Blog | The Middleton Group

Residential Photovoltaic Systems Continue to Improve

Posted on July 5, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

Today’s photovoltaics are smaller, more efficient, less expensive, and better looking than ever.

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)

Frugal House Framing

Posted on May 20, 2009

Image via Wikipedia

Carpenters love wood. The smell of fresh sawdust on a crisp fall morning, the slap and ring of hammers on boards, the sturdy feel of a new house frame—what’s not to love?

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)

Product Review: Tankless Water Heaters

Posted on April 9, 2009

A good overview of tankless water heaters.

Offering up to 34% greater efficiency than traditional units, on-demand water heaters are becoming a green building staple.

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)

Permeable Pavers

Posted on March 25, 2009

Discover a new genus of paver, ideal for both residential and commercial hardscapes. Belgard’s Environmental pavers are attractive, all-weather durable and most important, eco-friendly.

The perfectly natural way to protect our earth’s most vital resources. Every paver allows water to permeate and directly enter the ground, thereby reducing the negative effects of run-off on local watersheds, and ultimately the lakes, rivers and seas downstream.

(Via Belgard Hardscapes.)

Sustainability Requires Durability

Posted on March 23, 2009

: Image via Wikipedia

A great piece on why we must build durable buildings to be “green” buildings. A new house or new building is not very “green” if the life expectancy is 50 years compared to 100 or 200 years.

Green buildings must be durable buildings. If you double the life of a building, no matter what the building is made of, you halve the environmental impact of its construction. But aren’t we building durable green buildings?

(Via Greensource Magazine.)

Sustainable building design contest (makezine.com)
Green Building Council calls for “building MOTs” (businessgreen.com)
Green Building and Remodeling for Dummies, Author Video (wileyptnews.com)

At the Middleton Group we use Revit, one of the leading BIM programs out there. At its core, BIM is a database, which allows us to build your house in the computer and extract whatever information we need. Read the link below to get a good overview of the technology.

At its core, BIM, or building information modeling, is exactly what its name implies: an information-rich digital model of a building. Try to pin down exactly what it does or how it works, however, and things quickly get a bit slippery. The more you learn, it seems, the more there is to learn.

Everyone Loves BIM (Whatever It Is) | greenbuildingsNYC

Stimulating Green Building

Posted on February 25, 2009

Whether you think the recently passed stimulus bill is good for our country or not, there are some provisions for green building and renewable energy.

The economic stimulus bill supports green building priorities to the tune of $79 billion, with support for energy-efficiency, renewable energy, and green transportation projects.

(Via BuildingGreen.com News.)

The Stimulus Bill Tax Credit Guide: Great Green Stuff Obama Will Help You Buy (treehugger.com)
Obama’s stimulus bill green lights green spending (lightbulbs.org)

Longevity, Durability, and Recyclability Make Metal Roofing a Good Choice for Sustainable Building

Posted on February 24, 2009

There is a house in Omaha, Neb., that is unlike any other in the state—perhaps the country. Built under HUD’s Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), this “Concept Home” is loaded with 60 of the best technologies and products home building has to offer and is seen as a model for the future of home construction. The roof the agency chose to use on the house is made from metal.

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)