Blog Posts By Month: December, 2009
Follow the link to a local writer's take on green roofs and carbon footprints:
Cooling the Asphalt Jungle
As green roofs proliferate to cool and cheer cityscapes, might they also suck up and store some of the carbon urban life pumps out?
Cooling the Asphalt Jungle
As green roofs proliferate to cool and cheer cityscapes, might they also suck up and store some of the carbon urban life pumps out?
Business activity is picking up! Inquiries are going from mere curiosity to serious needs for information and proposals.
We are installing a green roof this week and very likely installing another the following week. We also planted the edible wall for Pizzeria Mozza and got confirmation of a small living wall for a resident in La Jolla. Plus we have several green roof projects on the boards and even more as future possibilities.
And now that it is raining, inquiries and RFP's for rainwater harvesting systems are arriving daily.
Plus, core business, plantscaping, is expanding. We did a really nice installation at a local non-profit this week and a couple more are coming up soon.
Knock on wood, business is good!
We are installing a green roof this week and very likely installing another the following week. We also planted the edible wall for Pizzeria Mozza and got confirmation of a small living wall for a resident in La Jolla. Plus we have several green roof projects on the boards and even more as future possibilities.
And now that it is raining, inquiries and RFP's for rainwater harvesting systems are arriving daily.
Plus, core business, plantscaping, is expanding. We did a really nice installation at a local non-profit this week and a couple more are coming up soon.
Knock on wood, business is good!
During the past several years, the word "green" has taken on new meaning and usage as it has quickly entered the business vernacular in its many forms.What was once strictly an adjective has quickly evolved into a noun and verb as we use green to describe everything from household products to office buildings to the process of becoming more environmentally responsible.
What does it mean to design and operate a business in the era of green?
Recently, executives from the real estate, legal, technology and design services industries recently joined together for "The Green Symposium; Your office in the Era of Green." The event was hosted by Howard Ecker Company and panelists from Gensler, Workplace2go, Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck, LLP and Ecker Green headed up a focused discussion on new ways to think about locating, planning and tech-ing, and living in office environments in the era of green.
The key takeaways from the discussion:
1. The time is now for companies to start thinking about sustainable practices. It isn't something we are going to see coming in the future. It is already happening.
2. Businesses that align their practices with core values, such as sustainability, are often better positioned to recruit and retain employees. 58 percent of people working in office environments are under the age of 44 (bureau of labor statistics), placing them in the Millennial and Gen X demographic categories. A business's sustainability practices are increasingly important to people within this age group.
3. Energy aware real estate strategies, space selection and efficient design can cut energy costs and increase work productivity and employee retention.
4. Reducing total energy use by 40 percent (average Energy Star Building reduction) would net savings of $1 a day per employee.
5. While LEED-certified buildings are designed to perform based on a set of prescriptive data, it's how you live and occupy the space after the building is built that will ultimately decide the buildings performance. How you live and occupy your space also defines and demonstrates your commitment to the environment and the health of your organization.
6. Computers are proliferating and it appears growth will continue to be exponential. Computers use a great deal of power and disposal is a big problem. Server consolidation or cloud computing will reduce a company's carbon footprint and save a lot of money.
7. Employees are often looking for a better work/life balance and telecommuting accomplishes this objective and at the same time improves productivity and the bottom line.
8. Avoid seeking the elusive environmental "silver bullet." It doesn't exist. It's essential to look out for opportunities to use less. If an asset doesn't improve customer service or productivity, get rid of it.
9. Design performance is all about beginning to research strategies on how to measure from four primary drivers: emotional, cultural, economic and environmental. The most important thing to do is to develop an understanding of space utilization and design accordingly.
10. The regulatory environment surrounding green building will change drastically in the next year or two, from a market-driven, locally-regulated environment, to a mandated, federally-regulated one.
11. Cities and counties, armed with federal funding and resources, are adopting climate change plans and regulations and are not waiting for federal direction, but are moving forward with a wide variety of programs and regulations.
12. Developers and building owners who are considering green construction practices or retrofit projects now will be ahead of this regulatory curve.
What does it mean to design and operate a business in the era of green?
Recently, executives from the real estate, legal, technology and design services industries recently joined together for "The Green Symposium; Your office in the Era of Green." The event was hosted by Howard Ecker Company and panelists from Gensler, Workplace2go, Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck, LLP and Ecker Green headed up a focused discussion on new ways to think about locating, planning and tech-ing, and living in office environments in the era of green.
The key takeaways from the discussion:
1. The time is now for companies to start thinking about sustainable practices. It isn't something we are going to see coming in the future. It is already happening.
2. Businesses that align their practices with core values, such as sustainability, are often better positioned to recruit and retain employees. 58 percent of people working in office environments are under the age of 44 (bureau of labor statistics), placing them in the Millennial and Gen X demographic categories. A business's sustainability practices are increasingly important to people within this age group.
3. Energy aware real estate strategies, space selection and efficient design can cut energy costs and increase work productivity and employee retention.
4. Reducing total energy use by 40 percent (average Energy Star Building reduction) would net savings of $1 a day per employee.
5. While LEED-certified buildings are designed to perform based on a set of prescriptive data, it's how you live and occupy the space after the building is built that will ultimately decide the buildings performance. How you live and occupy your space also defines and demonstrates your commitment to the environment and the health of your organization.
6. Computers are proliferating and it appears growth will continue to be exponential. Computers use a great deal of power and disposal is a big problem. Server consolidation or cloud computing will reduce a company's carbon footprint and save a lot of money.
7. Employees are often looking for a better work/life balance and telecommuting accomplishes this objective and at the same time improves productivity and the bottom line.
8. Avoid seeking the elusive environmental "silver bullet." It doesn't exist. It's essential to look out for opportunities to use less. If an asset doesn't improve customer service or productivity, get rid of it.
9. Design performance is all about beginning to research strategies on how to measure from four primary drivers: emotional, cultural, economic and environmental. The most important thing to do is to develop an understanding of space utilization and design accordingly.
10. The regulatory environment surrounding green building will change drastically in the next year or two, from a market-driven, locally-regulated environment, to a mandated, federally-regulated one.
11. Cities and counties, armed with federal funding and resources, are adopting climate change plans and regulations and are not waiting for federal direction, but are moving forward with a wide variety of programs and regulations.
12. Developers and building owners who are considering green construction practices or retrofit projects now will be ahead of this regulatory curve.
The herbs waiting ever so patiently to be planted...
Our one and only Danny - planting away!
Some of the units planted and ready to go grow! All media is welcome to visit tomorrow between 10:00 to noon to watch as we finish up the rest!
Our one and only Danny - planting away!
Some of the units planted and ready to go grow! All media is welcome to visit tomorrow between 10:00 to noon to watch as we finish up the rest!
Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton & GreenScaped Buildings Partner on New Hollywood Living Wall
2009-12-08 15:20:19
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2009
Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR
Falcon Valley Group
619-997-2495
GreenScaped Buildings Installing Edible Wall for Iron Chef Mario Batali
Wall for Batali's Pizzeria Mozza now being constructed; will be installed in January
(SAN DIEGO) - The hottest trend in green is sending people up the wall - literally. The latest development in green building technology is green walls, especially edible walls. Like green roofs, green walls are structures that allow plant materials to grow on a building, but have the added benefit of allowing them to grow on vertical spaces indoors or outdoors. Both types of walls grow in "found space," using far less space than typical gardens. Edible walls can be planted with herbs, fruits and vegetables.
Cutting edge chefs and restaurant owners are embracing edible walls, including popular "Iron Chef" Mario Batali. Batali and his partner Nancy Silverton will work with Jim Mumford, San Diego's "green roof guy" to build an edible wall at their Hollywood restaurant, Pizzeria Mozza.
"We've always been leaders in our industry when it comes to sustainability, and a green wall is just the logical next step," said Batali. "We hope to be able to supply our restaurant with some of our own herbs, from our own restaurant's wall! How exciting."
Mumford will build and plant the wall at his Kearny Mesa business, GreenScaped Buildings. It will grow for approximately six weeks before being transported to Batali and Silverton's restaurant and put into place with the plant materials well established.
The wall will be planted with mint, endive, Chinese celery, rosemary, parsley, chicory, sage, and edible geraniums. It will be 72 square feet on an east facing wall near the restaurant entrance.
Over three years ago, Mumford planted the first commercial green roof project in the middle of a Kearny Mesa industrial park. Mumford's original roof planted the seeds for innovations in restorative building, including an explosion of interest in green and edible walls.
Mumford has been growing green walls as part of his living laboratory at GreenScaped Buildings, trying out various methods and products that contribute to low impact development, sustainability and restorative buildings. In addition to the aesthetic benefits of his green roof and walls, they produce increases in biodiversity, cooling buildings and reducing of the urban heat island effect, carbon sequestration, cleaning the air of particulates and adding oxygen.
"I'm now applying my experience with green roofs to the next natural step, green and edible walls," said Mumford. "Green roofs are wonderful but not practical for everyone. Green walls can be built for a fraction of the cost in many more places.
"The victory garden is making a comeback. People keep asking me about growing vegetables on the roof, which is problematic from a labor perspective - you can't easily allow folks on a roof to tend a vegetable garden."
The idea of vertical farming and "victory farms" are not new, but with more densely-built urban areas and an eye on lessening environmental impacts, advocates of urban farming have embraced edible walls as a way to lower food costs, increase nutritional quality and cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions by using fewer delivery trucks. While not all vegetables can be grown on a wall (corn being a good example), with practice and technological advancements the possibilities are endless.
"We can bring an entire farm to found space in the middle of an urban environment," said Mumford. "I'm excited to be working with Mario and to be building this edible wall for his wonderful restaurant. I'm looking forward to my first great meal at Pizzeria Mozza made with ingredients from the new edible wall."
Mumford is also in discussions with a high end La Jolla restaurant about construction of an edible wall, and a prominent San Diego based corporate headquarters about installing an edible interior wall.
For additional information, visit www.greenscapedbuildings.com and www.mariobatali.com/restaurants_pizzeriamozza.cfm
# # #
About GreenScaped Buildings
After more than 30 years of providing award-winning plantscaping service and design to the region as the owner of Good Earth Plant Company, Jim Mumford and GreenScaped Buildings has expanded the focus to include green roofs, living walls, and rainwater harvesting systems. Mumford's passion for low impact development, sustainability and restorative buildings will cultivate a legacy through GreenScaped Buildings for which future generations can be proud.
December 8, 2009
Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR
Falcon Valley Group
619-997-2495
GreenScaped Buildings Installing Edible Wall for Iron Chef Mario Batali
Wall for Batali's Pizzeria Mozza now being constructed; will be installed in January
(SAN DIEGO) - The hottest trend in green is sending people up the wall - literally. The latest development in green building technology is green walls, especially edible walls. Like green roofs, green walls are structures that allow plant materials to grow on a building, but have the added benefit of allowing them to grow on vertical spaces indoors or outdoors. Both types of walls grow in "found space," using far less space than typical gardens. Edible walls can be planted with herbs, fruits and vegetables.
Cutting edge chefs and restaurant owners are embracing edible walls, including popular "Iron Chef" Mario Batali. Batali and his partner Nancy Silverton will work with Jim Mumford, San Diego's "green roof guy" to build an edible wall at their Hollywood restaurant, Pizzeria Mozza.
"We've always been leaders in our industry when it comes to sustainability, and a green wall is just the logical next step," said Batali. "We hope to be able to supply our restaurant with some of our own herbs, from our own restaurant's wall! How exciting."
Mumford will build and plant the wall at his Kearny Mesa business, GreenScaped Buildings. It will grow for approximately six weeks before being transported to Batali and Silverton's restaurant and put into place with the plant materials well established.
The wall will be planted with mint, endive, Chinese celery, rosemary, parsley, chicory, sage, and edible geraniums. It will be 72 square feet on an east facing wall near the restaurant entrance.
Over three years ago, Mumford planted the first commercial green roof project in the middle of a Kearny Mesa industrial park. Mumford's original roof planted the seeds for innovations in restorative building, including an explosion of interest in green and edible walls.
Mumford has been growing green walls as part of his living laboratory at GreenScaped Buildings, trying out various methods and products that contribute to low impact development, sustainability and restorative buildings. In addition to the aesthetic benefits of his green roof and walls, they produce increases in biodiversity, cooling buildings and reducing of the urban heat island effect, carbon sequestration, cleaning the air of particulates and adding oxygen.
"I'm now applying my experience with green roofs to the next natural step, green and edible walls," said Mumford. "Green roofs are wonderful but not practical for everyone. Green walls can be built for a fraction of the cost in many more places.
"The victory garden is making a comeback. People keep asking me about growing vegetables on the roof, which is problematic from a labor perspective - you can't easily allow folks on a roof to tend a vegetable garden."
The idea of vertical farming and "victory farms" are not new, but with more densely-built urban areas and an eye on lessening environmental impacts, advocates of urban farming have embraced edible walls as a way to lower food costs, increase nutritional quality and cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions by using fewer delivery trucks. While not all vegetables can be grown on a wall (corn being a good example), with practice and technological advancements the possibilities are endless.
"We can bring an entire farm to found space in the middle of an urban environment," said Mumford. "I'm excited to be working with Mario and to be building this edible wall for his wonderful restaurant. I'm looking forward to my first great meal at Pizzeria Mozza made with ingredients from the new edible wall."
Mumford is also in discussions with a high end La Jolla restaurant about construction of an edible wall, and a prominent San Diego based corporate headquarters about installing an edible interior wall.
For additional information, visit www.greenscapedbuildings.com and www.mariobatali.com/restaurants_pizzeriamozza.cfm
# # #
About GreenScaped Buildings
After more than 30 years of providing award-winning plantscaping service and design to the region as the owner of Good Earth Plant Company, Jim Mumford and GreenScaped Buildings has expanded the focus to include green roofs, living walls, and rainwater harvesting systems. Mumford's passion for low impact development, sustainability and restorative buildings will cultivate a legacy through GreenScaped Buildings for which future generations can be proud.
Recent posts:
- Living Walls Creates Health and Wellness
- Living Wall at the EIC
- San Diego's Top Influentials Named
- Jim Mumford Named Eco Entrepreneur
- What is Growing at the O'Hare Airport?
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