Posts Tagged Sustainability
Virgin America Terminal-SFO
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture, Sustainability on April 26, 2011
The Virgin America Terminal, T2, in San Francisco’s international airport is a great example of thoughtful design that is beautiful in it’s simplicity and sustainability. I had the opportunity to pick up a friend there last week and I am now a BIG fan!
Here are some Very Virgin America Reasons to Love SFO’s Terminal 2 via 7X7 SF .
- Working travelers can log on at lap top work tables, plug-in stations and elevated work counters and enjoy free wireless throughout the terminal.
- There’s a Pinkberry
- It’s the first airport dining program in the country to recruit Slow Food vendors.
- It’s slated to be the first LEED Gold Certified airport terminal in the U.S.
- Similar to Virgin America’s signature cabin music, moodlighting, seating, and design, T2′s “Recompose” zone will create a stress-reducing oasis for travelers post-security
“The new T2 demonstrates that sustainability is achievable on many levels – from reusing construction debris to rethinking water usage to public education,” says San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Renovating SFO’s T2 toward LEED Gold brought all of this together. It is an incredible achievement, and we are proud, once again, to be taking the lead on sustainable innovation.”
Uniquely “Virgin” features in the airline’s T2 space are: Continue reading “Virgin America Terminal-SFO” »
Serenbe Community-via Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture, Interior Design & Renovation, Sustainability on January 25, 2011
As I discussed in my post on Home Trends Part 2, there is a renewed interest in urban living and planned communities as people try to simplify their way of life and the quality of it. Personally I prefer the concept of planned communities (or small towns) as they benefit a slower and more intimate way of living. They address real problems such as-drive time (and cost) for daily living needs; connection with our neighbors and the sense of community we crave; additional ease for aging in place; while still maintaining a back to nature and organic way of life. Recently I read about a planned community in Georgia that I consider a great example of what I’m talking about. Here in their words:
SERENBE is found in the heart of Chattahoochee Hill Country. This 40,000 acres of bucolic southern countryside is about the same size as Napa Valley, and is one of the last undeveloped stretches of land in the Atlanta area. Continue reading “Serenbe Community-via Santa Rosa Interior Design” »
4 Home Trend-Part 2-2011 and Beyond
Posted by Irene Turner in Architecture, Interior Design & Renovation, Personal Style & Well being, Sustainability on January 13, 2011
We are entering a time where collaboration, innovation and inspiration are key in creating our future lifestyle. It’s time to take a look at how we really live and begin to change the housing industry to support us. Part 1 of this report dealt with soft trends, or trends for decorating our interiors. This part takes a look at the larger view of trends in the way we will be living as we move forward in this 21st century. Here are the top 4 trends as I see them:
1. Rightsizing: The buzz word is downsizing, I prefer to call it right sizing. For some, in fact, it is going smaller. The baby boomers are now empty nesters who are getting older and want to live an easier quality of life. They are in fact down sizing, whether it’s a smaller home or fewer of them; along with a core group of young first time homebuyers who’s sensibility is to live a simpler way of life.
For others, there is a desire to create a space that flows the way they really live their life and truly fits their needs, not some cookie cutter McMansion created by a developer as a business investment. I call this right sizing and it is part of the Slow Home movement. Some signs of this are: Continue reading “4 Home Trend-Part 2-2011 and Beyond” »
Green Home – Tips and Tricks via Santa Rosa Interior Design
Posted by Irene Turner in Interior Design & Renovation, Sustainability on October 5, 2010
We all want our dream home…and, that dream home can be everything your family, the environment, and future generations need it to be by making simple changes in your everyday life. These changes will save you money over the course of your life in your home, and you will be living in a healthier home that is not detrimental to the environment. 
A green home has a significantly lower impact on our environment then the standard buildings we see. Green homes are not a passing trend. However, there is so much information out there that the concept can seem a bit daunting. The good news is that there are many small things you can do in your home right now that will help tremendously. For instance: Continue reading “Green Home – Tips and Tricks via Santa Rosa Interior Design” »
A Design Dilemma…Green vs. Blue?
Posted by Irene Turner in Interior Design & Renovation, Nature, Sustainability on April 22, 2010
Here we are, 40 years after the very first Earth Day, and I have a dilemma…
As a designer I am torn on the subject of water features as a design element. With the evidence of the water crisis continuing to mount it seems irresponsible as a professional to propagate this issue. Yet…I love the sound of trickling water, the feel of water in the environment, the visual beauty of water walls, and am guilty of having designed them! However, I think there is an option.
Vertical Gardens. Yes, a green wall, instead of a blue one. We’ve seen them…mostly on the outside of buildings or on roof tops. Patrick Blanc has been touted as the inventor of the concept of a vertical garden and is famous for his many large scale installations. You can see his work in the video below. But, on a smaller scale, in the home or office? Yes, it can be done there too, and quite beautifully.
Think of these lush green walls or table tops as both practical and as living art. Plant a living picture by framing them, or…
grow your favorite cooking herbs in them (by the way, this helps your whole kitchen smell good too),
Continue reading “A Design Dilemma…Green vs. Blue?” »
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