California Sustainable Builders

11/20/2016

This could very well be the game changer that we've been waiting for. Solar has come a long way in its price and availability, with solar leasing programs becoming much more popular due to no upfront costs, but this is the most exciting news yet!

Elon Musk made quite the announcement today. During the special shareholders meeting to approve the merger with SolarCity, which they approved by 85%, he said that he was coming back from a meeting…

09/14/2016

Watershed Materials again pushing the sustainability envelope with technology allowing excavation spoils that would normally need to be trucked off site to be compressed on site into a CMU type block building material. This is a great example of the collaboration of old technology with new ones to make use of the best of both worlds...

Excavation is usually a bane for real estate developers. To make way for new buildings, truckloads of excavated waste are removed from site in a...

03/30/2015

Interesting read, and only the tip of the iceberg. I've long struggled with this topic, having spent about 4 years as a plumber and dealing with both systems in domestic supply and hydronic applications. Even better, it's non-conclusive. Unfortunately science has a long history of playing catch-up (sure, DDT is great to spray on your kids! Oh, wait, on second thought...), and who knows what the long-term result will be. Only time will tell...

Builders have climbed on the PEXCross-linked polyethylene. Specialized type of polyethylene plastic that is strengthened by chemical bonds formed in addition to the usual bonds in the polymerization process. PEX is used primarily as tubing for hot- and cold-water distribution and radiant-floor heati…

03/13/2015

Anyone have a bunch of wine bottles laying around, and want to get rid of them? Message me if so, building a wine bottle wall, thanks!

03/02/2015

This is some truly inspiring Cordwood work. Blown away by this guys creativity and highest level craftsmanship...

05/26/2014

I've been seeing this video about for a while now and just finally watched it. If any technology will actually propel our sustainability in the right direction it's this kind. Aldous Huxley said that, "technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards." This is one of the few things that may prove him wrong. Watch this...

Solar panels that you can drive, park, and walk on. They melt snow and... cut greenhouse gases by 75-percent?!!!

04/16/2014

Watershed Materials, founded by the folks at Rammed Earth Works are now in the production phases of creating a concrete block (CMU) alternative using earth as the main raw material. Their intent is to find a feasible replacement for cement as a strengthening/bonding agent to make these blocks entirely devoid of the stuff, and it seems they're well on their way. Pretty cool stuff, and we may be using some of this product on an upcoming project, stay tuned...

Made from natural mineral compounds, this alternative to standard concrete masonry units mimics the look of raw rock.

11/14/2013

New website is up and in progress:
http://www.calsustainablebuilders.com/
Check it out!

CSB is focused on building affordable homes in line with principles of sustainability, utilizing materials that are sourced locally, and designing an environment that is comfortable and non-toxic, and built to the highest standards.

11/05/2013

This thing's pretty cool! Makes useable fuel from biomass (basically, anything cellulose - corn husks, walnut shells, etc) Love the story behind it too, creativity borne of necessity...

All Power Labs uses gasification to convert biomass -- which is cheap and everywhere -- into carbon-neutral energy. Plus it produces carbon-rich charcoal fertilizer.

10/10/2013

"Well-used space" is the key, as outlined in this little spotlight here. It was once considered an amenity but seems to have been largely forgotten in what has become conventional construction techniques, though its demand is once again growing!

Greg Parham of Durango says his tiny house has all the necessary amenities – a loft for sleeping, and a kitchen with a stove and water heater that operate on propane. Parham, like others, has found a way to have more freedom, a simpler lifestyle and not be bound to an unmanageable mortgage.