Sustainable North

From The Arctic Sounder, Wednesday, August 25, 2010:
The success of an innovative new home in Anaktuvuk Pass – which uses a wind power, solar panels and design features of traditional Nunamiut sod housing – is changing the way houses will be designed and built on the North Slope.
“This is a huge leap forward – I [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff

The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: What are the advantages of hot water infloor heat versus baseboard heating?
Radiant hot water (hydronic) floor heating systems’ costs are usually higher than [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: I hear that log and concrete walls have the added benefit of “thermal mass.” How much of a difference does it make?
The basic [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
BY CCHRC STAFF
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: Many people are fixing their old home and getting a rebate from the state. Is there still rebate money available for building a [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: I want to put insulation on the outside of my home before winter. I heard it has to be applied in the right [...]

[Read more →]

From The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, July 30, 2010:

FAIRBANKS — Most sheds aren’t much to look at. But the new cordwood garden shed at the Georgeson Botanical Gardens could almost pass for a Victorian stone building from afar, sitting on a hill among a riot of red and pink poppies and giant sunflowers.
It was actually [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: I am building a house using post and pad construction. Since it will be off the ground, do I need a plastic vapor [...]

[Read more →]

From Thedailygreen.com:

When you think of sustainable dining, you probably don’t think of fast-food restaurants like Subway, Starbucks and Chipotle. And yet, these fast food chains are some of the few who have successfully pursued LEED certification.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an internationally recognized third-party certification that a building meets [...]

[Read more →]

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff
The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.
Q: My home is starting to settle a little bit. What advice can you give on leveling a house?
What is an acceptable amount of [...]

[Read more →]

From treehugger.com:
Low-tech Magazine, consistently highlighting how age-old low-tech solutions are thoroughly applicable in creating a more eco-friendly world, serves as a useful antidote to the usual high-tech hubris that infects much of the new green deal talk. A recent post on the newly established Traditional Knowledge Inventory is no exception.
Though not fully fleshed out yet, [...]

[Read more →]