Green Heart Town | Lucas Sustainable — Lucas Sustainable

Catching Up With Life on a Golden Summer Trip

Catching Up With Life on a Golden Summer Trip

Last week my family and I left town, and have been staying in a vacation rental by owner (VRBO) in town of Golden, Colorado. So, this week I thought I could give you a (reading) vacation too. I want to share some pictures of the magic we are finding in and around Golden. It is such a vibrant place!

Next week we will continue exploring how to implement “Design Charrettes” in your home, neighborhood, and downtown. The idea for this topic has grown on me, and I need the time to put some new thoughts together.   

From my family to your's, we wish you a wonderful summer!

Design Charrette: Workshops for Strong & Vibrant Communities

Design Charrette: Workshops for Strong & Vibrant Communities

Have you began shifting your point of view? Last week we adopted a big picture view of community sustainability, and considered how each one of us can affect the realms with which we are connected. I like to imagine each one of us as a needle and thread, creating a quilt with others in the community. 

Our home, neighborhood, and downtown are the three realms in which we are already fundamentally invested. Unlocking any distracting or preconceived notions about these places, while making sustainable progress, can be accomplished with the aid of an interactive design workshop called a charrette.

 

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Container House Design with Minimalist Grit: Part 4 (Podcast)

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Container House Design with Minimalist Grit: Part 4 (Podcast)

This is week 4 - and the last post in our series - covering Oklahoma City’s first shipping container residence. Last week we looked at our unique foundation design, touched on shipping container anatomy, and looked at container modifications. I shared information about the homeowner/developer and his website. This week we are picking up where we left off and doing something special.

This week, I wanted to share an in-person interview with Josh McBee, our shipping container homeowner and owner of High Cube Industries, LLC.

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Your Common Thread Stitches a Vibrant Community

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Your Common Thread Stitches a Vibrant Community

Do you want to live in a Green Heart Town, where there is a sense of health, community, and legacy? This kind of town can only be a product of community-wide sustainable development, which takes thoughtful planning and action. At the center of the effort, I see each one of our lives as a common thread skillfully used to create better places for everyone to live, work and play. 

The transformation begins by loving our family and community well, caring for our neighbors, and becoming more future-minded. The wonderful paradox is that being future-minded also makes our lives better today, too! 

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Container House Design with Minimalist Grit - Part 3

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Container House Design with Minimalist Grit - Part 3

This is week three covering Oklahoma City’s first shipping container residence. In last week's post we looked at how the home was positioned on the site, peeked at some interior pictures, and discussed the concepts of both minimalism and rightsizing. Whew! 

This week, I want to move to the exterior and reveal a few more facets of this container design. I hope to share some insight into how building with containers must be approached differently from the ground up. I also want to introduce you to the owner and share more about his vision for working with shipping containers in the future. 

Whole Building Life-Cycle Assessment & Historic Properties

Whole Building Life-Cycle Assessment & Historic Properties

"When we build, let us think we build forever.” John Ruskin's words evoke the notion of building in a sustainable manner, thereby leaving a legacy to future generations through the story of our places. Every day in my work at the Oklahoma Main Street Center, I am fortunate to encounter historic buildings that mirror Ruskin’s ideals; however, I have also seen in the modern building movement that we have lost our way in designing sustainable places over the last half century. 
  
I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on a wonderful experience from 2015. I visited Taliesin West in early October to attend the the American Institute of Architect's (AIA) first joint colloquium

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Container House Design with Minimalist Grit - Part 2

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Container House Design with Minimalist Grit - Part 2

Welcome back! We began covering the design of this Oklahoma City shipping container home in last week's post. This was the first container home permitted by the City of Oklahoma City when we filed in 2014, and the first shipping container design either the property owner or myself had experienced.

As an architect, it is always a challenge to put myself into the mind of my client. During the Pre-Design phase, I get to ask a lot of questions and get to know the owner. 

Transferring another person’s vision and allowing room for their identity to thrive is what it takes to design a home. This is harder than you might imagine, but it is very rewarding when you get it right! Serving another person in this way is not a one way street, and the best residential designs are a product of a team effort.

 

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