Thursday, June 28, 2007

It started off with the VIP party at our show house which had a great turn out! And the debut of the new Team Hybrid trailer. The Trailer was so cool Adam decided to take it down to his booth at the energy fair. The trailer drew people over to the Hybrid Row which was a row of vendors including myself that were involved with the Hybrid show home. We also were published in the Ludington, Manistee and Traverse City newspapers and mentioned on TV and radio. We meet congressmen, senators, state and local officials along with a lot of great people interested in green building what more could we ask for. Our booths were continuously packed with people interested in the processes of the show house and our individual companies Image Design and Adam Bearup's company Hybrid Homes (TM). Adam and I also gave a seminar on building a Hybrid Home(TM) from start to finish. We were excited to see all 70 seat's full and people standing at every opening to hear what we were saying. Afterward people kept asking us if or when we were speaking again. And to top that we were invited to speak at several colleges and organizations. I have spent the last few days emailing and calling all the different people and contact's we made during the Energy Fair. What a great event I can't wait until next year. I want to thank Adam Bearup and all of team hybrid for making it a wonderful experience. I also want to give my wife Christy, a special thank you for being there and working so hard to promote our business along with Hybrid Homes (TM), and Team Hybrid (TM).

Monday, June 18, 2007

I hope you all get a chance to visit the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair and our Show House this weekend. We are having a VIP party on Thursday from 6:00 til when ever. Check out the unveiling of the one of a kind design Team Hybrid trailer designed by Casey Handwerk of HP Wraps . Also please stop by Hybrid Row and see all the people involved with the show house we will be at booth 44 right next to Hybrid Homes (TM). And don't forget to take the Hybrid Challenge for a chance to win $2,000 dollars cash, a TOTO dual flush toilet or a Panasonic Whisper Green bath fan. This should be a great weekend. See you there!

Monday, June 11, 2007

After I was hired for the Onekama project and we defined with the builder (Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes ) and the home owners that it was going to a green project and proposed that it would be the show house for the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair. I started researching green building on the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) web-site and found the LEED for Homes (LEED-H) pilot program, I rushed to the phone and called our regional LEED-H administrator, the Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (AES). I was excited to find out it was just 10 minute from our office. I quickly signed up for their LEED for Homes training class with Adam Bearup the builder. With AES help, Image Design and Hybrid Homes (TM) are excited to be at the forefront of this growing movement and believe that elegance in design in design cannot be achieved any other way. Mike Holcomb of AES is in the process of rating our first LEED for Homes project which we are proud to say is projected "Platinum". This would be the first LEED for Home "Platinum" project in Michigan and one of only a handfull in the nation with a LEED "Platinum" status. The LEED rating system has four levels (“shades”) of green: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with Platinum being the highest level of LEED certification. We are also working on numerous other LEED for Home projects and seeing great interest in the LEED for Homes progam and green building.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Today is the birthday of Frank LLoyd Wright. Widely regarded as America's most influential architect, Frank Lloyd Wright left behind a rich legacy of homes and buildings, and created a distinctly American style of architecture that continues to influence architects to this day. He was born June 8, 1867 and pasted a way in April 9, 1959. His work has influence my life since I was a young teenager. I have been and still am inspire by his work. Some of my favorite works of his are Fallingwater, Meyer May House and all the Prairie Style and Usonian houses . Wright's philosophy in architecture promoted harmony between the building, its inhabitants and nature. His homes became part of their surroundings. He minimized their presence and maximized their practicality. He revolutionized modern architecture with the essentials of ecological design and green building. Also today was the birthday of another organic architect pioneer Bruce Goff who would of been 103rd. Today we should all honor both of these pioneers of the green movement. Other birthday this month are, mine Eric Hughes (June 9Th), My Son Joshua (June 29Th) a future naturalist.