Full Circle

We are watching a house we designed come out of the ground. It is a rewarding and exciting experience. Each visit reveals something new and unexpected.  As part of the project, we selected a handful trees to mill into lumber, and have just begun that work too. We'll use this material in the house for some doors and furnishings. Count this as a triple win- the owners get some beautiful material that is connecte to their land, we learn many new things about wood and woodworking, and some material get repurposed rather than shipped off somewhere.

Stay tuned as the project unfolds!

Sometimes Green has a Metallic Edge...

A visit to Stratton Metals (900 Brook Road, right near I-95 & Chamberlayne) to recycle some old steel leftover from our studio gave me a sharp perspective on sustainability. This business thrives on our refuse and leaves nothing behind. You bring it, they recycle it. Oh, and the 600 lbs of steel yielded $24 in my pocket, leaving me happy to boot.

The notion of relevant sustainability has been on my mind for some time. Businesses, construction, products that are more than green for green's sake. The key to successful environmentalism lies in making it meaningful and useful and fiscally sound.

Stratton doesn't even consider itself 'green' but sites studies showing recycling centers to me among the most green enterprises, and they are proud of the efficiency of their facility.

Outside of being impressed by the facility, I thought the stuff was cool to look at- here are a few photos from the visit.