup

I bought this ceramic mug over the weekend at the Franklin Institute. Looks just like a paper cup with a plastic top!

Renovation Nation!

10-year tax abatement going green?

From Philly.com

The 10-year tax abatement is getting a hard look in City Hall. Here's one of the more intruiging proposals we've heard for a potential change: tie the abatements to the environmental friendliness of the new buildings. The abatements would be given only to those properties that receive LEED certification, and the abatements would get bigger depending on what level of certification the project receives. A press release on the proposal follows.

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TAX ABATEMENT GOING GREEN
Bill changes property tax abatement to require LEED certification


Philadelphia, PA (March 5, 2009) — On Thursday, March 5th, Council members Blondell Reynolds Brown and Curtis Jones Jr. will co-sponsor and introduce a bill that will “green” the current ten year tax abatement on all new and rehabilitated residential and rehabilitated commercial properties. Applicants under the new system will receive property tax abatements proportional to achieving one of the four LEED Green Building certification levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is the nation’s leading Green Building standard. Created and administered by the United States Green Building Council, LEED measures performance through standards that evolve through industry input and expertise. Certification is achieved by demonstrating certain required actions as well as a flexible point system that allows each building to coordinate green building techniques and materials appropriate for each project’s unique budget and design. At last count, 345 jurisdictions are using the LEED rating system as part of their tax abatements, public building requirements or zoning requirements, according to the United States Green Building Council database.

Thin Flats appears on Jetson Green's Blog!

Thin Flats on JetsonGreen.com

Another Study Confirms, LEED Buildings Valued Higher

Uber-energy efficient buildings command higher rental and occupancy rates, and garner sale prices that are as much as 30 percent higher per square foot than conventional buildings, according to a recent study by University of San Diego researchers.

University of San Diego Study

BIA Northern Liberties Tour

BIA Green Tour of Northern Liberties

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West Elm's Organic Collection

If your looking to outfit your home in organic wares but don't want to compromise on style check out West Elm's new organic collection offering bedding and bath products.  All too often the organic lines are in dull colors and designs but not the snow leopard towels which range in price from $9-24, also making them affordable for everyone!

It's about more than just energy ...

While LEED construction has soared in the commercial market the residential market is just catching up. But if you think buying a green home is just about the energy savings here are a few reasons why a LEED certified home is the best investment you can make.

• Our LEED homes are priced at market rate; there is no premium attached for the energy efficient features and appliances, air quality controls and non-toxic finishes. 
  
• Just because oil prices are going down doesn't mean electricity will.  In fact projected rate increases have nothing to do with the cost of oil or inputs.  Deregulation of the energy market has resulted in rate increased between 20-70%.  
• Lastly, energy efficiency is not the only or primary benefit of LEED construction.  John Gattuso, senior VP of urban and national development for Liberty Property Trust says that "productivity is the key, it's more important than energy costs and the environmental footprint, both of which are also critical."  Gattuso is referring to the business case for green building, which results in improved air quality.  This improvement according to a Department of Energy Study showed the average productivity gain is 15%.  Even a conservative improvement of 1% results in a staggering productivity gain of $600 per employee.  
• Gattuso also predicted a bifurcation of class A buildings, dividing sustainable design from those that are not.  In other words, LEED buildings will be worth more.  

Organic Upholstery Fabric

If your looking to recover your sofa or chairs Greenable is a great resource for environmentally friendly fabrics.  One fabric I love is this 100% organic cotton paisley print called 'sutara - pomegranate' by Robert Allen.  Greenable also has a great selection of environmentally friendly fabrics from Knoll that are greenguard certified to use in buildings with LEED commercial interiors.