[Clayton Munson]

Forget the gardener. I sometimes which I could afford a house like my clients or at least half the size of my clients.

[Clayton Munson]

Ya a little creepy. but it does offer a base to grow off of. If they are powered from decomposing insects (organic matter) what if the technology was further developed to use any organic waste. Food waste from dinner could be used to power your home. Albeit it would take a whole lot of food to produce enough power, but the future is wide open for this. Think about how much organic matter is sent to landfills from your home.

[Clayton Munson]

Uhh . . . yeah . . . I guess I should have clarified this question a little more.

If the renderman you are talking about is the same one Pixar uses I would venture to guess that it is “pretty” good. I was looking for something more along the lines of FREE – $100.

Thanks though.

[Clayton Munson]

What does it take to be a Landscape Architect
What is a Landscape Architect
What is landscape Architecture

You don’t have to watch all of them. You can usually get an idea of what it’s about by reading the title and the tags.

[Clayton Munson]

check the videos section on this site. It is under share at the top of the page.

[Clayton Munson]

Agreed. The term Green and Green Living have been tossed around so much that they have begun to lose their meaning. A great book that really makes the reader think about this whole phenomenon is Cradle to Cradle. A couple examples they give are that the whole 3R’s are not really all that great. Especially when it comes to recycling; they explain recycling as begin less bad. In the end the product will eventually end up in the landfill. Also as products are recycled the materials that remain are degraded. Another example that stuck with me through reading the book was that people are trying to make building more efficient which is all well and good but one way that they are doing it is by sealing that buildings up (no drafts) well in doing so the toxins that are released inside the building are not removed, because the HVAC system is unable to handle them so it has to be upgraded which in turn uses more energy.

This is all coming out of my memory so don’t take it as fact, get the book and read it and you will be surprised at what is going on in the so called Green Movement.

[Clayton Munson]

Biltmore estates in Ashville, NC. It was built by the Vanderbilts and I think is one of the few remaining true estates left in the US. Here is the link Easily spend a morning if not more there. BTW its’ also an Olmsted design.

Clingmans Dome isn’t far from there. Has great views (on a clear day) of the smokey mnts. Four states are visible.

If your coming across through southern IL, Garden of the Gods is another possible spot to take an hour or two break.

[Clayton Munson]

I sometimes catch a few episodes of ground breakers, landscapers challenge, or gardening by the yard on Saturday mornings. For the most part they aren’t really very useful but every once in awhile something might stick with me. Most of these shows tend to be in a mild climate which doesn’t really help me where I work in AZ. I mostly watch for hardscape elements which can usually be adapted or be a inspiration for a desert climate. I work in a Design/build company that focuses on high-end custom homes.

[Clayton Munson]

I’m all for it. $250 per year that’s less than most people pay per month on their electric bill.

[Clayton Munson]

Basically we all pay for part of it, how much is based on where you live. Feds and States use the tax money and the consumer pays for the rest of it. So if you use the electricity from it you are paying more than anyone.

[Clayton Munson]

It seems to be fairly efficient that way I would much rather see several 20 acre sites than one massive site. Nick, I don’t think they could use it as a park. That would be allowing the public near a power generating station which could be a security threat. But I am sure that they can figure out something else that it could be paired with.

I saw an article the they are planning on building the worlds largest solar plant in AZ. 1900 acres to power 70000 homes. I think Seville is head of the game with efficiency.

[Clayton Munson]

Where did you get the info that wind farms impact on migratory birds is negligible? Not arguing, but I’ve heard the opposite. I agree that wind farms have the smallest footprint, but compared to the power produced how do they compare. Farmers able to work right around them and are often paid by the power company a rental fee for the land that they are using. However the expected lifespan of a Wind Turbine is 20-25 yrs. I also consider the view that is being disrupted by the installation of turbines.

Truthfully I think that nuclear power is the best source of energy that we have and will have for the foreseeable feature. I grew up 15 miles from one. Plus the taxes that Nuclear Stations are a huge income for the communities that they are near.

Many of these new renewable power plants are being built in undisturbed completely natural areas.

[Clayton Munson]

One problem that we face here in AZ is that many of the residences that can afford their own solar panels aren’t allowed to have them installed on their property due to HOA guidelines and their desire to have homes blend into the surrounding area.

[Clayton Munson]

I went to a redline review for section C. Still confused on their grading scale. They give you a list of what they are looking for in each vignette. In this list they have required things and “minor infractions”. On one of my answers the only comment was about a minor infraction which I guess is not so minor if it is reason enough to stop checking the problem. On the 4 problems I had a total of 6 comments, most of them pertaining to the so called “minor infractions”. I now know to make sure that I show turning radii in all locations. no right angle curb intersections.

As for the cost like everything else CLARB does I think it is over priced. Especially after seeing the comments that I received. My review however was on a Saturday so i didn’t have to take time off work. I only lost 2 hrs of my Saturday morning that would have been spent lounging around my place.

[Clayton Munson]

It must be nice to live/work in a place that gets 69in of rain per year. And irrigation is not a big deal. I work in Phoenix AZ where we’re lucky to get 7in annually. Most of that comes within a month. All plants require water to survive, even native ones. As for water conservation on a regional Phoenix collects water from snow melt in reservoirs for the dry periods. They have also taken steps to curb the use of water intensive landscape by limiting their use to backyards only. They also require all irrigation to be drip systems, with the exception of turf. NO SPRAY. Speaking of turf they are also limiting the amount of turf that is allowed on a site.

On the resident scale many people are beginning to request water harvesting. Yes harvesting our whopping 7in. Grey water systems are also coming into play.

You mentioned in an earlier post that irrigation on ornamental plants takes more water than “edible crops”. That maybe true in some places. I bet not as common as you might think. Crops are often watered multiple times each day.

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