94-unit apartment building planned on Northwest Lovejoy

Posted on May 29, 2011 by admin

Developer C.E. John Co. is planning a 94-unit mixed-use apartment building at 2234 N.W. Lovejoy St. The long-vacant property has been owned by the family since 2004, and “the time is right” to start developing it, said Tom Dichera, vice president of development with the company.

“We’re working on a number of mixed-use projects in an effort to diversify our portfolio of properties,” Dichera said.

C.E. John has historically been a developer of large retail properties and shopping centers, such as Cedar Hills Crossing in Beaverton. Dichera said the company plans to build into a strong demand for rental housing with new investment in neighborhood locations. The buildings will still have retail, but also include multifamily housing.

Dichera said the Lovejoy property is one of a “handful” of multifamily projects the firm is working on. He could not discuss others publicly, but said the Lovejoy property will be among the largest, at six stories and 110,000 square feet. On-site parking for 67 vehicles is also planned.

C.E. John Co. and SERA Architects have a pre-application conference on the project planned for next week, on May 31.

Source DJC Oregon

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Energy Performance Score

Posted on May 27, 2011 by admin

How does a home receive an EPS?

A home's EPS is based on many factors, such as the home's size, level of insulation, air leakage, heating and cooling systems, major appliances, lighting and water heating:

  • Improved insulation and windows—Properly installed insulation and high-performance windows help keep heat inside during winter and outside during summer.
  • Well sealed house and ducts—A house with tight construction and ducts reduces air exchange between the house, crawl space and attic. This reduces drafts and energy use, while improving indoor air quality.
  • Efficient appliances and lighting—ENERGY STAR® certified appliances use up to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models. Compact fluorescent lighting uses up to 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent lighting.
  • Heating, cooling and ventilation—Efficient equipment, when properly installed, provides better heating, cooling and ventilation for lower energy bills, enhanced comfort and improved indoor air quality.
  • On-site energy generation—Solar panels use the sun to heat your water or convert its rays into electricity to help meet your energy needs, reducing the amount of energy you buy from your utility.

Builders voluntarily work with us to receive our third-party assessment of their home's features and construction techniques, which determines the EPS for the home. 
Learn more @ Energy Trust

 

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$$$ for Commercial Real Estate Starts Flowing

Posted on May 26, 2011 by admin

Numerous indications over the past few weeks point to an easing of investment capital for real estate deals. Life insurers have become more active lenders; new CMBS offerings are hitting the street; syndicators are starting to assemble new CDO offerings; and bank loan officers are reporting the first easing of lending standards in years.

The ongoing recovery of the capital markets is being aided by an improving U.S. economic recovery. Employment appears to have entered a period of consistently stronger growth, manufacturing output is expanding robustly, and business confidence is up. Corporate profits continue to be a core source of strength for the U.S. economy and corporations are spending more on new technology and new hires, which should reinforce employment growth and bolster consumer confidence, according to Jones Lang LaSalle.

"From nearly every capital segment there are more active participants and the competitiveness among lenders has intensified markedly over the last few quarters," said Tom Fish, executive managing director and co-head of Jones Lang LaSalle's Real Estate Investment Banking team. "The CMBS market has re-emerged and is once again considered a viable component of the market."

Though commercial real estate lending is still down 75% from peak levels, it has rebounded in the past 12 months. It was up 88% in the first quarter of 2011 from the first quarter of 2010, according to CoStar Group. Read more

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Prefab Dwellings

Posted on May 25, 2011 by admin

STILLWATER DWELLINGS ARE AFFORDABLE TO OWN AND OPERATE

We build our homes with some of the most efficient systems and building components available. A more eficient home means lower gas and electricity bills, less water consumption and less maintenance & repair of the home.

Passive Heating & Cooling
We design our homes with features that provide protection from the sun in the summer months when you need to keep cool. We strategically locate operable windows and skylights to create �??stack-effect�?? cooling when possible and capture the natural (and �??free�??) cooling breezes. In the Winter, our extensive use of glass and insulation allows you to capture as much solar heat as possible, while keeping valuable heat inside your home.

Efficient Building Enclosure
We over-insulate all of the exterior walls, ground floor, and roof areas to minimize the need for mechanical heating & cooling. We use double paned, argon gas filled windows with a low-e coating to help self-regulate the interior of the home.

EnergyStar Appliances
We use appliances certified under the EnergyStar program, which means they use 10-50% less energy, water, and gas than standard models.

High-efficiency Lighting
We use the most efficient lighting fixtures and bulbs: compact fluorescent lights (CFL�??s) and dimmable halogen and incandescent bulbs to greatly reduce electricity costs and lower the cost of operating your home

Efficient Active Heating & Cooling
We use state-of-the-art forced air and hydronic heating systems. Our hydronic systems utilize the same hot water heater as the domestic hot water heater, meaning that water only needs to be heated once.

Learn more @ Stillwater Dwellings

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LED Bulbs

Posted on May 25, 2011 by admin

Manufacturers show off new high-wattage bulbs, but high cost means hoarding of traditional ones likely to continue

Two leading makers of lighting products are showcasing LED bulbs that are bright enough to replace energy-guzzling 100-watt light bulbs set to disappear from stores in January.

Their demonstrations at the LightFair trade show in Philadelphia this week mean that brighter LED bulbs will likely go on sale next year, but after a government ban takes effect.

The new bulbs will also be expensive — about $50 each — so the development may not prevent consumers from hoarding traditional bulbs.

The technology in traditional "incandescent" bulbs is more than a century old. Such bulbs waste most of the electricity that feeds them, turning it into heat. The 100-watt bulb, in particular, produces so much heat that it's used in Hasbro's Easy-Bake Oven.

To encourage energy efficiency, Congress passed a law in 2007 mandating that bulbs producing 100 watts worth of light meet certain efficiency goals, starting in 2012. Conventional light bulbs don't meet those goals, so the law will prohibit making or importing them. The same rule will start apply to remaining bulbs 40 watts and above in 2014. Since January, California has already banned stores from restocking 100-watt incandescent bulbs. Read more

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Plate & Pitchfork

Posted on May 24, 2011 by admin

Farm Dinner Schedule Summer 2011

It started eight years ago with a simple idea — a meal that celebrated the amazing food grown in our own backyard. It has evolved into a summer celebration. A gathering that reinforces the connection between the farm and the food on your plate.

Behind this simple idea is a powerful message. A couple actually. We're committed to increasing your awareness of the multiple benefits of eating local foods – social, environmental, health, economic, gastronomic. As preachy as that might sound, we're not here to give you a lecture. We just want you to know your options when you're purchasing food. And we want you to remember what it feels like to have the juice from a freshly picked peach trickle down your chin.

Plate & Pitchfork is an adventurous evening that celebrates and supports local farms. In fact every Plate & Pitchfork dinner begins with a farm tour. We want to make sure that you have a chance to meet your farmer and get to know a little bit about them and how they run their business. Our host farms range from 10 to 110 acres and their business models and produce are varied, but they all have one thing in common and that's a commitment to using sustainable farming and business practices.

 

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EWG Releases Must-Read Sunscreen Buying Guide for 2011

Posted on May 24, 2011 by admin

When it comes to comes to buying safe and effective sunscreen, your chances are 1 in 5. Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group's 2011 Sunscreen Guide can help.

Having surveyed more than 1,700 sun care products, they offer a complete guide to finding the best option for you, whether you're looking for lip balm with SPF or the standard beach and sport sunscreen.

With no federal regulation by the Food and Drug Administration, ingredients that put people at rick for endocrine disruption and expedited skin tumor developments are still being found in products. "Without firm guidelines consumers only have a 1 in 5 chance of picking a safe and effective sunscreen from store shelves," according to EWG senior analyst Sonya Lunder.

This year, EWG has released their most comprehensive sunscreen guide to date. Researches have identified the best beach and sport sunscreens, the best lip balms with SPF, the best moisturizers with SPF, and the best makeup with SPF.

When choosing a sunscreen, the guide advises to steer clear of oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate (sometimes listed as vitamin A), choosing creams over sprays, and for sun protection, try wearing sunglasses, hats, and protective clothing.

Need some sunscreen buying tips? Want to look up your favorite sunscreen? Head over to EWG's 2011 Sunscreen Guide now.

Courtesy of Treehugger

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Welcome Sweet Spring…

Posted on May 24, 2011 by admin

The first quarter of 2011 ended with decent home sales activity. Existing homes sold at a 5.1 million unit annualized pace after accounting for seasonal factors. That pace – if sustained – would beat last year’s total sales of 4.9 million units. Actually, first quarter sales may have been even better had the snow storms not been as heavy in the Midwest and Northeast regions; unfortunately, both regions suffered six percent declines from the same quarter of 2010. At the same time, the South and West regions experienced year-over-year gains in the first quarter: resales were up by three percent in the South and two percent in the West from the first quarter of 2010.

Additional happy spring tidings were the recent pending contracts report. Pending home sales for March imply a modestly better figure in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. The third and fourth quarters of this year will surely look better than last year’s slump over the same period because of the expiration of home buyer tax credit. We may even see contract signings top those in the first half of this year – provided jobs continue to be added to the economy. All that points to a near-certain prediction that the annual home-sales tally for 2011 will be better than for 2010. Indeed, our baseline projection is for an eight percent gain in existing-home sales – for a 2011 annual total of 5.3 million units.  Aside from jobs, which are anticipated to rise by 1.8 million in 2011, there are several additional reasons to be optimistic.   Read more

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Hotel Modera’s Green Wall in Downtown PDX

Posted on May 23, 2011 by admin

Green Wall by GSky Plant Systems

Hotel Modera is located in the heart of downtown Portland. The wall is the main feature at the entrance of the hotel. Situated in front of a landscaped area in the front of the hotel, there is a fire pit and sitting area at the entrance for guests to enjoy in front of the Green Wall. The purpose of the Green Wall was to illustrate the hotel’s commitment to sustainability.

The wall was installed in a single installation, with the irrigation system having been incorporated into the building by the plumber prior. The installation took 8 days in total, giving time inbetween mounting the frames for another trade to mount core 10 steel pieces throughout the wall and then proceeding with the irrigation drip line and panel installation.

Plants:  Gaulteria procumbens, Euonymus japonicus Microphyllus, Vaccinium ovatum, Frageria vesca, Vinca minor, Dryopteris expansa, Polypodium glycrrhiza, Polygonatum orderatum Druce, Ophiopogon japonicus Nanus

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Sustainable Prison Project

Posted on May 17, 2011 by admin

Connecting Prisons with Nature from Benjamin Drummond / Sara Steele on Vimeo.

Doing good while doing time – that’s our mantra. At the Sustainable Prisons Project, we encourage everyone in our community, including incarcerated men and women, to become stewards of the planet. Toward that end, our activities focus on three areas:

SUSTAINABLE OPERATION OF PRISONS
We help correctional staff develop cost-effective, environmentally sound practices for operating prisons and engage offenders with direct responsibility for these activities where security is in place. Activities include recycling, composting, organic gardening and rehabilitating troubled dogs.

GREEN-COLLAR EDUCATION AND TRAINING
We inspire and train inmates and correctional staff through programs designed to improve prison sustainability and connect participants to the larger world of science and conservation. Our instructors range from biologists and farmers to business entrepreneurs and green energy experts.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION
With support from visiting scientists, we carry out ecological research and conservation projects involving inmates, college students and community partners. Current projects include rearing endangered frogs, propagating native prairie plants and a beekeeping training program.  Lean more

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