tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33166688725146484082012-02-16T20:41:18.833-06:00The "Gaia Ship". A dense, luxurious living arrangement for thousands of people. And the real draw - 95% sustainable living. An Oasis in a suburban consumption desert. A plaza of connected buildings incorporating residential, retail, office, light industry, medical; power production, advanced waste management, recycling, and even food production.Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-79324188632740026222010-02-13T15:31:00.003-06:002010-02-13T15:38:43.345-06:00

I just got through reading a point/ counter-point on the war on suburbia that New Urbanists like myself are propagating... Um, no. I believe that the single family home and suburbia is here to stay. With the distribution of jobs outside the usual central city cores growing - the distribution of housing is here to stay. Suburbs are an ideal, and a good one for *many* *many* people. The war us

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-39256845986933816372010-02-13T02:33:00.004-06:002010-02-13T03:34:15.464-06:00

So, in a effort to bring the cost of the Gaiaship Project down to something approaching 'reasonable' levels, I've been exploring how *small* a self 'sustainable' group of people could be without insane overhead. Remember, the ideal is that the system supports itself with on site power generation, a high percentage of water recycling; advanced waste management systems and even retail. I've

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-27817632246400911412009-08-31T14:11:00.002-05:002009-08-31T14:25:23.488-05:00

John Tobin is an architect at EYP Architecture & Engineering PC. An article he wrote was recently forwarded to a BIM linked in group I follow. In it he talks about how BIM is evolving. He talks about how Architects, contractors and others are converging on what I would consider to be true BIM - fully functional virtual models that translate directly into construction ready documents and orders

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-48213614805107018512009-08-27T13:58:00.002-05:002009-08-27T14:03:11.313-05:00

About the Future of Building Information Modelinghttp://www.larsonobrien.com/blog/index.php/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-future-of-bim/08/27/2009/Most important bit I saw: 160% increase in the use of BIM in only 4 years. This is where the productivity improvements for the construction industry are going to come from in the next decade. A couple of key bits from the post - read it!

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-44459278069057147332009-08-24T15:29:00.002-05:002009-08-24T15:34:42.382-05:00

The Texas Facilities Commission - the folks who contract out the construction of Texas State Buildings recently announced their adoption of BIM as a state-wide requirement. They are coming out with specifications and guidelines for state funded projects. Special thanks to (BIM) x for pointing at this video.

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-12190875870217715872009-08-24T14:16:00.002-05:002009-08-24T14:21:43.169-05:00

Speaking of tackling a big problem...The Gaiaship design is addressing the issues that cause 20% of the total Carbon dioxide emmissions and about 2% of the methane emmissions. (2005 numbers)Roads, Residential and commercial buildings for CO2 and the land-fill & waste-water contribution to methane. What's your plan to save the world :)

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-61675507168954835512009-08-24T13:57:00.003-05:002009-08-24T14:07:30.970-05:00

I've made several references to the likely growth in multi-family & senior housing. This graph at calculatedriskblog.com shows the baby boom crowd as they move through the years. We're at the point where they are in the range of 45-55 and the demand for suburban housing reflects this. Soon though, many of these aging suburban dwellers will want more aminities, healthier living and want less

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-71538960629731824042009-08-24T08:21:00.006-05:002009-08-24T09:14:37.760-05:00

My blogroll exploded recently with the results from the Reburbia contest at Dwell. Austin Contrarian posted about it when it first came out and my comments then revolved around rebuilding the commercial spaces rather than attempting to actually get around the NIMBY's to do weird things to the neighborhoods themselves. The Dwell submissions has some of that - but I also found things pointing to

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-66324799311167010382009-08-23T22:58:00.006-05:002009-08-23T23:58:58.309-05:00

ProductFunction and Benefit: A complete virtual model of an eco-city campus, called a GaiaShip, allows for rapid site design and customization, exact resource and cost estimates, and hyper accurate construction schedules. The integration of municipal services like waste recycling and renewable power generation provide highly desirable selling points for both the municipalities and the end-users.

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-74930782404958038272009-08-23T20:40:00.007-05:002009-08-24T00:00:46.638-05:00

Inception: Looking at American apartments, suburbia, and urban lifestyles and contrasting them with the concepts of sustainability.Found a dramatic dissonance.Current Structure: Brian Drake, EntrepreneurManagement Team: TBDIntellectual Property: 5D (3D plus Time, and Cost) building models with integrated energy co-generation, bio-digestion; coupled with manufacturing processes for rapid, cost

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-23488987440685048782009-08-22T01:43:00.004-05:002009-08-22T02:49:51.733-05:00

Target Market Customers: Multi-Family builders, urban-planners, municipal governments, and ultimately the urban public. Market and Industry: Large Scale ($150 million or larger) Multi-Family construction is scratching the surface of sustainability, finding that it’s good for the bottom line as well as marketing image. But the builders aren’t going “Deep Green” because they

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-9274354528027675062009-08-22T00:43:00.004-05:002009-08-22T02:51:34.122-05:00

Opportunity There’s a better way to build the newly popular mixed use communities: Modular, Environmentally Sustainable and Fast. The worldwide emergent middle class is desperately looking for a cost effective option that allows them the high-tech luxury of the modern, semi-urban American lifestyle, AND earth friendliness. Demanding it all, and willing to pay a premium

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-3073026367441625742009-08-22T00:26:00.002-05:002009-08-22T00:43:19.808-05:00

Part 1: Opportunity Elevator pitch: There’s a better way to build the newly popular mixed use communities: Modular, Environmentally Sustainable and Fast. The worldwide emergent middle class is desperately looking for a cost effective option that allows them the high-tech luxury of the modern, semi-urban American lifestyle, AND earth friendliness. Demanding it all,

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-43611117017362026162009-08-22T00:11:00.005-05:002009-08-22T00:26:14.603-05:00

I sometimes feel like a lighthouse; I can only focus my energy in one direction at a time. While I've got an aspect of my life illuminated it glows and grows rapidly. Things happen; changes happen; growth happens. And the rest of the world stays dark; waiting for my focus to return. I spin my light daily; focusing on the day job, the family and the other more immediate requirements. But

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-73708738181726849792009-07-17T11:17:00.004-05:002009-07-17T11:41:54.888-05:00

So, most prior reports about using algae to produce fuel (bio-fuels) have been focused on growing a bunch of the tiny plants and then refining the oil they produce out of them. Things like Diesel and JP8 Jet fuel can be made this way. Good stuff on the surface. But Algenol, a new start up that is modifying cyanobacteria to directly produce Ethanol using sunlight, seawater and industrial CO2 is

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-78203517974463361132009-07-17T08:45:00.004-05:002009-07-17T08:58:33.813-05:00

So my favorite blog site - ArsTechnica has a great article about GE's new - fully integrated system for whole house power management, smart grid appliances and on-site photovoltaic and wind generation. The Zero Net Energy home.http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/07/ge-to-offer-self-sustaining-appliance-set-by-2015.arsGiven that this company makes a very popular line of American appliances;

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-34483634330476881282009-07-17T00:18:00.003-05:002009-07-17T00:30:54.797-05:00

Yet another article talking about the benifits of factory built multi-family:http://multifamilyexecutive.com/construction/factory-built.aspxThe $13 million Brainard Street Apartment project consists of 20 three-story brick buildings, with a total of 120 two- and three-bedroom units. But some of the best news to those waiting for homes was how fast the buildings went up. The project would have

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-58201687798101831462009-07-17T00:13:00.003-05:002009-07-17T00:14:36.260-05:00

Yeah, I said Sexy!!Space based solar power beamed to earth via microwave (in a frequency that doesn't cook you).I want me some of THAT!

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-51325041530306046702009-07-16T23:08:00.003-05:002009-07-17T00:11:29.247-05:00

So we've explored how much it would be to live in the GaiaShip (cheaper than the average).... We've explored how the money would be made by the lender's/investors ($624 Billion in interest payments to lendor at the last count). I've even explored marketing, and business plans to get this done.But I haven't looked at how much it actually costs. Kinda fundamental don't ya know!?Yeah I know -

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-464686219133668672009-06-19T13:44:00.003-05:002009-06-19T14:00:06.392-05:00

I took a moment to glance at the interest paid on a single $38,000 mortgage at 8% over 30 years. $62,378.99Yup, $62 thousand for the lendor's revenue. If you filled an entire 10,000 unit gaiaship with $40,000 condos - the lucky lender would make 624 BILLION dollars. So how much space would that really take up? 10,000 units at 800 square feet: 8 million square feet. Divide that by 4 stories:

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-29153509920165997942009-06-19T10:27:00.012-05:002009-06-19T13:27:57.035-05:00

I've seen a *ton* of things in the news lately about affordable housing, especially in the context of new urban designs and sustainable housing, and thought I should codify what the general thinking is around how much we're supposed to spend on housing and whether the GaiaShip could be considered 'affordable'.From the Texas State Web site:Thousands of working Texans need low-cost homes in the

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-69974541944216189782009-06-08T11:18:00.001-05:002009-06-08T11:19:31.609-05:00

How do I love thee, Let me count the ways:1. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2009/06/02/working-toward-the-very-low-energy-consumption-building-of-the-future/2. http://buildings.lbl.gov/3. http://berkeley.edu/apply/

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-68887756423306889452009-05-27T14:40:00.002-05:002009-05-27T14:51:01.956-05:00

I've been busy playing lately and have found little time to organize my thoughts enough to tell you anything really really cool... but I found a couple of really cool linksAcoustics being overlooked in LEED rated building Scientific American. A trust fund for green tech Clean TechnicaGoogle moves forward with Utility & Energy Mashups Clean TechnicaWhat gas prices did to our economy The American

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-66925414081483179162009-05-19T10:57:00.004-05:002009-05-19T11:09:08.069-05:00

Couple of fun bits today: greenhouse in cali that produces 20 times more tomatoes per acre than a conventional farm... but costs a million an acre to build.  http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-greenhouse14-2009may14,0,4784175.storyAnd the even cooler tech: D_Shape: The d_shape building process is similar to the “printing” process because the system operates by straining a binder on a sand

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-91860169903320338552009-05-04T09:48:00.003-05:002009-05-04T09:51:44.786-05:00

I stuck them below the fold because I'm actually not terribly interested in generating revenue from them... rather I was more curious about what the great and powerful google would present as ads next to my posts.  And, If I happen to get a bit of cash from the rare clicky event - sweet!

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-91644993152653433062009-05-01T14:14:00.002-05:002009-05-01T14:16:58.748-05:00

Hah, I got my first spam comment.  It's deleted of course - but it's fun to know something found me :) .  Of course it was on the post about smart grids... where I rehash other peoples news; not anything with my own comments. Sigh - good thing I don't rely on this as an income source.  

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-18636244564353850182009-04-29T14:11:00.003-05:002009-04-29T14:13:18.906-05:00

NPR has another couple of good bits on the smart grid; and how the utilities are using 'greenwashing' to sell their plans for major power lines.  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103415232&ft=1&f=1001Also - this interactive map of the power grid *really* opened my eyes as to why nukes are so popular in the energy generation world.  They make metric shit-tons of power: http://

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-4608202882591761102009-04-28T08:48:00.002-05:002009-04-28T09:45:42.706-05:00

Recently there has been a lot of talk about what a smart grid is.. or what it could look like.  Having read a few things on this, especially this piece on NPR's site recently, I thought I'd expound a bit and hopefully clarify what the smart grid really is.  A bit of background:Right now, our power distribution system runs like a giant bath tub.  (There are big pipes between the different

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-40622610728128386392009-04-27T08:47:00.004-05:002009-04-27T11:55:45.182-05:00

This elevator was all glass; dark at the moment because the lobby wasn't all that special; but as we began to rise my eyes went wide and my wife's jaw dropped.On one side of us; a huge column of water teeming with fish rose soaring to the ceiling; the three other sides opened into a teeming multi-layer jungle of plants birds and bees. Flowers and fruit were everywhere. Several people in white

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-46805212899654127792009-04-25T09:01:00.002-05:002009-04-25T09:05:56.400-05:00

First off: NO SUCH THINGThis stuff is *dirty* and probably emits more radiation into the atmosphere than all the nuke plants out there - minus of course Chernobyl First: an informative link: http://science.howstuffworks.com/clean-coal.htmNow for the real fun: 

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-66687988154445474622009-04-24T13:41:00.006-05:002009-04-24T16:58:16.422-05:00

Brian stood and waited patiently while we gathered up the kids.  They were reluctant to leave the sandbox but Brian's assistant saved the day with small snow-cones.  I sipped at my coke while the kids picked their flavors and then, finally, we began to move back into the house.  This time however we followed Brian to a new door off the main entrance way.  He held the door and we all filed down a

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-43264133391868200562009-04-24T10:35:00.003-05:002009-04-24T10:50:24.438-05:00

Quick aside - the series I've just started about buying a home at the GaiaShip may be a bit long.  And as is probably obvious - I'm going to intersperse those bits with normal blogging bits.  I want your feedback on the story.  I'll refine it as suggested before posting it to the up-coming gaiaship web site.  So, today I'm fartin around at work (shhh) and thinking hard about future plans.  I

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-5865571245419422802009-04-23T15:25:00.006-05:002009-04-23T17:39:23.056-05:00

The drive was uneventful, the family was a bit tired from seeing four houses already, all nice places, but not what I was looking for; they were all so far away from the office downtown.  One was a great suburban house in a trendy neighborhood, the blue siding would *have* to go but the wife loved the kitchen.  She kept going on and on about all the windows the house had and she really loved the

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-83248785663673990052009-04-23T09:28:00.002-05:002009-04-23T09:47:34.115-05:00

So I've been following Michelle Kaufmann's blog for a few months now - her approach to sustainable architecture makes me want to work for or with her *sooo* badly; but the thousand+ miles between Texas and Cali makes it a bit hard.  There's a recent post about an ecosalon - a discussion group of like-minded folks talking about sustainable things... in this case sustainable communities.  She does

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-17901759975754398772009-04-21T11:23:00.003-05:002009-04-21T16:41:11.607-05:00

Anyone want to front me $40 Million US?  Val Kilmer is selling his ranch in new mexico.  He had apparently been talking with Michelle Kaufmann, a leading eco-architect in California about building an eco-community.  With the sale of the land; that's not likely to happen now... unless I can get my hands on it.  Can you imagine a Gaia-Ship built in these surroundings!? It's not close to a city...

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-34851965008167433392009-04-21T08:15:00.004-05:002009-04-23T09:49:17.390-05:00

If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.  - Bertrand RussellNot sure

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-18381979820680291482009-04-20T15:39:00.001-05:002009-04-20T15:40:57.842-05:00

I've been discussing the requirement to move exterior light into buildings for a year plus now... and this video does a good job of summerizing the state-of-the-art in light pipes.  

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-39858958347630099382009-04-07T00:07:00.005-05:002009-04-07T01:16:19.493-05:00

So it's been more than a little while since I've presented my thoughts.   Some might thank me for that... but those that would can just close the browser. :)In the intervening period I've delved the MIT Clean energy prize; finding that while I have yet another good idea... it too costs too much for me to start by just opening my wallet.  I've read that you must find a 'soul-mate' in order to

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-24360015967892973732008-12-07T02:47:00.002-06:002008-12-07T02:55:42.331-06:00

Permaculture design principles extend from the position that "The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children" (Mollison, 1990). The intent was that, by rapidly training individuals in a core set of design principles, those individuals could design their own environments and build increasingly self-sufficient human settlements — ones that reduce

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-83234115711918162772008-12-07T02:44:00.003-06:002008-12-07T03:16:31.964-06:00

http://www.pfaf.org/leaflets/pioneer.phpThe idea of selecting plant for their desired attributes to manufacture a designed human environment is a long standing one - but it's been forgotten in recent years just how effective living walls - hedges and strips of forest - can be in shaping our spaces.  

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-72056886672030108142008-12-06T22:33:00.003-06:002008-12-07T03:19:02.530-06:00

So I was kicked back with my feet stretched out toward my fire pit this early December Evening.  Flames burning brightly in the moonlit night and I thought about all that heat being radiated into space and I was humbled by an idea... I want to make this place really & truly self-sufficient; no matter what.  So I mentally traced how I would and could incorporate the common fireplace into the

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-87101894044645043442008-11-27T01:22:00.002-06:002008-11-27T01:23:24.114-06:00

Podcasts are slow, sometimes boring... but this one!!!  A great discussion on green building and architecture from the American Institute of Architects. 

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-2201776709352423132008-11-03T10:37:00.003-06:002008-11-03T10:38:45.124-06:00

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=plasma-turns-garbage-into-gasI'm not going to get into it... but this brief article really shows the progress that is being made in closing the 'waste' loopholes in our current systems.  

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-40743682759981423792008-10-22T13:32:00.001-05:002008-10-22T13:35:57.523-05:00

The most impressive energy system on earth does not involve fossil fuels, but lies within every cell of billions of leaves.http://www.solarbotanic.com/http://www.ct-si.org/news/press/item.html?id=4053Solar Botanic has designed artificial trees and plants which are so lifelike that to most casual observers they are living trees and plants.In fact, each tree or plant is a powerhouse of renewable

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-51453428188228919802008-10-16T22:03:00.007-05:002008-12-07T02:31:24.719-06:00

Pests?So, since we're thinking 'Au-natural' here, what about pest control and the chemicals that are involved in controlling poisonous, dangerous or ugh Animals!!?! The usual suspects people try to keep from their homes are: AntsSpidersFlying insects of all kinds but especially MosquitoesRoachesRatsMiceSquirrelsPossumsSkunksBearsBig CatsBig Dogs / WolvesFoxesSnakesLizardsBirds - have you seen

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-76741795037623546692008-10-12T12:06:00.006-05:002008-10-12T13:39:37.170-05:00

So I've been working on my business plan for Drake Eco Developments, and I've come up with an interesting fork in the planning. Step 1: Develop Gaiaship Presentation, 3d Visual walk throughs, digital representationRaise  money for engineering, BIS & architectural drawing - Likely Venture Capital or government grants because we're talking a couple million here to pay the entire team to do this.  

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-33268713891387685742008-10-09T22:03:00.001-05:002008-10-09T22:05:31.055-05:00

Excellent!!! I love a good poem:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95567782&sc=emaf$700 billion is more than enough money to buy every able-bodied American a chain saw, a solar-powered generator and a stake in a communal well and windmill. Also, red dirt and plum trees. That would probably only cost about $100 billion, and you can use the other $600 billion to buy everybody

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-47451458290798691172008-10-06T15:14:00.002-05:002008-10-06T15:16:37.401-05:00

http://cleantech.com/While I'm really excited about the potential for investment from governmental sources due to the increased awareness of the requirement for infrastructure investement; private capital markets are still active even in this slumping economy.  

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-57288998456571232008-10-06T15:09:00.003-05:002008-10-06T15:12:09.303-05:00

INTRODUCTIONDwindling natural resources, growing global demand for energy, climate change – these issuesare irrevocably altering our global economy. In this report, the U.S. Conference ofMayors and Global Insight have examined the economic benefits of the 'Green Economy' -that part of economic activity which is devoted to the reduction of fossil fuels, the increaseof energy efficiency, and the

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-91989573949138366402008-09-11T00:25:00.010-05:002008-09-12T16:19:47.889-05:00

So, since I can't seem to do this all on my own; I've begun to re-think how I go about this. To date, my plan has to teach myself Architectural Engineering, with a sprinkle of aerospace thrown in for the futuristic materials design of course... not at all because flying things are just *fun* :) But, after looking at the epic amount of time it's going to take to get me my degree taking only

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-58822177783430322812008-09-09T00:46:00.005-05:002008-09-09T00:58:34.906-05:00

OK, to put it bluntly... I'm a wannabe space-geek. But not 'space' as it is today...The Shuttle-truckThe International Space Can... er StationPrivate sub-orbital roller coastersI'm a space fanatic with more a leaning towards moon-base... asteroid belt mining... space colonies... and the ultimate in solar system wide civilization... the dyson sphere.But... to get to the 'space' I want, We have to

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-36217934705798305952008-09-09T00:44:00.001-05:002008-09-09T00:46:00.656-05:00

LeedGreenEco (and all it's deriviatives)recyclereusere-animate (er... wait)

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-70848508833373154252008-09-02T15:57:00.002-05:002008-09-02T16:01:41.456-05:00

So I've gone kinda incog lately... the new job, life in general and school starting back kinda makes the time fly...That said... I've discovered the addiction that is an RSS reader (google reader FTW). I found that the offered defaults just didn't hold water for me. So I've been on a crusade to find new blogs & data sources to peruse... OMG there's a lot out there. I'm still vetting the wheat

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-36755393059607196022008-08-13T12:53:00.002-05:002008-12-07T02:42:15.543-06:00

In repeated recent discussions I've had with friends, as well as a common thread of interest I've seen in my architecture related searches one term keeps surfacing.EthicsThe ethics of design, the ethics dictated by place, the ethics of environmental and social responsibility.This essay (pdf) by Ed Akins II, AIA LEED AP - Atlanta, Georgia is a good, comprehensive foundation for the topic at

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-45346300686594099552008-07-08T21:35:00.002-05:002008-07-09T20:54:12.328-05:00

As I've explored the idea of interior spaces for the GaiaShip - I've settled upon an interesting hybrid of two architectural styles. Designed to be a Modular building system - the interior would be made to 'snap' together in rich and diverse ways. Pipes and wires would be integrated into walls, ceilings and floors all held in slight remove from the concrete shell of the building.Picture a long,

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-75587972899580099912008-06-05T15:30:00.005-05:002008-06-05T15:41:59.866-05:00

So just today I had a great lunch with a friend of mine - Mike Chiles of Chiles Architects. If you need an architect to do some really cool buildings - hit me up and I'll be happy to connect you! I've dropped a chat with him about the Gaiaship concept below...Key take-aways: I need a big architectural firm to draw the plansEngineering all the integrated energy, food and hydro systems is going to

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-49237561106447549042008-05-26T04:12:00.002-05:002008-05-26T04:33:34.840-05:00

... Extending from the last post.It's so far off -base from a 'normal' design configuration that I had to post it in a separate position.So - thinking about vortex & power generation with waste heat I had the sudden thought about skydiving simulators - high power fans that humans can 'fly' at low altitudes on.----Damn that looks like fun.Then I thought about creating an open shaft out through the

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-27368169157708896032008-05-26T01:50:00.011-05:002008-12-09T04:08:57.960-06:00

As I lay sleepless tonight, with thoughts of bills and babies in my head, an interesting idea came to me. I've been thinking hard about the shape and structure of the GaiaShip and came up with something a bit 'different'. Up to now it's been a multi-level, multi-story squat building with extensive/intensive green roof punctuated occasionally by tall statuesque towers.Issues and pain points I've

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-91530058924484734542008-05-23T15:36:00.001-05:002008-05-23T15:38:06.721-05:00

"did you know you only need a 25x25 square garden to grow enough food to feed an entire family of 5 for an entire year"-Lalli (a good friend of mine and gardener)I wonder if Hydroponic systems could shrink that significantly?

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-85978161576914631572008-05-23T14:38:00.003-05:002008-05-23T14:57:43.426-05:00

I’m sitting in the lobby of Pikes Riverfront Hotel, waiting for my bus to the airport and overhear an Alaskan Legislator and Owner of the Pikes talking on the phone about an effort to build 5 hydroponic green-houses in Gnome Alaska. Apparently they have natural gas that is just being vented / flared and a need for fresh vegetables. They are looking at getting federal, state and local funds put

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-20251876370445193392008-05-23T14:25:00.002-05:002008-05-23T14:28:50.570-05:00

Land as glorious as it is possible to imagine… With sunlight cycles that drive people insane (it’s after 10:00 pm as I write this and it looks like it would be about 6:30 anywhere else), locals who have a serious size complex (“We’re bigger than Texas!!!”), and mountains that humble everything (even the sheeple tourists and their checkbooks). The cruise up the coast and train ride into

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-25128288319980622882008-05-04T10:00:00.004-05:002008-05-04T10:10:52.919-05:00

Stumbling around looking at my web history and I see under Google's "Interesting Items" category the term: invenergy. Of course the energy thing catches my eye and I click... stumbling on to the financing and construction arm of a huge number of nationwide, and more importantly Texas based wind farms. On their web site they indicate a focus on renewable and co-generation projects and are

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-64050213006263828802008-05-01T14:27:00.003-05:002008-05-02T16:46:12.758-05:00

Platinum LEED in Austin!!! WOOT!So, I called them up and said "Hey, I'm an Architecture and Engineering Student in Austin, I've just found out about your LEED Certification... ""Ah yes, excellent" Nice guy- Danny...replied quickly. "Would you like written documentation or a tour?"Both please!So I head over there after a full perusal of the site and an in depth look at the public information

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-87912184540144062662008-05-01T11:07:00.003-05:002008-05-01T11:39:36.664-05:00

So I figured out that the way I built the first case for the administrators wasn't quite to standard - I needed to split the builder from the administrators and show what the builder would make from the deal. Most builders do NOT become administrators, though in this case there might be an exception or two made. I mean we're talking about creating an entire township in one single swoop.Each

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-61930279555027135792008-04-26T14:02:00.002-05:002008-04-26T14:13:10.428-05:00

The big picture Austin Energy has decreed that 30% of their power mix will be renewable energy by 2020. To address this requirement they’ve recently set up a land lease in west Texas to build a solar power farm. While I am wildly excited about this development, it’s not something that goes far enough in my opinion. Part of the problem with the west Texas solar farm installation is that

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-68682369721063142072008-03-28T01:37:00.003-05:002008-03-28T01:39:23.631-05:00

How do you 'prove' the case that living sustainably really is a better way of life? What's the metric you use to gauge how much better this place is than say your average apartment, condo or suburban home?But there are *tons* of different measures to use!!! Uh - I guess we get to pick :)So - by what measures can we use to prove the case?We have to look at the audiences.Investors need rate of

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-50510452930094771272008-03-18T21:56:00.006-05:002008-03-25T00:27:51.177-05:00

So, we've addressed the water cycle and waste management - and from the narrative that gives you a glimpse into a rainy evening we see even a bit more about life in this earth bound space station. But what really does it mean to live in an environment that generates it's own power, recycles energy and uses waste heat to generate even more power?First - a bit more on 'waste' heat. Remember that

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-16094528255335934442008-03-18T21:39:00.003-05:002008-03-19T23:56:01.844-05:00

So, popular news outlets are just now beginning to popularize the idea that "Hey... green building is a big part of energy conservation."Scientific American, a periodical that used to be all about science and really high end technical content... and has recently decided to follow Pop-Sci's methods of attracting readership, has article after article about OMG - TEH GREEN!!! LOOKIE!!!But - they

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-9172634606444873352008-02-27T15:10:00.011-06:002008-02-28T12:40:47.333-06:00

New Urbanism!!Awesome. People are looking for the next wave of living environment. Walkable cities, diverse retail and localized business interests, reduction of their energy usage - all part of the new urban schema. But I'm not going to settle for just hyper dense, garden communities. Single family, single building - that style is going to be very popular for sure but the Gia Ship takes it

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-88334477512587978172008-02-15T20:31:00.012-06:002008-02-19T23:12:52.223-06:00

Dinner with a clientAdjusting your tie, you step into the breezeway outside your front door. The cool wind has a hint of damp pine from the evergreens around the corner. Turning, you stride past Heather's door, making a mental note to invite her to dinner again soon. Winning the neighborhood chili cookoff recently had given you that inroad you had been hoping for and you had finally been able

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-46371061580807229952008-02-13T13:17:00.007-06:002008-02-15T20:31:40.845-06:00

Disney thinks that the house of the future is based on automation and gadgetry. While I can sympathize since I'm a geek and would love automating the suburban house... that's not the future, it's just today's expensive.Why is it expensive? Because today's floor plans and features are minor tweaks on designs that date back to the turn of the century. Thought for today's common requirements and

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-37096322622178624362008-02-11T21:06:00.002-06:002008-02-15T23:21:49.197-06:00

A Vertical Farm would provide fresh organic produce for residents, year round. Think about walking to an organic market where the food is grown on the floors rising above you. You step into the entranceway and see all manner of vegetables and fruit laid out in front of you. Heavy fresh oranges and huge grapefruit vie for space with small watermelons and ripe mangoes. The season doesn't matter

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-50677622401424791242008-02-10T18:17:00.004-06:002008-02-15T20:27:11.978-06:00

Recently, a new technology has come out that turns our everyday landfill waste into high quality oil, gas, water, and a carbon based residue.Neatest thing about it... it thrives on organic waste. Anything Carbon based, including and especially plastics can be processed in this way. Turkey waste... industrial quantities of bird shit, feathers, bones, fat and other not so tasty scrap bits go into

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-31186012735242113282008-01-29T09:38:00.001-06:002008-02-10T22:27:29.841-06:00

I found the concept of Micropolitian Statistical Area's (MSA) in my Texas government textbook last night: 10,000 people. Seems a good stretch goal for a Gia ship.Can a single building support 10,000? What about a complex of interconnected & interdependent buildings?Lets put this in context - Austin Metropolitan has a population of just under 1 million people. That's only 100 Micropolitian

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-1109569522832734972008-01-29T09:25:00.000-06:002008-01-29T09:36:44.979-06:00

China takes the prize. In a place called Chongming Island, at the mouth of the Yangtze river, the Chinese are building the worlds first Eco City. First a visit on what an Eco City is... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcocitiesNote that it obvious that the writers of these Wikipedia sections are biased towards green building concepts and are more than a little negative towards the usual methods of

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3316668872514648408.post-8144711160820713552007-12-12T03:42:00.000-06:002007-12-12T01:46:09.942-06:00

In the January 2008 issue, Popular Science has a scoop the web I hope will soon incorporate, examine, exhume and reveal every detail possible, and if not - I may very well compile available facts here to edify a remarkable achievement and huge step forward in human habitation for the next centuries.Picture this: a building that is 95% self contained and self sustaining. Everything from food

Brian Drakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315736981683242109noreply@blogger.com0