Sparkflight Studios

Farmhouse in Warwickshire, UK (2017). Photo ©  Architecture 00 . According to the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, carbon neutrality by 2050 is the world’s most urgent mission . Buildings generate nearly 40% of annual global CO2 emissions. In response, WikiHouse has developed a mission to “put the knowledge & tools to build beautiful, zero-carbon buildings into the hands of every citizen, community and business.” How it Works Designer Alastair Parvin presents a simple but provocative idea: what if, instead of architects creating buildings for those who can afford to commission them, regular citizens could design and build their own houses? The concept is at the heart of WikiHouse, an open source construction kit that means just about anyone can build a house, anywhere. Watch Alastair Parvin’s TED Talk, here . The big idea behind WikiHouse is the power of 'many small'. WikiHouse isn't made by just one company in one large, centralized factory, but b...

  The Nature Conservancy in Nevada. Image credit © Simon Williams. Wetlands: Hands On! (W.H.O.) is a stewardship program at the Clark County Wetlands Park involving more than 5,000 community volunteers since 2013. Volunteers participated in monthly projects including picking up trash and debris, removing graffiti, painting, removing invasive plants, trail maintenance, and restoration. Dozens of southern Nevada organizations, clubs, businesses, and agencies have participated. The next W.H.O. stewardship opportunity is this Saturday, 2/12/22, from 9 AM - 11 AM. Sign-up link here:  who.ccwetlandspark.com . Additional contact information :  7050 Wetlands Park Lane Las Vegas, NV 89122 (702) 455-7522 wetlands@clarkcountynv.gov More February programs may be found by clicking here .

Vote Earth! Earth Day reminds us every year: hope lives in you and me. It is the place where we first see things as they are, loving the world as it is. It is in this truth-telling that we offer our good intentions for the earth and all our neighbors. It is there we discover joy in the struggle to create good. Sparkflight Studios is finding opportunities in this unique time. We are driving and polluting much less, celebrating time with family, and activating our senses in the rich outdoors. On this 50th anniversary, Earth Day has a digital presence, or “Digital Acts of Green.” Follow this link to “Vote Earth” and find your voice of hope for a better tomorrow. Vote Earth Volunteer Create Your Own Act of Green Make every day Earth Day with daily action !

Often to mark Earth Day, we list some local events that contribute to the "greening" of our valley and list sustainable actions that we can all take.  Scroll down for that content... This year the post is direr. Or, more hopeful depending on your disposition.  Small actions are wonderful, but not enough.  Mega steps are required if we want our next generations to be able to harvest food from the oceans,  live in our coastal cities, and enjoy the diversity of fauna and flora that we do now.  There is no Planet B. Today we see increasing extreme weather events and overwhelming scientific evidence of an anthropogenic-accelerated climate change. As designers and occupants of this amazing planet, we must take responsibility for our role in the acceleration.  Other than designing for " resilience ," what can be done to reverse global warming and related impacts?  Get informed.  Take action. Here is the evidence that it is happening: Glob...

EV Charging Stations at Clark County Government Center Just before Earth Day this year it was gratifying to see all six charging stations at the Clark County Government Center Photovoltaic Shade Structure project in use.   Smart coupes , a Leaf, and a BMW were all benefitting from the solar array. It got me thinking about what could be done in our corner of the world to celebrate earth day.  Is it driving more efficient or electric vehicles to reduce carbon fuel reliance? Pitching in at a local clean-up event to improve habitat conditions?  Or auditing your waste reduction plan ? In honor of Google announcing that they'll reach 100% reliance on renewable energy this year, here's their Google Doodle. 2017 Google Earth Day Doodle More doodle history here...

Death Valley wildflowers How will you celebrate Earth Day? See this 1-minute video prepared by Green Building Research Institute ( GBRI ) with 10 ways to get out and do something... In our own backyard, Project GREEN is hosting a clean up in the Pittman Wash at 9:00AM Saturday, April 23.  This is a hidden gem of a trail with lots of wildlife habitat...get the details here. Or, sign a petition to re-activate the rooftop solar industry here in Nevada with Bring Back Solar .

Take a tour around the world to see how other global citizens are celebrating Earth Day 2015, then consider how you can--or comment here to share. Many are getting outside, and away from our desks, to reconnect with mother earth.  International experiences include hiking the Great Wall in China and picking up trash, bicycling in Peru, and planting trees, protecting the Asian elephant in India , or contributing to green-focused campaigns.  Read more here . Here in the states, you may know a child who's participating in Climate Education Week , with K-12 learning activities meeting Common Core standards.  For all ages, the "A Billion Acts of Green Campaign" is still going strong...approaching 2 Billion, and you can find inspiration on their website . In our own backyard, Project GREEN is hosting a clean up in the Pittman Wash at 9:00AM Saturday, April 25.  It promises to be a beautiful morning.  If you're lucky, you'll get to spot a roadrunner or cottontai...

From WPA to the U.S. Interstate Highway system, to ARRA and local bond initiatives, projects for public works and infrastructure keep cities and the economy humming along, but can they do even more.  Can economic, environmental and social synergies contribute even more to our communities?  The developers of Envision (TM) say "Yes!" Envision is a "green" sustainability rating system for infrastructure projects.  Introduced in 2012, it's the result of a joint collaboration between the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). Public works and infrastructure projects can now receive the recognition for sustainable approaches that their architectural and development projects have received through LEED, Living Building Challenge, Green Globes and similar third-party rating systems. Similar to LEED, the system has 60 sustainability criteria, ...

Nindo House - Finland Micro-housing can be defined by size at under 1,000 square feet of living space.   A very talented and resourceful couple in Iowa have managed to build a 572 square foot home, which they put on wheels in case they want to move.   While its small size certainly qualifies for micro, other attributes add to the livability of the design. What makes micro-housing attractive?   Compact and efficient space management immediately come to mind along with the inherent need for a clutter-free, minimalist built environment.   Portability can also be a useful feature for rural settings.   While this home features an eclectic bohemian aesthetic, it’s easy to see how the space-saving attributes could translate into a modern style.   Special features that charm in Tim and Deb’s “Movable House” are the pushed out dining area, which can be detached and loaded inside for transport and the creative catwalk running across the ceiling.   On the ...

Being a native of the Southwest, and living in Las Vegas for a decade, I've eagerly awaited building codes that support graywater use in our region.  Our water is a precious resource, right?  Recently, our residential clients are beginning to inquire about graywater use as well. What is Graywater? According to the California Graywater Code, "Graywater" means untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge...and does not present a threat from contamination by unhealthful...wastes.  "Graywater" includes but is not limited to wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines, and laundry tubs, but does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers. How is Graywater used?  Graywater is acceptable for use in landscape irrigation, however the landscape system must be designed to prevent ponding or spray of graywater.  If spray irrigation is part of the landscape design, for example at a tur...

UNLV students have done an impressive job with their DesertSol house at this year's Solar Decathlon.  They are currently standing at second place, which is an outstanding accomplishment for the first year's entry for UNLV.  If you agree, give them a vote--or more--for the People's Choice award.  Voting is through this Thursday at 11AM at the Solardecathlon.gov site. See all of the entries through next weekend, October 13 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California or at the website . The Solar Decathlon is a bienneal program hosted since 2002 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that, per the DOE, "challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive." Read more here... I traveled out to see the homes first-hand and was invigorated by the enthusiasm and innovation--inspiring!  Check back soon to see photos from the trip.

Our contribution for the 2013 Earth Day - Face of Climate Change mosaic.  See more images at the Earth Day Network website. This spring is the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day.  We're excited to participate in many ways.  For an astonishing glimpse of how our whole world is spreading the word about Earth Day, explore Earth Day Network's The Face of Climate Change campaign. You can also add your own image to the mosaic.   Our pledge every day is to cost-efficiently integrate green into our work for you, and review sustainable practices in our own office.   Quick Links: Earth Day Network EPA Pick5 Pick 5 is the U.S. government's official web portal to add up environmental action taken by individuals worldwide. The photo above is the outcome of a quick office brainstorming session.  We discussed the impact that we see in our local world from climate change and what actions we're taking. Impacts: more heat-longer summers, shorter wi...

Our green office status is an ever-evolving process.   It’s fun and challenging to discover new ways to create more sustainability and reduce waste. We have taken our inspiration from the Harvard University Office for Sustainability (HUOS) , which created Leaf level checklists for “Green Office” recognition for its colleges and departments.   The concepts and procedures can be adapted by any size business to develop practices that reduce office resource consumption while boosting the bottom line in small and large ways.   At Anne Johnson, AIA , we are currently pursuing HUOS Leaf Three, which incorporates reviewing all actions from Leafs One and Two to keep us on track.   To participate at Leaf Three level, we have updated our employee manual to include information about our office environmental policies and goals.   We have also established a composting program in our office as part of our commitment to sustainability.   Routinely, we revisit o...

Recently a few intriguing books have come to our attention, and we're more than happy to share! Conundrum ( YouTube link ) David Owen, a writer for the New Yorker , has released a thoughtful book with a lengthy title-- The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse .  Bloomberg Businessweek's review sums it up as " [Owen's] catalogs the parodoxes of living green, including why driving a Prius may just make things worse." The more efficient an activity gets, the more people do it, canceling out environmental benefits. Illustration by Alex Nabaum  Climate Change and Cities Explore the link between city organization and greenhouse gas emissions with the newly published Climate Change and Cities: First Assessment Report (ARC3) .  Edited by top names in the field the report speaks to city leaders as "first responders" to climate change.  Their position is that ...

New photovoltaic covered parking and vehicle charging stations at Clark County's downtown Government Center are now open to the public.  Our studio is proud to have contributed this design to help Clark County "Go Green!"  If you own an electric vehicle see how to use the free charging stations on ChargePoint's website . Explore animations about how solar photovoltaic systems work and see real-time data for Clark County's solar installations here...  Learn more about this project by clicking here and scrolling down... This project is part of Clark County Real Property Management's (RPM) Energy Management program and is primarily funded by grant funds targeted for Energy Efficiency and Conservation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).  Cesar Ceballos is RPM's Design and Construction Administrator for the project.  Our design team includes Wright Engineers and KJE Consulting Engine...

Anne Johnson, AIA challenged ourselves to green our office more in 2011.  We are using Harvard’s green office program to evaluate how we are doing in nine impact areas.  The process involves four leaves, or levels, of discovery and commitment to green office practices.  The following is our Leaf One: [1. Energy] We shut off computers and the lights when not in use, saving energy and cost. ( Tips & Tricks HQ ) [2. Recycling] Easy to access bins encourage staff to reduce, reuse, and recycle paper and plastic goods. We are creative with repurposing and reusing office furniture, including our shared office and conference space. [3. Waste Reduction] E-mails and phones are our primary contact tools.  To further reduce waste production, we limit the use of hard-copy files. We print or copy on both sides of a page whenever possible, and keep a pile of reusable scrap paper near our printer. [4. Publication] For marketing publications, we use an e-newsletter...

Monofacial photovoltaic (PV) panels cover this LED-lit structural steel shade structure over 20 visitor parking spaces.  This solar power array generates Renewable Energy Credits for Clark County and offsets their electric utility bill.  Electric vehicle charging stations are available to a majority of the parking spaces.   The project also includes an accessible, public, interactive kiosk at the main entrance to Government Center. This project is part of Clark County Real Property Management's (RPM) En ergy Management program and is primarily funded by grant funds targeted for Energy Efficiency and Conservation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).   Cesar Ceballos is RPM's Design and Construction Administrator for the project.  Our design team includes Wright Engineers and KJE Consulting Engineers.  Contractor is Jetstream Construction . Read more about Clark County's newest photovoltaic projects by clicking here an...

Over the remainder of 2011, we're reviewing sustainable practices in our office.  Although accustomed to many "green" habits, we've never evaluated our office's process and progress.    Many of you have also adopted some of these first steps of greening:  turning off equipment and lights not in use, recycling, printing on both sides of paper, and using teleconferencing whenever possible.  What are areas for improvement? Using Harvard’s green office program as a basis, we’re using checklists in nine impact categories to discover how we can grow greener.   You’re invited to join us in this year of discovery.   Please post and share your experience too!

Pepsi's Refresh Project - Good Idea grant could have a local recipient in Greener Vegas .  Your vote can make the difference. Incorporated in 2007 by Zachary Delbex-Smith, the company works to enable business and educate community about the possibilities of repurposing reusable materials.  After years of working in the convention industry, Greener Vegas' founder became convinced that there was a way to keep much of the post-show debris out of the landfill. His vision has evolved into a business that diverts these resources into the hands of businesses, nonprofits, schools, theater groups, community programs, artists, and manufacturers. Over 50% of the $250,000 grant would go to staffing.  That's jobs for Las Vegans!   Here are the goals of " What’s Waste in Vegas, Stays in Vegas!" : Reduce the carbon foot-print of the convention industry. Divert reusable items into community, creating a closed loop system. Create sustainable “green” jobs for vets ...

Article by Anne exploring current trends in green building, commercial retrofits, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding, Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification: "Real estate and construction markets are experiencing a growing interconnection of green building and our economy. “Show me the money!” now requires a green edge. The United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) “Green Jobs Study” projects over 7.9 million jobs and $396 billion in labor earnings from green construction for 2009 through 2013. This is encouraging for our national and regional economic recovery...Recent studies and our own hands-on experience identify the following trends for 2010 and beyond: • Green building growth led by existing building operations and tenant improvements • Increased renewable energy production and energy conservation retrofits with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ...