A Book Review, of sorts

The International Residential Code is a starter book that every design/build professional needs, especially the owner/builder. Practically every town and state in the US begins with the IRC as basic code parameters and adds/subtracts specific regulations according to their local needs. Individuals interested in Green Building are especially encouraged to reference this book; if the Green movement in Residential constructions is to grow, it must maintain a strict safety code. Though we owner/builders may be satisfied with putting up (and living in) structures that are legally barns or sheds, I believe we have a responsibility that far exceeds that of the traditional field of construction. The best way to bring alternatives to the mainstream is to understand the widely held wisdoms of the mainstream first. Only then are we empowered with the knowledge to educate about alternatives from a strong footing.

Green Home Building

The Green Home Building website is one of the first sites that I found during my initial green building research phase a few years ago. This is BY FAR the most inclusive website I have ever seen, to date. Not only is there extensive information for the entire gammut of green building, but the author gives each method careful examination. He does not favor any one method over another, and in doing so offers the rudiments of what I believe is the new construction era -- one that allows for creativity in combining various green construction methods without compromising safety standards.

So far, this site is still the best in my opinion!

Compressed Earth Block - Info Sheet

Yet another informative webpage from the Fernco Metal Products website; Compressed Earth Block (CEP) thoroughly summarizes CEP details. Awesome source!

Website Design

Another good design for website layout. This specific page outlines Down to Earth's past projects; an online portfolio. I like the large-ish photolinks (which lead to more photos) as visual representation, and the bulleted points for the quick description. The pictures are large enough to see details in the pictures, but not too large that it detracts from the text.

Nice bonus: every project on this page was legally permitted in the locale.

Beautiful Website

Ecosensual.net at first glance has a very nice visual aesthetic. I like the square pictures used as a multifunctioning, eye-catching banner/navbar. The simple indented-within-category menu column on the lefthand side is also very kind to look at.

I'll come back to comment on the textual substance after I've read some pages...

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Okay, it seems as though the website is under development. All of the topics that are there currently have a minimal to moderate amount of information. I've seen other websites with much more detailed info. That said, I do like the *way* in which the under-developed site is displayed. Much like my own process of outlining my thoughts in list format -- the sections that can be beefed up are organizationally intact. Overall, it's a good "beginner's" site -- that is, good for those who are in the early stages of wanting to learn about Green Building. It's easy to navigate, pretty, and gives you a decent amount of information for starting out fresh.

Heat Transfer, Thermal Mass & Building Codes

This page has very detailed information explaining the physical properties of heat transfer. The website itself is a little bit disorganized with many Google advertisements, but with some digging, there are a lot of good resources.

Near the middle of the page, there is some information about National Building Codes dealing specifically with Compressed Earth Blocks. There are also websites detailing U.S. codes as well.

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Also, this webpage is off of the Fernco Metal website and is a very detailed paper discerning the difference in physical qualities between earth walls and concrete. This company creates great construction materials for Green Building.

Natural Building Colloquium

This Natural Building Colloquium website is a wonderful place FULL of information about Green Building. There are dozens of pages of well-written, technically-robust and instructional material. I am delighted about this site.