Posts Tagged ‘LEED-NC’
Thursday, October 5th, 2006
The Orchard Garden Hotel continues to experience a delayed opening. Yes, the soon to be LEED certified hotel originally scheduled to open in September now has a realistic November on its sights.
The delays didn’t detract from the evening where Mayor Gavin Newsom joked that instead of a ribbon cutting ceremony the evening offered more of a preview. Even, the General Manager Stefan Mühle joked that the crowd should grab paint brushes. Instead they grabbed champagne flutes, wine glasses, and appetizers (especially the sweet gazpacho) and got a mini tour of the five completed rooms.
While most people admired the coziness and sightlines of the rooms and suites, a couple of us focused on the green aspects such as the FSC certified maple wood furniture, low flow water fixtures, Luna Textiles and key card energy system. The rooms offer a clean, spartan yet cozy look. We weren’t exactly thrilled to see Chinese granite bathroom countertops but you can’t have everything green.
Tags: Environment, FSC, Gavin Newsome, Gazpacho, Green Building, Green Hotels, LEED-NC, Luna Textiles, Orchard Garden Hotel
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Environment, Green Building, Materials, Programs and Standards, San Francisco | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 27th, 2006
With the opening pre-sales event of the LEED certified Arterra in San Francisco coming up on Sept. 30th we’re not exactly convinced that perspective buyers are placing their deposits because of the LEED certification or even the whole “Green Lifestyle” that the Arterra continues to promote.
Apparently, the sales office has pre-sales reservations booked for Saturday, Sunday and into Monday. That means green building gets a boost. Always good. But we have a sneaking suspicion (plus someone at the office told us) that the real green draw is the price point. A one-bedroom Mission Bay condo (without parking) for about $515,000 continues to draw buyers to this project like reality to television.
But who are we to judge why someone buys green? People who buy a piece of the Arterra because as Bob Barker says, “The Price is Right” may be doing the right thing for the wrong reason. But at least they are buying green.
Tags: Arterra, Bob Barker, condos, Eco Homes, Green Building, Green Condos, Green Real Estate, LEED-NC, Mission Bay, money, Real Estate, San Francisco, The Price is Right
Posted in Green Building, Lifestyle, Programs and Standards, San Francisco | No Comments »
Monday, September 25th, 2006
Looking for some extra spending money to spruce up your house? Forget digging though the old sofas, just hit up Uncle Sam. If that sprucing up includes removing that nasty, not to mention dangerous, lead-based-paint from rental properties or one that you actually live in then it might be worth downloading and filling out some of the myriad forms on the HUD website.
HUD has made $39 million in funding available as part of their Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program.
Lead exposure can lead to reduced IQ, learning disabilities, reduced height, poorer hearing and a truckload of other health problems associated with children. But don’t dillydally as the closing date for this grant program is October 31, 2006.
Tags: Arterra, Bob Barker, condos, Eco Homes, Green Building, Green Condos, Green Real Estate, LEED-NC, Mission Bay, money, Real Estate, San Francisco, The Price is Right
Posted in health | No Comments »
Thursday, September 21st, 2006
With the Arterra, San Francisco’s first LEED certified San Francisco condos, just about ready to go into pre-sales it’s no surprise that some visitors in the sales office appear from curious to confused.
Some prospective buyers who drifted around the sales office came for the Green factor but others don’t know green from pink. The salesroom doesn’t exactly push the green aspect. Those who don’t have an attention to detail could easily miss the bamboo kitchen floors, and the dual flush toilets. Even so, one green product continually baffles potential buyers – the Trespa rainscreen system. It more than baffles, it disturbs some.
We’re not exactly fans of bedding down in high-end coffins, except maybe during Halloween, so people here should get over their fears of something new. The rainscreen system isn’t exactly the new green kid on the block. Builders have been using this overcladding technology since the 1940’s in Scandinavia. (more…)
Tags: Arterra, Bamboo, Eco Homes, Environment, Gore-tex, Green Building, Green Condos, Green Real Estate, health, LEED-NC, Mold, Mother Nature, Overcladding, Rainscreen, Real Estate, San Francisco, Scandinavia, Trespa
Posted in Green Building, Materials, Products, San Francisco, Technology, Water | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 13th, 2006
We can’t check in yet but we’re already giddy to sleep in one of the 86 rooms in the USA’s first LEED-NC certified hotel. San Francisco’s own Orchard Garden Hotel which represents the first in what will hopefully be a long line of green hotels will open in October. Green Roof Inns anyone?
Originally scheduled to open in July, then September, and now finally October, the hotel construction crew found itself at the mercy of two things that it couldn’t control.
1- The weather. The seemingly endless rain during in March and April caused numerous construction delays. Looks like they should have installed that rooftop garden sooner.
2- Ironically the second delay was due to PG&E permit issues. Funny how a Green Hotel can be delayed by a mega power company. That will teach you to stay attached to the grid. The hotel staff decided not to go with solar panels due to:
a) No space on the roof top to accommodate the panels
b) ROI not worth it – would take close to 30 years!
Fine reasons indeed but watch your PG&E bill.
One final note – The delayed Orchard Garden opening will cause West Coast Green guest speakers to bunk down at a backup option for the end of September conference. A tent in Golden Gate Park anyone?
Tags: Eco Hotels, Environment, Golden Gate Park, Green Building, Green Hotels, LEED-NC, Orchard Garden Hotel, Photovoltaic Panels, San Francisco, Solar panels, West Coast Green
Posted in Business, Green Building, Materials, Programs and Standards, San Francisco | No Comments »
