[photo via Treehugger]

I want to build a sustainable home, but I can’t. Do you know whether or not you have the option to build a sustainable home? Everybody is telling us we need to change. Change a light bulb, recycle, use renewable energy. Haven’t you seen the Inconvenient Truth? (I just did, I know that is so 2006) Hell, Al Gore(his architect) didn’t even know he couldn’t place solar panels on his house. You might be ready to change but someone else isn’t ready to let you.

Most of our electricity, in the Omaha area, comes from a nuclear and coal burning power plants. Both of which produce harmful bi-products. The nuclear plant produces waste that will NEVER go away. Whereas the coal burning plant produces C-O-2 which is the main contributor to global warming. So why not produce your own energy? It is the most logical way to lower the demand that the energy companies need to fill. However the tower needed, for the windmill, is not allowed within the city limits. Wind isn’t the only way to produce electricity. How about solar? Solar panels maybe acceptable by the city, but what about covenants? The subdivisions covenants don’t allow solar panels on the roof or in the yard. Covenants are created to protect the financial interest of you and your neighbors.

Even if I lived outside the city limits I would run into limitations. When you produce energy you have to store it until you need it. An option is using batteries. Of course, the negative, are the batteries and storage. You need to have enough batteries that can store and power your needs until you can produce more. In most cases this could mean a dozen batteries or more. Another, and easier option, is to be connected to the grid. When you are connected to the grid, and producing energy, you give back your energy surplus. Then on days you don’t produce enough energy, you take what you need from the grid. There is still one more option, you pay the electric company to “supply” your home with renewable energy. I am complacent to do this because my electric company has ONE windmill, a landfill gas plant, and no solar panels. This doesn’t reassure me of their commitment to renewable energy nor the fact my extra contribution will actually provide me with renewable energy.

A more disturbing fact that hits home for me:

…architects–together with the building industry–are responsible for just about half of America’s energy consumption and half its greenhouse gas emissions…[metropolis magazine]

The best way to reduce this impact is prefabricated, manufactured, or modular homes, because they are built under controls. Controls that guarantee the reduction of waste, efficiency of time, and control costs. Just like the solar panels, manufactured homes are not allowed in most subdivisions. Covenants are created to protect the financial interest of you and your neighbors.

Again, I could build outside the city limits but that will only contribute to Omaha’s growing(sprawl) problem.

If we really want to create or evoke change we need to act locally in order to cause change globally.

Post from: Blisstree

How Sustainable Are You Allowed To Be?

I’m pretty sure this isn’t a real home and was simply photoshopped in. I bet it would have an awesome view, though!

Via | BoreMe

Post from: Blisstree

House Hanging by a String

Ever looked at a double decker bus in London and thought, “Hmm, I wish I could live there?” Well, if you have, now you can thanks to Double Decker Living!

Environmental issues have been at the forefront of our minds during the conception and conversion of these buses. They
are fitted with a solar panel to help lighten the ever growing energy ‘burden’ that we face. Generators and heaters that
the buses are equipped with are of the ‘run quiet’ variety to reduce noise pollution to a negligible level. The WC waste is
rapidly converted to compost and collected on a regular basis, as is the water. Each bus comes with two fold away bicycles
which the occupants will be encouraged to use. Dedicated refuse bins and recycling are also provided and emptied as appropriate.

High Accommodation Standards
Every bus has a communal ‘family’ type area where occupants interact and socialise. Audio and visual facilities
are provided so that quality time together is of whatever nature the residents choose.

The provision of ‘private space’ is also crucial and to this end each bedroom is a comfortable, ventilated and heated
space with its own window to provide light levels far beyond that which most of us experience within a more conventional dwelling.

Safety and Security
The safety of the occupants of the bus is also very important so great care was taken during the design of the bus
conversion to ensure very levels of fire protection including the fitment of interlinked smoke alarms, provision of
extinguishers, and treatment of all soft furnishings. We initiated discussions with the London Fire Service to ensure due diligence and care.

Each occupant has access within their room to a lockable storage area. The buses are fully serviceable from the exterior
which means that only occupants of the buses ever need to enter their residence unless
planned maintenance or repairs are required and agreed.

Each bus is fitted with a Thatcham approved immobiliser/alarm system to maximize security.

Interested? Contact the folk over at DDL! It does look rather cozy.

Post from: Blisstree

Double Decker Living

The Oak Alley Plantation resides in Vacherie, Louisiana, and you may have actually seen it in such movies as Interview with a Vampire, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, Dixie: Changing Habits, The Long Hot Summer, North and South, and/or Primary Colors.

The plantation was built a little over hundred years later in 1837-39 by George Swainey for wealthy Creole sugar cane farmer, Jacques Telesphore Roman III and his wife Josephine Pile. Josephine’s father was a New Orleans architect, who provided the plans for the plantation house and the estate. Jacques called his new plantation home, “Bon Sejour,” (Pleasant Sojourn), but the oaks in the front would give the plantation the name, “Oak Alley.” This is the name which stuck.

These days, the home is open to the public thanks to the Oak Alley Foundation. Public tours are available, and it also serves as a bed and breakfast.

But, as with many historical buildings, tales of eerie manifestations abound. Here are some of the tales you might hear about (or experience!):

A candlestick once flew across the room right in the middle of a group of visitors on a tour led by a hostess.

Staff have heard the sound of crying coming from somewhere within the ‘Big House.’

A maintenance man was working alone in the mansion on a project. He felt a presence keeping him company, and touched him as if to encourage his efforts.

An entity of a slender, young woman with long dark hair – (Thought to be either Josephine Pile Roman or their daughter Louise.)

This entity has been seen throughout the mansion. She has been seen walking up on the widow’s walkway, and hanging out in various rooms. In the master bedroom, a tourist inadvertently caught her image on a picture, much to his surprise! She also rides her horse around the estate grounds.

Jacques Telesphore Roman III

An entity of a man wearing grey clothing and riding boots was seen near the back of the mansion, near the old kitchen by a tour guide.

His face was seen in a mirror in the attic.

The benign entity of Josephine Stewart – (Seems she can’t quite leave her beloved home)

After a private event, the personnel closed the ‘Big House’ for the evening. Imagine their surprise when they noticed the lamp in the lavender room was on, illuminating the room. They then saw a shadowy figure of a woman glide across the room and stopped to look at them from her room lookout.

The apparition of Josephine Stewart has been seen sitting on a bed in her favorite lavender room.

Very creepy.

Creepier, still:

Louisiana Spirits Investigations – Made two visits to Oak Alley with some interesting results. The paranormal activity happened in the attic on both trips.

1st Visit: Shadows were seen on the wall, mists were captured on film, short glimpses of Jacques Telesphore Ramon’s face were seen in the mirror. Some entity grabbed the arm of one investigator hard, shooting an electrical charge through his arm, causing him to drop his camera.

EVPS were recorded. – http://www.laspirits.com/oakalley.html

2nd visit – Again the activity centered in the attic. Bill Murphy, a California film maker came along to record. They recorded some great EVP’s. Also in cottage 4, where some of the crew slept, they got an early morning wake up call by a loud bang in the bathroom. http://www.laspirits.com/oakalleytwo.html

I’m going to go hide under the covers now.

Post from: Blisstree

Haunted Houses: Oak Alley Plantation

Inside Wonder Works you can “let your imagination run wild” with over 100 different exhibits.

Land the Space Shuttle!

Take a seat in the Shuttle Landers. Use your hand and eye coordination to maneuver the controls and land the Discovery Space Shuttle on the airstrip. Feel first hand the challenge and skill needed to make the landing.

Fighter Jets

Discover the freedom of flight as you pilot the F14 and F18 fighter jets across the blue skies. The visual effects of three wide screen television monitors will immerse you into the experience.

Astronaut Space Suit

Explore the life size replicas of an Astronaut Space Suit and Mercury Capsule. For a memorable souvenir, you can take your picture inside these phenomenal pieces of history.

Virtual Sports

Step in front of the blue screen and choose from basketball or soccer. Utilizing the magic of blue screen technology, you become fully immersed in a 3-dimensional world completely generated by a computer.

And well, many, many more. It sounds like an awesome place to take the kids (or yourself, if, like me, you consider yourself a big kid).

More info awaits at the Wonder Works site, so skip on over there.

Post from: Blisstree

Odd Buildings: The Upside Downer

The illusion of a weave is made by windows. Very, very cool.

Post from: Blisstree

Odd Buildings: The Longaberger Building

One of the most talked about buildings in Prague, The Dancing Building (a.k.a. ‘Fred and Ginger’) was designed by Prague-based architect Vlado Milunic and American architect Frank Gehry.

Radio Praha has a great interview with Vlado Milunic where he discusses the process that led to this fascinating building.

Post from: Blisstree

Odd Buildings: The Dancing Building in Prague

Arguably the most bizarre home in Sydney (they say), Loggan Rock was built by an equally bizarre architect named Alexander Stewart Jolly in 1929.

Aside from building bizarre abodes, Jolly was a part-time poet and writer of children’s fiction, whom allegedly cut off his own finger in punishment for his bad drinking habits.

So really, what could you expect from a curious man, but a curious home?

Logan Rock is actually three homes in one, with the oldest part being a log cabin. The second part is actually a tower based off of a Scottish castle. Two bedrooms are located within the tower. The third part of the home, was actually built in the 50s and has nothing to do with Jolly himself. So, it’s not as interesting.

The home’s current owners Regina and Gerry Sutton bought the home for $2.05 back in 2003, and though they love and appreciate the history and originality of their home, they admit that it comes with a few setbacks:

“The cabin, as romantic and special as it is, has no facilities and is exposed to the external world. We share it with a possum family and several other critters that sneak in to party and leave their droppings everywhere.”

Hehe, well yes, droppings are very romantic.

As for the stone tower, only the top storey – housing the Suttons’ bedroom – is habitable. Potential guests are usually shocked when they discover the only access to the second bedroom is via a trapdoor in the master bedroom. “You have to slide on your butt down a steep flight of the carved stone steps,” Sutton laughs, pulling up the trapdoor to the dungeon-like guest quarters. “We don’t have too many people wanting to stay the night.”

I wouldn’t mind! I think trapdoors are cool. Regular doors are overrrated. Of course, how do you move furniture in and out, I wonder?

Via | SMH

Post from: Blisstree

Loggan Rock: The Most Bizarre Home In Sydney

If you’re the type of person who’s always in search of spookie places to stay, here’s one that might appeal to you. Queen’s Hotel in Cape May, NJ is the site of several paranormal manifestations that might give you goosebumps in the night.

This beautiful victorian bed and breakfast was built back in 1876. To the casual observer it was simply a respectable business called Ware’s Pharmacy. Behind the scenes, however, things were a little spicier. Think: gambling and prostitution.

In 1878, however, a huge fire raged through the town and took Ware’s Pharmacy down with it, giving builders a chance to remake the building into a roomier one that could accomodate all “businesses”.

So what’s all this got to do with ghosts?

Well, if you happen to have stayed at Queen’s Hotel at any point, you may be familiar with any of the following creepyness:

• On the third floor, the entity of a young prostitute haunts the rooms.
• The strong aroma of perfume waifs throughout the third floor rooms at times.
• Cold spots are felt by the living.
• Objects and furniture seem to move by themselves.
• Her entity gives little bumps / pushes women as it passes them in the hallways; guests she feels jealous of.
• For chuckles, she also bumps into the beds.

So! If you’re looking to freak yourself (or a loved one out), make sure you land yourself on the third floor. The ghost seems to stick only to that area. Makes sense, since the brothel was restricted to the third floor.

Eeeeerie.

Via | Queen’s Hotel Haunted House

Post from: Blisstree

Haunted Houses: Queen’s Hotel in Cape May, NJ

The conch shell house is the modeling project of architect Eduardo Ocampos, who resides within his offbeat home on the beautiful island of Isla Mujeres (a ferry ride away from gorgeous Cancun, Mexico).

Eduardo’s brother, Octavio Ocampos, lives nearby, though his home is more traditional.

The brothers and their friend, Samuel Barrigan, were responsible for the conch shell house construction, and today, it stands as a testament to creativity, vision, and hard work.

The conch shell theme continues inside the house. For example, some of the windows look like holes that might be found in a real conch shell. On the first floor, there are no corners–it’s completely rounded–and the walls in the home are the same color as the floor.

The mirrors, bathroom accessories, faucets and towel racks were all made by hand. The upstairs bathroom sink is made out of the base of a conch shell. The faucets are made out of coral. The towel racks are made from conch shells and other seashells and items found on the local beach. The adjacent bedroom’s headboard looks like a piece of conch shell that has been cut in two.

I think my favorite part is the bed!

Too cool.

Info & Photos from HGTV

Post from: Blisstree

The Conch Shell House