by Troy Spurlin
Green, Sustainable, Renewable, Environmentally Responsible, and Eco Building. These words resonated throughout my stay in Los Angeles during the fifth annual CA BOOM design show (caboomshow.com) held in Los Angeles March 14th through the 16th. Sponsored by Metropolitan Home, Modernism, Wired, and Ready Made, CA BOOM is North America’s only multi-discipline, non-traditional design trade fair and exhibition combining the highest caliber of architects, designers and design manufacturers.
The tradeshow kicked off with an opening party on Friday night in the mid-century designed Santa Monica Hangar. An open bar and the sounds of DJ Valida created just the right atmosphere for this exciting and cutting edge show. Most partygoers walked the floor browsing booths by some of the top names in the modern design world: Fleetwood Doors and Windows, Poliform, Bloom Baby, Modern Shed, and TWENTIETH, to name a few.
Being of the more chilled persuasion, I found my way to a most awesome yurt (thenomayurt.com) filled with pillows outside the hangar (in case ya didn’t know...a yurt is a circular domed dwelling that is portable and self-supporting; originally used by nomadic Mongol and Turkic people of central Asia). What a great addition it would be to any home to have a yurt in the backyard to gather with friends or that special someone. The possibilities are endless.
I was laying back inside the yurt and trying to conjure the inner Mongolian in me when I was quickly brought back to reality by Rocio Romero. One of the leading architects in the modern “pre-fab” movement, Romero stepped into my nomadic domain. It was kismet, as I have been dreaming for quite some time of my little glass pre-fab studio by the marsh and meeting her. Rocio’s designs of pre-fab homes are environmentally correct, the prices are incredible, and the style is unforgettable (visit lvseries.com).
The exterior shells start at $35,000 and Rocio says the shipping to Jacksonville is about $5,000 (that is a factory-built kit home). A general contractor builds it on site. Now I just have to find an awkward piece of property (read: cheap!) with a great marsh view!
The Architectural and Design tours featured some of the most exciting new or recently completed residential projects from West LA to Pacific Palisades. Each day a tour of five residential projects was offered (a total of 15 homes) with the caveat of meeting and being given a tour of the residence by the actual architect(s) of the project. The highlight for me was the FELDERMAN KEATINGE RESIDENCE. A really nice reinterpreted version of a split-level that blends loft and suburban living. One of the more striking uses of design in this project was the living room and dining room that are separated by a 25’ long by 1 1/2” ribbon skylight. This vertical sliver of glass continued down the adjacent 12’ high walls. Not to mention that all of the huge glass doors on the back of the house retracted into the walls, creating a oneness with nature.
Back on the trade show floor, I was overwhelmed at the number of vendors present that offered products that were “green.” The floor was divided into distinct zones that grouped related products and services together by discipline, including international design manufacturers, national and limited production manufacturers, studio furniture, modern parenting, modern prefab, indoor/outdoor living, building accessories, and surfaces and finishes. The Modern Kitchen and Bath section featured fully installed kitchens from Poliform, CHR/Scavolini, New York Loft, Liebherr and Valcucine/Dom.
Some of the “green” companies that particularly caught my eye were:
epOxy Green offers the highest quality in sustainable building and design products to support both residential and commercial applications for all budgets. Flooring, wall finishes, contertops, cabinets and hardware, and sheet and lumber. epoxygreen.com
Valcucine has been involved in the sustainable design of cabinetry for 25 years. Their products are as environmentally responsible as they are visually striking. They are non-polluting and versatile recyclable. domshowrooms.com
Kirei Board is a strong, lightweight, durable, and an environmentally friendly substitute for wood. Manufactured from reclaimed sourghum straw with no added formaldehyde adhesive, Kirei board is a perfect choice for furniture, cabinetry, and casework. Also available in Bamboo. kireiusa.com
Cisco Home is genuinely committed to a sustainable world. It is the first brand to offer only FSC certified upholstered furniture (FSC certification ensures responsible use of forest resources). ciscohome.net
The Nomad is an ancient Mongolian yurt reinvented for today. It is the perfect backyard sanctuary for yoga, meditation, or just hanging out (that is what I am talking about). thenomadyurt.com
Parents and baby beginning life together in style. bloombaby.com
After a week of architectural tours and visiting with design vendors from all over the United States and abroad, I can enthusiastically recommend this event to the trade and to enthusiasts. It is indeed a very exciting time in architecture and design with the infusion of “green” into our daily lexicon. We all must strive for positive environmental changes in both our homes and the world at large, if even, we only take baby steps.
Article Published in the May 2008 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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