reside architecture

once again, i’m writing about the cool product of the month on the last day of the month, but that’s okay, it’s still october, right? this month’s cool product is a fun little find for the little tykes in your life, a solar powered helicopter sold by estella nyc.

solar helicopter

my wife left (and i do mean left) me and the boys for 4 days last weekend when she travelled to nyc for her 20th high school reunion. it was actually the first time all of us boys were left alone for that long (yes 4 days suddenly became a long time). i took the boys hiking in joshua tree, but i digress. one of the presents my wife brought back from nyc was this solar powered helicopter. it is a small simple wooden toy, with a propeller that has a small “solar panel” on top of it. while it is probably overpriced at $28 (don’t expect this thing to lift off the ground, the propeller just spins) but the smile and joy on my boys’ face when they hold it up to the light and the propeller spins is priceless….look ma, no batteries (it was at night when she got home). then when you take it outside it will spin because of the sun’s rays. it doesn’t get any simpler than that.

the idea that something can move and produce energy without batteries and, simply because of the sun, is a foreign concept to most 3 year olds (and maybe adults for that matter). the fact that jake can say the words “solar power” and have some kind of understanding, however small,  brings a smile to my face. this simple helicopter is a fun and easy way to introduce the concept of solar energy to the little ones. and with the holidays just around the corner…..

episode 005. green and more green with organic architect, eric corey freed

• in this podcast, i interview organic architect, eric corey freed. we discuss how eric “enlisted” into the architecture profession, how he has zero tolerance for all things fake, why he uses all three of his names, why his firm is not called “crappy banal architecture”, and the books he is currently working on. we also discuss the term “greenwashing”, his facebook status updates AND his plan to solve the energy crisis (this you will want to hear!). you can find more information about eric at www.organicarchitect.com.

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ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES: i specialize in providing architectural design services for environmentally friendly, healthy, high performance, and energy efficient homes including major remodels, second story additions, and new construction. please contact me at the studio at 310.391.9191 or david@residearchitecture.com if you would like to discuss your project.

CONSULTING SERVICES: i am also available for phone, email, and in-person/on site consultation when you need an expert opinion or advice. whether you are trying to figure out how much things will really cost, interested in bulding green, or having issues during the design or construction process, i can help you. visit the consultation page for more information.

episode 004. the wing house and sailing with architect david hertz

• in this podcast, i interview colleague and friend, architect david hertz. we discuss david’s amazing project, “the wing house”, which is a house designed to incorporate the major components of an entire boeing 747 airplane including a main house utilizing the wings and a meditation space created from the nosecone of the aircraft. the project is located in the hills of malibu, california. we also discuss david’s love of sailing and his new “old” boat babysaan III. david is principal and owner of the studio of environmental architecture, www.studioea.com.

the wing house under construction

like what you’ve heard? please submit a review to itunes.

ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES: i specialize in providing architectural design services for environmentally friendly, healthy, high performance, and energy efficient homes including major remodels, second story additions, and new construction. please contact me at the studio at 310.391.9191 or david@residearchitecture.com if you would like to discuss your project.

CONSULTING SERVICES: i am also available for phone, email, and in-person/on site consultation when you need an expert opinion or advice. whether you are trying to figure out how much things will really cost, interested in bulding green, or having issues during the design or construction process, i can help you. visit the consultation page for more information.

episode 003. energy efficient lighting solutions for the home

in this podcast i discuss the following topics:

• what is an RSS feed?
• energy efficient lighting soultions with steve stannard, southern california edison
• choosing the right light bulb for your home
• what’s Kelvin and color temperature?
• what’s the color rendering index (CRI)?
• compact flourescent lighting, what’s with the mercury?
• LED’s, are they the wave of the future?

like what you’ve heard? please submit a review to itunes.

ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES: i specialize in providing architectural design services for environmentally friendly, healthy, high performance, and energy efficient homes including major remodels, second story additions, and new construction. please contact me at the studio at 310.391.9191 or david@residearchitecture.com if you would like to discuss your project.

CONSULTING SERVICES: i am also available for phone, email, and in-person/on site consultation when you need an expert opinion or advice. whether you are trying to figure out how much things will really cost, interested in bulding green, or having issues during the design or construction process, i can help you. visit the consultation page for more information.

this just showed up at my office about an hour ago so i had to snap some pictures and post them here. it was delivered right outside my office door for the “under construction” santa monica museum of flying. it seems that fedex donated the 727 nose to the museum as there were a couple of fedex people there as well as a fedex photographer. maybe this could be the “COOL product of the month”.

episode 002. yoga & design 

• In this podcast, i discuss yoga & design with yogis anonymous founders, ally hamilton and dorian cheah. ally and dorian discuss their experience of developing a new kind of yoga studio, from the early design process to creating the class schedule. they also discuss their star studded cast of yoga instructors and explain what a donation studio is all about. ally also discusses the experience of having “twins” during the process. you can find more information about yogis anonymous, including the class schedule, on their website www.yogisanonymous.com.

ally & the four d's: dorian, dylan, devin, & david

like what you’ve heard? please submit a review to itunes.

ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES: i specialize in providing architectural design services for environmentally friendly, healthy, high performance, and energy efficient homes including major remodels, second story additions, and new construction. please contact me at the studio at 310.391.9191 or david@residearchitecture.com if you would like to discuss your project.

CONSULTING SERVICES: i am also available for phone, email, and in-person/on site consultation when you need an expert opinion or advice. whether you are trying to figure out how much things will really cost, interested in bulding green, or having issues during the design or construction process, i can help you. visit the consultation page for more information.