Down to Earth by Kiel Moe explains how you can trace the materials and energy used in a building back to the source. Moe uses as an example the Seagram Building, an icon of modern architecture, and discusses its energy impact. Reading his essay suggests that bronze may not be the most eco-friendly material to …
That’s a map of Manhattan with “1874” written on it in pencil, so let’s say it’s from 1874. The vast bulk of the population still lived south (left) of Central Park, and some of the streets on the Upper East and Upper West Sides had not yet been opened. This map is worthy of note, …
Yesterday and today were the first snowstorm of the season. It’s something of a relief after last year’s disappointing winter (second-lowest recorded total amount of snow, according to the Times) to see a normal storm. Or, as NOAA calls it: I took the picture above as I was headed home from the office yesterday, maybe …
The saga of the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island has so far run more than 70 years, but has turned towards an ending far better than I would have believed when I was a kid and it was regularly held up as proof that garbage would eat the entire planet. “How the World’s Largest …
I keep harping on the green aspects of building repair and reuse, but it’s always good to see the same idea in a different form. “Lean design: 10 things to do now” by Natasha Watson and published by the Institution of Structural Engineers in the UK is mostly about new construction, but the first two items …
