Ivon Street Studio

10/17/2022

*this* is why I advise against vinyl windows and other building products with PVC. Cheap products often have a hidden high cost - in this case, it's the health of the workers making the products and those that live nearby.

Incredibly, the company calls it "The Sunshine Project".

The company, an affiliate of Formosa Plastics, said it intended to move forward with the $9.4 billion complex in St. James Parish despite the ruling.

10/25/2021

Interesting - a welcome change...

Gas appliances are no longer eligible for Energy Star’s “Most Efficient” designation.

03/16/2021

Nerding out (read: getting distracted) while working on taxes. My 2020 mileage was *HALF* that of 2019, thanks to WFH Zoom meetings. 966 miles not driven, saving 1/4 metric ton of CO2 (not even accounting for the commute)!

12/08/2020

Interesting - TreeHugger shares National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) findings on how kitchen needs/wants are changing due to Covid.

A new study from the NKBA suggests that it is going to lead to substantial change.

06/30/2020

Ha! I thought I was alone in this...

When homebound workers need to spiff up moments before a meeting, they reach for the breakout garment of quarantine season.

05/07/2020

My architecture news feeds have been full of new reports about how unhealthy gas ranges are. Remodelista comes through with some handsome (and healthy) alternatives - magnetic induction ranges.

Last year, Berkeley, California, became the first city to ban natural gas in new buildings, starting in 2020. Paving the way for other cities in California

05/04/2020

I'm happy to see my blog worlds colliding. My favorite eye-candy blog finally treads into high-performance/low-energy Passive House design (and still delivers the eye-candy with some gorgeous examples).

The passive house approach to construction offers the ultimate in energy efficiency. To achieve its standards, builders have to follow 5 exacting rules.

02/20/2020

This is good news. Product transparency in a global economy is often time-consuming and maddening, so I'm grateful first for a market (architects and consumers) that's asking for transparency, and second for the companies that are delivering on that request. High-five, Kohler!

Kohler Co., a global leader in the innovation and design of kitchen and bathroom plumbing products, today announced...

02/14/2020

I was pleasantly surprised to hear Hyla Woods' Peter Hayes on my radio earlier this week. Give the third segment of Think Out Loud a listen to hear his thoughts on climate-responsible forestry and local cap & trade legislation.

"The family-run timber company Hyla Woods prioritizes the health of its forests over profits. Peter Hayes, the forester for Hyla Woods, wants more timber companies to consider climate change prevention in their policies. Hayes is a supporter of cap-and-trade legislation Oregon lawmakers are considering and joins us to discuss his thoughts on the timber industry and climate legislation."

The defense begins its case in the Jeremy Christian trial. We hear how Multnomah County responds to communicable diseases like the novel coronavirus. And a forester gives us his perspective on climate change and the timber industry. 

12/17/2019

Introduction to a new (to me) home score, Hayward Score, via our friends at Small Planet Supply. I like the focus on healthy indoor air quality, and the role homeowners play.

Recently Albert Rooks and I went to California to participate in a presentation to a builder about Hayward Home Score and energy-efficient building with Hayward Score Founder Bill Hayward and Healthy Building Scientist Joe Medosch.  Hayward Home Score helps homeowners identify major issues

12/03/2019

Scout's an office dog today!

10/25/2019

I was lucky to spend yesterday at Hyla Woods as part of a Build Local Alliance board retreat. It was a perfect autumn day spent with thoughtful people talking about effecting more positive change in the local wood market.