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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Natural Home ANNOUNCES GREEN DEPOT AS LEAD PARTNER FOR BROOKLYN SHOW HOME
Under construction in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill, historic brownstone features cutting-edge green remodeling techniques and healthy, sustainable materials
BROOKLYN, NY (May 29, 2007) – With construction under way on Natural Home magazine’s Show House - one of New York’s first-ever truly green homes – the magazine today announced Green Depot is joining the historic project as a lead development partner.
Once a pharmacy, a Laundromat, a deli and until recently a site slated for demolition, the building – a remodel of a 1920s brick pharmacy in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood – will house two three-bedroom town homes featuring next-generation green technologies.
Natural Home magazine (www.naturalhomemagazine.com), the leading publication about green living in America, is chronicling the home’s construction progress through the magazine and Web site. Green Depot (www.greendepot.com), which is based in Brooklyn, provides easy access to the very best selection of environmentally friendly and sustainable building products. The company will provide products and expertise for the house’s construction.
The organizations will begin showcasing finished portions of the home beginning in the fall as part of an educational outreach effort to illustrate the health, aesthetic and investment values tied to green building and living.
When its construction is complete this winter, the Natural Home Show House will become New York City’s first Health House, as certified by the American Lung Association, and will provide developers, homeowners and others with dozens of examples, ideas and innovations for incorporating green, sustainable living into one’s home. While green home projects are under way nationwide, it is uncommon in urban development.
“The Natural Home Show House brings to life our mission for encouraging readers and the community at large to bring green living into their homes and lives,” said Robyn Griggs Lawrence, Natural Home’s editor-in-chief. “Having Green Depot as a partner in this endeavor is magnificent. Not only do we have shared values, but Green Depot literally brings to the table the very products and ideas we support and promote.”
“Since construction began in February, we have been providing the house with ideas, tools and supplies – but now to be on board as a lead partner is a great statement for our organization,” said Sarah Beatty, Green Depot’s founder. “While we seek to bring green choices and expertise to the market, we’re based in Brooklyn, so to have this historic construction underway in our backyard is important to us for so many reasons.”
Natural Home and Green Depot plan to begin showcasing finished portions of the Show House this fall. They plan to complete construction in early 2008. Progress can be followed by visiting www.NaturalHomeMagazine.com/ShowHome2007.
Green Highlights
Solar electric panels will provide electricity in the building, and an innovative hybrid solar-thermal and gas-fired system will heat and cool the home. Eco-friendly materials will include cement made from fly ash (waste from power plants), countertops made from recycled glass, bamboo flooring finished with low-VOC water-based poly, and kitchen cabinets made from sorghum stalks, a type of grass. The building’s original brick façade is being preserved and sealed against possible toxins in a healthy, environmentally friendly manner.
Health House
Concerns about air quality issues in homes are common, considering the level of pollution inside a home can be as much as 100 times higher than outdoor levels. An American Lung Association Health House® home (www.HealthHouse.org) must meet stringent certification standards that address moisture and humidity control, energy efficiency, air filtration and ventilation, and materials emissions. The building of Natural Home’s green show house will include several site inspections during construction and performance testing upon completion.
Natural Home Green Show House Creators:
Developers: Emily Fisher and Rolf Grimsted, R&E Brooklyn
Architect: Tony Daniels, Studio A/WASA
Architectural Design: Kiss + Cathcart
Contractor: Robert Politzer, GreenStreet Construction
About Green Depot
Founded January 2006, Green Depot (www.greendepot.com) was created with one central goal: provide easy access to the very best selection of environmentally friendly, sustainable building products for the commercial and residential building communities.
About Natural Home magazine
Natural Home provides practical ideas, inspiring examples and expert opinions about healthy, ecologically sound, beautiful homes and outdoor living spaces. Natural Home is the leading publication about green living in America. Its message is stronger than ever as more Americans turn to making homes that are sustainable and healthy havens for their families.
About Ogden Publications
Ogden Publications publishes Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Utne Reader, Herbs for Health, The Herb Companion, Capper’s, Grit, American Life & Traditions, Farm Collector, Steam Traction, Gas Engine Magazine and Motorcycle Classics. The company also provides insurance and financial services and runs a network of highly successful Web sites. The magazines and Web sites reach people interested in self-sufficiency, sustainability, rural lifestyles and memorabilia.
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