Photovoltaic Systems

Mesa Del Sol will be located just outside of downtown Albuquerque and is comprised of twenty square miles of land, 3,200 acres of which are said to remain as open space.  Albuquerque is famed for it’s 300 days a year of sunshine, was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the best places for businesses and careers in the U.S., is just under a three hours drive from world class skiing in Taos, and is a short two hour flight from L.A.  Mesa Del Sol’s New Urbanism approach means that virtually everything you need will be within walking distance — stores, work, schools, homes, and parks etc. 

Mesa Del Sol’s first completed building is LEED certified and occupied by a
solar company.  Their site says that the community will embrace the
idea of sustainability by conserving water, promoting walking instead
of driving, promoting renewable energy use, and offering recycling
programs. 

The community is in the
beginning stages and while no homes or lots are for sale yet, home prices are
estimated to start at a reasonable $150,000 to upwards of $700,000. 
Homes will be Energy Star certified. 

One feature I was surprised to
see in the renderings was double-lane roads running down the middle of
the community, something that I have not seen in many green
communities.  Perhaps this is necessary due to the size of the
community and it certainly gives off a more urban feel, but I think it
distracts a bit from the walking theme of the community.  The other
element that I prefer to see utilized by green urban communities is the re-use of
previously developed land instead of development of a completely new tract of land.  But again, with the size of this project, that probably would not
have been an option. 

Overall, there is a wealth of information to take
in on Mesa Del Sol’s site.  This is a truly impressive large-scale
project.  It will be wonderful to watch this community emerge as homes,
businesses, and the town-centers begin to develop.  Visit Mesa Del
Sol‘s site to learn much more about the community and to sign-up to be
kept up to date with the project.

All renderings credit: Mesa Del Sol.

The Lucida, located in New York City’s Upper East Side, is the first LEED condominium building in the neighborhood.  If the Upper East Side wasn’t rich enough for your taste, this building certainly adds to the allure.  With 110 units, the smallest of which appears to be around 2,000 square feet, this building is certainly not for the average buyer, but it is beautiful. 

Truthfully, their website does not give a wealth of information about
the green aspects of the building, but relies more on stating facts
about the environmental hazards of buildings in general.  The site does
highlight the glass structure for bringing in natural light and the
light-colored roof and rooftop vegetation for cooling.  It describes
some sustainable building materials used including bamboo and cork and
describes how an air filtration system will assume healthy air within
the building.  The site also mentions that rainwater will be used to
irrigate the landscaping and most impressively, that 75% of the
construction waste from the site will be recycled. 

The floorplans are spacious and  beautifully laid out.  Amenities include a fitness and wellness center, a wine cellar, playground, and bicycle storage.  Units offer between 2 and 4 bedrooms and most appear to be around 2,000 square feet.  While their website does not share pricing, word on the street is that these condos start at about $2 million and less than 10 units remain available.  The Lucida is truly a stunning building.  I can’t imagine a much more beautiful place to live in the city. 

Photo credits: Lucida & Curbed; Konrad Feidler (bottom). 

GreenPod, a company run by architect and environmentalist Ann Raab, designs and builds compact modular homes that are sustainable, healthy, and energy efficient.  The amazing thing about this company is their full-circle design approach, which aims to help clients create a complete green home right down to their bathroom towels and artwork. 

Truly, every detail has been considered, which tells you that this company really cares about sustainable building and living.  They start with clearing the land using a "tree eater" instead of an invasive excavating process — this greatly reduces the impact on the vegetation and precious topsoil.

Then, they work with a woman from Australia who
specializes in organic gardening and permaculture and local artists and
furniture makers using green materials.  The cherry on top is the woman
who will design and create luxurious accessories such as bathrobes,
curtains, bedding etc. uses sustainable and traceable materials. 

GreenPod also promotes the use of existing structures and furnishings in
order to reduce the need for new materials.  The compact feature of the
homes is also wonderful.  The designer maximizes use of the space by
creating movable walls, multi-use furnishings, and lighting to
visually expand the spaces. 

Pricing is incredibly reasonable with
plans ranging from $100,000 to $240,000 and GreenPod can even help you to
find financing for your project.  GreenPod’s designs are some of the most versatile, attractive, and truly earth-friendly homes on the market — and you can probably afford one too!  Learn more about the company on their website.

Photo credits: GreenPods.