Welcome to Ann Arbor Green!
In the span of two hours, I, as one individual amidst
this larger community of the Ann Arbor area, became
keenly aware of over 20 significant projects and
organizations connected to the ‘green’ movement in
one way or another.
This is only folks I know and the projects I am aware of that I recognized crossing my path…Imagine what is happening that I am not yet aware of? Imagine, if this much is coinciding in a short span of time in one location, what else is happening all over the area? I am intrigued…
My intention with this blog is to create an online ‘green’ where we can meet and gather and share about what’s going on. I know there’s a lot more than what I alone am aware of...
Here’s how my intention unfolded:
One afternoon recently, I found myself downtown between appointments. Rather than take the time and gas to drive to the office, I chose to settle myself in Sweetwaters Café (www.sweetwaterscafe.com) on Washington for a couple hours. I got my tea (ginger lemon!) and sat at one of the remaining tables in the middle, toward the front. From this place, I could easily see who was coming and going, although this was not intentionally my objective.
I was jazzed, having just come from a meeting with Dax Ponce de Leon about listing the residential units on the top two floors of the building PMA Consultants is developing just across the street, Tierra on Ashley (www.tierraonashley.com). If you are not already familiar with this project, know that it incorporates the most ‘green’ features of any project Ann Arbor has seen so far.
As I’m sitting there checking email, I look up and see Matt Grocoff come in. I’ve known Matt for a bit more than a year now. We met when he and his wife, Kelly, were purchasing a late 1800’s house on Seventh with the intention of doing a thorough green remodel. The result is fantastic. Matt has been documenting the process and started a website dedicated to helping others navigate this process (www.greenovationtv.com). We chat for a bit and share updates on a few folks and what they’re doing as well as discussing options for green financing…
A bit later, my neighbor, who drives a Prius and is very sustainably oriented, comes in and we chat for a bit too. It turns out that his wife, Jeannine LaPrad who is the President and CEO of the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (www.skilledwork.org) is working on a ‘green jobs’ initiative.
As I get ready to leave, I stand up and see that Robin Grosshuesch of Treehouse Realty (www.treehouserealtygroup.com) and Robert Black of Sunstructures Architects, are meeting in the back. They, with John Langs and Victor Leabu, are developing a ‘sustainable’ neighborhood north of Dexter called Starhill at Peach Mountain (www.starhillmi.com). They were finishing up a meeting to discuss some details of the project.
All this has happened in the span of two hours…and I become keenly aware that the day before I had met with John Cunnningham of Arbor Insulation (www.arborinsulation.com) to discuss some ideas related to demonstrating the effectiveness of improving energy efficiency in older homes, and the next day I am to meet with Doug Selby of Meadowlark Builders (www.meadowlarkbuilders.com) to talk about raising awareness related to energy efficiency and other green building practices and supporting each others’ businesses. I also hear about the project he’s working on with Michael Clement of Architectural Resource (www.architecturalresource.com) to remodel a house on Fourth near Kerrytown and the ‘under the drywall’ tour they hosted in March to over 100 people introducing the green remodel concepts.
This is simply me, in Sweetwaters’ for a couple hours. This is only folks I know and the projects I am aware of that I recognize crossing my path…Imagine what is happening that I am not yet aware of? Imagine, if this much is coinciding in a short span of time in one location, what else is happening all over the area? This is what intrigues me…
My intention with this blog is to create an online ‘green’ where we can meet and gather and share about what’s going on. I know there’s more.
There’s Jason Bing at Recycle Ann Arbor’s Environmental House (www.environmentalhouse.org) dedicated to furthering the causes of green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy. They are a fabulous resource to the public.
There’s Sean Reed of the Clean Energy Coalition (www.cec-mi.org) whose mission is to promote clean energy technologies as a way to create healthier, energy independent communities.
There’s the Earth Day celebration at Leslie Science Center next weekend on Sunday afternoon (http://www.lesliesnc.org/EarthDayPressRelease.php).
There’s the 8th annual Ann Arbor Green Fair downtown along Main Street on June 16th from 6pm – 9pm coordinated by the City of Ann Arbor along with the Clean Energy Coalition (http://www.cec-mi.org/whatsnew.htm).
There’s Amanda Edmonds, the executive director of Growing Hope (www.growinghope.net), a non-profit in Ypsilanti dedicated to helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening, who is taking on the green renovation of a house on Michigan Ave to become their new offices along with developing the site with an education center and demonstration gardens.
There’s DTE Energy offering energy efficiency seminars throughout southeastern Michigan along with their MyEnergy Analyzer online (http://my.dteenergy.com/home/savings/index.html).
There’s Jack Griffith (www.infrared-energy.com) who uses infrared imaging to detect heat loss in homes and Patrick Houle (www.diamondenv.com) and Nate Munson (www.evergreenhomeservices.net) using a ‘blower door’ test to find leaks doing energy assessments to help homeowners determine the best next steps to improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs.
There’s Jacob Corvidae who works for WARM Training center in Detroit (www.warmtraining.org) doing a green remodel of his own home and presenting, along with Jason Bing and Robert Black on a panel at Crazy Wisdom this past Thursday to a very interested crowd of people.
There’s Living Space Builders (www.livingspacebuilders.com) making hybrid energy homes accessible to people in all price ranges and completing a beautiful project at 537 Riverview in Ann Arbor Hills.
It is truly in remarkable how much is going on in our area. There is no way any one person or organization can keep track of it all. It seems to me that lots of people are hungry for this information and perspective.
I invite you to tell us all about what YOU know that is going on that’s green. Perhaps we can expand what is happening and be more effective through connecting with one another in this way.
This is my intention. Welcome to Ann Arbor Green!
This is only folks I know and the projects I am aware of that I recognized crossing my path…Imagine what is happening that I am not yet aware of? Imagine, if this much is coinciding in a short span of time in one location, what else is happening all over the area? I am intrigued…
My intention with this blog is to create an online ‘green’ where we can meet and gather and share about what’s going on. I know there’s a lot more than what I alone am aware of...
Here’s how my intention unfolded:
One afternoon recently, I found myself downtown between appointments. Rather than take the time and gas to drive to the office, I chose to settle myself in Sweetwaters Café (www.sweetwaterscafe.com) on Washington for a couple hours. I got my tea (ginger lemon!) and sat at one of the remaining tables in the middle, toward the front. From this place, I could easily see who was coming and going, although this was not intentionally my objective.
I was jazzed, having just come from a meeting with Dax Ponce de Leon about listing the residential units on the top two floors of the building PMA Consultants is developing just across the street, Tierra on Ashley (www.tierraonashley.com). If you are not already familiar with this project, know that it incorporates the most ‘green’ features of any project Ann Arbor has seen so far.
As I’m sitting there checking email, I look up and see Matt Grocoff come in. I’ve known Matt for a bit more than a year now. We met when he and his wife, Kelly, were purchasing a late 1800’s house on Seventh with the intention of doing a thorough green remodel. The result is fantastic. Matt has been documenting the process and started a website dedicated to helping others navigate this process (www.greenovationtv.com). We chat for a bit and share updates on a few folks and what they’re doing as well as discussing options for green financing…
A bit later, my neighbor, who drives a Prius and is very sustainably oriented, comes in and we chat for a bit too. It turns out that his wife, Jeannine LaPrad who is the President and CEO of the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (www.skilledwork.org) is working on a ‘green jobs’ initiative.
As I get ready to leave, I stand up and see that Robin Grosshuesch of Treehouse Realty (www.treehouserealtygroup.com) and Robert Black of Sunstructures Architects, are meeting in the back. They, with John Langs and Victor Leabu, are developing a ‘sustainable’ neighborhood north of Dexter called Starhill at Peach Mountain (www.starhillmi.com). They were finishing up a meeting to discuss some details of the project.
All this has happened in the span of two hours…and I become keenly aware that the day before I had met with John Cunnningham of Arbor Insulation (www.arborinsulation.com) to discuss some ideas related to demonstrating the effectiveness of improving energy efficiency in older homes, and the next day I am to meet with Doug Selby of Meadowlark Builders (www.meadowlarkbuilders.com) to talk about raising awareness related to energy efficiency and other green building practices and supporting each others’ businesses. I also hear about the project he’s working on with Michael Clement of Architectural Resource (www.architecturalresource.com) to remodel a house on Fourth near Kerrytown and the ‘under the drywall’ tour they hosted in March to over 100 people introducing the green remodel concepts.
This is simply me, in Sweetwaters’ for a couple hours. This is only folks I know and the projects I am aware of that I recognize crossing my path…Imagine what is happening that I am not yet aware of? Imagine, if this much is coinciding in a short span of time in one location, what else is happening all over the area? This is what intrigues me…
My intention with this blog is to create an online ‘green’ where we can meet and gather and share about what’s going on. I know there’s more.
There’s Jason Bing at Recycle Ann Arbor’s Environmental House (www.environmentalhouse.org) dedicated to furthering the causes of green building, energy efficiency and renewable energy. They are a fabulous resource to the public.
There’s Sean Reed of the Clean Energy Coalition (www.cec-mi.org) whose mission is to promote clean energy technologies as a way to create healthier, energy independent communities.
There’s the Earth Day celebration at Leslie Science Center next weekend on Sunday afternoon (http://www.lesliesnc.org/EarthDayPressRelease.php).
There’s the 8th annual Ann Arbor Green Fair downtown along Main Street on June 16th from 6pm – 9pm coordinated by the City of Ann Arbor along with the Clean Energy Coalition (http://www.cec-mi.org/whatsnew.htm).
There’s Amanda Edmonds, the executive director of Growing Hope (www.growinghope.net), a non-profit in Ypsilanti dedicated to helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening, who is taking on the green renovation of a house on Michigan Ave to become their new offices along with developing the site with an education center and demonstration gardens.
There’s DTE Energy offering energy efficiency seminars throughout southeastern Michigan along with their MyEnergy Analyzer online (http://my.dteenergy.com/home/savings/index.html).
There’s Jack Griffith (www.infrared-energy.com) who uses infrared imaging to detect heat loss in homes and Patrick Houle (www.diamondenv.com) and Nate Munson (www.evergreenhomeservices.net) using a ‘blower door’ test to find leaks doing energy assessments to help homeowners determine the best next steps to improve energy efficiency and reduce utility costs.
There’s Jacob Corvidae who works for WARM Training center in Detroit (www.warmtraining.org) doing a green remodel of his own home and presenting, along with Jason Bing and Robert Black on a panel at Crazy Wisdom this past Thursday to a very interested crowd of people.
There’s Living Space Builders (www.livingspacebuilders.com) making hybrid energy homes accessible to people in all price ranges and completing a beautiful project at 537 Riverview in Ann Arbor Hills.
It is truly in remarkable how much is going on in our area. There is no way any one person or organization can keep track of it all. It seems to me that lots of people are hungry for this information and perspective.
I invite you to tell us all about what YOU know that is going on that’s green. Perhaps we can expand what is happening and be more effective through connecting with one another in this way.
This is my intention. Welcome to Ann Arbor Green!
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