You’re a food checker – and not the kind in the store. Peeking in on baking goods is a great way to allow perfectly good energy to escape. In fact the NRDC notes that opening the oven door to look at cooking food can waste as much as 25% of the heat inside an oven. That’s a lot and it adds up. Don’t peek, instead use the oven light. If you don’t have on, open the door very rarely.

You always preheat and cook until the timer says stop. Unless I’m making baked goods I rarely preheat. Most ovens heat super speed nowadays so preheating is wasted energy in my opinion. I usually put the food in, cook, then turn the oven off about 5-10 minutes early. If you leave the door shut your food will continue to cook.

You’re a clean freak. Cleaning your oven is smart, because clean appliances run better. However, if you’re so clean-minded that you cover your oven racks with foil you’re one, wasting foil and two food doesn’t cook as fast when heat is blocked by foil. Ovens are easy to clean without chemicals even if you skip the foil. Simply sprinkle a little salt on a hot oven spill, let it cool, then wipe it up with a wet cloth.

You cook one little thing. One potato to bake is no reason to turn on an oven. A microwave or toaster oven is a better bet for single items when it comes to energy savings.

Your gaskets are too loose. Gaskets are located between the panels on the oven door (or on the frame). If you can feel heat escaping from the oven door then you need to tighten or replace your gaskets. This is a DIY project BUT make sure you unplug the oven before fixing them.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Reduce oven energy loss

In case you’re thinking that 600,000 lbs of recycled junk is good for not much more than saving our landfills, the house above is a great example of an alternative. This 3,400sf house is made, in part, of steel and concrete discarded from Boston’s Big Dig and saved 600,000 lbs of salvaged materials from being trashed. Not only did this project turn one one amazingly bling house, but the home demonstrates a huge untapped resource for deconstructed buildings and other infrastructures. This is a great way to save money and go green at the same time.

To learn more visit Inhabitat – they’ve got the whole scoop on this green home, the architects and theory behind it, plus an amazing image gallery. If recycled building sounds like it’s right up your alley, visit the following links to learn more. Who knows, maybe you’ll have the next amazing recycled home!

• Maison IDEKIT Container Home
• Reclaimed & Salvaged Home Building Material Use
• 11 Recycled Homes
• The Ultimate in Recycled Homes

[image via SINGLE speed DESIGN]

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600,000 lbs of recycled materials = a…

The show looks at, “Looks at how modern homes are being designed and built to meet the needs of rapidly changing contemporary lifestyles.”

You can watch videos at the site about….

Lighthouse, the first net zero carbon house in the UK.

The amazing Emilio Ambasz designed CASA de RETIRO ESPIRITUAL

And more…

Many homes to see – all are beautiful and unique. Check out Ultimate House.

[images via Ultimate House]

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Building the Ultimate House Videos

This is not a commercial structure below though, it’s a really nice sustainable house, or more a compound I should say.

The Dar Residence has so many amazing features:

• The compound is split into 2 shifted bars, a studio building and main living space.
• The home looks large, but it’s just 1600 sq ft.
• The curved roof has daylight solar gain, and the house also supports passive solar gains, via a combined solar domestic hot water and space heating system fed by an array of evacuated tube collectors.
• Natural, durable materials—PISE (sprayed earth-cement), reclaimed redwood boards, and copper roofing were used as well as an extensive use of owner-found salvaged materials.

See more images including some very nice interior shots.

[images via Arkin Tilt Architects]

Post from: Blisstree

Best Green Home of the Week

[image via Highland Craftsmen]

I recently got the book, Bark House Style: Sustainable Designs from Nature from the library, and it got me thinking a lot about bark in design. I used to think of bark design as more just a rustic beach house look, but this book was cool; it shows a lot of different ways in which bark can be used for home design; from rustic to contemporary. I also didn’t know how sustainable bark could be. Of course there are ways it might be unsustainable, but if you work with a decent company, you could have a home outfitted in sustainable bark.

For example, Highland Craftsmen Inc., notes…

“We are a “green” building company, and proud members of the US Green Building. Through the Arbor Day Foundation, we plant a tree for every job done. Many of our Bark House materials and products use zero water and very little energy in their manufacturing process.  By 2010, we will use water exclusively from rainwater catchment systems. If glues or sealers are needed, we educate clients about quality green products to use.  HC offers FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) products as well.”

Versatility of bark in home structures:

Something I picked up from the book and Highland Craftsmen website is that bark is way more than shingles. The HC website explains it as, “Bark House materials are characterized by their natural, un-milled and unprocessed state. Although usually left bark intact, the bark may also be removed. Being unprocessed does not mean they are not precise. On the contrary, the dimensional variances as well as the specific recommended uses for the materials took years of research and development to establish. Materials include twigs, logs, poles, massive wooden slabs, sheets of bark that are un-laminated and stumps with stems.”

You can see lots of bark design options in this gallery.

My favorite part of this book was the bark house history chapter. There are some truly beautiful old house images shown, and some great stories about builders of the past who utilized bark as a structure material. Part of the history chapter covers the the lovely six story Oregon Caves Chateau located at the Oregon Caves National Monument. I’ve been there, and the Chateau is an amazing example of an old school bark structure; made from peeled Douglas Fir logs. Below is an old image of the Chateau…

[image via Oregon Caves Chateau - see more historic images]

If you’re interested in bark; or not, but think you could be, I highly suggest reading Bark House Style: Sustainable Designs from Nature. It’s chock full of beautiful images partnered with info you can use; either to simply learn more, or to make decisions about building your own bark style house. I was never that into bark, and only picked this book up on a whim, but I’d give it an A.

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Sustainable Bark House Style

I keep thinking, if you happen to be a skateboarder, this might be the roof for you. Don’t you think? This home, off the southeast coast of Tasmania, was designed by the very hip 1 + 2 Architecture. According to Dwell, this home’s roof is actually making use of solar panels – slanted to absorb the best of the sunshine. Rain water collection, small size, bath and kitchen waste reuse (in the garden), and native landscaping are some of this home’s green perks. Of course, it’s a beautiful home to boot.

See some amazing daylight shots of this home and read lots more about the design process at Dwell.

Disclaimer: Offbeat Homes and blogger Jennifer; the entire b5media network in fact, does not actually endorse skateboarding off your roof. While super fly cool, plus impressive to friends, this could be dangerous and you’d be doing it at your own risk. On the flip side, if you do attempt silly stunts like this, Offbeat would love to see some pics.

House seen via Dwell.

[image via 1 + 2 Architecture]

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The Perfect Roof for Skateboarding Folks

This first off grid lake house is what love looks like in structural form. Truly. I swear, if this house had four fewer bedrooms and baths, I’d be moving to Wisconsin – tomorrow. And please note that my ex in-laws even live in Wisconsin, so for me to want this, it must be love, or something like it.

[New Auburn, Wisconsin]

It appears that I could also be happy in Ontario. How cute is this strawbale?!

[Baysville, Ontario]

First a short whine… why have a beautiful quirky off grid earthship with this fence? Why? Moving on, this home is lovely, just so lovely. I’d yank out the fence, but other than that… it’s just great.

Ok, I have to show an interior to make up for the fence – look at this great house on the inside.

[Ridgway, Colorado]

I have to stop here. Too much green home bliss and my head will explode. If you want more I’d check out Green Homes for Sale. You can see more houses plus the interior and land shots of the ones above. The cons are that some people built “green” McMansions (like 2000 ft plus) and they’re on there for sale too – but there are also plenty of delightful greener finds. Also, big perk, since it’s a real estate site, I’m thinking (hoping) that it changes frequently.

Which do you like best? I like the first one. I know the Wisconsin one is big, but it is a B&B and I can’t help myself.  It’s just sinfully sweet.

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My New Favorite Real Estate Website!

[via Inhabitat]

According to Inhabitat, where I saw this gem, it has “smog-eating” photo-catalytic concrete

Sometimes I think my taste in homes, which used to run hippie rustic, are changing. Sometimes I think, “dang, do I really like mod style oh so much now.”  It is a problem. I will eventually build another house. What exactly do you think I’ll build? Some straw bale / mod / orange / tree house with a view deal? Geez.

In any case while I work out the finer details of my thought process, you should head over to Inhabitat – they’ve got an amazing photo gallery, and all the little details of this fine house.

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A Fresh Smog Eating House

Earthship Biotecture is a company in Taos, NM. They specialize in, what else, earthships. We’re going to look at them, because one they contacted me; plus, while I don’t have personal experience with them, I heard great things about them when I lived in New Mexico. Their complete company description is, “A global company offering proven, totally sustainable designs, construction drawings & details, products, educational materials, lectures / presentations, consultation & guidance toward getting people in sustainable housing.”

In case you need a quick primer on earthships, here’s Earthship Biotecture’s definition:

“Earthship: passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials 2. thermal mass construction for temperature stabilization. 3. renewable energy & integrated water systems make the Earthship an off-grid home with little to no utility bills.

Biotecture: the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their sustainability. 2. A combination of biology and architecture.”

I’ll show you some of this company’s work and then later do one more post with some other earthships. Not only does Earthship Biotecture build structures they offer educational workshops. This is one way to get your own earthship built more quickly; obviously it gives you a heads up on how to complete a project better. I know people who have gone it alone and people who have built with workshops, (both straw bale and glass heavy earthships) and the folks who have gone through a workshop always seem to do better.

These seminars / educational workshops the team stages a demonstration room for local builder replication, that also provides the fundamentals of the concepts behind earthship structures.

This is from the Phoenix Earthship.

The next three photos are from Earthship Biotecture’s recent Nicaragua Earthship Demo, and are good examples of an earthship in process – lots of nice old tires and glass – about to become a new structure!

Besides consulting and demonstrations you can check out Earthship Biotecture for:

Earthship rentals – get the feeling for life in one, before you build. Or you know, just get away. Taos is a great place to get away to, if you’ve never been.

Learn about earthships function – i.e where you can get water and electricity.

Find earthship books and videos.

Plus you can take a look at all their great photos of demonstrations – really slick building processes. Most with dozens of photos.

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Earthship Biotecture