8.31.2011

[more sticky wall accents]

remember my post on the wall stickers i installed on our stair landing wall? well, i just saw another blog entry by home designing.com. regarding the same.

a peek into the designs i find nice :



white branches framing the bathtub



cross-stitched walls


chalkboards for leaving messages to each family member


wall stickers are so versatile. you can stick it on any surface & remove them without leaving any adhesive residue provided the surface is glossy not matte.

be inspired by the many sticker designs for each room you might fancy placing them on !


[sleeper - the art exhibit]

an art exhibit dubbed SLEEPER is set for public viewing starting sept. 17, 2011, 6 pm at the mag:net gallery, g/f agcor building, katipunan, qc.

CRIS VILLANUEVA, JR., a up fine arts graduate, is a multi-awarded artist who's well-known for his "bubble-wrap" art.  the awards he has garnered include the 2006 Jurors Choice, Philippine Art Awards, (Philip Morris), 2005 Grand Prize, Philippine Art Awards, (Philip Morris) & 1977 Grand Prize, Philippine Dental Assoc. Art Competition. he has held exhibits here & abroad, notably in the u.s. & singapore. see this artist's full  profile  & samples of his bubble wrap art works :

so if you're into collecting art pieces or would just like to appreciate art,  go check out his exhibit.



8.26.2011

[green roofs]

an ordinance requiring all new buildings & housing constructions to have roof gardens is welcome news! the said green roof ordinance, authored by quezon city councilor, franz pumaren, is now being deliberated for third & final reading. once approved, "owners of newly constructed structures will be compelled to include in their plans at least 30 percent of the roof deck for plants and trees either with extensive or intensive soil layer." 

according to Green Roofing Options - Buildipedia.com™, a roof garden is "one of the best ways to counteract an environmental phenomenon called urban heat island effect, in which the proximity of urban buildings makes cities several degrees warmer than rural areas." aside from highlighting the pros of having a green roof, the list of material requirements needed for constructing it is discussed further in the article. 


although initial financial investment for green roofs  is rather steep, in the long run, the benefits far outweigh the cost. as mentioned in the article, "not only do green roofs help to combat urban heat island effect, they are energy-efficient and can be quite useful, particularly if they include vegetable 
gardens and fruit trees.

here's how a green roof looks like :



i know market!market! mall has an organic vegetable rooftop garden,



ms cecille zamora blogged about her own version of a green roof @ chuvaness.com,


and  that both the makati & pasig city hall officials adopted the same in their own buildings.

may this "green" initiative carry over to other neighboring cities & municipalities nationwide.

8.24.2011

[dividing open areas]

for the modern urbanites who live in condos, these room divider ideas can help solve those privacy issues in your studio-type units. i particularly like this :


photograph panel room divider


 and this :
GAIAM natural bamboo screen



you can browse thru this link for other styles you might like.


8.23.2011

[the green forum & manilacon 2011]

calling all green architecture advocates (architects, engineers,  builders, suppliers & people who love enough to preserve & take care of this planet)! this year's green forum, dubbed THE 8TH GREEN FORUM: THE COST AND CONS OF GOING GREEN, will be held on sept 2-3 at the SMX convention center, mall of asia complex.



manilacon 2011, of which GREEN FORUM is one of the activities,  is a 4-day construction show with exhibits showcasing  green & sustainable materials, a 2-day symposium on green & sustainable building design practices (GREEN FORUM), & a green architecture students symposium. i've attended the said event for 2 years now & i've benefited so much from all the information.

 for those interested, click here  for registration & other details.

here are some of the pictures i took during last year's forum:



 Ar Nathaniel Von Einsiedel answers questions from the attendees
 it's not easy being green, a talk by Ar Paulo Alcazaren, landscape architect &                               Philippine Star columnist
 during the presentation of GreenAp's plaque of appreciation to Ar Alcazaren 
closing remarks by a college batchmate, Ar Joven Ignacio, one of the founding members of GreenAP & also an accomplished artist


by the way,  Green Architecture Advocacy Philippines, Inc.,  the prime mover/organizer of this event, has been doing this forum for the last 7 years now. thanks to organizations like this, sustainability is no longer just a concept but an actuality. kudos to GreenAP!