VISIONS
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Solar Energy: Sustainable and Economical
As demand for energy increases, traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels are becoming scarcer. Therefore, it’s important to find alternative sources of energy that are both environmentally friendly and still economically viable. An excellent alternative energy source is solar energy.
 
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Related Links:
http://www.solarenergy.org
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar
http://www.solventuspartners.com
http://www.kastle-group.com/solarandwind
http://www.schottsolar.com
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Adaptive Reuse: Making Viable Transformations
When the usefulness of a commercial or retail building has run its course, and it’s no longer viable or able to sustain itself, the community is often left with an eyesore. Sometimes, the best solution is to find a new, vital use for the building, transforming it from a blight to the community into a building that serves the community ...
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Related Links:
Adaptivereuse.net
Architectmagazine.com
Openarchitecturenetwork.org
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Master Planning: The Key to Project Success
January/February 2010
A master plan is a concept and a vision for a potential development or project. Master planning allows a client to make the most of their current and potential resources. The process helps evaluate current needs, and creates a "road map" that allows a project to "travel" from an existing condition to an intended destination. Master planning can help a client to ...
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Download our Exclusive Master Planning Process chart:
MasterPlanningProcessChart
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Using Interactive 3D Software to Create a Client's Vision
September/October 2009
Interactive 3-D software is revolutionizing the way architects and designers create the visions of their clients. In the past, two-dimensional sketches and renderings were the only way to communicate concepts for projects. Now, state-of-the-art software allows designers to create3D depictions of building and site projects much more efficiently ...
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Related Links:
SketchUcation
Render Plus
SketchUpdate Blog
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The Benefits of Tilt-Up Concrete Construction
July/August 2009
Tilt-up construction involves constructing walls horizontally (on the ground), and then lifting them into place. Although this principle is not new (buildings constructed during the Roman Empire used this approach), Tilt-up construction did not gain wide-acceptance until after World War II when the mobile crane was first developed...
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Related Links:
Tilt-Up Concrete Association
Tilt-Up Today Magazine
Tiltup.com
Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World
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The Art and Science of Surveying
March/April 2009
What is surveying? Surveying is the art
and science of measuring and mapping
land. It’s a profession that dates back to
the ancient Egyptians, who used it to
establish farm boundaries and build the
pyramids. A vital part of the design and
construction process, today surveying
affects most everything in our daily lives.
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Related Links:
National Society of Professional Surveyors
American Congress on Surveying and Mapping
The American Surveyor Magazine
Virtual Museum of Surveying
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Green Roofs: Beauty and Functionality
September/October 2008
What is a green roof? In a nutshell, green roofs are vegetated roof covers which include plants, growing media, a waterproofing layer, and drainage. There are two types of green roofs: intensive and extensive. With a soil depth of a foot or more, intensive green roofs can sustain a wide range of plant species, but require substantial structural elements to support the weight, and require more maintenance. An extensive green roof has a much shallower soil depth (usually only 2 to 4 inches deep) and is planted with hardy, drought-resistant plants.
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Related Links:
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
International Green Roof Association
Green Roofs: An Introduction with Pretty Pictures
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Geothermal Systems Use Renewable Energy
June/July 2008
Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources which release greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. A movement is currently under way to find alternative, renewable energy sources that will relieve our dependency on fossil fuels, reducing our carbon footprint while still meeting our ever-increasing energy needs. One alternative source that can reduce energy consumption in a structure is a geothermal system. Geothermal systems use the temperature of the...
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Related Links:
EERE's Geothermal Technologies Program
Geothermal Energy Association
Union of Concerned Scientists
Alliant Energy
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Small Spaces, Big Ideas: Turning Unused Property into a Community Asset
April/May 2008
It’s a common problem for municipalities: There’s a piece of land that they own. Maybe it’s left over from a recent redevelopment, or they’ve just acquired it somehow over the years. It’s just sitting there, not really doing anything. It’s too small to sell, but too big to ignore. The question is … how can we put it to good use? What would be the best way to use it for the benefit of the community?...
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Related Links:
Ohio Department of Natural Resources – Community Assistance Programs
The General Code Advantage – Successful Grant Writing
Ohio EPA – Office of Environmental Education: Grant Guidelines
Just Grants! Ohio
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Rain Gardens: A Sustainable Design Solution
November/December 2007
Now, more than ever, sustainable design (or green design) can make a significant impact toward reducing the depletion of our natural resources and improving quality of life in communities and workplaces. Producing a sustainable development involves careful analysis of a variety of interconnected issues. One example of a beneficial (and beautiful) sustainable design feature is the rain garden (or bio-swale)...
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Related Links:
Rain Garden Network
Grow Native!
10,000 Rain Gardens
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MSP Newsletter