But it's a dry heat.....

Yes, it's 105 degrees out here today, and yes it was 118 out here last week, but remember "it's a dry heat".

This is an actual temperature reading taken at 12:45 in the afternoon shining at the light colored paving - fry an egg yet?  Not quite.

The good news:  the inside of the units max out at 85-90 degrees without air conditioning running all day...that was on the 118 degree day. 


More updates coming, but I have to stop dripping for now.

Worth the Weight?

Generation Green

If you are a Treehugger or if you like to read this magazine, you consider yourself Generation Green, or you choose to attend events put on by him (to the right),  it is likely you will benefit from attending the Greenbuild Expo 2010 in Chicago. 


If you decide to go, and you should whether you are in the above category or not,  I encourage you to attend the seminar about this project and another post-occupancy study; it's BL05 on Friday. 

Who's side are you on?

An interesting  phenomenon occurred at Vista Dunes.  At last visit, I realized the access door for the residents to the adjacent park was welded closed.

Remembering back to early on in the design stages of the project, the approval process required that there was access to the park.  We achieved LEED-H credits for access to this park.  Nearly the entire property was lined with a 10 foot block wall- excepting this narrow window of supposed opportunity to venture- a door to the park.


The neighbors originally resisted.
I heard ...."we don't feel safe"...."they have some grass inside the property"......."they can walk around"....

Why was the gate there?  Because the wall was there?  Which came first (the chicken or the egg)?

Did the wall keep the residents in, or did it keep others out?

In fact here it is the latter.  The problem would be those trying to get IN to the property.  Several instances of vandalism were reported even before the project opened.  Once opened, the residents observed people propping the door open in order to access the property and its amenities. 

The on-site YMCA is bursting with kids for the after-school program and activities.  In my interviews of residents outside the project, I found that a large number of those kids participate as well. We'll save that report for another day, but my point is that a project that was originally adamantly protested by those on the other side of the gate..... is now touted as an amenity to the neighboring community. 

Imagine what can happen when you just break down the barriers and intermingle people, neighbors, and opportunities.  Imagine if cities praised this through policies.....gates would open everywhere.

Super

Superman.  A mere human transitioning into someone who can throw buses and lift the world to save it by removing his glasses.

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  a high concentration of letters for only 1 word. 

Superintendent.  Someone who watches over a project construction.

Superstore.  (and now self-reference changed to A store that has EVERY EVERY THING.   Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart is the most consistently mentioned word during interviews and conversations at Vista Dunes.  I'm not saying that it is at the forefront of discussion but only that it seems to creep into every topic under observation.   Location.  Materials.  Groceries.  Shopping.  Health.  It all comes back to Wal-Mart. 

Catchy logo.  Save Money.  Live Better.   Bad stigma.  But if Patagonia can form an alliance, it gives hope that the store can positively influence the process of consumerism or even alter it all-together. 

So I toured the local Wal-Mart to evaluate.  What can't be found there?  Nothing that comes to mind as you enter the super-lit store.  As I browsed the aisles of items from fruit to floor cleaner, from shampoo to a pedicure spa, I ended my experience by purchasing a couple gift-cards.  Now I am bringing Wal-Mart to Vista Dunes and dangling the prospect of a Living Better gift card for offering more insight into questions about living at Vista Dunes.  Those who were once hesitant to open the door, offered answers before all the questionnaires could be distributed.  Super Fast.

Wouldn't it be Super if Patagonia could transform the store in the same manner the phone booth could change the shy, suited Clark Kent, into the bold caped Superman?

Retention

This project retains all of it's stormwater on-site, mostly due to this retention basin found near the main entry to the site.  Surface Water Management is a Credit under the LEED-H checklist. Yes, the project received the maximum points under this Credit.  During and following a rain, this mix of native planting and appropriate sized basin keeps the water from leaving the site and contributing to the stormwater system for the City.  Overloading stormwater systems can contribute to flooding and damage of the storm sewers  and on-site treatment keeps fertilizers, chemicals, and sediment from contributing into local water bodies down the watershed. 
Now to analyze the resident retention.  Since opening in May of 2008, 36 residents have left the project (as of January 1, 2010).  This is approximately 1.8 households per month, or less than 2%.  This also means that nearly 98% of the residents continue to want to live here.  5% of those that moved out purchased a home.  The clear majority of those that moved out, 46%, were evicted  ~ we'll save analyzing property rules for another day ~ but it appears that the residents are happy with their homes and wanting to stay.  I decided to issue a survey to try to find out more about what retains them.

Slow Down .....

Recently I have inadvertently joined the "Slow Movement" - see Slow Parenting - as my daughter utilizes her walking skills at the pace of a 1 year old.

slowly. 

This could be looked upon as a detriment or an invitation to experience life in a more profound manner.  

Recently the Vista Dunes project was distinguished as a winner in The Slow Home Project.  The Slow Home project covers 9 cities in 9 months, in search for the slowest homes in North America which has gotten The Project mentioned here, and here, and here in the design world. 

As the Slow Food Movement gathers momentum, GOOD Magazine also featured an entire issue about slowing down.  It seems this theme is everywhere right now!

To tie this whole Post together: 
The most consistent comment I've received in my interviews of the residents so far is that "people" speed through the project down Vista Dunes Lane.  It seems this straight road through the project seems to enable people, albeit speed limit signs posted.  Where to go from here?  Speed bumps?  stop signs?  A northern Italian town, Greve,  took a chance in the 1990's and formed Cittaslow, an association of cities committed to preserving their local culture, history, and quality of life.  Is it a pipe dream to vision this as the first Community to formulate a Communislow....A community that engages people to slow down, and find the joy in doing so? 

It's gonna be a bright sunshiny day

As the rains from last week (yes all week) subside, the skies are clear, fresh and clean.  As I am evaluating the performance of the photovoltaic system with California Solar Energy Company we are reviewing the estimated generation vs. actual conditions. 

The results for today: Great news.  Each system was estimated to produce 6.7 KW/H and were ahead of track at about 7.4 KW/H for the systems we reviewed at noon. 

It seems the rain potentially cleaned the panels, paired with ideal solar conditions; a lot of sunshine and mild temperatures, and they were cranking out power. 

Now on to more studies on how we can potentially optimize the generation.   Stay tuned. 

Fill er up

To help enumerate the water savings associated with the features in this project, we've decided to compare it to a "standard" home.  A standard home is one designed to meet minimum code requirements.   These are estimates and will hopefully be confirmed, denied, or amplified, during the life of this study.  The water saving features include dual-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, and native planting.

I acre foot = 325,851.427 gallons, which equates to approx 1 football field filled with 1 foot of water. 

• It is estimated that 1.9 million gallons of water will be saved per year (5.8 acre feet). 
• Over 55 years this = 104,500,000 gallons of water (320.7 acre feet).

1. Lake Cahuilla has 1,500 acre feet, or 488,777,140.5 gallons of water.  The amount of water saved over a period of 55 years will fill up approximately one quarter of Lake Cahuilla. 
2. The Desert Water Agency says that 1 acre foot of water is enough for a family of 4 to live on for a year.  Vista Dunes saves about six acre feet of water per year - enough water to supply 6 families of 4 for an entire year, or 330 families of 4 over the course of 55 years. 
3. If Vista Dunes saves 320.7 acre feet of water over 55 years, that's enough water to fill almost three football stadiums (based on the size of Arizona State University's Sun Devil stadium which is 122 feet high)
4. The average golf course uses 144 million gallons of water per year, or 441 acre feet.  It would take 76 years to water a golf course for one year using the water saved by Vista Dunes. 
5. The Empire State Building is 115,284,752 cubic feet, which could hold 862,399,833 gallons of water, or 2646 acre feet. 

New beginnings

In the spirit of the new decade upon us I pulled out this photo of the Vista Dunes site as it existed in the mid 1900's.  Known as Happy Dunes Trailer Park, it was the first establishment in La Quinta, California.  You can just feel that fresh desert air with the snow-capped mountains in the distance and the open space around the site.  The road (now Miles Avenue) leads both newcomer and wary traveler the same, into the community. An open invitation to establish a life in any way you choose.   The subsistence of this site has now transpired as much an inspiration and opportunity for a new life as it was in this first photo.

Keep your coins, I want change

Follow through on a Resolution. Join the 1% Challenge.

Telling a Thousand Words

We have our first families involved.  What an enormous volume of information they are willing to give.  Surprisingly none of the participants are hesitant to talk about any aspects of their daily life and habits, and definitely not hesitant to relinquish opinions on materials, water temperature and unit design.  It's like the cliche, A picture tells a thousand words.  A tank-less water heater, an inverter, a shade trellis, and a snowman in the desert- how does it all play out?

Ray is a single mom with 2 daughters.  She has lived in Vista Dunes for over a year, with the last 9 months in a 2-bedroom rather than a 3 bedroom, where she previously lived.  Before moving to Vista Dunes, she lived with her mother.  She does not own a car, she does not work outside the home, and she walks or takes the bus everywhere she goes.  Her electricity bill is currently $11 per month, while her mother's whom is local to her, just paid $220.  She appreciates the difference.  According to Ray, her thermostat is set to 79 degrees all day and night in the summer, but the concrete floors help.  "It's better than going swimming in the pool.  If you need to cool off (in the summer), just lay on the concrete floor".  She told me how she grows her own vegetables outside in a baby pool in the spring and summer. 

Dr. Turf is likely to be the most difficult to improve upon, because he's already in tune with what is going on in his home.  He lives alone in a 3-bedroom, and used 748 gallons of water in the month of November.  He's budgeted 7480 to remain in the Excellent  Service Charge range.  He owns a vehicle, travels out of Vista Dunes for work with varying mileage, and uses the bus to travel some.

Jane has lives in a 2-bedroom alone, as his youngest daughter just moved out.  He does not work because he became disabled on the job several years ago.  He chooses to drive his vehicle everywhere noting that walking or the bus are too hard on his back.  Jane enjoys comparing habits, particularly showering habits of men vs. women.  His electrical consumption has gone up since his daughter moved out a month ago, but he checks the solar inverter every day to make sure it is generating.  My favorite line; "the (warm) water in the kitchen sink travels to Paris, then to Mexico, before it comes out in the sink".

Dashboard Envy

I have sent out the Resident Questionnaires, have begun planning my first trip later this week, have reviewed input from numerous parties, and I have now reached the part of this study where I covet more.  Already.  

I want a Dashboard for this project.  Not those where I can see how much gas is not left in my vehicle or the average mpg we are all used to looking at, a sleek, and beautiful Building Dashboard.  One that shows me on a screen exact numbers on resource consumption of the house, stores it and displays it in endless possibilities. 

For now, I will fine-tune my typed questions and personal meetings, and I realize that some things can not be studied from a computer.  To satisfy my impulse, and will get a TED for my house and gift one to a family member for a little friendly competition.

A meeting of the Minds

I recently traveled down the unspeakable 5 freeway to San Diego to meet up with a colleague and friend I met through the Vista Dunes.  Rather than The Fountainhead version of design, Vista Dunes utilized a bit of collaboration through Design Architect, Studio E Architects.  As Eric Naslund and I caught up on recent projects, I asked if there was anything he would like to specifically evaluate in this study.   I could almost say the response simultaneously as he noted "Yes, do they use the vent towers"?  We did not get any "credit" for those in LEED-H or in California T-24, but the idea is that they help the natural ventilation and add more daylight to the living space in the units.  More to come on that topic.

hand-off

As the residents moved in and the punch-lists were closed up on the project, National Community Renaissance or CORE began managing the site.  Check out the developer's project site information and online tour. 

The five W's

LEED for Homes: Certification Process from U.S. Green Building Council on Vimeo.

Vista Dunes Cliff Notes

Want the "condensed into 4 pages" version of Vista Dunes?  See the attached Case Study.  If that leaves you wanting more....Check out the documentary video. 
AOE Housing '09 - Core - La Quinta from Jeanne Spencer on Vimeo.


(and if it seems like I'm pregnant in every video footage of this project, that's because I was)

WHAT am I doing?

Hey, my forte is to design buildings or homes and not blogs, and I recognize that, but I'm also looking for ways to impart experiences on this project with others.   So now, join me as I tread lightly on new territory and add comments, criticism, supplemental information, or suggestions on what you'd like to see. 

Here is information on the Home Depot Foundation Award Announcement and more information on the project. 

One Fine Day

On Friday, November 13, 2009, at the Greenbuild Closing Plenary in Phoenix Arizona, the Vista Dunes Courtyard Homes was announced as the winner of The Home Depot Foundation Award of Excellence receipient.  This blog will follow the year-long study in evaluating the successes and failures (maybe there will be 1....?  or 2?) of this project in hopes to provide public information for projects of the future. Any and all feedback is welcome.