Here’s an interesting story: a company is hoping to be build a new town in New Mexico. Only thing is, you can’t live there. It’s a ghost town.

The town (currently called the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation) will have all the amenities that a real city would have, including houses and businesses. Everything would be fully functional with utilities. It would even have a mall (not filled with merchandise presumably)!

So why on earth is this town being built? For research of course! Pegasus Global Holdings will use the town to test energy efficient and green home innovations. MSN Real Estate gives an example of what might take place there:

If it all sounds too crazy, here’s a down-to-earth example: Say scientists want to see if a new kind of smart thermostat can make an entire neighborhood more energy-efficient. They could hand out the thermostats to homeowners in Albuquerque and check in on their meters for the next year. But the results would depend on a lot of factors out of the researchers’ control, such as how warm or cool individuals like their rooms to be or the houses’ insulation quality. And if the experimental system doesn’t work, the scientists would have disrupted people’s lives and maybe increased their utility bills.

But nobody would live in the center’s buildings. Computerized systems would mimic human behavior such as turning thermostats up and down, switching lights off and on or flushing toilets, but they would do so under the scientists’ control. A research team could install the thermostats in a block of the center’s two-story suburban houses, then run multiple long-term scenarios, manipulating the imaginary residents’ behavior to see what the energy use is under different circumstances.

Oh, and since there will be researchers and scientists there to run things in the imaginary city, they’ll be staying in facilities underground.

Although building an entire city that no one lives in might seem odd, having this sort of research space might lead to all sorts of discoveries with energy efficiency in the home. What do you think?

Image courtesy of pascalbovet.com on Flickr.

Home prices: ‘Double-dip’ confirmed
CNN Money
“Home prices hit another new low in the first quarter, down 5.1% from a year ago to levels not reached since 2002. It was the third straight quarterly drop for the S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index, which was released Tuesday.”

Hitting below the belt
Daily 5 Remodel
Editor Leah Thayer asks: “All’s fair in business except — well, what is unfair? Describe what constitutes hitting below the belt for you, and your response if this has happened to you.” Interesting discussion unfolds in the comments section.

Net-Zero Does Not Live by Design Alone: The Human Factor
BuildingGreen.com
“If you build it, they will plug. They will plug in drip coffee makers, halogen lamps, personal DVD players, aquariums, space heaters, and maybe even hair dryers. They will leave computers, lights, and printers on all night. How many of them will it take to screw in incandescent light bulbs before we realize that net-zero is not just about design?”

The New Luxury
Marketing Home Products
“A significant finding in recent months concerns the effect the economic downturn has had on the wealthiest Americans and their purchases in the luxury category. Spending by wealthy Americans (those with annual household incomes above $200,000) has returned to pre-recession levels while spending by middle and low income Americans is still low. [...] But the rich aren’t spending their money in the same way they used to. A study by the Harrison Group found that the shopping behaviors of the affluent have become more price conscious. Even though many of these people didn’t lose their home or job during the recession, they saw how others were affected around them and have changed their habits because of it.”

7 radical energy solutions
Scientific American
“The failure rate may be 90 percent, but if any of these exotic technologies succeeds, it could significantly improve energy security and efficiency.”

Are solar panel manufacturing component prices falling fast enough?
Green Beat
“The price of polysilicon, a key component in manufacturing solar panels that capture sunlight and convert it to electricity, fell 5.1 percent to $74.4 per kilogram from $78.19 last month. Still, the decline is smaller than expected and the current prices could hurt profit margins for solar panel manufacturers that rely on crystalline silicon panels.”

How remodelers use LinkedIn
Daily 5 Remodel
“The predominant way remodeling pros use LinkedIn is to increase visibility and search-engine ratings (73.9 percent), followed closely by ‘connect and discuss with my peers’ and ‘be introduced to new prospects and business partners’ (65.2 percent for both), according to a survey of our readers.”

Sub-Zero/Wolf Shares Kitchen Design Trends
Residential Architect
“Kitchen appliance manufacturers Sub-Zero and Wolf have collaborated with three notable designers to identify current kitchen design trends and predict future directions for the space that has become the heart of the home. New York–based interior designer Jamie Drake, Chicago-based kitchen designer Mick De Giulio, and Atlanta-based kitchen designer Matthew Quinn joined together to analyze kitchen designs entered into Sub-Zero and Wolf’s biennial Kitchen Design Contest, track the design trends illustrated therein, as well as through their own practices, and pinpoint potential evolutionary developments that may yield future trends in kitchen design.”

Socially Connected Remodelers
Daily 5 Remodel
Remodeling professionals talk about their experiences with social media.

Can We Build in a Brighter Shade of Green?
New York Times
“A so-called passive home like the one the Landaus are now building is so purposefully designed and built — from its orientation toward the sun and superthick insulation to its algorithmic design and virtually unbroken air envelope — that it requires minimal heating, even in chilly New England. Contrary to some naysayers’ concerns, the Landaus’ timber-frame home will be neither stuffy nor, at 2,000 square feet, oppressively small.”

Product Pros and Cons: Asphalt Roofing vs. Metal
BUILDER
“The roof is arguably the most important surface in a home, perhaps even more essential than the exterior walls. As the most exposed plane, the roof has a mammoth task. It’s under constant assault from the sun and rain, and, if leaky, could result in thousands of dollars worth of direct repair as well as ancillary damage. Still, a roof is one of those things that many consumers don’t think about until there is a blizzard, hail storm, or rainstorm.”

Right-sizing Your Price: How Architects Are Tweaking Fee Structures in a Touch-and-Go Economy
Residential Architect
“To sustain their businesses during what likely will be a long, slow recovery, some firms also are getting creative with their pricing, without cutting too deeply into their profit margins. Call it phase two in the survival of the fittest: When overhead is cut to the bone, the only thing left to flex is the fee.”

Most everyone would agree that green can be an attractive selling point — for some people. But how do homeowners feel about green? There can be a difference in perception between “green” and energy efficient.” Most people will eagerly replace appliances and devices when the cost is not too prohibitive and they know that there are savings to be had. If a low-flow shower head can save on their water bill, what’s not to love?

But there are certain green things that are not necessarily energy efficient. For instance, using reclaimed wood for flooring is certainly green, but will it really save money in the end? And what about less familiar materials? If you were to offer your customer a bamboo sink in a kitchen remodel, would they be intrigued by its many green qualities and overlook the fact that they are getting a wood (or technically, grass) sink? Or would they stay on the safe side and go for stainless steel or cast iron?

In this current housing market, are your customers focused on getting the most bang for their buck or is green a big factor in their decisions? Tell us in the comments!

It became evident to the city staff in spring 2006 that the effectiveness of the emergency services in Alexandria may be compromised by the desired layout and size of the proposed development. The resolution came in the form of the Station at Potomac Yard, a multi-use structure complete with a fire station on the first floor and upper levels consisting of retail space and four stories of residential housing. PYD and the city of Alexandria worked with architect Andy Caldwell and contractor Frank Curtis to create a building that was referenced in the Washington Business Journal as an “outstanding model of sustainable design.” The Station at Potomac Yard boasts 44 long-term affordable rental units and 20 apartments, built to the Atlanta area’s stringent EarthCraft standards for Green Building, while the ground floor was granted LEED certification.

The city’s goal to incorporate sustainable building principles in all facets of the project aligned perfectly with Integrity’s dedication to innovative, energy efficient products and practices. PYD selected 434 Integrity Wood-Ultrex Double Hung windows for their Energy Star performance, further reinforcing the building’s green design. Integrity’s 10 day delivery schedule and commitment to timely information exchange facilitated all communication and the resolution of any difficulties. Unparalleled service, matched with strong relationships in the industry gave this commercial project the opportunity to change and revitalize the Potomac yard community.

Although the fire station was only completed it 2009, its appearance is much more traditional and its architecture transforms the previous regional rail center. The Evergreen finish on the double hung windows flawlessly complements the station’s brick exterior and frames an even greener landscape outside. The fire station looks out to an open recreational area, ideal for socialization and fostering a sense of community. By improving public safety and infrastructure, exhibiting Smart Growth principles and meeting crucial requests for affordable housing, the Station at Potomac Yard stands as an excellent example for future collaborative housing authority projects.

Photos courtesy of Integrity Windows and Doors, Hayman Studio Inc.

Please let us know which sites you find the most informative, and feel free to post any of your favorite blogs or twitter accounts in the comments section!

Twitter Accounts:

NAHB Green –  “The National Green Building Program offers resources & tools to help builders, remodelers, home building associations, and homeowners learn how to build green.”

NAHB Remodelers –  The National Association of Home Builders has its remodeling experts keep you up-to-date on what is new in the remodeling industry.

Green Intel – Christine Costa, Sustainability Practice Leader, tweets on environmental issues. Check out her blogs as well!

Sarah Susanka -  Architect and best-selling author of “The Not So Big House” comments on architectural trends, the homebuilding industry and why bigger isn’t always better.

Blogs:

Construction Informer – This blog, geared toward the construction industry, is an excellent place to find quality information and discussion about building. Topics covered range from products to processes, finance to industry news.

Build Intel – “Marketing experts [with construction/homebuilding industry expertise] share their views on the building industry.”

Matt Rinsigner’s Blog –   Homebuilder Matt Risinger writes a very informative blog with his first-hand experience in the business.

Constructonomics -  “[This] blog covers everything in the architecture, engineering, construction and real estate industry and focuses on economics, leadership, and management. Constructonomics tries to provide readers with valuable and useful content that is also quite fun to read. ”

Ebuilders -   “From flooring to roofing and everything in between, find valuable technical advice and design ideas to ensure your success and boost your pride of ownership.”

The Handy Guys Podcast -  Two avid DIYers share their experiences working around the house. Q&A, tool tests, how-to’s, the works!

The first viewpoint comes from Richard Florida, author of the book “The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity.” In a nutshell, he believes that when the economy recovers, it “will demand cleaner, more efficient ways of living, traveling, working and arranging our communities if we hope to climb out of our hole and catch the next wave of prosperity.”

Smaller homes and better, more efficient public transportation seem to be two of his main viewpoints. And this idea of transforming the way we live is important and valid and may come to pass.

But MinnPost also featured the viewpoint of author Joel Kotkin (“The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050″). His view is that the new green urbanism is a bit of a pipe dream. Partly this has to do with psychology: a large number of Americans will always prefer single family suburban homes to multi-family urban living.

But isn’t the problem of urban sprawl something cities are racing to fix? Kotkin believes that cities will decline in importance. Jobs and services will keep moving outwards to where people live, hopefully cutting down on time spent in the car.

What do you think? Which vision will take hold after the recovery? Will you find yourself building urban mixed-used developments or suburban homes with picket fences? Or will some third building trend drive the recovery?

A blog entry on BUILDER Online posed a provocative question: Can big homes be green? The answer, as with most things, is “it depends.”

As everyone knows, there’s been a shift away from McMansions. Not only can they cost more to build, but they’ll also be more expensive to heat and cool — not to mention the homeowners will need to buy more stuff to fill it up. And yet, would you consider a large LEED-certified house built with the greenest of materials less sustainable than a small house that was built in a less green, energy-efficient way?

How about context? If a family of 10 moves into our fictional large house and needs and uses all the space there, does that make it green? What if it’s just a family of four, and all those bedrooms and dens are sitting empty? Does that make the house less green?

Now, we’re certainly not saying that people shouldn’t be able to live in houses as large as they want. And no doubt, large homes can be a homebuilder’s dream. But what about building smaller, more livable homes using higher quality, more innovative materials?

When do you think a house’s size affects its green-ness? Let us know in the comments!

[photo]

Writer Nigel Maynard surveyed a variety of professionals (LEED architects, sustainable builders, the works) to obtain an accurate prediction about the future of the industry. Furthermore, his article is enhanced by various facts and quotes regarding energy use and new building practices.

In future years, there will be a strong emphasis on the home functioning as a system. This applies to everything from plumbing to insulation; all parts are interconnected and can make a difference in energy and cost savings. Another change on the horizon is regulation of water usage and a strong emphasis on conservation.

Most important, the article discusses the role human behavior will play in these new practices. There is to be a much stronger focus on “educating green” and teaching homeowners how to properly use the sustainable features of their home, garnering greater cost savings and protecting mother earth. There is even a new feedback system available that reports energy usage levels within the home using red, yellow and green lights. “Studies have shown that when people see how much energy they are using, they will alter their behavior.”

Obviously, change is coming. Which of these trends, technologies, products and practices do you think will become most established in the next 10 years?

Image courtesy of Builder Online, Brian Stauffer