Journal of Indoor Environmental Quality

Turning Animal Shelters Into Places of Hope and Life

"The new Centers will give us four times our current shelter space to accommodate the average of 150 lost, sick, injured, neglected, abused or unwanted animals entrusted to LA Animal Services every day. The Centers will have wide aisles, solar and radiant heating, cooling misters, veterinary and spay/neuter clinics, park benches for visitors, fountains and lush landscaping – a world away from the grim conditions of older shelters, where animals can become so agitated or depressed that they seem ill-tempered and, thus, “unadoptable” by old school animal control reckoning. By transforming our animal shelters into places of hope and life, instead of despair and doom, odds are we can measurably increase adoption rates." Excerpt from LA Animal Services

RBc: Hats off to Ed Boks for his work and also for pointing out that shelters can be places of hope and life. It is no coincidence, agitated, depressed, and ill tempered are emotions created by living in North American Homes designed without consideration for indoor environmental quality. Incidentally, North American’s annually spend more money on pets than on HVAC systems and equipment. Maybe in Ed’s spare time he could come help us out (grin).

Discuss this online.

Sums it All Up

"The project also proved the inherent value in right-sizing systems: carefully analyzing demand and taking advantage of energy storage opportunities to reduce system size to handle peak period demands. This can reduce the size of the HVAC system without sacrificing comfort. It also allows for strategic cost transfer: using the savings from one cost-saving material or method to invest in other, costlier items.

The effort to reduce energy demand runs in tandem with right-sizing systems. Whether it’s through occupant behavior changes, fixed external shading, or better-performing technologies tied to the use of heating, cooling, lighting, and other major users of energy, this means the supply systems can be smaller and, therefore, less expensive." Excerpt from PLATINUM HEALTHCARE BUILDING ON A CONVENTIONAL BUDGET, This multiuse healthcare center aims to join the world’s green building elite through innovative engineering BY ANDY FRICHTL, PE, AND JERRY YUDELSON, PE

RBc:This is a must read article...two thumbs up. Be sure to check out the authors book...more at this link:

GREEN BUILDING BREAKTHROUGH: Portland Engineering Firm Shows Path To Platinum-LEED On Conventional Budget

Visit HER HOME today.

“Set aside for a moment comfort, versatility and efficiency. If you suffer from allergies, that may be all the reason you need to consider radiant heat! Indoor air quality is improved because dust and allergens aren’t circulating through the ductwork and the registers, as with forced air heating. Households with radiant floor heating host 50 to 80 percent fewer dust mites, according to the Association for Applied and Experimental Research of Allergies. That means you can be more comfortable in your new home, pay less and breathe free in the bargain!” Excerpt from Heat for the Feet, HER HOME magazine.

RBc: I’ve been following Linda Reimer and HER HOME magazine for several years and it has become one of my top recommended sites. Linda, president of Design Basics Inc., recognized a need to publish a magazine for women in the dreaming or planning stage of building a new home or remodeling their present home. Why? Because research shows 80% of homebuilding and remodeling decisions are made by women, and she was amazed there wasn't a single women's magazine on the newsstand at the time with this focus. More than that, she and her friends Susan Conbere and Kate Fried understand the diversity and dynamics in the word comfort and have done a marvelous job presenting the benifts of radiant heating in Heat for the Feet.  I would suggest you spend some time over there where you can read the article and a lot more. Visit HER HOME

Pennsylvania Library A Must Read

"Reduction of air infiltration through the use of concrete walls and insulated windows will significantly reduce operating costs and enhance indoor air quality and maximize natural daylighting. Low-E double-glazing; energy efficient mechanical systems, including radiant floor heating and operable windows; and the possible use of a geothermal heating system will also contribute to a LEED rating." Excerpt from Frederic Schwartz Selected to Design Pennsylvania Library Openness and connection to nature, as well as historic relevance, were important factors for the design jury. by Meaghan O'Neill Interior Design · March 15, 2007 Read more about this radiant heated library.

RBc: As an avid fan of higher learning this project is top notch in my books.

Origins of Ondol

“Gudeul refers to an under-ground heating system, or to the floor or room that is heated by the system. Folklore expert Son Jin-tae presumes that “gudeul” originates from “guun dol,” or “baked stones.” “Ondol,” or warm stone, was created by a combination of Chinese characters to describe “gudeul” before hangul was invented.” Excerpt from A warmer backside for Asia by You Sang-chul, Asia news editor at the JoongAng Ilbo., Copyright by Joins.com, Inc.  Photo Credit: Korea Tourism Organization, All Rights Reserved 

RBc; History shows the Koreans using this style of heating over 23 centuries ago. As noted by Wendy Croix, Interior Design School Review Columnist on a Business Week interview with Korean design professor Lee Kun Pyo, the, “Traditional Korean homes, even the poorest, have heated flooring--the “ondol gudeul” --an interior feature Western designers now think of as a luxury for upscale homes.”

This is another example of us North American’s taking the most basic stuff - make it expensive and tag it as a luxury item…it just doesn’t have to be this way.

Discuss this topic at our online forum.

Tonights Webinar On Radiant Cooling and Heating

Tonight Only, 8:00 P.M. EST, March 07th, 2007 One Hour Live Webinar on Radiant Cooling and Heating - Register Here.

Kitty Comfort

From the life of a cat...."It's cold up here in Boston, snowing like crazy today. I heard you just got a new heating pad. Boy are you lucky! My feet get so cold here because of the tile floor. Want to hear my remedy for cold feet? I sneak up on the human when she's sleeping and sleep on her head, burrowing my feet into all that brown hair of hers. Just be careful, because if you slip and accidentally put a claw in the wrong place like a nose or a mouth, you may go for an unexpected ride."  A fun blog on kitty comfort...

Discuss your indoor environmental quality issues here.

Common Ground

I want our readers to meet John Vastyan, whom I've known for several years. John specializes in marketing communications and business-to-business PR, serving the radiant heat, hydronic, geothermal, plumbing & mechanical, HVAC and broad construction markets. His website has a wealth of information in the articles he's published. John has also worked with our current Carlson Holohan Industry Award of Excellence Winner, Mr. Dave Yates.  Spend some time there, you'll be glad you did.  Visit Common Ground

Reminders

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