Announcements

Ecovillage Charlottesville Update

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Chris

The latest version of the Ecovillage Charlottesville site plan is finally here! The project has picked up a ton of traction lately, so keep checking www.facebook.com/EcovillageCharlottesville for status updates.

Here are some renderings for one idea of what could be built… House designs inspired by http://www.rosschapin.com/ and http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

If you feel like drawing your own idea for what the Ecovillage could look like, here are some 8.5×11 printable sketches that make it easy for the ideas to flow onto paper. Please share your ideas!

Categories: Announcements, Communities | Tags: 480 Rio Rd, architecture, Charlottesville, Charlottesville Virginia, community, Ecovillage, low impact, Neighborhood | Leave a comment

Common Sense Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Chris

Why are people building gigantic houses? Up to a certain point, they think that they want a large house, but a lot of people I talk to are looking for a house in a specific price range. When I ask why they want to spend that much on a home the answer is always the same: the Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction. There are several good reasons for this deduction to exist, but Mansions & McMansions are definitely not a good reason. This article details a very intelligent way that the government could change this program so that it helps more of the people who need it the most while closing the mansion loophole.

Categories: Announcements | Tags: Finance | Leave a comment

August 13th Charlottesville Lunch: Deep Green

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Chris

Join us next Tuesday (August 13th) for the JRGBC’s Charlottesville Green Building Luncheon to hear one engineer’s thoughts on how to think green all the time during design; he’s calling it deep green.

Categories: Announcements, Energy Efficiency | Tags: Charlottesville, Sustainability | Leave a comment

Local Charlottesville Green Resource: Better World Betty

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Chris

Better World Betty is a local grassroots organization dedicated to empowering people and business with the tools they need to be sustainable. They have really helpful information about how to recycle tricky items, find greener options, and make your everyday life more earth friendly. They also keep tabs on everything effecting the environment in the Charlottesville area and can answer any green questions that you may have!

Categories: Announcements, Preservation, Resilience | Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, community, Energy, environment, Grassroots, Intentional Living, Meadowcreek Parkway, Resilience, Social media, Social network | Leave a comment

Charlottesville Lunch and Learn: Life Cycle Thinking

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Chris

Join us at the James River Green Building Council luncheon on Tuesday, July 9th 12:00 — 1:00pm to learn about ways to think more about the total environmental impact of products!

Categories: Announcements, Design | Tags: Energy, environment, Steelcase | Leave a comment

Science Talk: Tropical Forests and Climate Change

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Chris

Join us tomorrow night, June 12, 7:30 PM, at BLACK MARKET MOTO SALOON in charlottesville to hear all about the science of rain forests, part of Science Strait Up.

Description from Science Strait Up: “How are tropical forests and climate change linked? U.Va. Environmental Sciences professor Deborah Lawrence discusses the long history of forest clearing and how it has affected the earth’s atmosphere over the past 8,000 years. Forests are important for taking up carbon, but growth and productivity limit how much they can hold. Come learn about the science behind tropical forests, carbon, and our atmosphere, and why it matters.”

Categories: Announcements, Preservation | Tags: Climate Change, Deforestation, Ecosystems and Habitats, environment, Forest, Forests and Rainforests | Leave a comment

Charlottesville Lunch Today: Learn About Building Resiliently

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Chris

Don’t forget to join us today at the James River Green Building Council luncheon on Tuesday, June 11th 12:00 — 1:00pm to learn about how to make our built environments more resilient!

Categories: Announcements | Tags: architecture, Energy, environment, Resilience | Leave a comment

Late Lunch and Learn on the Web: Big Ideas in Small Spaces

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Chris

Inhabitat, Ford, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation are hosing a live webcast with leading automotive designers and architects to talk about how to make functional and comfortable rooms out of tiny spaces. It will be interesting to see how the seemingly very different worlds of cars and buildings can provide much insight to each other. The Webcast Starts Thursday, June 6th at 12:30PM CDT (1:30 PM EST)

Categories: Announcements, Architecture, Design, Tiny Housing | Tags: architecture, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Conversation, Ford Motor Company, Tiny Housing, Webcast | Leave a comment

Lunch and Learn: Resilience By Design

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Chris

Join us at the James River Green Building Council luncheon on Tuesday, June 11th 12:00 — 1:00pm to learn about how to make our built environments more resilient!

Categories: Announcements, Design, Resilience | Tags: architecture, Charlottesville, JRGBC, Resilience | Leave a comment

The Housing Lab Facebook Group

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Chris

The Housing Lab Facebook Group

Join the heart and soul of The Housing Lab; the facebook group! It seems that in this day and age, a traditional website is really just an archive of the lively discussions on social media. So join today!

Categories: Announcements | Tags: Conversation, Facebook, Green, Intentional Living, low impact, Social media, Social network | Leave a comment