March 2010 Chow Hill Sustainablity Quaterly

8/9/2019 March 2010 Chow Hill Sustainablity Quaterly

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c o m m u n i t y

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i n t e r i o r s

This issue has a focus on interiors.

The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It isabout the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment,not about fashion or whats in or whats out. This is not an easy job.Albert Hadley,The Story of Americas Preeminent Interior Designer

Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context - a chair in a room,a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.ElielSaarinene.

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c o m p a n y r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

Our team now has somewhere in the order of 80% of the content prepared for ourCSR (Company Sustainability Report) and have received from HUSK (our graphic

designers) the rst draft of the layout and graphic design of the document. The draftis in review phase as we continue to gather remaining performance data acrossour business, gather stakeholder opinion and write further commentary. Our nextmilestone is the 90% issue at the beginning of May ahead of completion andpresentation of the report to our staff and issue to stakeholders at the end of May.

To nd out more see Maurice

m a s t e r s p e c

Our Chow:Hill-specic Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD)Specications and Guideline are nearing the end of their preparation phaseand are programmed to be launched in late May. The development of thesespecications reects Chow:Hills desire to develop project outcomes at alevel of sustainability above the industry norm and to position ourselves atthe forefront of environmentally sustainable design practice.

To nd out more see Maurice


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F l a t P a c k P r e f a b sC o u l d P r o v i d e R e l i e f

i n H a i t i

by Ariel Schwartz, 01/29/10

The tragic earthquake in Haiti has provoked a numberof architects to think about how they can help with

disaster relief. One recent example we looked at wasthe SEED project, which uses shipping containers astemporary housing. Now architect Andres Duany hasdesigned a reproof, waterproof, and moldproof at-

pack temporary house that could easily be shipped tothe ailing country.

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/29/at-pack-prefabs-could-provide-relief-in-haiti/

B e r l i n F a c t o r y R e n o v a t e d I n t oS t u n n i n g R e c y c l a b l e L i v e /

W o r k S p a c e

The Palomar5 Camp is an incredible project that brought 30 thinkersunder the age of 30 from 30 different disciplines together for six weeks tofoster innovation outside of the corporate world. To enhance their idea,Palomar5 called on the innovative minds at 45 Kilo and the ZWEIDREIgroup to design a completely green live/work space for the event. The

environment was constructed inside an old empty factory building inSouth Berlin. It fostered creativity for six weeks and then was brokendown and completely recycled.

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/28/berlin-factory-renovated-into-stunning-recyclable-livework-space/


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c l a u d e l a n d s i n t e r i o r s

Initial concepts were derived from people, stories, culture and land associatedwith the site and its surrounds. In particular, Te Papa Nui (Flat Land), alsoknown as Jubilee Bush, was identied as a rich source of inspiration. Interiorarchitectures mission was, rst and foremost, to bring the outdoors in.

The project technically isnt targeting a Green star rating but the design team,

including interior architecture, has taken a sustainable approach.

Within the prevailing economic conditions during the documentation stagethe biggest challenge was translation of the concept into the simplest detailsand achieve practical solutions within a reasonable budget. This includedconsideration of the end-users future operations and maintenance. Part of ourgoal is to disprove the myth that sustainability carries a hefty price tag.

Eco-friendly products and materials play a major role in the selection of nishes.

A number of the products specied carry the Environmental Choice NZ certicateproviding the end user with the very best in environmental accreditation.

Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, carpet tiles with 100% PVC freebacking and made of recyclable contents, linoleum homogenous oor coveringand even ceiling tiles with low and no added VOC.

In the end, one can say a little effort towards sustainability makes a bigdifference.

Source: Frances Montero

b r a e m a ri n t e r i o r s

Vibrant colour focuses on fun in theFamily Lounge. Storage for kids toysand books was created in a city wallof coloured building shapes, withdoor and window cubbyholes andcoloured cubes set into the adjacentwall. These colours are picked up in

the carpet tiles, curtains and furniturein the seating area of the loungewhere the adults can relax.

Source: Fiona Buchanan


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magesource:TopTechWriterUSwww.f

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e n v i r o s p e c

EnviroSpec is an advancedconsultancy that specialisesin environmental specication

markets and certicationprogrammes. It is fast becomingNew Zealands leadingorganisation when looking

for eco-friendly products andservices or when looking forthe tools and guidance that willmake your Green Star NZ projectrun smoothly.

We are currently working

with EnviroSpec to updateour Masterspec technicalspecication. For more

information contact Maurice.

Source: h ttp://www.envirospec.co.nz

t a r g e t t i

New Green Generation

Program! A new eco-sustainable lightingproducts range whichenriches and completes thefamily of the Targetti CCTFLASH recessed xtures.

Its packaging is 100%

recycled and recyclableand even the brochures

presenting the products arecertied by the mark FSC,which identies productscontaining wood comingfrom forests properly andresponsibly managed,according to strictenvironmental, social andeconomic standards.

Source: http://www.targetti-poulsen.com/news_archive_dett.php?nId=0000000040

r e s e n e

Resene believes it has identied the secret ingredient that will allow

it to produce the worlds rst sustainable paint.

In August the paint-maker was the inaugural winner of Whats Your

Problem New Zealand? a competition set up by the Crown ResearchInstitute Industrial Research.

The prize was $1 million of research, and Resene has wasted no timein getting its project under way to develop a waterborne paint that is

based on resins made up of 80 per cent sustainable ingredients.

The company will only say that the ingredient will be non-cropping (itwont compete with food crops for space) and is likely to come fromexisting industrial waste streams.

Although there was a great emphasis on renewables here in NewZealand, overseas the paint was likely to be a niche product, theteam said. But with around nine billion litres of interior paint soldworldwide each year, even 5 per cent of the market would be a

signicant volume.

The sustainable paints currently available were about twice the priceof ordinary paint, and the Resene project was aiming to sell its newproduct at about 80 per cent of that price point - and offer a betterproduct.

Source: We have secret to sustainable paint Resene by Maria Sladehttp://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10620914


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i n t e r s e c t i o n s

Auckland ofce recently hosted

a very successful function withco-hosts The Poi Room andSEED Gallery - sharing a diversemix of clients and taking the

opportunity to exhibit the best ofeach of our recent creative worksin the eld of art and design.

The event had at its theme thesustaining of local businessand, particularly for each of us,businesses actively engaged indesign and creativity.

s h o w u s y o u r c i t y

It may be provocative to suggest Auckland is more urbanor has better stories to tell than Hamilton and Taurangabut this appeared to be the case in our recent competitionwhere the nalists - and winner Frances Montero - all camefrom the our Auckand ofce.

We thought it a great concept and will be looking at futureopportunities of a similar nature. For those interested, theprize included a harbour cruise, zoo tickets, movie ticketsand coffee vouchers. A sample of Frances entry is shownon this page.

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T a k e - A w a y S i n k

Offering the possibility of bringing water forcleaning vegetables to watering the plants,without the need of an extra bucket, this cool

sink by German designer Jessica Nebel is aexible device that encourages reusage ofwater. Being light-weight it can be easily takenfrom one place to another. The Take-Away

sink also helps you carry your laundry to thewashing line/clothes horse after washing it byhand without the need of an extra bucket.

Source: Fiona

d r o u g h t

Rodney, Papakura, Manukau and the Waikato have all joined Northlandas ofcial drought zones while Otago is being closely watched andNelson has imposed water restrictions.

Agriculture minister David Carter declared the areas as medium-leveldrought zones on Thursday which now triggers government relief

measures.

Source: Published: 6:06AM Friday April 09, 2010. Newstalk ZBhttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/ofcial-drought-area-increased-3453850

c o n s e r v a t i o n

Dry conditions in the summer of 2007/08 saw Hamilton approachthe maximum levels of water it could source from the Waikato River.

Treating and reticulating these extremely high volumes of water is asignicant nancial cost and ongoing use of these amounts is simplynot sustainable, therefore a total ban on domestic garden sprinklers wasintroduced that summer to help reduce the citys water consumption

the rst time in more than 20 years that such as measure was taken.

Here are some helpful hints for reducing water consumption indoors:

Use your washing machine for full loads only. Each time you runyour washing machine, you use about 100-200 litres of water.Install water-saving shower heads or ow restrictions. Many showerheads put out 20 litres of water a minute, while 10 litres is enough.Install or convert to a dual ush toilet. This allows you to use only

half the water when needed.If you have a water meter, carry out regular checks for leaks.Commercial properties: purchase urinal control valves. These cansave between 86% - 96% of previous annual water consumption.

Source: http: //hamilton.co.nz/page/pageid/2145826979/Conservation

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techn

ology ecology

culture

t o i n p u t , c o m m e n t o r d e b a t e p l e a s e c o n t a c tt h e e d i t o r i a l t e a m . . .B r i d g i t , M a u r i c e , o r

S i m o n e

mag

esource:

regory

amswww.cr.com

w h a t s u s t a i n a b l e t h i n g s h a v e y o u b e e n

u p t o o r c o m e a c r o s s ?w e ' d l o v e t o h e a r

f r o m y o u f o r t h e n e x ti s s u e o f s e e d . . .

m o d u l a r c a r d b o a r d o f f i c e

Parisian designer Paul Coudamy designed this interior for an advertising agencymade almost entirely out of 40mm thick honeycomb cardboard. All of the pieces aremodular, so the ofce can be recongured as needed. An interesting feature is themeeting box, a confessional sort of nook that offers easy privacy. This project had a

one month timeline and a limited budget.

Source: see Fiona

w e b s i t e s

Check out the following interesting websites

provided by Frances

http://www.regreenprogram.org/

online platform to provide the informationyou need to embark on your next remodelingproject; from green case study projects toan interactive tool that can identify just the

right green application

and or the kids in us:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/10/30/incredible-lego-kitchen-renovation/

d e s i g n e c o l o g i e s

Design Ecologies is a groundbreakingcollection of never before - published

essays and case studies by todays mostinnovative green designers. Their designstrategiessocial, material, technological,

and biologicalrun the gamut from theintuitive to the highly technological.

Contemporary architects are under

increasing pressure to offer a sustainablefuture. But with all the focus on greenbuilding, there has been little investigation

into the meaningful connections betweenarchitectural design, ecological systems,and sustainability.

... until now.

Source: Book - design ecologiessustainable potentials in architectureblostein,beth tilder,lisa k r a f t p a p e r s e a t i n g

Paper seating by Molo , based in Vancouver, Cananda. made entirely from kraft paperwith 50% recycled content. All elements utilise a exible honeycomb structure to fanopen into stools, benches and loungers.

Source: see Fiona

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March 2010 Chow Hill Sustainablity Quaterly