site visit

We had our first "official" site visit with our architects on 6/13/08. Louise Harpman, Scott Specht, and Brett Wolfe began by presenting us with 3 massing diagrams, 3 exterior elevation schemes, and 3 alternative floorplans. They were seeking our feedback re: the pros and cons of each of the alternatives to provide direction as they design the final plan. It was very exciting to see things beginning to take shape. We loved what we saw - Specht Harpman exceeded our expectations!



Here's a shot of us reviewing the LEED for Homes project checklist. That's me on the left, Scott Specht in the middle, and Brett Wolfe on the right. Photo courtesy of Louise Harpman.






After going over all the drawings we drove to the site and took another look at the drawings from the perspective of how the 3 elevations would look on our lot and the proximity to the trees and to our neighbors. We looked at our lot first and then walked through the entire project to get a general feel for everything from an overall perspective. It was fun and interesting to hear Louise and Scott share their insights. Photo courtesy of Brett Wolfe.

Now we wait.....they are back at the drawing board and we can't wait to see what they have in store for us next!

price of gasoline getting to you?

Gas is now over $4.00/gallon! A friend just returned from a trip to Norway and has reported that gas in Norway is now the equivalent of $12/gallon! It's difficult to consider ourselves lucky, but maybe we really are?

One of the criteria for a home's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is proximity to mass transit. Urban Reserve is only a short walk from the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) light rail station. At the current price of gasoline, DART is looking more and more inviting! Here's the link to DART in case you want to check your local schedule.

http://www.dart.org/

a great place to start

Austin Energy Green Building holds a Green by Design workshop four times a year - I attended in February and I loved it! If you're thinking about building green this workshop is a great place to start.

When I attended the workshop I learned about Eco-Wise. Recently I had a friend ask me about a source for environmentally friendly kitchen & bath countertops. Eco-Wise instantly came to mind!

Here are both links:

http://www.austinenergy.com/energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Green%20Building/Resources/GreenByDesign/index.htm

http://www.ecowise.com/