At Feldman Architecture, we have been fortunate to have clients coming the project kick-off meeting with a list of ‘green goals’ in mind. Today, with so much being published about sustainable design, the ideas that green design can be beautifully integrated into a project and promote technologies that help rather than harm the environment are [...]

The 1987 United Nations report “Our Common Future,” defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Since then the design community has debated the meanings and applicability of sustainability and corollary terms such as sustainable design, green architecture and [...]

Did you ever wonder how a ski resort can call itself sustainable? Auden Schendler, the Vice President of Sustainability at Aspen Resorts, has to answer this question often. In his book, Getting Green Done, he uses his answer as a foothold for a much larger question: how do we tackle the issue of climate change?

The recent past is full of paradigms that are obsolete, including the idea that residential photovoltaic solar arrays are extremely expensive systems to purchase install, and maintain. Gone are the days when the photovoltaic array had a lower return on investment than a thermal hot water system. The concept of a “payback period”? That is [...]

Conceived by architect Milos Milivojevic for a public park in Serbia, this tree-like park folly cleverly supports a solar panel canopy with its sculptural trunk and branches.

This post was originally published at Dwell.com and has been reprinted with permission. By Addie Broyles Bill Reed helped develop the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, but at a panel during the South by Southwest Eco conference, he explains why it’s time to move on. “LEED is a great starting point. It’s the reason we’re able to [...]

If you’re looking to light up your home with a pendant, consider choosing an LED. You save in the long run while keeping it elegant! This dining room is beautifully lit with the Moooi Raimond mimicking the city lights in the background. A centerpiece like this will surely make your home feel more complete, while [...]

For many older homes built before the advent of hot water recirculation systems, lag times while we wait for hot water to come out of a faucet is something many of us deal with in our homes every day.  This not only wastes our time, but it also wastes energy and a lot of water, [...]

In 2007, Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders worked out of a loft-like industrial space in the Mission that lacked sufficient air flow on the handful of warm San Francisco days.  During those San Francisco “heat waves,” we had to haul out 6’ tall industrial fans in a feeble attempt to move the air. With the fans howling, [...]

Most households in the U.S. use natural gas to heat water. Other fuel types include electricity, propane, and heating oil. A typical gas storage water heater has an Energy Factor (efficiency rating) of about 0.6, while a typical electric storage water heater will be rated about 0.9. Based on these Energy Factors it would seem [...]