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green building

Life cycle Assessments

By |2013-04-09T19:03:33-07:00April 9th, 2013|CTA Consultation|

One of the key tools in Green building is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA.) LCA is a technique to assess the environmental impacts associated with each product, process, or service, by:Compiling an inventory of relevant energy and material inputs to a project;Assessing the aging process associated with the input;Evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with

What Is Green Building?

By |2013-03-28T15:27:48-07:00March 28th, 2013|CTA Consultation|

So, we hear a lot about green building these days. Just exactly what is it? Green Building is an approach to building that seeks to: Improve efficiencies Reduce waste Improve health and happiness within a building. Over the last 10 years as the demand and requirement for greener practices have occurred, we have had tremendous

10 Reasons Stearns Design Build Recommends Cork

By |2022-12-19T11:53:33-08:00March 28th, 2013|CTA Consultation|

1. Sustainability: Cork flooring is made from the bark that is harvested from the Cork Tree (Quercus Suber), which regenerates after the harvest. The bark can be re-harvested every 9-10 years without damaging the tree. Regulated forests, mainly in Spain &Portugal, are the producers of the cork industry. Unlike bamboo, cork is a truly

Greenwashing

By |2013-03-20T13:01:54-07:00March 20th, 2013|CTA Consultation|

In yesterday’s post Facebook we asked if you could identify the decorating idea that was greenwashing. Greenwashing is claiming something to be green that is not. It is the scourge of green building. The icon of greenwashing from yesterdays post is Bamboo. For all of the reasons listed in the article, bamboo is potentially a

IN SEARCH OF SMARTER HOME VENTILATION

By |2012-12-13T16:10:20-08:00December 13th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

Home ventilation is a fairly new concept.  Sure we have been putting vent hoods over stove and fans in bathrooms for a long time, but this was only to control source issues and not whole house ventilation.Central heating and air conditioning significantly changed the dynamics of our homes.  But it was not until we became

Tankless Water Heaters No Longer our Recommendation

By |2012-11-29T16:50:39-08:00November 29th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

water heaters For years we confidently recommended tankless water heaters.  This recommendation was backed up by quite a bit of well documented research that was easily understood from a theoretic perspective.  Conventional water systems keep all of that water hot all of the time.  New research shows that the truth is somewhat counterintuitive.

The Supersized House

By |2012-08-28T15:57:15-07:00August 28th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

Do you have a parent or grandparent that grew up during the Depression?  I love the resourcefulness and frugality of so many who grew up in those tough times. While later generations, including my own, loudly encourage us to reduce, reuse and recycle, the Greatest Generation quietly set the example of self reliance and intentionality.Our

To Build or Not to Build

By |2023-04-03T07:11:49-07:00May 17th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

That is an important question. For many years we at Stearns Design Build (Stearns Construction at the time) insisted on only remodeling, or, as we like to put it, recycling homes. We have since justified designing and building new homes. The justification is that new building stock is necessary. The fact is that we love

What Does Building Science Have To Do With You?

By |2023-04-03T07:13:55-07:00March 29th, 2012|CTA Consultation|

Building science looks at a house as a system, recognizing that it consists of parts that work together to make up the building enclosure. All of these parts, their connections, and their relations affect the envelope of the building, which in turn dictates performance, efficiency, and comfort. One part of a building that people don’t

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