Some Basic Styles of Architecture

Among the basic survival needs, a shelter is of great importance. Not only does it provide a comfortable place to live, but it also offers protection from many things. In ancient times, humans used caves as their shelter. A cave was primarily intended to provide protection from the weather and wild animals. With the passage of time, the residence of man evolved along with everything else. Today, services such as New Hampshire real estate and Vermont real estate assist in finding a perfect home for us.

These days, there is a large variety of choices regarding the style and architecture of houses. Many of these styles are among the most ancient ones. Almost every great civilization in history has introduced a unique style of its own. Many are now rare to see because of the expenses and area they require. Most of the new ones, however, are less costly derivatives of those grand ancient styles. Let us take a look at some of the most significant architectural styles in history.

• The history of a definite architecture starts from the magnificent Egyptian civilization in around 3000 BC. There were several other civilizations with their own unique architecture at the same time, but none was as grand as that of Egyptians. However, one similarity between all the ancient architectural structures was that pleasing the Gods was one of the main functions of their buildings.

Therefore, temples from Egypt, the Indus-Valley and Greece are considered the best structures to show off the architectural beauty of their times. Later, Greeks also introduced their unique architectural style, which was simple yet beautiful. The Pyramid of Giza and the Temple of Athens are the best examples to define the ancient architectural style.

• The Chinese developed a unique style which is still vastly used in China. It also has its great influence on Japanese architecture. The Chinese architectural style was and is heavily based on horizontal axis with a floating roof on the top.

• The Roman architecture started the architectural style of the Middle Ages. Although people speak of its similarities with the Greek style, there is a big difference between the two. The Roman introduced arches while Greeks preferred more block-like structure. Furthermore, Roman styles were not just pleasing; they were engineered to be more practical.

• Byzantine Architecture also got very popular in Europe. Hagia Sofia became a symbol of this beautiful style. The Roman and Byzantine style, however, later evolved into the Romanesque and Gothic style. Concurrently, the Renaissance style became very popular in Europe. It is quite obvious that this style greatly affected the Islamic architectural style during the crusades.

• Islamic architecture was based on geometrical shapes, arches and calligraphic arts. Although this style can be divided into several categories, some elements remain same in all the styles and are easily identifiable as Islamic art.

• The modern day architecture is a very unique blend of all styles, with the very first emphasis on safety and practicality. Architectures and engineers have incorporated different styles inspired from historic buildings to art movements. While some buildings are based on extremely simple block styles, some have broken all the conventions with their unbelievable design.

With so many styles and endless combinations, the future of architecture seems beyond the conventional boundaries.

The Shame is, That They Don't Really Have Any

In this short post, I am re-visiting a topic upon which I have ranted before. Realtors who negotiate commission rates in the "remarks" section. Firstly, it is in direct contravention of MLS rules to negotiate the commission in an MLS listing. I saw one today that said, and this is disappointingly typical, "commission to be 50% of whatever bank will pay." So if the bank offer $1.00 and a sandwich you are obliged to accept 50 cents and half a PB & J? Have you no pride in your work? Have you no self-esteem?

If your client were to see that type of verbiage, would they see you as a champion of their cause; fighting fearlessly for their last dollar? More than that, when I see that kind of defeatist phrasing in a listing I sit back and smile. Why? Because I know that if we were to pursue your listing, I would crush you in the negotiations.

If you are that agent, you need to consider another line of work. You most certainly are not benefiting your client, so you need to step aside and let us professionals take care of business.

Likewise to all you puppets who insist that buyers must qualify with your preferred lender. Grow a spine! The message you send is this, "I do not trust the loan status report (LSR) that your lender has provided because the lending business is so corrupt/malleable/unregulated (pick one), but I insist you blindly trust my random guy with all your most private and critical and secure information before we can proceed."

If you don't stand up to these banks, you will just end up under their complete control.

For the record, I have never allowed a client to qualify with another lender on the whim of a seller, and I never will.

Gary Kiernan is a broker in Arizona. He specializes in the Greater Phoenix area concentrating on Cave Creek, Carefree, Scottsdale, Phoenix and including Desert Hills, Anthem, Paradise Valley, Gilbert, Mesa and Chandler

Plan an Environmentally Sound Yard

Having beautiful looking lawn need not cost several thousands of dollars. You can make one by simply keeping it spic and span. You can also add seasonal plants and flowers that grow beautifully at a particular time. Aside from that, you also have to continuously care for the lawn. This is the only for you to keep your lawn looking great at all times. It needs special care and attention. Hence, you should spend some time to check on your plants, trim, water and fertilize them.

The only challenge there is for people is how to care for their lawn that is environmentally sound. Being able to do this would help minimize the contamination of waters and wetlands, as well as erosion of soil. How to do this? Here are some of the tips:

1. Lessen the use of pesticide or completely eliminate it. This is a great way to avoid contamination of waters from chemicals. Aside from that, this is the best way to garden your homes without causing harm to yourself and your family.

2. Use organic materials for fertilization instead of chemical fertilizers. So instead of throwing away or burning dried twigs and grasses, compile them to make compost.

3. Plant at the right areas. You need to put plants in areas where the soil is high in nutrients, where there is access to water and where there is less likelihood for pests to attack the plants.

4. Perform mulching. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent the growth of weeds and grass the natural way. At the same time, it also preserves the land by preventing the incidence of erosion.

5. Always mow your lawn to keep grass less than 3 inches. Doing this ensures that your plant gets all the nutrients that it needs without competition. Use the cut grass as a component of your compost. Or y

6. You also can utilize your lawn naturally. Make use of the natural landscaping and add plants and trees that could further enhance its look. This is also a great way to preserve the soil.

7. If you want to beautify your garden, use ornaments that are made locally. Doing so minimizes the use of fuel for transportation because there is no need for long distance travel. This is another great way to lessen carbon footprint from your gardening activities.

8. Water your plants at the right schedule. It is best to water them when there isn't too much heat. If you water plants during the hottest parts of the day, water could evaporate easily; hence, depriving the plants of enough water. Watering plants at the right also minimizes the chance of fungal growth. If the plants are dampened, its soil would become a breeding ground for molds.

Follow these tips and you can maintain the beauty of your lawn without degrading the environment. You can also lessen the carbon footprint of your gardening activities, which could then lessen the emission of green house gases in the environment.

Do you want to find more environmental friendly homes in Homes for Sale in Bremerton WA and Basement Real Estate Houses.

Your Building's Energy Performance

There are numerous ways for companies to increase their bottom line, many of which come at the expense of their customers and employees, such as increasing the price of products or services and staff cutbacks. But today, many companies favor a profit enhancer that doesn't result in unemployment or customer defection: energy saving retrofits. Energy efficient retrofits benefit large and small companies alike, with some companies experiencing as much as a seven-figure reduction in their annual utility costs. But before you contract with a retrofitting company to replace your current energy systems, it's important to realize that finding the right solutions is contingent on analyzing your building's energy performance using three key performance indicators: tracking utility bills, benchmarking and trend logging.

Tracking Utility Bills

Tracking your utility bills helps to analyze your building's energy consumption over a longer period of time, and can reveal period of time when your energy consumption is inordinately high. The standard length of time for utility bill tracking is one year, after which time an assessment can be made about what energy efficient retrofits should receive first priority in terms of commercial energy savings. For example, if you own a warehouse whose gas usage from September through April accounts for 56 percent of its annual energy bill, then the sensible option is to implement retrofits that lower heating bills first.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking is used to compare your building's current energy performance to its past energy performance, and can also be used to compare its present performance to the present performance of similar buildings on a regional and/or national basis. As a result of these comparisons, benchmarking allows you to identify areas for improvement and then measure improvement once the problem areas are addressed. Benchmarking for energy efficiency is conducted using one of two metrics: energy use per square foot or energy cost per square foot. Energy use per square foot is considered more reliable due to differences in energy sources and utility rates.

Trend Logging

Unlike utility bill tracking, trend logging focuses on gathering data in short intervals, with 15-minute intervals being common. By collecting data in short intervals on an entire building or one of its systems, trend logging gives companies insight into how their utility bills transpire on a micro level. For example, whereas utility bill tracking may reveal an entire season where electrical usage spikes, trend logging may reveal periods within a single day when electrical usage spikes, and what elements are responsible for the spike. Common forms of data that support trend logging are utility interval demand meter data, direct digital control (DDC) systems data, electrical submeter data and weather data.

In my research on commercial energy savings methods, I've found that energy saving retrofits is the most financially rewarding option.

LEED Credentialed Maintenance Programs

The United States Green Building Council is now offering an ecology-oriented building certification program called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This program focuses on five areas: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, and water savings. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is granted to all kinds of structures which meet the criteria in these categories, so many certified individuals are needed to uphold the standards. Training is available for this purpose.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Credentialed Maintenance programs are available for professionals who wish to expand their knowledge of certification principles. The program begins with LEED Green Associate and LEED AP Operations + Maintenance credentials and continues with LEED AP Homes, Building Design + Construction, Interior Design + Construction, and Neighbor Development. All credentials that have been awarded by the GBCI must be maintained through accumulation of Continuing Education credits on a 2-year cycle.

This 2-year period is referred to as the CMP reporting period and if professionals do not complete their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Continuing Education requirements within this period their credential expires. Individuals who are undergoing AP training are required to complete 30 CE hours biannually, 6 of which must be LEED-specific. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associates only need to complete 15 CE hours biannually (including 3-specific hours) of credentialed maintenance activity to maintain their credential. Different activities earn different amounts of CE hours, but the GBCI provides a CMP guide to assist with calculation. Professionals are responsible for reporting their own hours, a process which can be completed online without any additional documentation. Once the CMP requirements for credential have been met, an individual may simply pay a $50 CMP renewal fee to renew his credential. This fee must be paid within thirty days of the end of the reporting period or the credential will expire.

The GBCI also offers another option for maintaining a credential - many professionals choose to undergo optional retesting as a way to maintain their credential. Individuals using this method must take the required exam between 3 and 12 months of the end of their reporting period. With so many options available for achieving and maintaining LEED credentials, every year more professionals are making the choice to earn their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Programs like these are revolutionizing the construction industry and making the world a cleaner, healthier place to live.

Energy Efficient Homes

Much of the world today is highly dependent on fossil fuels to run their economies. Highly industrialized nations have never put a cap on how much they can really take before they suffer the consequences. The global community will experience a head-on collision with mother nature eventually if international leaders cannot come up with a realistic solution to global warming. It is this threat that results from the burning of the highly efficient and widely used cheap source of energy - the fossil fuels, that affects every facet of human life as we know it today.

We have already faced the effects of global warming and yet we are still turning a blind eye on what is happening today. The devastating results of 3 typhoons in the Philippines in 2009 alone brought billions of pesos in damages to public property as well as placing undue pressure on the local economy. Now, power outages and rotating brownouts are threatening the entire Luzon economic scene and the Metro Manila financial hub.

There are, however, many ways to alternative sources of energy it is just that we are unwilling to develop it. The petroleum giants are not willing to put their resources to build, improve, and market renewable energy because, obviously, they do not really care. These multi-billion dollar companies are just so greedy that they do not realize the potential disaster they will face in the near future.

Real estate developers should also look into energy-efficient homes. These so-called eco-friendly homes are the trend of the future. Solar panel installed rooftops is feasible. We can save more on electric bills by utilizing solar energy. Water recycling can also be doable as long as our government and its citizenry are willing to set their minds on it. Extensive waste management and recycling should also be our primary goals. At the forefront of our economy of the future are ideas like these.

It has been four decades since we began to look for renewable energy. The plan to find other sources of energy brought about by the energy crises, inflation, and the rising price of oil in the early 70's has been going on for more than forty years, but this project has not yet been fully realized by the global industry. The potential large-scale application of this plan might yet be feasible for years to come.

How to Make Green Homes

Green homes are gaining popularity these days. In fact, modern and recently built homes are made greener than ever. A lot of people have been realizing its benefits. And it would not be a wonder why they will push for a green home since it can improve the quality of life they have. But wait! A green house? You probably think this is not the color of your choice.

Don't get it wrong. Green house isn't all about the color of the house. You can have a pink house, green house or even a yellow house and it would still be considered green. Green homes are built with materials that are environmental friendly. It is also a kind of home that is efficient in everything, especially with the use of utilities. Not only that, living in it promotes a healthy lifestyle for its homeowners.

So how do you make a green home? Here are some of the ideas:

1. Good Insulation. Every part of the house (from walls to attics and even the floors) should have effective insulation. You will know if proper installation has been done when the house is sealed. Hence, there is absence of gaps and compressions. It is also achieved by using materials with high R-value or thermal resistance rating.

2. Zero Leakage on ducts. A duct system is responsible for distributing heat and cool air within the house. But the quality of hot and cold air can be greatly reduced if the duct system is leaky. To make your home green, the ducts should be properly insulated. It should be installed in conditioned spaces. Lastly, it should have the right size.

3. Go for Qualified Windows. US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has defined what an eco-friendly window is. Aside from being able to facilitate natural light to pass through the house, it should also maintain the level of comfort desired in one's home. According to EPA, to make your homes green you should have windows that have multiple panes, low e-coating, gas fills, warm edge spacers and frames that can reduce condensation, protect your interiors and increase comfort.

4. Use of efficient appliances. One way to ascertain if the appliances used is energy efficient is through the energy star rating. But that is not all that you should do. There should be proper placement and spacing of appliances to help it work efficiently. Other conservation practices should also be used to be able to enjoy lower utilities expense.

5. Right Cooling and Heating Devices. The device used should also be energy-star rated. When buying them, they should be of the right size. Upon installation, the device should be properly placed and should not be exposed to extreme conditions.

Green homes are packed with benefits. By the time you apply these tips, you will notice your electricity bills will be reduced. The components of your house will also be long-lasting. And what is good about it is that you get to enjoy increased level of comforts without harming the environment.

Building Green

Many architects and builders have received recognition in building green-however, questions are always being addressed what signals a truly green building. Is it the products that suggest a building is green or the way the products are used in the construction application? As we evolve with respect to any type of building green, the answer to the questions will eventually come to us. It is a continual work-in-progress. For now, however building green can fall under six criteria, each can be dissected as much as reasonably possible. The broad-brush criteria however is listed below with regard to building green.

Areas where you will be building green include:

1. Using products comprised of salvaged, recycled and agricultural waste;

2. Using products in construction made from our natural resources;

3. Using products that provide toxic wastes in manufacture;

4. Using products that substantially reduce the impact on the environment during the construction phase; renovation of existing buildings or during demolition.

5. Installing products that substantially save water or energy; and,

6. Products that making living inside more healthy.

When it comes down to building green standards it becomes a matter of determining the proper extraction of a natural resource as well as reviewing the impact of production on the environment.

Builders and architects who make a practice of building green understand substitution of a green product for one that is not considered environmentally friendly is part of the green-friendly process. In example, a green product with respect to wood comes in the form of recycled plastic lumber. This product is considered acceptable green material because it possess the components of a product made from recycled waste; is highly durable, and there is no need to treat it against pests.

Another example of a product that may be used in building green is straw particleboard. The reason straw particleboard is considered a significant green-inspired product is due to the fact it is free from off gassing with respect to formaldehyde; and it is manufactured out of agri-waste.

Products you can reuse generally qualify as more green than recyclable raw materials. Examples of reusable items include plumbing hardware, mill work, framing, and bricks. All of these items may be classified as salvage.

Also post-recycle consumer products are considered more green significant than pre-consumer products since they can be directed away from landfills. Also recyclable products that fall into a closed-loop category are greenest since in this respect you are manufacturing lower grades of an item.

Although not as significant as post-recyclable consumer products the following pre-consumer products may be considered building green friendly: iron-ore slag which is used for mineral wood insulation; PVC scrap used in shingles, and fly ash which ends up in concrete. Within the Agri category of building green products, straw seems to be the leader.

Products that are considered building green friendly due to the fact they require less frequency as to replacement include: fiber-cement siding, windows that are fiberglass, and slate shingles. In other words, if the product is built to last for a relatively longer period of time it may be classified many times as green-friendly.

Wood that is stamped with the Forest Stewardship Council designation is sure to be considered a green product. The FSC stamp assures the consumer that the wood found within his or her construction came from a well-managed forest.

Products that are not subjected to harmful chemicals in their production are other forms of green-friendly materials.

In summary, products that offer the least impact as to harming the environment during production as well as within the construction generally are considered green-friendly.

Energy Efficient Mortgage

When the summer and winter approach many people are more comfortable in their energy efficient homes during the hot and cold seasons. It is not only the future high costs of energy that concerns many people today, but the climate change.

Borrowers must first tell their lender they want an EEM. The process of getting one starts with an energy rating, or acceptable documentation. Then the borrower decides what improvements they want and they apply for a loan.

In one mortgage, a borrower can finance cost effective energy saving measures and also stretch debt to income qualifying ratio increasing the borrowing power. The unique mortgage allows borrowers to include the costs of energy improvements into the mortgage. The value of the home is adjusted by the value of the energy efficient upgrades.

The Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is typically used to buy a new home that is already energy efficient. Energy Star homes are qualified homes. Homes not rated typically require a certified n energy star rater, an independent certified residential energy professional, to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the home's energy use to produce a home energy rating. The energy rating is a measure of the homes energy efficiency using methodology that is uniform throughout the United States. The national guidelines are referred to as HERS guidelines - the Home Energy Rating System. This comes before the financing is approved. It provides the lender with the estimated monthly energy savings and the value of the energy efficiency measures - known as Energy Savings Value.

The Energy Improvement Mortgages (EIM) was developed so homebuyers of an existing home could finance more money to make their home more energy efficient. No need for more funds for down payment, the EIM is included in the purchase mortgage for existing homes that need energy efficient improvements without increasing the down payment. The savings in utilities finance the energy improvements. EIM's are available to homeowners wanting to refinance their energy improvements too.

EEMs are sponsored and nationally underwritten by FHA VA and Conventional secondary mortgage institutions market lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Thrift conscious consumers are applying for the EEM today; they are financing and spending more on housing expenses initially because they know they will spend less on their energy costs over time. It is the health of their families, and the future high costs of energy that concerns many people today

Be Green Can Be Complicated

Cathedral Ceilings Add to Our Home Heating Bill.

We have been working on our house for some time to lower our carbon footprint. We have put in better plumbing, and are gradually buying more energy efficient appliances. We also unplug most things that have electric timers that run even when they are off.

We have also been tweaking the lighting, but are still unsatisfied with it. While compact fluorescents use less power than incandescent lighting, they have mercury in them and may pose a health risk both in homes and in landfills.

This business about trying to be green can be complicated.

But we are sure the cathedral ceiling in out living room is not a good thing.

We have a huge living room that we use as an office/ greenhouse. It's just a smidgen bigger than 23' X 14'. It's a big room and it has a cathedral ceiling that goes up about 17' high at the center beam. It's a lot of volume to have to heat. We're too cheap to pay for it.

Yesterday we had a lovely, but icy spring day here and the temperature in that room was a balmy 54 degrees. We had to start a fire in our wood stove to make it more comfortable.

We have electric baseboard heat that is just not up to the task of heating that room in our climate. Even a summer day may not get warmer than 60 degrees here. We set the baseboard heat to keep the temperature above 50 degrees so the pipes don't freeze in winter.

We don't want to pay for anything else because it gets too expensive. Not only do we have to pay for the electric heat, we also buy firewood for the wood stove. It's ridiculous, even though the house is relatively energy efficient. Our last frost date for gardening is May 15th. We can have snow most any time except July and August.

The room gets good passive solar heat gain on sunny days but cloudy winter days can be frigid.

The cathedral ceiling is just not working for us. We can't make the room really comfortable on cool days without burning through a lot of cash.

It's just too wasteful, not only for us, but also for the planet.

We are seriously considering lowering the ceiling to maybe 10 feet and insulating the attic above so it is more cozy and comfortable. It would be pretty easy to create a barrel vault following the lines of existing beams.

We also use the room as a plant room for growing herbs and other edible stuff, even a few avocado trees which are tropical plants requiring temperatures above 40 degrees.

We can add bookcases with doors inside the exterior walls to help insulate the room from cool temperatures and make it more comfortable.

Having the extra storage would be good for us and it will help insulate the room and lower our heating bills.

If we can make our existing home more energy efficient we don't have to move or consider building another home. It's like any other recycling. It's good for the planet.