Speaking of "demo," the last time my friend was over, the walls in the side entryway were still there. Poof! Now they're gone! It's amazing how quickly things can change. For instance, how I changed from being a full time student at a college in New York City to withdrawing for the semester and buying a house on the east side of Buffalo!
So even though I'm technically not enrolled this semester, I still consider myself an environmental policy major. Of course when I started this project I was really excited to make the materials choices as "green" as possible. Still, knowing what I know about environmental impacts, I am able to tell you virtually nothing about tried and true green materials. I did a little homework, searched through materials lists, and what I've come to realize in my researching is that there are so many options, so many brands! How can you possibly choose just one?
Well, why not try them all? My idea is to create a house that showcases all kinds of materials, all types of heating, insulation, etc. Included in that is a huge commitment to experimentation, creating non-conventional solutions to a greener lifestyle. How can we make a solar hot water system without paying 2000+ dollars? Can we try retrofitting a house and testing the efficiency of different types of insulation? In what ways can we recycle/conserve our water? Is it better to leave the systems you have and increase efficiency, or should you replace it?
All of these questions are the basis of very real experiments that will be conducted in the house over the next year. If you have an interest in this sort of thing or have an idea for a "back of the door" technique for greening a house, please contact me! Perhaps we can experiment with your inspiring ideas!
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