In the #SundaySpirit of reuse we gave away antique river rock & brick found underneath the prior concrete slab. The rocks will be used to build free #raingardens for DC homeowners & the brick in restoring a multi-building historic property in MD

#FridayFirst underpinning foundation concrete pour while using: -0 Portlnd Cement -100% post consumer ♻️ glass sand -100% post consumer ♻️ granite aggregate Using C-Crete as the greener binder w/ slag (steel industry byproduct) we've lowered the emissions from typical concrete by 80+%

“Your desire to be near to a window is your desire to be close to life!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

DMV what is stopping us from doing this? Why are we letting Philly have all the fun?!

Renovations in older structures require a willingness & ability to pivot when the unforseen obstacles arise in ways that may run counter to your goals, like maximizing space. Today the heavy brick fill area became unstable & rather than try to underpin, a wall will be poured in front of the footer

Always surprises in old bldg reno: today’s was yards of antique brick. Finding reuse opps live is tricky, but we've found people for tons of materal. In today's the salvage friends we met along the way, someone from the 2nd floor days is taking near all the brick having used the last round so well

From Sunday scaries to Monday's rude awakening: when the stormwater pools inside the building. Was that old sewer buried under the slab actually active? Surely there's an Effin Birds for this

Every business (producer) has choices about packaging products. Some are cheaper up front, but have longer tails wrt their lifecycle costs. We choose compostable packaging (paper straws, pla cups & bags) & reuseable glass w/ deposit. There's 0 conventional plastic except reusable coolers, tables

Shopping for cookies, hand soap, frozen desserts & chips & checking labels to avoid palm oil. Recently at a major grocery even the bougie crunchy bar soap brands known for their envtl chops had palm oil. Choosing products w/o it protects elephants, pangolins & many birds not to mention plants

It’s time we begin to appreciate the foundational role of nature in allowing for sovereignty, which allows for economy. Value flows in this direction. The only lasting way to increase value in society is to nurture nature.

#wednesdaywin is finding in tact antique glass bottles during excavation. From dairy to old spirits bottles, there are different shapes, sizes & markings. These will be repurposed once we open

Grateful to have a contractor who optimized the dirt screening set up for literal tons of dirt, prior to it being beneficially reused as structural fill. The site is the urban postge stamp kind where there isn't space to spare. A skilled operator & industrious crew are required to make it work. All

#Plantbased stew of purple carrots w/ skins, broccoli & stems sliced, purple onion, orange bell pepper, tomato puree, black & kidney beans, w/ roasted garlic. The veggies still have a crunch. Everything but the garlic is organic. Using the skins & stems reduces what gets composted + adds fiber

It's true. All little bits of good add up to a bigger good. Doing good is restorative for us, each other, and the greater whole. Today we're going to screen more rocks for the reclaimed future community parklet planters

What motivates us to build as sustainably as possible? Seeing 5 mallards & a red fox along the thawing creek. The mallards ripple the water as the fox rests next to a decaying tree trunk. Keeping these creatures & their habitat in mind w/ every sourcing decision is a choice we will continue to make

Occasionally one of your contractors shifts your entire perspective saying something as simple as 'we will get this done'. Some foist their mistakes onto you (your schedule, budget, the quality you set to achieve). The do-er attitude makes all the difference in realizing progress & vision

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Peaking --> spiking. The shear waste in typical construction is lunacy: a few feet of a 2x4 used, rest = landfill; sand got wet, landfill; too much concrete ordered, maybe recycled. Even best case recycling, the embodied energy is enormous. Each company acts like resources are endless & w/o harms

Not sure which contractor situation this week this fits best for: the invoice total that wasn't agreed to when you could've shopped around or the contractor who says it's ok to waste 1/2 a truck of concrete because they refuse to do the agreed upon work to enable a full pour but doesn't flag it

#Fridayfocus is getting our made in Michigan GatorBar, alternative-to-steel, fiber reinforced polymer rebar in the wall. It is a fraction of the weight of normal steel rebar making it easier to move around a narrow site & won't corrode leading to spalling over time.

#fridayfinds represented by reclaimed granite cobbles for use in our construction, prioritizing reuse over new material. Mining, dredging, new steel, logging, clinker in concrete have envt impacts ranging from emissions to ecosystem damage. Reuse is pricey under current system, key policy shift need

It would be incredible to be able to go to local union & get a framer who knows about old timbers (including joins), someone to place the hempcrete, a plasterer to finish the walls with clay. Here unions typically work on large projects w/ typical fossil fuel heavy materials (concrete, steel, glass)

Was interviewed today about microcredentials. To me, we do not have just a climate crisis, we have an experience crisis. What we need is literally a marshall plan that unlocks a hands-on revolution for the coming renovation wave. (If you all do not vote for fascism/extinction that is.)

#wednesdaywhatif construction sites generated a fraction of the waste through diversion & reuse? We were able to find reuse opps for fiberglass insulation, faux wood flooring, floor padding, >3' pieces of oak flooring, cutting boards, seating, salon supplies, partial bricks, river rock. It's doable

If the cement industry were a country, it would be the world’s fifth-largest carbon polluter — emitting more CO₂ than most nations.

On #worldwetlandsday we're reflecting on where our lumber comes from & how we can reduce harms to sensitive ecosystems that filter air/water, protect us from storms, provide shade & habitat. When finding FSC-certified lumber was nearing an impossibility, we went w/ local (w/in 50 miles) felled trees

this. also for all of the land wasted on feeding beef we could have vast forests that feed infilling cities with mass timber midrises and addressing both housing and climate crises

The city we're building in still allows parklets (a parking space ➡️ a mini urban park). Obv there will be a free little library. What 📚 that are pro democracy, worker, environment & feminist would you be remiss to omit? Bonus points for holistic recs that cross themes #booksky

This is who runs the account

Our remaining forests are Earth's life-support system. Globally, forests now cover 32% of land (4.14 billion ha), but we lost 8-10 million ha in recent years. Every tree counts—let's protect what's left before it's too late! 🌳💚 #ProtectOurForests

Internal monologe when the contractor excuses not providing crew water to make... concrete. I.e. 1 of 4 ingredients. Rather than providing, the beam pockets were left ungrouted in the party wall & the next door business says cold air streaming in during these sub-freezing days. So yeah, some bs fr

For new construction yes absolutely let's start w/o ever having fossil fuels. We also must electrify existing commercial buildings via retrofit. The expense, tech limitation & perceived tradeoffs aren't trivial. Finding elec coffee roasters, woks, commercial dishwashers (does water get hot enough)

#snowday #organic #veggie chili for the win. The run is completely frozen over w/ snow-covered rocks. It remains below freezing so the only answer was a 🍅-based vegan chili w/ black & pinto 🫘, yellow bell pepper, carrots, celery, purple onion, chipotle pepper, black pepper, cayenne & evoo

#MondayMaterialsScience win: 3,200 psi in 3 days w/o any Portland cement. Backstory: switching slag after supplier was acquired & new slag didn't perform w/ lightweight ♻️ aggregate led pivot to ♻️ antique granite & higher compressive strength for basement walls/slab w/o compromising project ethos

Let's make #solarpv on every property, even historic ones, possible this #CleanEnergyDay. City historic districts: allow rooftop #renewables to be visible from street, EV chargers & other #resilient infra. Don't let #historicpreservation impede #resilient buildings & neighborhoods #EnergyTransition

This is true for all of livability. Show us what you did to preserve green space, enable #renewables, make #housing easier to build, create active transport that works for all. Most US cities aren't meeting the moment. Realizing the better future requires real world applied action, not empty talk

Re-cycling

It's #salvage #windowwednesday! #Retrofitting salvage steel windows can be done repeatedly over their lifecycle (cosmetic updates & even structural repair). By choosing reuse we are able to access a much higher quality product w/ a longer expected life. Care will be given to ensure thermal breaks

#tuesdaytriumph is several 2nd story steel beams being raised carefully into beam pockets. This work is extremely challenging in an unplanned sequence where a permanent 1st floor no longer exists. The erectors must patiently lift each beam at a near perfect angle to get both ends to bear in the wall

#fridayfacts you can achieve 4,000 psi (~27.5 MPa) concrete, higher compressive strength than req residential & light commercial, w/o virgin aggregate/sand. Foamed glass aggregate is 99% post consumer ♻️ glass. The mix weights ~1/2 of conventional concrete, lighter than what's called lightweight mix

I'm in a 40 day exercise w/ my yoga studio. The biggest thing that I have noticed so far is that caring for yourself, loving your person, & focusing on what it takes to be the best you, enables people to spill out kindness, empathy, & wisdom. Dear reader, the world needs kindness, empathy, & wisdom.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Pic of the day #photography

Frans Halsstraat, Amsterdam in 1982 and today. Your streets can be used to store parked cars, or they can be places for people. It's a political choice and city leaders can make it happen.

#transformationtuesday is post consumer recycled container glass (wine bottles, pasta sauce jars) turned into foamed glass aggregate in nearby PA. We developed a concrete replacing all sand & coarse aggregate w/ foamed glass. So keep ♻️ & when you think it doesn't matter know that it does. Thanks to

#Mondayvibes when 5 tons of surplus & used steel arrives to the site. These particular beams were from a job that over-ordered (a common construction practice). The decking was used w/ small bends, nail holes & rust spots. Reusing steel reduces emissions & embodied energy for minor inconvenience

It may not seem like it, but right now is a great time to think about the different world we want.

Another reason to help the trees we have thrive & find new space to plant more. A million urban street bumpouts to daylight intersections while hosting trees that do myriad climate-friendly actions. Trees are climate infra

Tabby seeks out the rough, scratchy jute coffee bags to make a pile of paws even though soft blankets, quilts & throws are readily available. This formerly outdoor cat is best kept indoors where she can't harm the many local birds that stop by. #catsofbluesky #catsky #birdfriendly #fairtrade

What did we do this year? 1st we got told no a lot. We were told that you don't screen dirt. See it goes to a landfill. So being the pugnacious people we are: we screened (& recycled) nearly 200 yards of dirt, or just under 400,000 lbs & set aside literal tons of antique river rock + brick for reuse

Happy Thanksgiving to all. We are #thankful for the flora & the fauna & the people who protect them & work tirelessly to conserve the ecological beauty of this world. #greatblueheron #silkscreen #nola #wetlands