Churches into Homes: Beauty & Benefits

Some attended, looking up at the stain-glass and glorious vaulted ceilings as something that could never be attained.  That’s not true and today’s contemporary desire for sprawling, open living space poses a question that combines the love of gothic-looking structure, and the simplicity of one giant room.  What is the real cost of converting a church into a home?

First of all, do a church not a cathedral.  Cathedrals are very large, you can’t imagine keeping the cobwebs out, let alone repairing it.  And beyond all else, don’t consider it if you’re not willing to combine some modern materials, and compromise the historic slightly.  Some will consider this to be outrageous destruction of classic building technique, and that it should be left to historical societies.  Well, with so many parishes losing membership over depleting religious views, there’s a surplus of historic churches for sale–and no one to buy them.  Artists may see it as an opportunity to blend the old world with the new, allow the structure to survive significantly longer without repair, and become by far, the most bad-ass space they’ve ever lived in.

Just realize that a small church feels huge, and repairs are needed on brickwork every 10-15 years and roof repairs around the same.  But could that diminish, by being modern and smart?  Think about the materials we use today, that might barely touch the detail of such a structure.

-Cement wall repair from the interior

The stone-look blends aesthetically, sealing from the inside and retaining temperature.

Traditionally, if you don’t restore the (most-likely) brownstone every 10-15 years, water seeps in and permanently damages the overall integrity. Could this be side stepped with a cheap attempt at interior cement re-enforcement?

-Sustainable roofing: Metal?

­Metal roofing claims to have an average cooling cost of 25-40% with a 50-year lifespan.

Will this provoke the Eiffel Tower effect? An ‘over-flashed’ contradiction to traditional architecture? Or, could this add a subtle patina luster embodied by the color and light exaggeration of a Caravaggio?

Finally, remember that making this livable means heat, appliances, and facilities.  Holy god that sounds expensive. Well, break it down starting from the most important and often missed: the floor.

-Floor Radiant Heating

This will cost anywhere from $6-15 per square foot. On the high end that’s $45,000 for a 3000 square foot floor.

-New Kitchen

The average cost of a new kitchen is a little less than $20,000–be safe, and move it to an inverted nook below the front of a church with an elevated choir area; make it $30,000.

-New Bathroom

Make it $25,000.  You could have a large public bathroom, with a lot of room to dabble in all-tile and open-area shower fixtures.  Almost like a fancy locker room–and you can always tone that back to save money.

With some churches going for as little as $200,000 (on the low end).  You could have one of the most interesting $300,000-350,000 homes that many have ever seen. So how can you make it more affordable?

-The Elevated Choir Area

Some are as large as a small studio, and have a separate entrance–in some cases a separate small bathroom.  If you’re willing to spend another $25,000-30,000 walling it off, making sure it has natural light coming in, and giving it a kitchenette and bathroom shower.  It’s a rental.

-The Entire Basement, or even half

Again, separate entrances, basement windows all along, and make sure it has facilities. The sprawling square footage is great for studios or community gatherings, and is generally pretty sound proofed from the main area that you live in.  And you can know that some of the area can still be walled off for your own basement storage, while still being huge.

The main thing to take away from this is that it is possible, and initial work with alternative materials–can remove even ‘everyday upkeep’ from such a breathtaking environment. 

Modern- Ouch! Ouch! You’re Bruising my Wallet…. Or Not???

HGTV: PREFAB BUILD AND DESIGNER INTERVIEW

 “Dear God,” I say when I gaze at the fabulous, unique, geometric piles of perfection that are modern homes. 

            Every time I witness one of these masterpieces I insta-imagine my life there, and can’t help but glance through the personality-infused article that accompanies it for the price tag.  They’re so expensive, that It’s hard to believe they were ever meant for Gen. Y!  How? When? In what world could the work-world babes of the recession afford such a thing they desire so much?  Frankly the whole idea is not marketed well enough, period.  Most of us have no clue the homes range from 200-250/ sq. ft., and with 1,000 sq. ft. being a lot of space in a completely efficient and open dwelling, there’s no reason to think that we can’t afford it.  Especially since that's the price of the average home in the average market.

            It’s called prefab, and no it doesn’t mean plastic toy houses that will blow away at the first gust of a whistle.  They’re simply pre-built rooms and home-parts that can be placed together in any crazy unique, thought up way.  Stacked, side-by-side, ridiculously long- you think it up and let them know what you want.  The best part is that prefab homes can literally be built anywhere.  An-y-where!  You see a gritty, urban commercial garage in deep Brooklyn that's built like a rock? Stack up a 2-unit prefab with a rock-climbing wall.  Yeah! Why not?  You see a huge, old tree that makes you want coffee with the squirrels, build a home in a circle around it.  Tree house, desert, mountain the list goes on.  But imagination, price and pure style make these homes perfect for the young, old, handicapped, style-enthused or the straight-up efficient.  Oh, and did I mention that this is one of the greenest ways to live?  Yeah you're saving a butt-ton of energy during the building process in addition to your life there.

            So now what? Where do we go to get this fabulous house to build to our desire? The builders are all over the place, and none of them are amazing at reaching out to make our lives easier.  Why not work with the place that dangles these homes in our faces to begin with, Dwell.com.  Dwell magazine is by far one of the best references to modern living from the designer perspective.  Their website is extremely capable of hosting a place to put shapes together as a pre-design and have it sent to the closest builders.  It’s the perfect application for readers, site users and it would give Dwell a great way to strengthen their relationship with these pre-fab builders that they already work with.  Not to mention this would make Dwell the go-to place for mod-home buying.  That’s it, I’m doing it,  I want a place to crazy-house dream.

Arboretum | a Sweet Study

The trip to the arboretum proved to be interesting. Although I wasn't convinced of it's push for the real world in terms of sustainability, I was moved b it's beauty. I was also pleased to find some interesting pieces of nature that i didn't know existed.

Tip Toe-ing to a more Efficient Life

(Above: Frank Lloyd Wright house/ Shoreview, MN)

Minneapolis is a city based on modern ideas, surrounded by Midwestern structure and raised by tradition of ‘medium-sized’ change. Many people that live here, especially in the Calhoun lakes area take on styles that promote efficient and beautifully designed futures. Yet many homes are still very old-fashioned, inefficient and to build a home of true, unique modern thought can be considered unfit for the aesthetic of a neighborhood or just too damn expensive. But why should this keep people from dreaming up interesting designs for their living. Is it cost, yes perhaps, but if $ signs aren’t an on-going symbol in your mind, let’s allow somebody else to kill the dream and have a good look at some sweet living.

Publications like Dwell give a look at upscale living with efficiency built in every nook and cranny. The good stuff comes from the hard to come by roof gardens, all-home filtration systems, other energy features, and the bold beautiful look of it all. Most people on a normal budget can’t imagine how to begin designing, purchasing or generally installing these systems without the aide of an architect or engineer. So let’s look at it a different way. How can we take integrate the aesthetic of clean, modern glass, stone and plant life without spending a fortune? Start simple with open spaces. The key element to many of these designs is not just the materials used, but the openness of the floor plan combined with storage and surface space that is built to compliment this. Check out some airy designs with modest square footage.

Minneapolis dwellers and builders do understand the cost effectiveness of tearing down old and building new. That is in a large part what differs the newer city from it’s twin counterpart St. Paul. But as a building and more importantly designing community we can capitalize our design sense by integrating simple principles about space and function. Open is more, light can double your sense of stretch room and most importantly, storage and surface can always be integrated tightly into the bones of the home. Most modern houses use the main structure walls, stairs and surfaces to double as shelving and structure support. So look harder and think about that when building any structure. How can this be smarter and look hot!

The Next 60 Years | Advertising | Entertaining our Actual Space

What will advertising be in the future…

It will be pure entertainment. That is where it’s been heading for the last decade, and now we’re finally practicing that seriously. People don’t want to interrupt what they’ve decided they like, unless it’s equally or more entertaining than what they’re doing.

Youthful college grads with a new, nice budget don’t watch T.V, or rarely. Maybe they want a promotional Wii that is uploaded with movie-mercials that are entertaining movie versions of commercials that would be generated for THEIR favorite cars or products. Perhaps people don’t want Mcdonald’s in their face unless McDonald’s is using the city landscape as a message.
“Alright McDonald’s, I’ll look and buy if you promise to turn my train ride home into a giant straw zooming through a cup-bridge.”

Now that’s entertainment, and a message. But perhaps the future will hold these aspects in principle with causes that matter to the next generation. Sure you can put a billboard up, but it better be made of only materials that grow the environment around me, and are not wasteful.
“Yeah, in fact I only want outdoor advertising made of real grass that grows to make the message and then feeds the natural surroundings when the message is finished.”

Why not? If you want to send a message to people that have a main concern with making the place they live in better, you better think about that in every idea or execution you make. The point is that Advertising will become completely creative to the ideas that people are thinking, not interrupting them, but adding to them in a very imaginative way.

THE BOTTOM LINE |
-Entertain them
-Make their environment a better place (Any environment digital, real, or otherwise)
-Be purposeful to the point of taking a smart idea, and encouraging people to think too.

Final Commitment

Final Commitment

I’m committing to finding a place in this sustainable system. My career choices are just so damn contradicting. I love to write about everything that needs a personality. To come up with the ideas that power it, give it a new image, and give it a future. This can be anything powerful, it just has to move people and move myself to mean anything to me. On the other hand I love simple, natural things as well, and can’t understand why they aren’t represented in a way that makes more people feel personally connected with them. I suppose all this rambling really gets down to why things that sustain and redevelop the environment can’t be seen as a personality rather than a forced cause. I spent so much time not seeking out knowledge of sustainability because I have such an interest in objects that are seen as destructive to the environment. Why can’t they be combined?

I’m committing to combining these 2, because now it feels just weird to see them as separate. Both areas are so important to creating powerful ideas that move people that aren’t convinced of our current situation.

After discussing Denmark and its more than different lifestyle, it was apparent that the group of people we need to be talking to are those in the American culture that bend their lives around the assembled nostalgia of our excessive lifestyle. Why wouldn’t they, when there is nothing in their faces that convinces them of the dire situation, and there is no common practice that makes it a reality? There needs to be an element of everyday life for everyone that constantly reminds what life has really become. I’m committing to living this way myself, no matter where it is.

Commitment 8 | Celebrity influence

Commitment 8 |

This commitment is devoted to understanding the funding that happens from online conversation publicity. Where does the money come from? Where does the money go? Why are certain pop-culture icons involved, and what do they personally contribute that makes them poster children of this ‘sustainable design’ revolution? They celebrities that people respect are focusing their efforts on sustainable issues. Now how can that be taken further, and maximized to create a real ‘image’ around this idea.

Commitment 7 | Cultural Change-Over

Commitment 7 |

My commitment must CHANGE! The reason being is that there are many other people far more talented at the art of gardening than I, and I’d really prefer to hone in on my skills of convincing people about the social and cultural benefits of changing to sustainable ways. My specialty is Advertising and everything from the brands to the conversation techniques that surround it. I should be committing to the time to create a cultural ‘sexiness’ that surrounds the idea of sustainability. Right now it’s a cute, trendy thing to do. Perhaps it’s my job to market this lifestyle to the people that lean towards professional, sexy, and social advertising. It could be very powerful.

Commitment 6 | The Ecosystem Experiments

Commitment 6 |

The terrarium is the only way for me to really commit to observing what happens to a natural environment when exposed to common growing products. It’s everything from rocks, dirt, moss, and the purified water that goes into caring for the mini-ecosystem. Now that I’ve made this time commitment, I see many dilemmas in the building of a whole new ecosystem. It’s not even a matter of implementing the technology, it’s the cost of the technology, and then finding other alternatives to pest control. IT would appear that my commitment has created fruit flies. Therefore I must commit to finding the origin of everything that is happening in the terrarium.

Commitment 5 | The Energy Experiments

Commitment 5 |

My involvement with experimentation is taking a huge role in my commitment to understand the way technology can control an environment. This week I’ve gone over my experiments in solar power and water purification to apply them to yet again a much larger-scaled situation. My commitment is about theorizing ways to transform the electrical power that can be generated by solar energy, into heat power that purifies large amounts of water. I already know that heat can be made from electricity. People use It all the time with common appliances like electrical stoves. Now it’s a matter of making the time commitment to testing its efficiency.

Commitment 4 | Understanding

Commitment 4 |

Africa’s plan to commit to a sustainable lifestyle is more than amazing, but it’s really been about technology for many of the continent’s problems. The nation failed to keep up with the world, and in exchange the continent suffered much less pollution, and consumes less of many resources. My commitment is first here, in understanding how technology has the ability to pick up an entire ecosystem. Not to mention that my understandings of population and disease in this part of the world will be opened to info that I’m sure I don’t know.

Commitment 3 | Technology

Commitment 3 |

My commitment to technology is fairly apparent at this point, so now my efforts need to be focus on finding the right technology vendor. I’ve discussed the possibilities with Google, and can now see more opportunities with the organizations that surround Free Rice. There is even more possibility with social networking. Right now, the Aesthetics of Sustainability blog can only go so far, but a game like ‘Seed Feed’ has the possibility to better connect on other social networks already developed. My commitment is to research this, and make it work.

Pop Culture Awareness

This report is officially moving over to current events and sponsorships for green living and learning. Why? There are so many dilemmas happening in African sustainable movements that the biggest problem there is money. The nation needs money to buy the supplies that move the ideas to improve their farming economy. By studying different ways that pop culture events, stars, designers, and other entertainment venues choose to adapt to sustainable needs, there may actually be a source of finding the dollars necessary to progress more of our world in a sustainable direction.
I found the University of Minnesota arboretum to be a shining example of how great ideas have to scrape by because they don’t integrate themselves into money-making practices, (U of M Arboretum). The arboretum seems to be an entertainment venue that thrives off of people seeking out this kind of entertainment. The experience of nature, it’s beautiful, and it only goes so far. Many people don’t want to visit a park reserve on a daily basis, and can’t because they’re busy working or getting life accomplished. So where can a great place like the arboretum learn to appeal to the cultural demands of a nation enthralled by super stars, fashion, possession, and more?
I have to say that one of my favorite blog and article web sites is definitely Tree Hugger. Despite a name that would turn away many heads that have a hard time being badgered that their lifestyle is plain wrong, generally without unbiased explanation. Tree Hugger provides interesting readings on ‘big names’ that are changing the face of the entertainment industry. And frankly, where the entertainment industry thrives money usually flows. The “Green Buying Guide” page shows general consumers everything from tables to cars that allow them to move their lifestyles in a sustainable direction, (Tree hugger). So why can’t more places like the “Aesthetics of Sustainability” blog be a resource of reports that reference a more general lifestyle? The point of all this and the introduction to one of my new favorite blogs, is that sustainable advocates cannot just walk up to a person who happens to own a truck, and say, “my lungs hurt, thanks.” We as reporters should be responsible for making educated suggestions. We should ask questions like, “Why do you use such a large truck,” or “Does your company have any future ideas about pollution connected to large trucks?” I’m making this one of my new goals. To change my own thinking, by knowing what everything is used for, know what the alternatives are, and find ways for people to afford them. Because my recent answer to the question, “why didn’t the world do it this way?” is: it was too expensive then, and it’s more expensive now.

Bibliography |

University of Minnesota. About Us. 2008. University of Minnesota.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/aboutus.aspx
TreeHugger.com. Buy Green. 2008. TreeHugger.com.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.treehugger.com/buygreen/

The World Water Conundrum

This report is officially moving over to current events and sponsorships for green living and learning. Why? There are so many dilemmas happening in African sustainable movements that the biggest problem there is money. The nation needs money to buy the supplies that move the ideas to improve their farming economy. By studying different ways that pop culture events, stars, designers, and other entertainment venues choose to adapt to sustainable needs, there may actually be a source of finding the dollars necessary to progress more of our world in a sustainable direction.
I found the University of Minnesota arboretum to be a shining example of how great ideas have to scrape by because they don’t integrate themselves into money-making practices, (U of M Arboretum). The arboretum seems to be an entertainment venue that thrives off of people seeking out this kind of entertainment. The experience of nature, it’s beautiful, and it only goes so far. Many people don’t want to visit a park reserve on a daily basis, and can’t because they’re busy working or getting life accomplished. So where can a great place like the arboretum learn to appeal to the cultural demands of a nation enthralled by super stars, fashion, possession, and more?
I have to say that one of my favorite blog and article web sites is definitely Tree Hugger. Despite a name that would turn away many heads that have a hard time being badgered that their lifestyle is plain wrong, generally without unbiased explanation. Tree Hugger provides interesting readings on ‘big names’ that are changing the face of the entertainment industry. And frankly, where the entertainment industry thrives money usually flows. The “Green Buying Guide” page shows general consumers everything from tables to cars that allow them to move their lifestyles in a sustainable direction, (Tree hugger). So why can’t more places like the “Aesthetics of Sustainability” blog be a resource of reports that reference a more general lifestyle? The point of all this and the introduction to one of my new favorite blogs, is that sustainable advocates cannot just walk up to a person who happens to own a truck, and say, “my lungs hurt, thanks.” We as reporters should be responsible for making educated suggestions. We should ask questions like, “Why do you use such a large truck,” or “Does your company have any future ideas about pollution connected to large trucks?” I’m making this one of my new goals. To change my own thinking, by knowing what everything is used for, know what the alternatives are, and find ways for people to afford them. Because my recent answer to the question, “why didn’t the world do it this way?” is: it was too expensive then, and it’s more expensive now.

Bibliography |

University of Minnesota. About Us. 2008. University of Minnesota.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/aboutus.aspx
TreeHugger.com. Buy Green. 2008. TreeHugger.com.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.treehugger.com/buygreen/

Popularity | A Solution

This report is officially moving over to current events and sponsorships for green living and learning. Why? There are so many dilemmas happening in African sustainable movements that the biggest problem there is money. The nation needs money to buy the supplies that move the ideas to improve their farming economy. By studying different ways that pop culture events, stars, designers, and other entertainment venues choose to adapt to sustainable needs, there may actually be a source of finding the dollars necessary to progress more of our world in a sustainable direction.
I found the University of Minnesota arboretum to be a shining example of how great ideas have to scrape by because they don’t integrate themselves into money-making practices, (U of M Arboretum). The arboretum seems to be an entertainment venue that thrives off of people seeking out this kind of entertainment. The experience of nature, it’s beautiful, and it only goes so far. Many people don’t want to visit a park reserve on a daily basis, and can’t because they’re busy working or getting life accomplished. So where can a great place like the arboretum learn to appeal to the cultural demands of a nation enthralled by super stars, fashion, possession, and more?
I have to say that one of my favorite blog and article web sites is definitely Tree Hugger. Despite a name that would turn away many heads that have a hard time being badgered that their lifestyle is plain wrong, generally without unbiased explanation. Tree Hugger provides interesting readings on ‘big names’ that are changing the face of the entertainment industry. And frankly, where the entertainment industry thrives money usually flows. The “Green Buying Guide” page shows general consumers everything from tables to cars that allow them to move their lifestyles in a sustainable direction, (Tree hugger). So why can’t more places like the “Aesthetics of Sustainability” blog be a resource of reports that reference a more general lifestyle? The point of all this and the introduction to one of my new favorite blogs, is that sustainable advocates cannot just walk up to a person who happens to own a truck, and say, “my lungs hurt, thanks.” We as reporters should be responsible for making educated suggestions. We should ask questions like, “Why do you use such a large truck,” or “Does your company have any future ideas about pollution connected to large trucks?” I’m making this one of my new goals. To change my own thinking, by knowing what everything is used for, know what the alternatives are, and find ways for people to afford them. Because my recent answer to the question, “why didn’t the world do it this way?” is: it was too expensive then, and it’s more expensive now.

Bibliography |

University of Minnesota. About Us. 2008. University of Minnesota.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/aboutus.aspx
TreeHugger.com. Buy Green. 2008. TreeHugger.com.

Oct.14, 2008. http://www.treehugger.com/buygreen/

Greenhouse Effect- in a Good Way?

For the next couple of weeks I’ll be focusing on yet another third-grade science project that I’ve never taken the time to look at so closely. I actually appreciate all those long days in elementary-school science class where each teacher drilled day after day about the importance of science. Well, now I’m listening, and now I can do something about it. I’m maintaining a terrarium; a small-scale, clear dome for the sustaining of plant-life. It’s rather amazing really, it needs about a half a cup of water, sunlight, and then just left alone. It’s the advertiser’s version of a garden, in this case at least.
My plant has yet to develop, as I just began the process, but all of these projects show terms of real results on a large scale. In other words, how can an extremely large outdoor terrarium, or green house, effect the crop development in most or all of sub-Saharan Africa? Well, the problems that are currently happening are obvious. The soil is terrible, the water is rare to be found, and there is an abundance of sunlight drying up what little soil and water the African farming community has, (Khamsi). The truth is that this part of the nation is very forward about thinking in terms of their current predicament. Parts of the continent have taken to harnessing the powerful solar energy to provide electricity and detract from using harmful substances like coal or other chemical products. Basically, the way to identify a positive step for energy use is a group of people that attempt to use anything, or create power without the production of chemicals. Food development and growth should be the exact same thing.
Ideally, there are many things that this underdeveloped continent is in desperate need of, but handling one element at a time is probably wiser. Many countries have the solar power in place to provide electrical needs. I think it’s time that money being raised actually saw it’s way to the area. Building greenhouses on designated land, and then providing the necessary materials for able farmers to produce within the greenhouses would begin farming that reacts to favorable technology. With technology being one of the supposed backslides of the nation, there’s no need to reintroduce industrial processes that failed countries like the U.S. I see more progress in only introducing processes that sustain everything from resources to money. Money is generally the main reason to do anything half as well, and deliberately introduce harmful processes for the sake of efficiency. It’s time to work harder to create solutions for the present and the future. It’s also time to answer an immediate call for help.




Bibliography

Khamsi, Roxanne. Soil Health Crisis Threatens Africa’s Food Supply. . March 31, 2006.
NewScientist. Sept. 30, 2008. <>

New Technology + Its Promotion Power

My goal as an advertiser is to grasp tightly onto new technology and use it to brings the needs of a brand to life through utility and message. I like others, am constantly in awe by the power of Google. It’s a search engine that has become so efficient and useful, but has remained a simple untainted design. Advertising is purchased through tasteful non-distracting forms. They also donate advertising to ideas that are truly useful in society, and for the good of promoting information. Not to say that they don’t have an agenda, but at the moment they continue to be a company that promotes much more good than evil. And now…drum roll… they have invented a search engine program that’s faster than any other, and that holds advertising possibilities beyond normal distribution. I say I commit to bringing the Seed Feed plan to a Google grant. This means that Google gives free advertising on the engine until the sit hits a certain number of hits, then the site is on it’s own. A generous ‘make the company look good campaign’. I appreciate, and I am committed to attempt using it.

Commitment 2: Game for Good

There’s a game that exists to feed starving countries, but it’s flawed. First, it’s not registered as a charity and that leaves it open to suspected income gain. Second, it doesn’t teach people how to correct the growing problem, it only provides a temporary solution. Feed people as much as you can, but don’t teach them how to feed themselves. Why not?
I am spending this semester devoted to the sustainable needs of Africa, and from what I’ve learned they are very developed in sustainable practices, they just don’t have the money or knowledge to make happen on a large scale. They are influenced by visitors because they have not kept up technologically as a nation. Therefore, to really make a difference, the visitors need to be educated in a way that consumes both responsible parts of their lives, as well as recreational. I propose a game-for-good that uses modern advertising technology. I propose Seed Feed, and I am committed to at least flush the idea out. Perhaps it will become something if I can clearly explain its purpose and it’s intrigue.