Green Building

This Week in Placemaking

The greenest grocery store, biggest “living wall,” and more eco-innovations 5
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
From the country's greenest grocery store in Augusta, Maine, to a soaring transit station in Anaheim, Calif., we survey the landscape of green-building projects in the news.
The Grist List: From Baywatch to Bridge

Pamela Anderson grows her eco-assets, and more 6
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago By Ashley Braun, Sarah van Schagen
Pamela Anderson has transformed from Baywatch babe to eco-entrepreneur.
Ambition and trouble collide

Vancouver’s Olympic village aims for green, runs into problems 4
Posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago
The athletes’ village is the centerpiece of efforts to green the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now being constructed on an 80-acre rehabbed brownfield near downtown, the village is intended to be a whole new kind of sustainable neighborhood. The development has impressive green features, but some serious problems too.
The Hillside Strangler

You and me and a billion tiny spores 6
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago
One of the toughest tasks at the JP Green House renovation is not inside the house at all -- it's in the yard, where a stubborn invasive species refuses to yield after a year of battle.
Showing the Flag

Fourth of July musings on symbols, patriotism, and identity 3
Posted 5 months ago
As Ken Ward and his family march forth with their greenovation project at the JP Green House, they make sure the U.S. flag is part of their plans. No kneejerk patriotism, this display is an effort to reclaim the sort of unity needed to face the climate-addled future ahead.
Radiant Cities: LEEDwashing

Are developers making mis-LEED-ing claims? 8
Posted 5 months ago
It seems more and more buildings boast LEED credentials these days -- but are they legit? Find out where and why the best known green-building certification term in the land is being excessively bandied about.
Size does matter

Starbucks brews global green-building plan, renovates Seattle shop 3
Posted 5 months ago
Stroll into the newly renovated Starbucks coffeehouse in Seattle's University Village and the décor may feel more familiar than you'd expect. It's part of an effort to create a shared sense of community while reducing impact on the planet -- all by sourcing materials locally.
Sexy Retrofits

Sears Tower to get eco-overhaul — again? Plus: new name! 0
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
The tallest building in North America is about to take a giant step forward in energy efficiency, water conservation, and green PR.
Sunday on Bourne Street

Getting to know the neighborhood — through its trash 0
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
What do the contents of curbside trash bins say about a place's past, its present, its future? Plenty -- you just have to know where (and how) to look.
Radiant Cities: Driving It Home

One man’s plan to re-create suburbia, sans cars 1
Posted 5 months, 1 week ago
If Sherman Lewis has his way, he and 950 other homeowners will soon be living in a car-free California paradise. But can he shift his vision into high gear, or will it stall out?
Recycling a House

How we found 133 Bourne St., and how we almost lost it 3
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Andrée Zaleska explains how she and Ken Ward bought the JP Green House just as the real-estate bubble was bursting, how their own bubble burst not long after, and how they got back on their feet.
Welcome to the JP Green House

In which we chronicle the creation of a groundbreaking eco-home 5
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
When the JP Green House is finished, it will be an eco-home like no other -- but there's a long way to go before that happens. Follow the adventures of Grist contributor Ken Ward and his family this summer, as they work to make their zero-carbon dream a reality.
Love in a time of cataclysm

Fighting climate chaos with a hammer and a heart 4
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Activist Ken Ward finds that his emotional responses to the climate crisis vary wildly, from despair to hope to anger. But one feeling remains constant: his love for partner Andrée and their JP Green House undertaking. He explains -- and invites others to share their experiences.
Ray (and Shaun and Lisa) of Hope

Feds get cozy for sustainable communities 3
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago
A new partnership will promote affordable housing, public transit, and walkable neighborhoods. Pinch us, we're dreaming.
Radiant Cities: Post-Fab

Recession redirects a green-building pioneer 0
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Just a few years back, Michelle Kaufman was hailed as a shining star in the green building firmament. Now she's shuttering her studio. What will she do next?
Pizza party!

How to turn your backyard into the best pizzeria in town 7
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Want to improve on a warm summer evening outside? Throw an outdoor pizza party.
Part I (of 100) in the Big Levers to Solve Climate Series

Three crucial steps to fixing climate change in cities 1
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago
If we're going to reduce the carbon footprint of big cities, we'll need to tackle all sorts of problems, from transportation to building codes. I have a few ideas where cities can start, but I need your help compiling a more comprehensive list.
Building green is not rocket science 0
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago
Sexy Retrofits: Catch-Up Edition

Yeah, that’s right, I’ve been to boot camp 2
Posted 6 months ago
With federal money flowing and high-profile peeps taking up the cause, cities are getting serious about trimming their waste-lines through retrofits.
John Muir, Green Building Consultant

With green home venture, Sierra Club mixes profits with passion 4
Posted 6 months ago
One of the nation's oldest and most-respected environmental organizations has launched a for-profit online venture as a one-stop shop for information and services to green up your lifestyle and decarbonize your home.