Archive for June, 2009
Environmentally Friendly Earth Plaster
Sun-News, August 2004
The walls are the largest surface area in a room, yet they are often overlooked in favor of furnishings, accessories, and floor treatments. Walls define the spaces in which we live and work. They play an important role in indoor air quality and are a surface that we naturally look towards as we move through a space. In my experience, once the “right” interior colors are decided upon, there is a sense of self-discovery and emotional well-being for the people living or working in that space. (more…)
Sun & Earth showed one of their homes in Parade of Homes. To view the flyer, click here.
The Extraordinary House That Jim Built
by Jess C. Williams II of the Sun-News, February 1, 1987
It took one man’s special needs, one woman’s special imagination, one family’s determination to pitch in and one craftsman’s ability to translate the plan to reality.
This is the house that Jim built. He built it mostly for Murray. (more…)
For the next issue, I would like to start an article on air conditioning systems that are commonly used in Southern New Mexico. We will begin with a brief explanation of how an evaporative cooler system works, how it can be improved and how it should be operated and the environmental costs of an air refrigeration system in comparison to an evaporative cooling system.
Radiant Floor Overview
Radiant heating systems convert a floor into a large-area, low-temperature radiator. In most modern systems, warm water is circulated through closely spaced plastic tubing that is embedded in the floor slab or attached to the underside of wooden sub-flooring. Under-floor insulation is a critical component. (more…)
A green building is any building that is sited, designed, constructed, operated, and maintained for the health and well-being of the occupants while minimizing impact on the environment.
Post-tensioning is a method of reinforcing (strengthening) concrete or other materials with high-strength steel strands or bars, typically referred to as tendons. Post-tensioning applications are commonly used in office and apartment buildings, parking structures, slabs-on-ground, bridges, sports stadiums, rock and soil anchors, and water-tanks. In many cases, post-tensioning allows construction that would otherwise be impossible due to either site constraints or architectural requirements.
The following is an excerpt from the Western Region Ash Group website: “fly ash is the very small particle mineral residue that results from the burning of powdered coal in utility boilers. The individual particles are very small, like talcum powder, and are carried up and out of the boiler in the flow of exhaust gases leaving the boiler after the coal is consumed. Hence the term “Fly Ash”. (more…)
High solar reflectance and high infrared emittance roofs incur surface temperatures that are only about 3°C (5°F) warmer than the ambient air temperature, while a dark absorptive roof exceeds the ambient air temperature upwards of 40°C (75°F).
Passive Solar Heating
Buildings designed for passive solar heating with natural sunlight to light a building’s interior incorporate large south-facing windows, skylights, and building materials that absorb and slowly release the sun’s heat. Incorporating passive solar designs can reduce heating bills as much as 50 percent. (more…)
