How and Why Green Should be Good Looking

Induction Lighting and all types of newer technologies are many times associated with Green and not so good looking. I have a different perception. As a diplomat of Architecture it is the responsibility of the entire design team to seek out good looking solutions. See the photo, book me and hear my talk about integrating technology and aesthetics. It’s what makes American Know How more exciting and Profitable.

Reach me at for a speaking engagement or call our office directly http://www.designerspeakersbureau.com/speakers/3-designers/131-gerald-olesker

Pershing Hill Building Hills Street

 We are often asked what is the difference in the light quality between Induction and other forms of lighting, and people often think we are exaggerating when we tell them it is clearly visible so we have made this little video for you to judge the difference

For more on Induction, you can visit www.adgecolp.com or download our handy Induction Lighting Brochure

With the new resolve this historic moment has brought to our lives, we ask ourselves what we can do besides holding corporations accountable - what can we do as an individual that goes beyond responsible spending and paper recycling. If we are ready to change our mindsets and consider efficiency improvements as investments then there is this decision to make. One that which is not only economical but of the ecology for the future that we want for our world and the generation that will follow us.

This is an open response to the Trustees of Lincolnwood and the opportunity that they are missing with the street light improvements.

An $8.12 million dollar Tax use lighting upgrade plan is fantastic. BUT, the Trustees with all due respect have been feed some misinformation. Now, I may be a Californian, born and raised in the land of Golden opportunity, however, a part of my roots came from Chicago. I also may have a huge bias towards Green and Sustainable lighting programs since I am the CEO of a small Eco Lighting Products Company with 17+ years of experience.

President Elect Obama and congressional leaders have discussed structuring infrastructure deals that may require spending in the “green jobs” arena providing funds for energy efficiency project. And, yes a recent exhibit at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, CA, even reflects back to an era of government backed jobs. The Sunday, November 9th, Los Angeles Times front page even reads Economists see revival of an old fix, Public works projects once dismissed as too slow, are on the table again. Obama backs the FDR-era ideas.

It does no take a rocket scientist, or in our case an enthusiastic employee and lighting engineer at ADG Eco Lighting Products to recognize that P.E. Obama and Green leaders are right, That the folks at public works departments around our nation have given us structure and sub structure since we live and interact in the built environment. It does take one or two individuals at Public Utility companies to quash the idea that Green and Sustainable street lighting is not efficient. This is a self serving prognosis some power companies give to the lay-people or agencies and engineers that do not understand the implications of sustainability. They do understand that the bottom line – yes the public utilities bottom line - is being affected by the so called mandates of “Green our country up”.

Now, in plain English, for everyone who reads this comment back to Kathy Routliffe’s article Lincolnwood OK-D 5 year plan to Improve Street Lights. The advocates for the use of metal halide street lights are wrong. Based on our recent studies this is why we respond in this manner; recently a developer asked me to examine the possibilities of using our Induction Lighting Products and our Decorative Street Lights for a new community that is being built. I was put in contact with the pleasant folks of the Los Angeles County Street Lighting Division who were gracious enough to hear ADG Eco Lighting Products reasons as to Why Induction Lights would work.. First off they would save 50% of the energy used against metal halide (which are for some reason considered Green) For those of you who do not know what Induction Lights are the brief explanation is they are a phosphorus coated bulb that produce light though Magnetic Resonance. It is a 120 year old technology.

Well, to my surprise Los Angeles County Street Light Division is under Contract with Southern California Edison to provide, maintain and place street lights. Great, I sent them to review our site at www.adgEcoLightingProducts.com (this is to inform all about what, why and how come SCE disregarded induction lights completely). So the team at SCE was nice enough to hear me out via phone conference. And when we were done, they said “Induction just does not calculate out”. This is the same tone and response that the good people of Lincolnwood have just received from the Gewalt Hamilton representatives. Now I do not know the specifics of their argument, I do hear and see the writing on the walls. The cost of replacing street lights while it may be a hefty bill, it can be off-set with an approximate 3 year ROI and 15 year high yield return through the use of Miller induction Lights. Why would the Trustees of the city want to use the Induction Light technology to reduce consumption 50%? This would actually put millions of dollars back into the City General fund, while reducing the bottom line at the power company, and it meets the standards that our President Elect Obama is referencing, and that the Bush Government mandated that we not use incandescent light sources any more. Our county is shouting, give us jobs, give us savings and give us opportunity, while we should divest in foreign oil consumption. So utilizing Induction Lights in many applications is part of the resolution I will continue to claim this until I have helped save our nation 1 watt at a time.

Induction lights, at least from my biased perspective, meet all of the requirements of energy savings, and deferred maintence by 10 times that of many existing street lights, therefore, providing additional tax dollars to be spent in other service areas. They provide a safer and cleaner and all around applicability that the rest of the world has used for years. And if you need confirmation, check out our beautiful Golden Gate Bride at night. It has been lit with induction bulbs for quite some time.

With respect and admiration to the Lincolnwood Trustees, All those that have given them advise and the people of its communities,

Gerald Olesker

CEO/ founder Architectural Detail Group, inc & ADG Eco Lighting Products are part of a partnership group enhancing the built environment’s needs through positive relationships.

Green Building Materials

By using green products and guidelines in your next building project, you can eliminate the waste of resources and help to combat global warming. Traditional building materials waste precious resources and take lots of energy. For your future projects, consider using products like these as well as other eco-friendly materials to help lessen your structure’s impact on the natural environment.

Insulation is intrinsically  green because it helps increase energy efficiency in both homes and buildings by helping to maintain temperature. But some insulation is greener than others because of the materials used to make it. Denim insulation is an excellent replacement for traditional insulation materials. Bonded Logic’s UltraTouch Natural Fiber Insulation is made from 85% post-industrial cotton fiber. The insulation is treated with a fire retardant and is 100% recyclable, VOC-free, and formaldehyde-free. The denim comes from leftover scraps from manufacturers rather than being post-consumer, meaning its not as environmentally friendly, but definitely a big step in the right direction. Treehugger.com has some helpful advice about denim insulation here.

Nyloboard is a great company that provides a variety of applications in building. Nyloboard products provide insulation on both interior and exteriors, from floors to ceilings and anywhere else wood is traditionally used in building. Nyloboard’s patented manufacturing process combines recycled nylon fibers with synthetic resins. The result is a quality product that not only provides adequate insulation, it is also resistant to water, mold and insects, unlike traditional wood products. You can find Nyloboard here http://www.nyloboard.com/.

And of course, there are also the eco-friendly spacers we have previously mentioned on our blog. ECO Thinset tile spacers are about the greenest ‘widget’ on the market. The material is already used in the construction, as it is made from the same materials that are used to adhere the tile to floors or walls. Not to mention the fact that there’s no waste for landfills, like from the plastic on traditional tiles. And as an added bonus, you’ll save a lot of time and effort with installation. You can purchase Eco Tile Spacers here.

PaperStone is a product developed to cover surfaces. Products offered by PaperStone are made from post-consumer waste, recycled paper and proprietary, petroleum-free, phenolic resins. PaperStone makes great surfaces, for both indoor and outdoor use as well as both horizontal and vertical surfaces. The materials used to make PaperStone have high compression, impact and flexural strengths and are very abrasion resistant in addition to absorbing very little water. They are the products of choice in applications requiring high fire resistance (PaperStone has a Class A fire rating). All these attributes make PaperStone a green choice for kitchens, bathrooms and even skateboard ramps. PaperStone is available in two forms and is LEED certified. You can find out more about PaperStone by visiting their website at http://www.paperstoneproducts.net/.

Roofing is another eco-dilemna. While roofing provides insulation and coverage for homes, it is often made of non-renewable sources and coated in toxins. A green alternative to explore is EcoStar Roofing. EcoStar is a Carlisle Company which provides sustainable roofing options using rubber and plastics technology. EcoStar’s roofing are available in nine colors and six styles, and all are manufactured with up to 80% of post-industrial recycled rubber and plastics (from car bumper and baby diaper manufacturing remnants) and are highly flexible, sustainable and environmentally friendly to provide protection against the harsh elements and inclement weather conditions. You can find Eco-Star Roofing at http://www.ecostar.carlisle.com/.

Buying eco-friendly products helps economic and social betterment for the building’s inhabitants and help control global warming by limiting emissions from building materials.

Recently, we had the opportunity to talk with Erik Evens, a renowned architect in his own right and the current president of the Los Angeles branch of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, to find out more about the Institute from an insider:

1. What attracted you to becoming a member of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America?

The ICA/CA is a splendid organization and its mission and message was well aligned with my professional goals. I had always admired the Institute and when Marc Appleton, a mentor of mine, opened the Los Angeles chapter, I was able to become personally involved with the administration side.

2. What is considered Classical America?

Classical America is the remnant of an older organization that has merged with the Institute of Classical Architecture. Classicism as a style of architecture/design is inspired by the Classical language of Greece and Rome.

2a.What would you consider Classical American Architecture and why?

Most of the early Colonial style on the East Coast and the monuments in Washington are inspired by Classical style. Here in Southern California, we have early Spanish Colonial, which has elements derived from Classicism. As an example, the Pasadena City Hall is undergoing a renovation and it looks great.

3. Can you briefly summarize the mission of the Institute and how it benefits the architecture and design community in its entirety?

The Mission of the Institute is education and advocacy of Classical style and techniques that are no longer taught in schools around the country. The Institute offers classes in the classical traditions to provide a remedy for the lack of classical curriculum on both a national and local level.

3. What benefits does the ICA&CA provide for its members?

First and Foremost, you get a newsletter to keep you regularly updated on the ICA/CA’s happenings. You also get periodicals as well as sporadic coffee-table style magazines that are collections of recent Classical additions to architecture and design. Membership also confers the ability to save money on class tuition, ticket and events.

5. Can you expand on the nature of the relationship between the Institute and Habitat for Humanity?

Nationally, there is a great liaison between ICA/CA and habitat. Both groups co-authored A Pattern Book for Neighborly Houses, which is a design guide/primer to make houses that look like they fit into traditional neighborhoods for architects and designers that want to do work for Habitat. Locally, we are producing a playbook, which has examples of houses applicable for Southern California to engage members to design buildings. The goal of the playbook is to be able to have Habitat Southern California give it out to local designers and architects and provide examples and inspiration.

6. What do you believe are the reasons we should have process and understand classical architecture?

The history of Classicism is in history or Western Culture and having a good grounding and understanding of that language is crucial to designing architecture and objects. In keeping up with modernity, we continue to go back. Its about maintaining design continuity as an “architectural memory” and we can tap into that collective memory.

7. When working on a Restoration project, would you meld Classical and contemporary architecture seamlessly or make them stand apart?

Sometimes…its not recreating archaic designs, rather it’s using a language that resonates from great traditions to adapt to modern designs.

8.What are the pros and cons of using reproductions and antiques with new construction, versus historic renovations and how does ICA&CA address this?

There is no conflict with using both antiques and reproductions in new work. Collected, they demonstrate a history, which is both comforting and important. It allows buildings to tap into history; they belong to continuity, not from it. It helps tie the current with the past.

9. Do you encourage all architects and designers to participate and if so how do you get them to participate?

If you find value in the Classical tradition, you should become involved. Once you are involved, you will be advocating a great design tradition. You have a great social networking group and the ability to tap into the community. Come to events and see what its all about, whether it’s a class or lecture, you’ll want to get involved.

Does the ICA & CA have any projects or achievements coming up that you’d like to talk about?

There’s always something going on, see the calendar at the website to see what’s next.