TERRA

Austin’s City Hall:Cathedral of Junk: Meet the Guy Behind It All

Buying A New Home?Try Some Agave Made to Conserve

Table of Contents

Austin City Hall: Landscaped to Save p. 11

Meet the Junkman p. 15

Looking For A New Home: Try Some Agave p. 17

Get Blown Away By Green Energy p. 3

Solar Panel Solution p. 7

Behind The Green Paint p. 9

How Green Are You? p. 20Top Recycled Items p. 21 Recycling Surprise! p. 24

Letter From The Editors

We are so happy you have taken the time to stop and read our magazine, as the inten-sity of the environmental situation increases, it is now more imperative than ever that we build responsively. This is why terra is proud to present you with the very latest in sustain-able design. We pledge to not only let you know why these scientific advances work, but also how you can apply these chang-es to your lifestyle. Creating a new terra will take all of us, and we’re here to help you.

Terra

Cover Photos by Bruce Turner, Marty Hood Edited by Miriam

All About Us!

By day Miriam is an ordinary LASA student, by night she dances with demons. Miriam does enjoy walking the line (like Johnny Cash), ballet, musicals (but only the good ones, her favorite being Wicked), sushi and Italian food and she absolutely loves ECO-FRIENDLINESS! Her interest in green architecture makes her super mega foxy awesome hot and fantastic for this magazine.

Jasmine is a very funny girl who loves her quesadillas. She adores singing, and the pacific timezone. The colour that is her favorite is purple (except for when it’s not, in which case it’s something else). Jasmine often wears her hair in a style of the bun variety, as it is her preference. And last but not least, Jasmine is the ultimate Voldemort fan-girl (“He’s super mega foxy awesome hot!!!”)!

Willah is a totally awesome LASA student and very compassionate towards her peers. She has some issues with very specific fonts, brings apples of the green variety daily in her lunch, and loves nail polish. Willah enjoys spending her afternoons rowing on Town Lake and being super mega foxy awesome hot, and she will always remain loyal to Dumbledore (“ten points to Gryffindor!”).

Photo by Alex Furgeson

Is the investment worth it? Absolutely.

What if your energy bill was non-existent?

Rising energy cost is a growing concern for many

and a simple solution may be nearby. Within Austin,

Tx. several contractorsinstall wind turbines and help the

new wind turbine owners get their tax rebate. Now some

parties say that wind turbines are too expensive and the

investment is not worth it. But, home wind turbines are

a clear choice for home owners who wish to lower their

energy cost, and reduce their impact on our environ-

ment.

A new housing development in Illinois and a couple

in Montana have discovered the financial advantage of us-

ing wind turbines to generate their electricity. Molly Miron

wrote in the The Telegraph from Alton, Il. a new housing

development opened this September in Jerseyville, Il. and

several renewable energy sources, including wind turbines,

sustain the developement, resulting in an energy bill of $0.

This frees up a large sum of money that is usually spent

on running the air conditioner, lighting the house, or even

powering the refrigerator that can now be spent on other

pleasures, a definite plus. In an article from The Bemidji

Pioneer in Debs, MN., Maggie Borman wrote about a

couple’s new wind turbines the author writes that wind

turbines “qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit and

other governmental benefits”. Not only does this lower the

December 2010 | 5

Britain, says in an article on microgeneration technolo-

gies that these energy sources could supply 30% to 40%

of the UK’s energy and reduce their carbon emissions

15% per year by 2050. Imagine the impact for our city if

one street converted to wind energy; imagine how much

energy and money it would save, and how much less

carbon Austin could emit.

Many US jobs end up overseas in the foreign oil

industry; using a homegrown energy brings those jobs

back to the nation, in turn benefiting the people of the

country. A study at Berkley by Daniel M. Kammen,

Kamal Kapadia, and Matthias Fripp found that the USA

relies very much on unstable sources of foreign oil and

natural gas and the authors say, “we are missing a huge

opportunity to invest in our own industries, communi-

ties, and families. With recent technological advances

energy bill by using an alternative energy source, but it also

provides a little extra room for spendings.

With growing concern about human’s effect on the

environment, wind energy is an excellent way for people to

do their part in lowering carbon emissions. An article by

A.S. Bahaj, L. Myers, and P.A.B. James on Science Direct

says that wind energy, a type of microgeneration technol-

ogy, “[has] potential to reduce built environment related

CO2 emissions”. It is a delicate time for the environment

and if there is method to harness energy without contribut-

ing to one of the damaging factors, it is imperative that it is

used. An author from M2PressWIRE, a magazine in Great

Get Blown Away by Clean Energy

December 2010 | 6

“qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit and other

governmental benefits”

Photo by Alex Furgeson

Opinion

By Miriam

in energy efficiency and renewable energy, a proactive investment agenda can finally make these diverse fuel-

free supply sources cost competitive with imported oil and gas.” Moving away from the oil and natural gas

would mean that the country was no longer involved in an unstable relationship and bring jobs back to the

people of the USA. We have huge opportunities with in our country that would help those living here and

the environment, and not taking advantage of those would be a mistake.

With the poor economy high energy bills are an overwhelming concern for the majority, and many a

time a solution seems far off or just impossible to achieve, and as the climate situation becomes more

prevalent, it is imperative that we look into a solution.The solution we seek may not be as far away as

we think; wind energy is “green” and takes a little pressure off the check book. Using wind turbines to

power the homes of the nation would be a huge step in the right direction. t

December 2010 | 7

Do you use CFL light bulbs (the swirly kind) instead of incadesent bulbs (the “regular” kind)? Yes No It depends

Tally your points! Each yes is worth 20pts, “it depends” is worth 10 and no is worth 2pts.

How Green Are You?

120pts. You are a Green Super Star!!!

0pts. How did this Happen?!

12pts. Need to green up!

66pts. Getting there!

84 pts. Your doing great!

Pure Shenanigans

Do you use resusable water bottles? Yes No It dependsDo you shop using a resusable bag? Yes No It dependsDo you turn out the lights when you leave the house? Yes No It dependsDo you leave your computer on when it is not in use? Yes No It dependsDo you ever open the windows instead of using the air conditioning? ...in the summer of course. Yes No It depends

Photos by Sun Ladder and Willah P.

December 2010 | 8

Back when climate change wasn’t an issue and the average

person had never heard of a hole in the ozone, our daily routines

were average. Now that global warming has become a world wide

issue, our daily routines are no longer commendable; in fact, in

a large way they are the fuel behind our problem. LASA is made

up of the smartest and brightest kids around the Austin area.

LASA could be seen as a leader for the education scene in Austin

I.S.D. Why not lead everyone in the right direction, starting with

environmental friendliness. Solar panels are a good alternative

energy source for schools to cut down their emissions and reduce

the amount of money payed monthly for energy, plus they won’t

distract from the learning environment. By making the switch,

LASA can keep its spot as one of the front runners of this district.

Using solar panels to power schools will reduce the

amount of pollution usually emitted using fossil fuels. An

article in Pueblo Chieftain, Sun Powers Schools, Anthony

Mestas describes one school switching to solar power. He

writes, “The carbon emissions offset from these systems are

equivalent to removing 1,320 automobiles from the road,

planting 9,600 pine trees and mitigating 6,900 metric tons

of carbon dioxide...”. And this is just one school switch-

ing to solar panels, imagine if every school in that district

switched to renewable energy sources. In the same article,

Mestas says that the system should provide about 51%

of the schools energy, and about 9600 megawatt-hours

throughout the whole program. This system produces

enough energy to power this school; if we made the switch,

the solar panels could probably provide the same amount of

energy for our school.

Solar panels are also a good way to reduce our

monthly energy bill. Although the initial cost for installing

the panels is not cheap, the amount of money per month

that is saved provides enough revenue to cover portions of

the cost. The money saved on the electric bills could be put

towards buying more products for the school, which could

further improve the learning experience here at LASA. In

an article written by Keith Reid in a California magazine

entitled “The Record”, Reid discusses three north Stockton

Schools getting solar panels. He said,

Solar Panel Solution

December 2010 | 9

By Jasmine

“While the district will eventu-ally pay $15 million to pay down its debt on the project over a 17-year-period, the savings on elec-tricity bills and the sale of leftover energy will create more than $2 million in revenue for the district over the same time span.” We would only have to pay the installation fee once, after that,

the money saved by using solar panels could be used to pay

back the amount of money spent. This is really a win-win for us.

Although there might be some debt after the panels are installed,

that can be paid off using the money saved on the energy bills,

and thereafter the money would be put towards bettering the

school. An article written in the Philadelphia Inquirer, by Diane

Mustrull said, “There’s the drop in energy costs that going solar

provides, and the opportunity for school districts to make money

by selling the power harnessed from the summer sun that’s not

needed when classrooms are empty and the lights are off.” The

idea of selling the power produced by the panels when they aren’t

needed by the school (in the summer for example) to other facili-

ties is a good way to bring money into the school without nega-

tively affecting the environment. In effect, the school is saying,

“Hey, I have all this extra clean energy that I don’t need, I could

sell it to other facilities and make a profit from it as well!” As you

can see, this is one idea that is appealing to all involved.

One of the biggest concerns that go along with solar

panels is the placement and the maintenance. The most

important requirement for solar panel installation is that it

should be placed in direct sunlight for as much time as pos-

sible. Since schools are open during the day, the time when

there is the most sun, LASA wouldn’t have to worry about

creating energy when there isn’t any sun available. Solar

panels are also noise free and don’t require much mainte-

nance - only a routine check-up on occasion. Without the

distractions of noise or a maintenance/repair man consis-

tently coming to work on the solar panel, there will be less

distractions from the students’ learning that other energy

sources might cause.

Solar panels are the clear choice for schools who

want to do their part to help the environment and have the

opportunity to make a profit. We should implement solar

panels into our everyday school life. Sure, in the beginning

it may seem like the soar panels won’t do much for us. Wait

a little bit and the effects will become apparent. We’ll be

saving money that can be spent elsewhere, we’ll be conserv-

ing energy which will help our environment, and we’ll set

an example for other schools in our district. Seeing how

much solar panels benefit our school, other AISD schools

will want to take part. The more involved, the better the

outcome. As students, faculty members and administrators

we have a voice in how our school should be run. Consider

all the positives that will come out of investing in solar

panels and demand that the school at least take all of this

into account. t

Opinion

photo by Kevin T. Houle

December 2010 | 9 December 2010 | 10

Behind The

30 years ago, the words “sustainable design” were

a little known option for the fortunate few. Today, this

phrase is thrown around so often that it may have lost

some of its meaning.

By 1994, green building had significantly risen in

popularity- enough so that the government recognized

the need to take action, and create a system in order to

deem buildings certifiably green, a system we would

be able to trust. And so, the Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design system, or LEED, was created.

It started as a small operation run by 6 volunteers, and

is now a national organization that sets precedents

concerning what, exactly, is considered a green building,

and labeling them as so. In current times of environ-

mental instability, this is a vital and decisive responsibil-

ity, and not one to be taken lightly. However, evidence

from the court has come to light that LEED is acting in

direct defiance of the standards it set, and continued to

do so even when accused. In 2006, a 28.5 million dollar

high school was opened in the Northland Pines School

District that recently received LEED gold certifica-

tion. However, according to the Appellants’ Executive

Summary Response, before the certification was given,

LEED was made aware that the application did not

include several pieces of information regarding energy

plans. Although LEED claims that these problems were

fixed, its own consultant admitted that several of the re-

quired documents were manufactured after the certifica-

tion was granted. Furthermore, LEED took 16 months

to reply to the court appeal, and still is not allowing the

appeal to view relevant documents or inspect the high

school, making it clear that some of the problems were

never fixed. And the violations won’t stop here; such a

direct and conscious violation of its own standards sets a

horrible precedent for future applicants for certification.

Because of this case, even governmental environmental

certification could not be trusted in the future.

Regardless of LEED’s potential corruption, it

cannot, and should not, be denied that Green Homes

include many ecologically efficient technologies that

work to right the environment; however, in some homes

these measures are counteracted by other features of the

house based on the customers wishes. The Green Source

Magazine’s best green house of the month, for example,

is located in the foothills of the pristine, uninhabited

foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This not only

shows a disregard for the natural landscape, but also

creates a situation in which the company must transport

the building materials a very long way, which would emit

more gasses. The same house also contains two sepa-

rate structures, connected by a cement walkway, which

calls for more materials, more space, and more energy.

Furthermore, if the building had been split slightly

December 2010 | 11

Green PaintBy Willah

differently, the need for power in one of them would have been excluded altogether, admits Calder-

Smith, the architect responsible for this house, in his Green Source Magazine portfolio. And these

trade-offs can be found in almost every home. Mr. Seligman, for example, who is building a sec-

ond home in order to be green, chooses granite counters over bamboo or compressed paper. This

may seem like a small decision, however, quarrying granite is extremely destructive to the environ-

ment, says Polly Osborne, a Green Home Architect Expert for the US Green Building Councl. The

quarrying includes the removal of all natural elements from

the site, and use of heavy, polluting equipment for extracting of

stone, plants, and earth in the area.

Finally, we have to consider the mindset of ‘Green

Architects’ in America; as Miroslav Marko at the Carleton Uni-

versity School of Architecture says, “Not eco-effective technol-

ogy, but a redesigned Western mind, should be the theme of

environmental responsibility discourse, and also an objective

of “green” architecture”. With governmental tax deductions

offered for green architecture, and the high cost of green sup-

plies translating to higher paying customers for green design-

ers, it is tempting for many architects to implement minimal

efficient technologies, label themselves as green, while really

only caring about the money. This occurs especially frequently

in recently developed countries. Architect, Researcher, and

Manager of Green Impact Indonesia, Gunawan Tanuwidjaja,

says that the green developers of Indonesia showed that they

were more interested in “‘ Environmentally Friendly Custom-

ers, rather than protecting the environment with the ‘The True

Green Development.’” by implementing some green strategies,

while leaving out others, and using some potentially environ-

mentally harmful strategies.

When caught up in the midst of designing a green

house, we often lose sight of the ultimate goal for all the design

options and tempting building plans. But, please, stop for a

moment, and ask yourself, is your architect doing everything

in their power to remedy this environmental catastrophe? It

is your duty to research your architect, their methods, and

alternative methods. t

December 2010 | 12

Opinion

By Miriam

Austin City Hall:

Photo by Ryan Stotler

Landscapedto Save

Feature

On Second Street between Guadalupe and Lavaca

sits a building many of Austin’s citizens are familiar with,

our City Hall. As you walk around the spacious grounds

surrounding the building you enjoy the many Texas envi-

ronments, from the Edwards Plateau to the open beauti-

ful prairie. These plants are luscious yet some how they

manage to not consume much potable water. A gorgeous

water fall follows you up the stair cases from the ga-

rage, and nearby on the plaza a swirling pool evokes the

thought of the numerous Texas rivers. The design does

its best to minimize the amount of valuable water it uses,

as the features use quite a bit of water. And as you walk

to the shaded stairs you can enjoy a little relief from the

heat on a Texas summer day under the large green roof

over the plaza. All of it is designed to conserve water.

City Hall is the center of our local government; it

is a place for citizens to gather and a place that is doing

its best to help our environment. When the building was

designed there was a great effort to conserve resources,

in particular, water. Water is precious here in Texas with

the many delicate water ecosystems

The building sits over a major water feature of Aus-

tin, Lady Bird Lake, and located along the lake is the well

known Town Lake park. City Hall fits in well with these

surroundings, and that’s no mistake.

“We wanted the building and especially the plaza

to be part of Town Lake Park, and making water an im-

portant part of the landscape helped with that.” Carolyn

Kelly, one of the landscaping team members commented,

Water not only serves to integrate City Hall in to

its surroundings but to create a pleasant area in Austin’s

busy downtown. One section of the plaza includes two

water features; one is a 40 foot water fall extending down

into the parking garage and the other is a whirl pool. Be-

ing fun and pleasant was part of the design,

December 2010 | 15

“[T]he sound of moving water helps hide traffic

noise; water helps cool the air in the summer; and it’s fun

to be around.”

Another part of the plaza are the plant beds full of

native plants, you can learn a lot about what plants grow

well in your front yard. The plaza has all sorts of vegeta-

tion, from short sparse plants of the Edward plateau to

the lush and fresh water loving plants of our southern

marshes. Even though these plants help save water be-

cause they have adapted to the drier conditions of Texas,

they still need water. The question that comes to mind

is, where do they get all that water to maintain all those

plants with out using valuable potable water.

“We understood the water [that feeds the waterfall]

seeped into the garage to be at about the elevation of the

water in the lake [...] We treated it as a resource by build-

ing a vessel to store it in the garage, and using it as the

primary source of landscape irrigation water for the

project.” Kelly said

Most of the plants you see sit in beds on the plaza

or on the upper terrace, yet there is another clever spot

on which vegetation grows, the green roofs. There are two

green roofs, one sits over the parking garage and is actu-

ally part of the plaza and the other over the upper levels,

“The ground level plaza is a green roof over the

parking garage, with soil depths up to 5’. We could have

that depth and weight of soil and planting because the

plaza was built to support fire engines. The green roofs

that are on the upper levels of the building have shallower

soil: 18”- 24”. Both kinds have waterproofing to protect

the building; drainage to get excess water out; and special

lightweight soil mixes,” Kelly said.

““

Photo by Am

anda SG

Feature

December 2010 | 16

I love it when people admire a plant at City Hall and say ‘I always thought it was a weed!’

t

Of all these ways of conserving water, the average

person can implement a few in their own landscaping, using

native plants can create a very beautiful look and help to keep

the water usage down. One of her favorite reactions on the

plaza is people learning from the landscaping,

“I think City Hall has been one of the growing number

of landscapes in Austin that has opened people’s eyes to the

importance of design, and how lovely our Austin natives are.

I love it when people admire a plant at City Hall and say ‘I

always thought it was a weed!’”

w

December 2010 | 17

From weddings to Spy Kids, Vince Hannemann’s backyard has seen it all.

And the crowds come flocking for one thing, three tons of junk. Or, rather, three

tons of junk carefully constructed for twenty-one years to make a structurally

sound Cathedral of Junk.

“It’s like Christmas, everyday,” says Vince Hannemann, describing what

it feels like to come home to the gifts of junk people leave him in his yard; and he

couldn’t have built this amazing structure without these gifts. The spare junk was

essential to the creation of the Cathedral, as Mr. Hannemann runs the Cathedral

of Junk full time, with the occasional odd job in stone work, or other architectural

fields. And It’s a good thing, too, because bringing his building up to city code was

a job spanning over many months, forcing him to take down three tons of junk

and battle tirelessly with coding permits. However, in the end, City Hall stood

behind him, and, “That,” says Mr. Hannemann, “felt good.”

Vince Hannemann and his Cathedral of Junk have become an international

legend; people have come in from every country in the world to view the structure. Such

a treasure, located in South Austin, should be taken advantage of if only for its artistic

values. However, take a tour of the Cathedral, and you will find it a haven for innovative

sustainable architecture.

Mr. Hannemann sets empty glass bottles of deep, translucent greens, blues and

ambers, into a slanting cement wall. The effect is stunning, and draws forth images of

futuristic shuttle walls; a fitting image for such an ingenious recycled wall design.

Walkways paved with cement and

old tires wind two fabulous junk

caverns together. The textured

rubber tires add a unique design ele-

ment to an otherwise grey pathway,

and the circular shape creates an ex-

ceptional contrast with the straight

edges of the path. A pathway that

now gives a second life to tires oth-

erwise doomed to a life in a landfill.

Meet The Junk Man

Feature

Just because someone’s giving it away, doesn’t mean it’s junk.“

“

By Willah P.

December 2010 | 18

t

Mr. Hannemann built a small open cabin, that he occasion-

ally sleeps in, out of aluminum roofing sheets, screen doors, and

old wooden fencing. It is difficult to believe that such rudimentary

materials could yield such an appealing cottage, simply by adding

gauze-like curtains and bedding.

And Mr. Hannemann can build remarkable structures out

of nearly any materials, the cheaper the better. He got five PODS for

twenty-five dollars, and built a shed for his mother and himself out

of them. He has painted his, and now uses it as an entrance area and

storage room for the cathedral.

These solutions, though daunting when viewed as a part

of the cathedral, can be put into place by anybody. These design

choices are cheap and effective, and simply put Mr. Hannemann

says, “If you look, you can find stuff like that.” Mr. Hannemann, for

one, plans to continue looking for such deals, and building onto his

extraordinary construction. He’s spent 21 years on it so far, and, he

states optimistically, “The next twenty-one years will be my restora-

tion project.”

Meet The Junk Man

December 2010 | 19

Look

ing

For

a N

ew H

ome? Try Some Agave!

Out of the ordinary floor plans, brightly colored exteriors, green architectural

techniques and furnishings. Sounds like something out of a Sims game, right? Sure,

but this is no game. Houses throughout the world are being built with “green” tech-

niques. They use eco-friendly building techniques as well as green appliances and de-

cor to achieve an overall energy conserving and efficient living environment. Agave,

located on the east side of Austin, combines the best of green living with modern

design to create a truly unique neighborhood.

“It wasn’t easy,” says Chris Czichos, the architectural project coordinator for one

of the Agave neighborhood developers, “It was something that we worked very hard

at for a few years and for the first two or three years we weren’t making any money...it

was costing us more to build...and the only way this was able to work was we already

owned all the land and we were committed to a big project. Even if we lost money

on the first 20 or 30 homes we’re gonna build 500 of them so in the big picture, it’s

fine. The problem is when people try to do it with just 20 or 30 homes and they don’t

have it at a price where they can make money on these first homes. That’s where our

advantage was, we were big enough to take advantage of the size.”

These homes provide a way for homeowners to have both a uniquely designed

home, and contribute to the push for environmental conservation. To make these

homes as eco-friendly as possible, the designers not only use green architectural tech-

niques and include green appliances, but they also take into account the landscaping,

the size of the house, and a long list of other details that most might not think of.

With all of these details to take into account the overall look of the house could have

been easily be overlooked. However, it is evident through the neighborhood’s modern

theme that the look of the neighborhood was also important to the designers. Their

modern design makes them an icon, but it’s their green features, attractive pricing,

and customizable design that draws buyers to this neighborhood.

By Jasmine

December 2010 | 20

FeatureTry Some Agave!

phot

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3

In an interview Czichos did with Carrie Alexander at

the Austin American Statesman, he said, “We get people …

flying over and literally pull up and say: `I saw this when I

was flying in and I have to know what’s going on.’”

Austin is a very progressive town. We like to be on

top of all the new and upcoming things. With the push for

more environmentally friendly lifestyles, Austin has worked

hard to provide a greener and cleaner city. Architecture is

one of the industries

that has really been

adapted, not just in

Austin but all over

the world, to be more

e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y

conscious. The ba-

sic building codes in

Austin have been mofied so that they are much more green

than in other places. Czichos says, “The trend for sustain-

able green building, not only is it enforced through the code

there are also some advantages. There are buyers looking for

green homes. You can advertise as a green builder and it is

actually advantageous for you.” Green homes are becoming

“It was something that we worked very hard at for a few years and for the first two or

three years we weren’t making any money...”

more and more common throughout Austin. Austin is

known for its advances in technology and environmental

awareness and also for staying one step ahead and think-

ing outside of the box.

Austin lifestyle involves music and art of all variet-

ies. Modern art, is very prevalent here in Austin and the

characteristics of modern housing really fits into the

theme of this neighborhood. Modern houses usually

have many windows,

they don’t have overly

complex layouts or

form, they use bright,

out of the ordinary

colors for the exterior,

and they have an

overall clean look.

Czichos, who is also an Agave homeowner, says, ”There’s

a different feeling when you’re in a modern house. It’s

much more open...we have a lot of connections between

the outside and the inside.” With these distinct character

istics it is easy to pick out modern homes from those that

aren’t modern.

December 2010 | 21

Modern homes can be found throughout Austin but

what usually ends up happening is you have one or two mod-

ern houses in an area and it’s surrounded by normal, aver-

agely designed houses. Agave, however, has a lot of modern

designed houses in one place. In theory one would think it

would be hard to stick out in a neighborhood like this, but re-

ally it’s not. Each of these homes have unique characteristics.

Modern design itself is very unique and it’s easy to be unique

using modern design even if all of the houses around you are

modern as well. Having a many unique houses in one place

would make one think

that the neighborhood

must be a very unique

place, and it is. “We are so

unique there’s never gon-

na be another person who

builds a house just like

mine. There’s never gonna

be another neighborhood

like this one.”

Modern design has

been known to attract

a specific audience, and

because of the modern style of this neighborhood, Agave

too attracts a specific audience. ”The number one thing if

you talk to the neighbors about what they like about their

house is the neighborhood itself...We all like modern or we

wouldn’t be living here...” says Czichos. Living in a place

where you’re surrounded by modern art and also people

who share the same appreciation for modern that you do

adds to the vibe of the neighborhood.

On top of living in a home that he finds visually ap-

pealing, Czichos also likes the benefits that come with the

house. ”I like that I live in an efficient home my energy costs

are less and my value holds very well on the house.”

“The trend for sustainable green building, not only

is it enforced through the code there are also some

advantages. There are buyers looking for green homes. You can advertise as a green builder and it is actually advantageous for

you.”

Agave designers and architects usually design and

construct smaller homes which means less material used

in building and designing and lower cooling and heat-

ing costs. Various techniques utilizing green structural

elements or design features are used to help achieve the

overall goal of a sustainable house. Agave uses all energy

star appliances, which is a rating system developed by

the federal government and the department of energy,

in their houses. Agave homes feature things, such as

tank-less water heaters, dual flush/low flow toilets, and

water saving shower heads.

They also apply architec-

tural techniques such as spray

foam insulation, low e-glass

windows, and alternative

flooring materials. All of

these features and more are

added into these houses to

cut down on the amount of

energy and resources used in

and on the house, ultimately

reducing the monthly bill of

the homeowner and helping

out the environment.

Agave really is the whole package for those who

want a new take on a very important issue. There are

many homes all over the world that use green techniques

in their design, but very few do it in the same way the

Agave does. Modern design isn’t uncommon, but what is

uncommon is remarkably beautiful modern houses that

homeowners can feel that they’ve helped the environ-

ment by simply purchasing a house. Other developers

can try and imitate what these designers did here is

Agave, but Agave will always be the same innovative and

unique neighborhood that it was set out to be. t

December 2010 | 22

B L V H V P E S I J E P U Y Y K R B S T P K L U J F N W E S O P O F D T R I D C A B X B F A I R P R P H G X Z A L D K D I U R A I U X K C R X D E C O Z G A K G L X R L Y L W U W E Q T V O Z M L V O H B I O W C R P E C E N G Z G H A K L H L G O S T R I C H L D B N V K A N M O O S C T F R N Y L N P N V D U X O I A Y H F Y B Q E F D F P C I B E H O F A K W G Z R P R A X I O R U E K O X M L N D J B A Q K P V O V R N S R M O F S E D Q R J I D R J Q L E X A K J L Z N V S E N A D L O C G H P Q H P E E W R X U I V L G D L O L L I D A M R A B Y S T U G I C K Q T W H E P Z G T Z X K R O S P Y L A C U F R Q E L I Y B T R G W A F H J R M Y J M O S B V K Q D E T Q F O L V M P E B L K S I E Y H J X D Q N Y A C O L G L S Z X A Z Q U C B W B Q L Y J E Q P F I F E U F C C M A F I F T A O G P I S L E E W Z

Name That Animal!

1. I can walk underwater! 2. I am always left-handed! 3. My milk never curdles! 4. I can give almost 200,000 glasses of milk! 5. I can see all four of my feet at one time!

6. I have no vocal chords! 7. I have rectangular pupils! 8. My brain is smaller than my eye! 9. Put me in water, and I’ll float! 10. My favorite food is a banana! 11. I can sleep for 3 years at a time! 12. When I am angry, my ears turn pinkish-red!

1. armadillo 2. polar bear 3. camel 4. cow 5. donkey 6. giraffe 7. goat 8. ostrich 9. porcupine 10. reindeer 11. snail 12. tazmanian devil

Pure Shenanigans

December 2010 | 23

Editor’s Pick:

Our Top 6 Recycled Items

Kamik Women’s Janis Rainboots: $54.95

Splash through the winter season in these fun and 100% recyclable Canadian rain boots!

Econscious Market Les Miserables Earrings: $25.00

These unusual earrings, made from old plastic bags will spruce up any outfit. And, with your purchase, Econscious Market will make a $1.50 donation to the charity of your choice!

UncommonGoods Recycled Newspaper

Market Bag: $48

Here we have a multi-purpose bag made from recycled newspapers and laminated for protection. *Available at amazon

December 2010 | 24

Our Top 6 Recycled Items

Pure Shenanigans

Be Love Long Sleeve Shirt: $40

This soft, 100% organic cotton shirt reads i appear in the windin soilin stardustin the suni appear in mountainsand desert raini am the star andi am the stone And the money from your purchase will go to the Peace Education Programs that Be Love supports

Green Toys Indoor Gardening Set: $19.99

This cute children’s planter set is made of environmentally friendly materials., and will be fun for children, as well as teach them valuable lessons about the Earth!

Brelli Biodegradable Umbrella: $48

Be unique with this beautiful and 100% biodegradable umbrella.

HOW MANY DID YOU CATCH?

(27)

December 2010 | 25

HOW MANY DID YOU CATCH?

There are seven different types of plastics that can be recycled. The number inside the triangle represents the type of plastic, which indicates how it will be reused.

This is a recycling symbol! You can find these on prod-ucts like plastic, paper, and metal, that can be recycled. In 1970, a student, Gary Anderson, created this univer-sally known symbol. Variations of these symbols have been created to portray specific meanings.

A circle around the triangle means the product is made of recycled material. Black arrows on a white background means it is made of a combonation of new and recycled material. White on black means its 100% recycled.

Pure Shenanigans

December 2010 | 26

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