Westchester Home Magazine names OOCK as one of Westchester's Sensational NEW Stores!
http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/March-2009/34-Sensational-New-Stores/
By the 2030 the United Nations estimates two-thirds of the world will lack access to clean drinking water. This is an alarming number and the future is not so far off. Stephanie Soechtig, director and producer, takes a look at the bottled water industry in the upcoming documentary, Tapped. This film addresses the major crisis surrounding the industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, our reliance on oil, as well as what we can do to help prevent this crisis.
Please take a few moments and follow this link: http://www.tappedthemovie.com
The Office of Carol J.W. Kurth is available for architectural (commercial or residential) projects planning on achieving LEED certification from the USGBC. Please contact our office at (914)234-2595 or contact us at carol.kurth@carolkurtharchitects.com For more information on LEED please visit: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=51 .
………Frugal, Thrifty, Meager…… call it what you will. I will call it 2009. It seems the running theme for this year, is stretching your dollar for all the elasticity it possibly has. When I start hearing news reports comparing today's financial percentages to those from the 1930's, I know it can't be a good thing. But here is some good news, all this doom and gloom may actually blossom some pretty positive things.
Save your gas….exit fuel guzzling hummers…enter fuel efficient, vegetable eating, hybrid, electric wonders that have been waiting years for their moment in the sun (for solar cars, I mean literally). Thanks to the demand from high fuel costs last year, car companies are manufacturing more fuel efficient and hybrid vehicles. If you have to drive, hybrids are the lesser of two evils when it comes to air pollution. For those who can't afford a new hybrid, use mass transit- it s even more green.
If it's broken, fix it… In this year of frugality we will now be more aware of the value an object has. For so long, our country has seen leaps and bounds in technology, and with it, affordable new gadgets and computers. The backlash to it all has been the exuberant amount of waste, which has been exponentially growing over the years. Although we have become more aware of recycling those items which formally held such value to us, the stockpile of toxin-emitting trash continues to grow. My advice is to see if you can fix it. I did it when my 10 year old vacuum began blowing dirt instead of sucking it. After a lengthy investigation I found the culprit, a nail, which had lodged itself into the fan and created a hole in the belt and, over time, destroyed both. Without leaving my house, I went online and ordered a new $15 part for my vacuum instead of wasting money on a new vacuum and further adding to the previously mentioned trash problem. Not only did I save money but my self reliance felt pretty satisfying.
Consumer power….. In our present global economy, we can easily lose sight of where our every day goods come from, what they are made of and what impact they have on our bodies and our planet. Now that demand is down, we as consumers have the power to pressure manufactures to produce products made with non toxic material in a closed looped system (aka products are returned to nature or created into another useful product at the end of its life cycle). We can also demand LONG LASTING products; goods that don't purposefully die out because they were designed to do exactly that. It s high time manufactures get back to making goods that have a longevity to them like they used make years ago.
At OOCK, we have a wide assortment of green, high quality, long lasting products. Come check out our boutique located at the Arcade Building in Bedford, NY. We also offer full design services with everything from reupholstering old furniture with low emitting fabrics to redesigning your home to be more energy efficient and healthier for you and your family.
Daub & Bauble Gift Sets
Specially wrapped Hand Wash and Shea Butter infused Lotion with the deliciously scented aroma of Tarocco Orange and Clove!
This gift set is the perfect way to say "Thank you" to a Party Host(ess) or friend!
OOCK is open Monday thru Friday from 9am to 5pm. If you can't make it in, here are some other ways to order:
*Fax (914)234-2595 *Telephone (914) 234 6426 *Email info@carolkurtharchitects.com
Visa, Mastercard or Amex
5. The End of the Plastic Bag Era - Cities like San Francisco are banning plastic bags, and for good reason, plastic bags take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, and as they litter they break down into tiny pieces which leak into our water and soil as well as harm our wildlife. Banning plastic bags nationwide would save retailers roughly $ 4 billion annually! Ireland's plastic bag tax has reduced oil consumption by approximately 18 million liters a year and raised $9.6 billion in the first year. Ireland's population is 6 million compared with the United States' population of over 300 million, if we were to follow their lead we could see a 50x larger reduction in oil and increase in tax surplus!!!
4. Bringing the Past full Circle – There has been a significant increase in the amount of "waste" being diverted from landfills and into factories. Manufacturers are finding more ways than one to use a product after it has outlived its purpose. This surge in reuse is helping to make our oceans and lands more healthy.
3. Improved Air Quality - Paints, fabrics and thousands of other products are now being produced in a Low or No-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) format. These products produce little or no off gassing resulting in cleaner and better quality air. Off gassing has been linked to cancer and asthma; improving our air can sustain not only our environment but our lives as well.
2. The Green Economy - In the advent of global warming, industries were slow to change their ways, but with new social awareness, consumers are demanding products that are better for the environment and better for their health. The result is high quality goods that can sustain our environment and human life itself. The new movement is also bringing on a new infrastructure
of "green collar workers".
1. Building a Brighter Future – The decisions we make today consequently and severely affect the generations that follow us. By choosing eco friendly products and sustainable methods for transportation and building, we will have a brighter future for our children. Here at OOCK we can help you achieve that future! Happy Thanksgiving.
(hmm….. so I guess being Green can be Glamorous!)
In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, Westchester C&G Magazine is featuring an OOCK holiday item, Chalk Board Candles, as one of their favorite luxury gifts! The rewritable candle is offered in three delectable scents: Persian Fig, Pomegranate, and Lemon Grass.
Handmade in California, these accent pieces are made from 100% soy wax and housed in a sleek reusable chalkboard container. Perfect for a holiday gift or housewarming present, these inviting rays of light can bring warmth to any home.
These days Cork is synonymous with "sustainability". Although it has been used for centuries to keep wine fermenting, the wine industry's by-product has resulted in all sorts of new uses, from flooring to fabric to concrete composite. Its sustainable attributes include not only its post industrial reuse, but the cork tree's renewability. The attractiveness of the cork oak tree is its' ability to re-grow its bark after it has been harvested. Cork is strong, light weight, and fireproof. It has proven to have a lasting capability in the history of its manufactured life.
OOCK is offering a selective line of Cork products including flooring, fabric and custom made cork ottomans.
New Soy Panels: Voted Eco-friendly Product of the Year by Interior Design Magazine
This year, Inhabit's Embossed Wall Flats were voted by Interior Design Magazine as "Eco-Friendly Product of the Year". The beauty (and eco-friendliness) of this type wall treatment is its modular design and unparalleled versatility. Made from bamboo pulp, one of the world's most renewable resources, each 18" square panel can be placed on almost all types of wall surfaces with non toxic adhesive. The wall flat's raw surface can be painted with low voc paint and arranged to conquer any design dilemma. Wall Flats can easily be used to beautify tough-to-remove wall paper or damaged walls. They can also create free standing artwork that will make for a great conversation piece and help save the environment all at the same time.
OOCK has a variety of Embossed Wall Flats available. When you visit our boutique, our designers can assist you in picking the right style for your project needs. Consultation and on-site installation are available through The Office of Carol Kurth AIA Architect, PC and The Carol Kurth Collection,Ltd. for an additional cost. Panels are $86 per 10 panels.
Dimensions: 18"x18" panels
Content: 10 panels per box
Coverage: 22.5 square feet
Material: 100% molded bamboo paper pulp.
No chemical fillers or additives.
Color: Off-white paintable surface
Hand: Feels like a dense hardboard.
"How green is my store: Sustainable interior design in Bedford"
www.wcbizj.biz/archive/101308/news10130808.php
Spotlight::
In today's green market there are a wide variety of available green resources that have been popping up and replacing the otherwise antiquated, non renewable and toxic materials we have been accustomed to living with until now. Three materials that have been growing rapidly in both popularity and in nature are Pandan, Mendong and Palmwood. Products made from these materials preserve an internal commitment to reduce environmental impact as well as maintain a sustainable rural ecosystem.
Mendong
Palm Wood
Traditionally, the Palm Wood (of which there are several different varieties) was harvested for about 70 years, at which point the tree would stop producing fruit. Farmers would then timber these plants, discard the remains and replant. Recently these otherwise discarded trees have been salvaged and recycled into everything from flooring to furniture.Bedford, NY – OOCK, a design resource for sustainable living and the first green design boutique in the region, is opening it’s doors next week at The Arcade Building in Bedford Village, NY.
Visit OOCK Monday thru Friday 9AM to 5PM or by appointment.
It's exciting to see China seems to be taking environmental issues more seriously- their abysmal environmental policies around their population centers have led to some serious problems and tragic losses."About the size of Manhattan, Dongtan aims to be energy self-sufficient using a combination of wind, solar power, and biofuels. The brainchild of Arup Group, a London-based design and engineering firm, the multibillion-dollar project consists of three "villages" juxtaposed to create a central civic area. The plan dictates that no dwelling be more than a seven-minute walk from fuel-cell-powered public transport. Organic farms surrounding the development will supply residents with fresh produce and buffer the island's delicate wetland ecosystem. In 2010, apartments will become available to about 5,000 residents. By 2050, the planners predict, the headcount will hit 500,000."While our first reaction was that it was just a public relations ploy by China, especially after all the negative press about air quality in Beijing for the Olympics, but after reading the specifics of the plan (and that they were produced by an independent British contractor), it seems to be an impressive display of China's power for positive change. We hope there's more to come, both in China and here, in this same vein.
Posts
All Comments
