Greening the Military

http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/17/technology/military_energy/index.htm

Some of the numbers in here are staggering!
“$15 billion on energy” “…80% of the federal energy budget..”


From a design standpoint, here are the needs of your client:

 A portable, non-explosive, simply constructed, lightweight, renewable, energy source that is as durable as the Marines it serves. No problem, right?

What interests me are the ExFOBs (Experimental Forward Operating Bases). See the movie Restrepo, you’ll quickly get the idea of an FOB: Spartan living in a remote outpost, usually under some kind of attack. Think “hill-fort”, like the ones from the Bronze Age, its not far off, sans machine guns. These experimental bases are at the crossroads of an ancient goal (the ultra-efficient, swift and effective fighting force) and modern technological advancements. As much as gas-power has allowed modern militaries to be highly effective (just ask the Polish Calvary from 1939), it has become a leash and limiting factor when establishing outposts in highly remote locations and, as a result, a financial burden as well.
Making these outposts truly self-sufficient has great implications for the ability of the armed forces to stretch even further. An FOB’s success is inherently based its ability to carry out functions with as little material support as necessary. Currently, they are reliant on convoys, whether by overland routes or by air, for food, fuel, and supplies. Total self-sufficiency might be impossible. There will always be a need for ammunitions, equipment, and things to be fixed or replaced. But, if fuel could be taken out of that equation, there could be a significant change in the strategic abilities of that unit.

So, what are we talking? Roll-out solar arrays? Hybrid fighting vehicles? Maybe, but maybe the solution is more outside the box than that. Recent work has been done of fuel producing algae that might be able to provide a continuous energy source without compromising power and without the weight of batteries. On a less appetizing note, we must not forget that energy can come from biological waste as well. If MREs are already being brought in, why not use them twice, once for the soldiers, once after the soldiers have processed them.

To find a really groundbreaking solution to this problem is going to require rethinking how we look at our energy sources. Looking at energy beyond the current linear mindset (oil=power, food=energy, etc.) and begin thinking of energy in all of its various forms. Whether its solar rays, plant sugars, fats and oils, or methane from decomposition, it will most likely take a multi-pronged approach to create a highly efficient, versatile force.

And here is the best part – who has ever been snuck-up-on by a Prius? Yeah, those things are stealthy.

Edible landscaping - right around the beltway

I am always on the lookout for other companies that do what Yardcraft does. So far we have found a handful around the country, but today, much to my surprise, I found one in our backyard! Thanks to an article in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/green-scene-planting-a-garden-thats-both-ornamental-and-edible/2011/08/12/gIQAexUgPJ_story_1.html) written by Joel Learner, the CEO and founder of Environmental Design, I have now found another like-minded professional right on the other side of the beltway. Unbeknownst to me, he has been writing an occasional column for the Washington Post on gardens. I think I have ever referenced several of his articles without putting it all together - but now here we are.


I'd like to point out one fact this illustrates - that no matter how much Google searching of "key words" I do, the landscape/gardening community is so diverse, each subculture and generation with its own language of trends and methods, there is always the chance that people like Joel exist right around the corner. There is nothing that can replace personal connections in order to learn more and open the doors of opportunity.


More on cultivating these relationships later…I am off to Montana!

Embassy design in The Economist

http://www.economist.com/node/21524909


The Economist does an excellent job of highlighting the issues currently faced by those building US embassies. As a designer, I can’t help but be saddened by the physical presence we bring to so many countries. The problems are clear; bureaucracy surrounding the low-bid process, hyper-sensitivity to global threats, and some willingness to ignore a basic fact of foreign policy – that action speaks a lot louder than any policy document.


Imagine for a second, you are a resident of some impoverished third world metropolis. You are one of a lucky few who work hard and receive an education. You consider immigrating to another country where you can apply your skills and better your life. Will you apply for a visa at the embassy located in town, say within walking distance, maybe even within the range of what public transit there might be? Or will you apply at the embassy located 10 miles outside of town, accessible only by private vehicle? Will you be attracted to the high-profile country that exports a culture of freedom and inclusivity, but builds fortresses?


All I am going to say is this: embassies are the one component of a “national image” we can control. We can’t do a thing about the crappy reruns of Friends we export or the corporate opportunism prevalent in some place. If we are serious about creating, and leaving, a good impression on the rest of the global population, we might benefit from having our only physical presence be well-designed and more in-sync with the official dialogue.


Here are some excerpts about projects I was directly involved with:

"Thomas McCarthy of Page Southerland Page, a Texan firm which has designed 17 American diplomatic compounds, is very proud of the tributes to local tradition it incorporated into the embassy in Ouagadougou, for example, in the form of a shaded but open-air waiting area and a zigzag decorative motif..."

In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso I developed the paving patterns based on tribal patterns and motifs. We began by looking at decorated items of cultural significance, focusing mostly on basket weave patterns. In the culture in Burkina Faso patterns woven into baskets convey a variety of meanings; this is where the design inspiration came from. Without becoming so specific that we might convey an actual meaning, intended or unintended, we developed a pattern language with the architects which was applied to the building façade and arrival plaza.



U.S. Embassy. Ouagadougou, Brukina Faso. Photos: B.L. Harbert International

“…in Kigali, excavations for the foundations unearthed human remains; in Kiev the winters are so cold that it was hard to keep the concrete from freezing; and in Monrovia an arms embargo impeded the import of the explosives needed to blast away some awkward rocks.”

Our office had a hand in all of the projects mentioned above. Needless to say, it keeps things interesting.

An addition to the previous post

The residence in question

Some further research revealed a few interesting links related to the last posting.


An organization created by the author of a book with the same name.
http://www.foodnotlawns.net/


A great book, and Fritz is a good speaker as well if you ever have the chance to see him.
http://www.fritzhaeg.com/edible-estates-book.html


And this book as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Front-Yard-Grow-More-Beautiful/dp/1604691999


Another site that picked up this story:
http://www.theagitator.com/2011/07/07/does-michelle-obama-know-about-this/


Here are a few of my favorite comments from the various re-postings of this story from around the web.


Reggie Hubbard
The important thing for the city to remember is that this woman is clearly the type to resist any sort of government action so in future altercations, a SWAT team should be sent to her home so ordinary police officers aren’t put in harm’s way by this obvious lunatic.


Barbara Landrith
There are lots of ways to make an edible garden look beautiful. Here are some links to a few examples. Maybe a good compromise would be to submit a design plan to be approved for the front yard, so it could be beautiful and functional. Then everyone would be happy.

http://www.google.com/sear​ch?q=edible+landscape+desi​gns&hl=en&biw=1145&bih=724​&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&​source=univ&sa=X&ei=2ZAcTs​aSK4fQsAPFjLmmBQ&sqi=2&ved​=0CDYQsAQ


https://www.facebook.com/p​hoto.php?fbid=202180743874​7&set=o.107040689333712&ty​pe=1&theater

http://edenmakersblog.com/​?p=246


Apryl Dionne
WOW! And what purpose does all this serve? Big Business-- that's who. The are trying to push a bill through the house to ban every American from ever growing their own food, leaving us at the mercy of corporations and their friends that must profit off the people before adhering to the Constitutional Rights. When is America going to WAKE UP and TAKE A UNITED STAND? AND RESPONSIBILTY?


ThisIsVicodin
Perhaps a pink flamingo would be more appropriate than a garden…..or since it’s Detroit, an old GM product on concrete blocks.


and, to sum it up, one very angry gentleman....


GT
Here’s my e-mail to the offensive scrote tax-parasite:
_____________________________________________________
Your persecution of Julie Bass marks you unambiguously as an ideologically hidebound idiot who thinks his tax-funded sinecure gives him rights to determine what productive members of society do with properties they bought and paid for.
You’re a career parasite every bit as bad as any ‘crack mom’ or welfare queen, and you deserve to be hounded out of office.
Expect several hundred more emails about this, from all over the world… people are sick and tired of petty tyrants whose entire lives are funded by taxes, who then turn around and bite the hand that feeds. Although they’re not remotely responsible for their father’s idiocy, I think you’ll find that as this goes viral, your kids will get hazed by their fellow students… nobody likes a kid whose father is an internationally-renowned moron.




On that note, we can see issues like this bring out passionate responses. However real or unreal the actual threat to our freedoms may be, this is an excellent example of the cross-roads between personal freedoms, land use law, design, and sustainable living.

Modern Criminals

This story can be found here:


http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/michigan_woman_faces_jail_planting_veggie_garden.php


and many, many other places on the web, as it has caused quite a stir. While it may be old news (and, as you will read, it has been resolved, for now) the heroine of our story, Mrs. Julie Bass, has become a sort of rallying point for those concerned with systemic issues in our currents laws and regulations.


Let's review the facts -
Mrs. Bass' lawn gets torn up, for some sewer repair.
She, being a forward-thinking, example-setting citizen, re-plants the area with vegetables.
She is then ticketed, ordered to appear in court, and threatened with 93 days in jail.


Where to start? The egregiously overzealous prosecutor? The archaic laws on the books? How about the general absence of common sense?


It would be easy here to play to the hand of the conspiracy theorists: are small jurisdiction with these laws paid by the food lobby to keep people dependent on the industrial food system? Is there some plot to keep us from being self-sufficient, as that it might harm corporate profits?


Most likely not.
But what this illustrates all too clearly is a pervasive legal pattern in the US that has built up over decades to discourage independence, and self-reliance, in the name of uniformity and predictability. Now, to bring us back to the issue at hand: these laws Mrs. Bass has found herself in violation of are laws regarding aesthetics. It would be a real stretch for even the most creative prosecutor to make a case for the negative impacts of her garden on her neighbor's health, safety and welfare. In fact, a very strong case for the exact opposite could be made! By planting a vegetable garden Mrs. Bass has set a fine example of living an active, outdoor lifestyle, eating fresh vegetables, and making her front yard a dynamic, productive place.


It is essential to the well-being of a society that the legal system be relevant to the issues of the day. Laws like the one violated in this example are a waste of everyone’s resources, to prosecute it, defend it, and blog about it.


The follow-up article is here:


http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/front_yard_vegetable_gardens_different_is_good.php

A bit of history...

----- "The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number.


Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US railroads.


Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.


Why did 'they' use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.


Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.


So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions.
And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.


Therefore the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Bureaucracies live forever.


So the next time you are handed a specification, procedure, or process and wonder 'What horse's ass came up with it?', you may be exactly right. Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses. Now, the twist to the story:


When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRB's. The SRB's are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the ferred to make them wider, but the SRB's had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site.


The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains, and the SRB's had to fit through that tunnel. Thtunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's ass" -----

This is a repost from some other source- I have no idea where this came from or who wrote it first. It was emailed to me by one of my favorite professors during my final year at VT.

While being an interesting history lesson, it also illustrates how the standards, sizes and constraints we accept with curious bewilderment each day have long and storied evolutions. 

My personal daily example is the metric/english system...mess. That is really the only way to describe it, a mess. In our modern work we are beholden to these dualing, unrelated measurement systems. I'm going out on a limb here - I'm blaming this one on architects. Every architect I know loves the english system. They are enamored with their 5/8ths and 3/32nds, Ive never met another group of people so loyal to compound fractions. Nearly every day I coordinate with an architect who gives me files in english while every other engineer gives me files in metric. Everything is finalized in metric anyways, so why use the english system to begin with? Because projects have lead architects, not lead engineers, or landscape architects. And when the project is done, its the architects name that goes on it - the same guy who was too troubled to work in the same universe as the other 98% of the world. The examples are endless; of huge errors, 10 million dollar mistakes, and so much time wasted, neither system has a unit to describe it, all because of a few American architects who still go by the length of a dead king's hand, or finger, or whatever it was.

Who knows, you could be setting a precedent today that will have people 2,000 years from now scratching their heads and cursing your name..

Taking matters into our own hands

  I couldn't have said it better myself. While being forever grateful for my full-time position right out of college (the first one in my graduating class of 16) I found a need to explore my interests in landscape architecture further. Upon graduation I had interned with my current company for over 2 years, on and off on breaks from school, and full-time while I studied in Alexandria. Soon after I graduated I found myself doing much the same work I did as an intern, with the occasional opportunity thrown my way. The room for upward mobility in a firm of 6 is not much, and as work slowed I grew restless for the learning experiences I knew I needed to have.

  I am blessed with a very encouraging boss who, understanding my entrepreneurial desires and need for a steady paycheck, guided me in the establishment of a small side practice. My first jobs, and biggest one to date, have come as direct recommendation from my “day-job” boss, as they were projects outside of the company niche. At the office, I fill the un-billable hours with my own projects, off-the-clock, of course.

  I still go to work Monday-Friday, with some half-days scattered here and there when I need one. My own company remains a side-project, allowing me to experiment with clients, strategies, and business development in my free time. While the office takes priority, I am able to balance the two, and explaining my situation to potential clients is usually received well. Like Zoe says, we are designers, creative people, and creating the experience and work you want to have is just another part of the job.

We are up!

This is a test. Lets hope this is the only one.