We have rainwater!

Habitat Gardens installed a meter for our rainwater catchment barrels so that we can see how much rain we have! After this past week's rain, the meter jumped from 4 1/2 feet to over 6 feet!



The first rainwater tank gets water from the standing seam roof, while the second and third tanks receive water that drains through the living roof. The second and third tanks are connected by a pipe underground so the water level in those two tanks will always be the same.



Currently, the rainwater from the second and third tanks are pumped to irrigate the roof at timed intervals. The EcoCenter, as a living building, reminds us that we need to stay in tune with the natural cycles of sun and rain because the building was designed to engage and harvest the power of the elements.

EC at West Coast Green!

The wonderful manufacturers of the EcoCenter's wastewater treatment tanks, Orenco, is featuring the EcoCenter at West Coast Green, the premier green buildings conference of the West Coast!


As an FYI, the wastewater treatment system - which features Orenco's Advantex system, UV disinfection unit, indoor constructed wetlands, and leech field of native plants - is automated and monitored remotely so that an eye can be kept on the building without having to be at the EcoCenter 24/7. A control panel donated by Orenco logs data from the wastewater treatment system and sends the info through WiFi internet to our wastewater monitoring guru, Innovative Systems. What a great resource and learning tool!

Youth media makers from BAYCAT

Youth media makers from BAYCAT's summer media camp (Bayview Hunters Point Center for Arts and Technology) visited the EcoCenter this summer to explore issues related to their summer theme, youth health. They got an interactive tour of the EcoCenter and participated in LEJ's food assessment, a collaboration with SF State Masters of Public Health students to gather the youth perspective on food in BVHP.

Check out the short video they made on the EcoCenter! Thanks BAYCAT!

Living off the Grid

Friends:

As we explore the world of off-grid living at the ecocenter, I would like to share with you an interesting overview produced by HowStuffWorks and captures many of the themes we discuss at the building.

"Around the same time each month, millions of Americans go to their mailboxes seeking the comforts of a handwritten letter or their favorite magazine only to be greeted by white envelopes with miniature cellophane windows. We're all familiar with these mailers -- power, water, gas and telephone bills, all conspiring to take your hard-earned money. For most people, paying utility bills is a tiresome and frustrating task. What if there was a way to get out from under the thumb of public utilities and produce your own sustainable energy? Well, there is. Going "off-grid" is becoming an increasingly popular choice for people looking to reduce their carbon footprint, assert their independence and avoid reliance on fossil fuels."

Check it out,

Laurie

Sustainable Industries Features Ecocenter

Our friends at Sustainable Industries featur the Ecocenter in August's issue. Thank you SI for sticking with our project and supporting us!

Beautiful Shots of the ecocenter

Hi Friends:

Pardon my absence--its been a busy few weeks to say the least! I wanted to share some really nice shots we have of the Ecocenter. We'll be taking these to Pasadena Next week for California Design Biennial: Action/Reaction which is featuring the Ecocenter!!!.

Laurie

Ecocenter Voted Best Trip Back to the Future in SF WEEKLY!

Friends--this is very cool and unexpected news:
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The Jetsons didn't foretell the future; the Flintstones did. At least, that seems to be the lesson implicit in San Francisco's first 100 percent "off-grid" building, a self-contained ecology classroom at Heron's Head Park. The facility won't use city sewage or electricity services, but instead relies on wetland cells and ultraviolet sterilization lamps for wastewater treatment, and solar panels and a wind turbine for electricity. The center boasts a living roof, and is surrounded by low-maintenance native plants. Run by the nonprofit Literacy for Environmental Justice, the EcoCenter teaches schoolchildren the ins and outs of clean air and water, healthful food, and open space restoration. It will also explain how dirty industries and facilities sometimes get put in poor neighborhoods. Interns will be trained as resident naturalists and docents.