The Nature of a House Building a World that Works
In this candid and informative book, George M. Woodwell, a leader in the study of global environmental change, illuminates practical considerations (and frustrations) involved in “building green.” When the renowned Woods Hole Research Center needed a new
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OF A
H OUSE
GEORGE M. WOODWELL
T HE N ATURE OF A H OUSE Building a World that Works
Washington |
Covelo |
London
© 2009, George M. Woodwell All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, Suite 300, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009 ISLAND PRESS is a trademark of the Center for Resource Economics.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Woodwell, G. M. The nature of a house : building a world that works / George M. Woodwell. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-59726-558-4 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-59726-558-6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Ecological houses. 2. Dwellings— Remodeling. 3. Sustainable living. I. Title. TH880.W663 2009 720'.47—dc22 2009021549
Printed on recycled, acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
K E Y W O R D S : Green building; green office space; green renovation; energy conservation; climate change; Woods Hole, Massachusetts; The Woods Hole Research Center; William McDonough; Hilltop House; wind energy; solar energy; natural sewage treatment
C ONTENTS
Foreword |
ix
Acknowledgements |
xi
Preface: A Small Matter of Habitat and Housing | 1
BUILDING
2
BACK
A
W O R L D T H AT W O R K S
TO THE
15
|
R E D E S I G N I N G H I L LT O P H O U S E : T R I U M P H S COMPROMISES
|
NEW WORLD
ENERGY
5
M AT E R I A L S , S E WA G E ,
IN A
OUR VISION
|
AND
45
4
6
1
BEGINNING: THE WOODS HOLE
RESEARCH CENTER 3
|
xv
AND
71
|
COSTS: ADJUSTING
95
T H E P R O D U C T : A C A M P U S T H AT W O R K S . . . AND A
WORLD
Notes |
137
Index |
145
T H AT
MIGHT
|
123
F OREWORD
As an architect, I think about design as the first signal of human intention. If this is true in any way, then George Woodwell is a consummate designer. George sees, gimlet-eyed, into the science of the effects that humans have on nature. He sees the science in the broadest sense and then moves to render visible the change he wishes to see in the world. One delightful manifestation of George’s vision, perspicacity, and design is the Ordway Campus of the Woods Hole Research Center, a small complex of buildings and landscapes where researchers discover not only what is wrong is about humans in the world but also what behaviors might set things right. This is a place of wonder and healing for an increasingly distressed planet. Just what makes the Ordway Campus such a special place? Imagine a place that generates more energy than it needs to operate, where every drop of water has been considered for the productive health it brings to the ecosystem. Imagine buildings like trees—they capture photosynthetic energy, as well as energy from the wind and the earth. Imagine buildings made of silica, carbohydrates, and metals, designed for a long useful life followed by their safe return to biological or technical nutrient flows. Such buildings s
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