As reported throughout the "blogosphere" as well as in the mainstream media, 2007 was THE year for the much needed resurgence in "green building" and environmentally friendly architecture. We hope this will develop even further. In order to find out just what a sustainable house looks like, and how one works, we went along with the award winning Berlin architects Müllers Büro for a tour of one of their latest construction projects. We also met the owner who explained her side of the building process.As we found out, being green doesn't have to mean being simple, and this large country house has all the trimmings, mods-cons and more!
Watch the video here.

Our guest blogger Jeremy Jacquot ( From www.treehugger.com) attended the Hammer Conversations with Ray Kappe and Shigeru Ban on Oct 18 on behalf of Club of Pioneers. Here is his report on the event.
As somewhat of a Ray Kappe Luddite – having looked up some of his recent projects only a few days beforehand – I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived at the HAMMER Museum to sit in on his conversation with Shigeru Ban. It didn't take long for me to realize just how little I knew about the man – and the incredible portfolio of work he had managed to amass over the past few decades. While I had already been familiar with the ongoing projects he was doing with Steve Glenn of LivingHomes and the guiding role he had played in founding SCI-Arc, it was only during the event that I learned that he gave Shigeru Ban his first big break, that he had worked on several state-level commissions and that he was widely considered to be the chief patriarch of Los Angeles architecture. Even if I had not figured this out, another sign of Kappe's crossover appeal lay, of course, in the sheer volume and diversity of the audience that had assembled to hear him speak. Encompassing a wide range of age groups and professional backgrounds – including students, designers, architects and business executives (just to name a few) – the audience seemed to share more in common with the typical legions of rabid groupies found at sold-out concerts than the staid, respectful crowd I had expected to see. Indeed, were it not for my reserved ticket, I doubt I could've gotten in – the line easily stretching past the length of the building. Whispered mentions of “seeing my first Kappe” flitted all across the room as we patiently waited for the conversation to begin.Following a few brief introductions by Frances Anderton, the moderator for the event and host of KCRW's DnA program, we dived right into the meat of the conversation – Kappe's relationship with Ban, their influences and their views on the emerging prefab/sustainable architecture movement. Having given Ban his first opportunity to take a crack at architecture by accepting him into SCI-Arc, Kappe was visibly emotional as he described their long history and the pride he felt at seeing how far he had come. For his part, Ban credited Kappe for introducing him to the concept of prefab and for instilling in him an appreciation for the type of elegant, simple and minimal architecture he has now become associated with. What struck me was Ban's negative perception of the concept of “green” architecture. He almost seemed to go out of his way to bat down any suggestion that his work constituted what's been widely dubbed “sustainable architecture”. That's not to say he's against building green in principle; anyone even remotely familiar with some of the structures he's built – notably the shelters he helped build in Sri Lanka after the tsunami and those he built following Hurricane Katrina – will know that he only uses fully recyclable, cradle-to-cradle material and that he places a particular emphasis on minimalism. To him, architecture – by definition – should embrace the tenets of sustainability and environmental friendliness, so attempting to typecast or label them as such seemed ridiculous.

Shigeru BanKappe took a more nuanced approach, crediting the growing environmental consciousness for having pushed “green” and sustainability to the fore of design and architecture – a welcome development to a man who'd tried (often unsuccessfully) to incorporate these elements into his buildings in the past – while also knocking the media's fixation with all things “eco-friendly”. He concluded the talk by describing his long-held vision of bringing affordable, sustainable architecture to the masses – criticizing the political climate for having made it almost impossible to achieve – stating that he hoped to continue focusing on prefab housing as a way to eventually bring it to fruition. As the entire audience rose to give him a much-deserved standing ovation – following a few heartfelt tributes from architects (and former students) Michael Rotundi and Thom Mayne – Kappe could only sit and grin, visibly stunned by the level of adulatory praise. Reflecting on the significance of his 80th birthday, Kappe distilled the essence of his life's work into a simple: “It's been fun”.
Jeremy JacquotJeremy recently decided to dump a career in dentistry after realizing that he missed his undergraduate coursework, which focused primarily on marine biology and natural conservation, too much. Having made the full conversion to a green way of living, he's now decided to reorient his studies towards environmental science and will be attending the University of Southern California to obtain a Ph.D. in Marine Environmental Biology, with an emphasis on environmental policy and sustainable management. On his downtime, he enjoys reading about everything business, politics, science and technology and sometimes moonlights as a pundit/op-ed writer.

Before examining the futuristic scenarios of zero emission cities, it is useful to take a look at architecture that uses natural materials. According to World Watch Magazine, 40% of the world's minerals, water and energy is used in the manufacturing and transportation of construction materials.
Those found in nature would seem to have the lightest impact on the environment. Wood, straw and bamboo are all recyclable, need little artificial energy to manufacture and create no waste products. The materials for Cob (clay, sand and straw ) and Adobe (bricks of earth and straw) architecture can all be locally obtained. There are no synthetic materials or chemicals necessary. Building with earth has been used for centuries, since the first houses were even imagined, and in areas like Devon and Cornwell in England the style of earthen houses was prolific. Now, due to the trend towards sustainability it is seeing a revival, and ancient practices are being revived. In 2005, Cobtan house, designed by Associated Architects and made from cob, won the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Sustainability Award. Cobtan House
There has been a revival in straw bale construction, and organisations such as the Amozonails hold regular gatherings for straw enthusiasts from around the world. It takes 6000 mega joules to manufacture 1 tonne of concrete and only 115 mega joules to produce 1 tonne of straw. Of course 1 tonne of straw goes a lot further than 1 tonne of concrete. Straw is often considered a waste product and many tonnes are burnt every year, polluting the atmosphere. Straw bale houses can be up to 20% more temperature efficient than traditional homes. David Eisenberg, from the The Development Center for Appropriate Technology has contributed many resources to his popular book “The Straw Bale House”.
The Didimala lodge in South Africa uses 10,000 straw bales, has a planetarium and cinema and is one of the largest in existence. The builders employed a system of post-beam thatch roof structure with a mixture of brick and straw bale walls.
Didimala LodgeArchitect Shigeru Ban uses recycled cardboard and bamboo in his constructions, which range from refugee tents, a paper bridge and the soaring exhibition pavilion at the Hannover Expo. Cardboard is cheap, reusable, biodegradable, nontoxic, widely available, and as Ban has demonstrated, looks great. Ban's signature work is his humanitarian contribution of refugee houses, where tubes have been used quickly and efficiently to house disaster victims. “Even in disaster areas, I want to create beautiful buildings, this is what it means to build a monument for common people', he told the New York Times. Ban also built a bridge in southern France, next to an ancient Roman Bridge, that is strong enough to carry 20 people. The steps of the bridge are constructed from recycled paper and plastic. Ban told Inhabitat that “It is a very interesting contrast, the Roman stone bridge and the paper bridge. Paper too can be permanent, can be strong and lasting. We need to get rid of these prejudices”. Shigeru Ban’s new approach to paper as a building material has made him as one of the most important architects of his time.
Paper bridgeIn the wasteful 21st century, using recycled building material seems a perfect solution.
“Earthships” were devised in the seventies, but continue being built today, and are constructed of old rubber car tyres rammed tightly with earth, and arranged in a horseshoe shaped module. The southern walls are angled perpendicular to the winter sunlight, and the other walls insulated by plants or gardens. This creates “passive solar energy”, which warms in winter and cools in summer. The houses are autonomous and independent from utilities. There is always a water catchment system and recycling of gray water.
Passive solar energy on an earthship. Image from Earthship.net “Adaptive reuse” is a term given to recycling land. In the post industrial age, many former mines or factory sites lie dormant. D.I.R.T studios are renowned for their landscape architecture, which transforms these previous vacant lots into blooming parks and natural wonderlands, all with a slightly healthy dose of industrial charm. The High-line project in New York, which they have contributed designs to, is part of a plan to convert the abandoned rail-lines, that spans 22 block in West Manhatten, into an elevated park.

The High Line by D.I.R.T
On another scale altogether, the large architectural firm, Atkins Architecture, renowned for their elaborate and often extravagant hotel concepts, have come up with a magical solution to an old quarry mine in China. The Waterworld hotel is placed with in the former quarry.
Bristol-based Martin Jochman, who led the design team, says, “We drew our inspiration from the quarry setting itself, adopting the image of a green hill cascading down the natural rock face as a series of terraced landscaped hanging gardens. In the centre, we have created a transparent glass ‘waterfall’ from a central vertical circulation atrium connecting the quarry base with the ground level. This replicates the natural waterfalls on the existing quarry face.”

WaterworldSo even without new technology and complicated energy saving devices, architecture can still be green. While all these natural options are perfectly viable for residential purposes and small scale living, what happens when buildings need to be bigger and incorporate public utililities on a grand urban scale?

Ray Kappe is one of Los Angeles' most renowned architects. For LivingHomes, he designed a prefab house, which allows luxury and the environment to live together in harmony. Presented by the Wired Magazine and LivingHomes, Kappe's prefab house will open its doors for public tours and a series of invite-only special events with ecoluminaries from October 25th - November 11th. Since Club of Pioneers is going to cover the opening-event, we would like to introduce the architect in a brief portrait.Although both are exploring new horizons, there’s a crucial difference between a modernist and a pioneer. Ray Kappe, architect, academic and founder of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) demonstrates this distinction perfectly. When he started experimenting with housing design in Los Angeles in the early 1950s, it was the zenith of mid-century Modernism. While some architects of the time zeroed in on a style and proceeded to hone their design skills, Kappe was continuing to experiment and was always driven by the pioneering spirit to create something totally new. Avoiding the label of Modernist, he designed for example largely in wood and has done a few pitched roofs, absolute no-no’s for modern purists. Thus, Kappe didn’t acquire the reputation as other architects have enjoyed - but he became renowned for an architecture which has been characterized as 'the apotheosis of the California House'.50 years later, Kappe is still designing houses in LA and continues to break new grounds that other architects wouldn’t consider: A short time ago, he designed a prefab house for LivingHomes, a new company building prefabricated homes with modern design and sustainability as a decisive goal. The first model home erected in Crestwood Hills in Santa Monica attracted much attention from various architectural and consumer magazines. "People are enthusiastic about the fact that the design of the first model does not look like a modular, prefabricated home", stated Kappe. "They view it as an upscale, spatially exciting and architecturally designed modern home".Though being recognized as a modern example of architecture, Kappe’s LivingHome is actually based on upon a modular prefab complex that he designed in 1964 for a student housing project at California State University, Sonoma. For 10 years he explored the potential of this prefab system in his custom-made homes. Even his own residence, built in 1968 in Rustic Canyon, Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles provides an example of this prefab system– a spectacular example, embedded perfectly in an uphill site with trees and underground springs. In the same year, Kappe started the architecture department at California Polytechnic State University at Pomona (Cal Poly). However, his urge to explore new challenges didn’t let him stay there for long: Just three years later, Kappe left with a group of faculty members and students, and his wife Shelly, an Architectural Historian, to found SCI-Arc. Up until today SCI-Arc is one of the most renowned architecture schools in the country, with 3 000 graduates teaching all over the world.Despite his restless search for new architectural approaches, Kappe stuck by certain principles. “One of my goals from the beginning was to develop repetitive modern housing for the ‘masses’”, he emphasizes. However, with his LivingHome, he supplies not only affordable, modern designed housing, but also has accomplished his aims for sustainability: Thanks to eco-friendly appliances and solutions like photovoltaic cells for the power supply, the utilization of “gray water” from sinks an showers to irrigate the patio and rooftop gardens and the usage of recycled materials including a countertop made form 100-percent postconsumer recycled paper, the model house received the first-ever LEED Platinum rating for residential design four months after construction.Time-lapse footage of the installation of the WIRED LivingHomeEven so, it would be unlikely that Ray Kappe would be satisfied with this success. Once responding to a question about the most important principles that helped make him a famed architect, Kappe stated this one: “Always be willing to explore, experiment and invent. Do not accept the status quo." Los Angeles can be curious about the next projects of one of its greatest pioneers. Video: Clifford Public Relations

This weekend, the new BMW Welt opens in Munich, a sustainable building that saves an estimated 30 percent in energy by using new technologies such as photovoltaic roof panels and natural ventilation systems. Next week the Wired LivingHome opens, a luxury green prefab house set in the LA Hills.
So has green architecture gone mainstream? Or are sustainable materials and responsible building methods an expected result of our current “climate” of climate change?

BMW Welt
Over the next week, Club of Pioneers will introduce a variety of Green architects and their work, such as Ray Kappe. We will not only look at new technologies and ideas, but innovative and pioneering strategies necessary in creating urban spaces today. Architecture - the construction of permanent buildings made of cement, concrete and glass, often with complicated utilities, is by definition not environmentally friendly. However, as a result of increasing pressure over pollution and energy consumption - planners, builders and architects are giving increasing attention to making buildings more sustainable. The LEED (Low Energy Electron Diffraction ) system of categorizing Green buildings is becoming more stringent. But by no means does this equate to boring looking houses. 1. Going Natural
The simplest way to build green is by using natural materials. There has been a resurgence in the straw bale house movement and a return to Sixties style “homesteaders”, with simple wooden structures and composting toilets. It is often in emergency and disaster situations where materials such as paper and bamboo can be quickly assembled and dismantled, while still providing shelter. Recycling or “adapted reuse” (using old buildings for new purposes) is another way to leave a small carbon footprint when building. Large brownfield sites being transformed into landscaped parks is an especially green “adapted reuse” alternative.
Atkins Architects use a quarry to build a new hotel.2. Smart Sustainability
As technologies are developed, architecture and houses are becoming smarter. Energy resources, like solar power, are being used more and more for creating alternative power supplies, which lessens the load on the Grid. The use of photovaltaic cells placed on roofs or other surfaces can take on lively shapes as they work, and can even be used to power the family car.
Competitions such as the recent Solardeclathon encourage the building of zero emission and stylish homes.

Architect Paul Murdoch uses roof gardens3. Building with Nature
By using plants and ecological systems themselves within the building structure, carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere and may even be regenerative to the environment. Roof gardens are an obvious example, and in addition to looking good, they provide vital cooling and warming properties, as well as reducing air temperature, lessening the need for artificial air conditioning. Even more extreme are the structures made from plants themselves, generative materials that grow and resemble biological organisms more than houses
So keep checking Club of Pioneers for upcoming features and discussions on the topic.