I’m excited to say that I will be participating in one of the Tom Tom Festival’s Innovation panels. Next Wednesday, April 25, 7pm, at the Gleason, is the “Sustainable Design” panel, which will “focus on local innovations in sustainable design and product development, revealing the successes and barriers to increasing sustainable practices in our community.” Please come out and support innovation in the Charlottesville community.

Panelists:

Oliver Kutner, CEO and Founder of Edison2
Joey Conover, CFO of Latitude 38, LEED Professional
Andrew Greene, Sustainability Planner at the University of Virginia
Teri Kent, Founder of Better World Betty and the Better Business Challenge

This Saturday we got to enjoy the exceptional weather of the last day of March at Devin and Justine’s wedding party at the beautiful Rosebrook Inn in Madison County. They had a nice ritual of combining water from Justine’s family’s farm in White Hall with water from Devin’s grandparents’ farm in North Carolina. Now they are one! In the words of Justine:

“First semester in college, I joined the Women’s Ultimate team. It was here that I met Devin. Over the course of the semester we became friends and that winter we spent many hours completing a puzzle together. I knew then that he was one of a kind and that I was the luckiest girl in the world to have him like me.”

We feel the same.

Last week I was formally voted onto the Board of Directors of the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association. It should be an interesting opportunity to meet more people in the construction business in Charlottesville and to try to further encourage green building in this area.

The BRHBA combined its annual meeting with a volunteer meal packing event at the Better Living warehouse for the non-profit Stop Hunger Now, which provides meals to hungry people throughout the world. We packed 10,000 bags in two hours! The lighting wasn’t great, we wore hair nets, and the assembly line made me recall a number of cases from my operations classes in business school, but spirits were high and I got to meet some other nice folks. The BRHBA raised $2500 to pay for the food, packaging, shipping, and delivery of the 10,000 meals. If you are interested in hosting a similar event, check out their website.

Please remember those without food this Thanksgiving and give thanks for all that we have. I feel so blessed to be healthy, secure and loved.

–Joey

Green Matters Workshop: Five Steps to Understanding Your Home in Winter
When: Thursday, November 17, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: ecoREMOD (608 Ridge Street, Cville)
LAST GREENMATTERS WORKSHOP OF 2011!

Reserve your spot by emailing annie@leap-va.org or calling 434.227.4666.

Join us to learn the five things you need to know about your home to save money and be cozy this winter. We’ll address trouble spots like fireplaces and windows and have a demonstration on how to build a professional style attic hatch cover.

The five steps we’ll cover to understand your home this winter:

1. Everyone knows that heat rises. Learn the rest of the story.
2. Cold air outside, warm moist air inside. Manage humidity and avoid condensation problems.
3. Fireplaces. Reduce their negative impact while still enjoying the occasional fire.
4. Windows. Practical ways to keep the cold out and the heat in.
5. Maintaining indoor air quality during the winter months.
Bonus: Demo on how to build a professional style attic hatch cover.

Speakers include Laura Fiori of Key Green Energy Solutions, recently awarded “Best Home Energy Auditor” by LEAP.

Passive House Now: A Seminar on the State of Passive House Now
When: Friday, November 18, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: Lankford Passive House, #229 Lankford Avenue

Join Fred Greenewalt and Bill Jobes to experience the quiet comfort of their recently completed Lankford Passive House, the first certified PH in Virginia.

We will examine the achievements of PH in the US and Virginia, through Case Studies of PH projects at different scales, concluding with a panel discussion by local PH builders.

Registration fee $40 at the door
*RSVP by November 11, 2011 (Limited seating)

PROGRAM:

PH TODAY
John Semmelhack
Cert. PH Consultant (Think Little Home Energy, LLC)

SINGLE FAMILY
Bill Jobes
Building Contractor (Jobes Builders, Ltd.)

TOWNHOUSE / MULTIFAMILY
John Semmelhack

SCHOOLS
Barbara Gehrung
Dipl.-Ing. Ach. / Cert. PH Consultant (BG Design & Consulting)

RETROFITS / HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Giovanna Galfione
Architect (Galfione + Cox Studio)

COMMERCIAL PH
Adam Cohen
Design/Builder (Structures Design Build)

___________________________________________________

PANEL DISCUSSION:
Dale Abrahamse(Abrahamse & Company Builders)
Adam Cohen(Structures Design/Build)
Jeff Erkelens(Latitude 38)
Daniel Ernst(Promethean Homes)
Bill Jobes (Jobes Builders)

After yesterday’s blog post, I received this email:

“Ms. Conover…

We have an old & leaky house. Who might you recommend as a home energy auditor?

–Curious”

I thought others in the Charlottesville area might also like to see my answer.

There is a non-profit in town focused on home audits and energy retrofits: LEAP. They are probably the best source of info about who to call for your particle needs. They have a list of contractors involved in their program who have gone through a Building Performance Institute training. See those with an asterisk here:

http://leap-va.org/about/contractors

Unfortunately, I do not really know any of these folks, so I do not feel qualified to specifically recommend anyone. Just be aware that some of the auditors just do the audits, while others also can do the work. I’m not sure which is better, but call a few to see if they have experience with your age/type of home.

More about what a home audit is:
http://leap-va.org/home-energy/assessment

I love the crisp white Scandanavian look, but I also love color (did I mention that I am a Gemini?). What to do? Well, I we decided to go white on the first floor, and then really go bold as you go upstairs. Here are a few teaser photos to give you an idea. When you come stay in our guest room, we want you to feel you are staying in room very different than your own house. The excitement of travel!

If you are curious about what paint we are using, we have used an Olympic primer, Mythic eggshell (purchased from the nice folks at Nature Neutral) and Sherwin Williams Harmony eggshell. The Mythic website states:

Mythic® paint is a non-toxic, ultra low odor paint that provides the durability and coverage you expect from a premium paint without the off-gassing VOC’s and cancer-causing toxins that emit years after drying. Stronger, safer, smarter paint®. Now that’s a breath of fresh air.

Focusing on the no-VOC paints seems to be smelling pretty good so far.

20th C Modern Saturday, Oct. 15 @ 10
(Preview Week of sale M-W 9-5, Th-Fr 9-7)
+
First Fridays, Oct. 7, 5-8
(Join us for a little vino and check out the terrific art in this sale!)

Complete online catalog

More pictures

Partial Listing: Bruce Weber, Robert Rauschenberg, Ben Shahn, Charley Harper, Ed Ruscha, Jean Dubuffet, Harry Nadler, Ted Turner, Irving Haynes, John Leith Craxton, Gaetano Pesce, Peter Halley, Barbara Kruger, Jose Maria Sicilia, Gene Davis, Jimmy Ernst, Jay Protas, George Platt Lynes, George Hurrell, George Rouault, Richard Prince, Yasumasa Morimura, Bernard Buffet, Nan Goldin, John Dugdale, Jack Pierson, Duane Michals, Jack Perlmutter, Pavel Federovich Tchelitchew, Chris Norris, Ruth Gikow, Pablo Picasso, Shepard Fairey, Andy Warhol, Marianna von Allesch, Michael Ayrton, Ivan Mosca, W.J. Walley, Yngve Ekstrom, Richard Uhlemeyer, Fantoni for Raymor, Murano Venini Salviati, Frederic Weinberg, Tapio Wirkkala, Nils Thorsson, Royal Copenhagen, Hjorth, Gertrud Kudielka, Flygsfors, Kastrup Holmegaard, Strombergshyttan, Orrefors, Jais Nielsen, Arne Bang, Gli Etruschi, Barbini Murano, Jacques Adnet, Italma by Jean Gillon, Soholm Bornholm, Rosenthal-Netter, Oiva Toikka, Lietzke Porcelain, Herman Kahler, Harry Bertoia for Knoll, Sarreid, Heritage Henredon, Paul Klee, Alvar Aalto, Paul Bellardo, Riihimäen Lasi Oy, Bjorn Wiinblad, Gambone, Haeger, Ettore Sottsass, Susie Cooper, Erphila, Kartell, Iittala, Curtis Jeré, etc.

Back Gallery Modern Friday, Oct. 14 @ 10
(Preview M-W 9-5, Th 9-7)

Furniture by Herman Miller, Thonet and Lane, Danish Modern furniture, Steve Keene and other artwork, Art Glass & Pottery, Lighting, Rugs, 1950s Vintage, and lots of great smalls! Still unpacking…

Complete list available at preview.

Harlowe-Powell Auction Gallery (VAAF-06)
2109 India Road
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
www.harlowepowell.com
434.293.2904