PHOTO COURTESY AIA HAWAII
The winner of the new AIA Hawaii Sustainable Design Award was designed by Nancy Peacock. Termite damage made the original home unsalvageable, so the structure was torn down. A claw-foot bathtub was saved and reused. Peacock said she kept the footprint of the main home and kept the property intact, keeping the rock walls, swimming pool and building around a 100-year-old monkeypod tree.
Joe Black has a two bedroom, one-bath house. The guy next door had the same track house, but built a deck and cottage for the in-laws. Black decided to do him one better and add a Jacuzzi, aviary and second-story.
Architecture Week kicks off with a
call for less waste in building and
powering our communitiesBy Ruby Mata-Viti
rmataviti@starbulletin.comWe're building ourselves to death.
It's not just a matter of trying to keep up with the Joneses, but for most Americans it really is "all about me," and that's the range of foresight.
Collectively, the "me" is a gluttonous group. Images on television and news reports hammer us daily, telling us of the need to conserve, recycle and find alternate uses of energy or suffer the consequences: nothing left for future generations, therefore the demise of civilization.
Yeah, we know, and we hope some other guy will take care of it so we can go about our "me" business as usual. We don't even pay attention to the messages anymore.
Enter "Sustainability and Renewal," this year's theme for the American Institute of Architects Architecture Week, which kicked off yesterday.
"Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations" is what it's all about, said Jim Freeman, president of the Hawaii chapter. He hopes to bring awareness to the forefront because what better group than architects to help lay the foundation for a better future.
PHOTO COURTESY AIA HAWAII
Use of large operable windows, ceiling fans, open space above wall partitions and glass folding walls eliminates the need for air conditioning. Solar collectors provide hot water, and a Grasscrete paved driveway, instead of a standard concrete slab, helps recharge the water table and reduce storm runoff. Rainwater is collected in an under-floor cistern for garden irrigation.
What exactly are sustainability and renewal?
"It's designing things or using things in such a way so that it can be continually used, indefinitely," said John Fullmer of Mason Architects Inc.
It's important to do this, he said, because if not, future generations won't have resources. Instead, they'll inherit a lower standard of living.
One of the ideals on the construction side, he said, is that people learn to reuse things, rather than leveling buildings and using them for landfill.
It's a lot easier for the contractor to level it, said Fullmer, but it's more "effective sustainable" to keep our old houses, repair them and increase their life span by improving them. When the house no longer serves its purpose or outlives its use, deconstruct it, salvage it and reuse the building products.
Freeman said he may make people flinch when he suggests shifting subsidies we pay to oil companies toward sustainable industries such as those developing alternative energy resources, for instance, solar or electric cars.
He also said the Netmetering law, which the state passed last year, is a step in the right direction. It allows homeowners to sell excess power generated from photovoltaic solar panels or other means of renewable energy back to the utility companies. When your house is not at peak power, he said, your roof generates power that you sell back to the utility company.
DBEDT
The Hawaii BuiltGreen home in Waianae, an example of sustainable, energy-saving design, was dedicated in May 2001. Its specifications include ceiling vents, radiant shields and wall vents all designed to cool the home without the use of electrical air conditioners.
Freeman said California is a prime example. They did a quick study that said if they did put one on every school roof, it would eliminate the need for new power plants.
"It would be great to see if the government uses this on all school roofs," Freeman said. "Schools are great examples; they're not tall, are spread out over a lot of land, and schools by nature have tremendous roof area.
"Think of all those off-peak times, weekends, summer breaks. Just think of the tremendous power these schools would be generating and feeding back to the utility company."
Imagine.
Can one person make a difference in ending waste, gobbling up natural resources and protecting the planet? Shift in thinking
James Freeman, president of the AIA Hawaii Chapter, said we need to rethink the way we use energy and resources, and while one person won't make a dent in solving the problems, by passing the word to others, progress is possible.
"As a nation, we can develop the policies and technologies to refocus our industries and create sustainable communities," he said.
Sure, everyone still needs to turn off unused lights, but the single most powerful act of conservation and renewal anyone can take up is to become socially active, he said. Call, send e-mail, write a letter, let your representative know how you feel about the nation's resource consumption. That's the way to change the world.
The following statistics illustrate his point and show where priorities have been.
n The population of the United States is 281,421,906
people (April 1, 2000). The population has grown 13.1 percent since 1990.
n Hawaii's population: 1,224,398
n Amount the World Bank has spent since 1992 on 212
projects to extract, transport or burn fossil fuels: $20,800,000,000
n Amount it has spent since then on its 30 projects involving renewable energy or energy efficiency: $900,000,000
Harper's magazine, May 2002
n Estimated amount the United States spends each year
safeguarding oil supplies in the Persian Gulf : $50,000,000,000
n Estimated value of U.S. crude-oil imports from the region last year: $19,000,000,000
Harper's magazine, April 2002
Star-Bulletin staff
Fourth Annual Architecture Week
Today
>> Learn about design and how an architect can help with your building project, noon to 1 p.m. at Tamarind Park, Bishop Square. Music provided by Keith Cockett and George Kuo.
Tomorrow
>> Chat with an architect one on one, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kahala Mall; learn more about design and the architectural profession. Repeats Sunday.>> Take an architectural walking tour of Historic Honolulu from 9 to 11:30 a.m. starting from the AIA Honolulu office in Chinatown. Cost: $15. Kamaaina rates available. Call 525-4242 to register. Repeats June 29.
>> Witness the brainstorming session behind planning a sustainable community from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today (repeats 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29). Groups will meet at the West Kauai Technology and Visitors Center in Lihue, Kauai, and at the University of Hawaii-Manoa's School of Architecture, both using advanced technology.
Tuesday
>> "The Birth of Sustainable Economy," film shows how three American cities -- Chattanooga, Tenn.; Portland, Ore.; and Suisun City, Calif. -- used architecture and building tools to revitalize their communities. Reception at 6 p.m. at Honolulu Academy of Arts, film shown at 7 p.m. Cost: $20 general, $15 for members, $5 for students. Call 545-4242 for reservations.
Thursday
>> Design awards banquet, 6 to 10 p.m. at Hawaii Prince Hotel. AIA architects will present Awards of Merit, Awards of Excellence and a new Sustainable Design award. Cost: $50. Call 545-4242 for reservations.
Click for online
calendars and events.
