#8 ArchiBlox

The worlds first Carbon Positive prefabricated home hits the market. I think this type of architecture is very cool. This type of construction and architecture goes right beside what people are calling the Tiny House Movement

This Green Building built in Archiblox, is an Australian architecture firm, that has unveiled the world’s first carbon-positive prefabricated home. The Archi+ Carbon Positive House is currently on display in Melbourne’s City Square, it is so efficient that it can put energy back on the grid. 

The price of ArchiBlox’s carbon-positive buildings start at $238,000AUD plus taxes, so that would equal to approximately $185,687USD, for a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom unit measuring around 300 square feet.


Green Building Magazine writes that over the home’s lifespan, it will emit 1,016 tons of carbon dioxide less than standard or average buildings with the same functionality. That’s the equivalent of taking 267 cars off the road or planting 1,095 native Australian trees, the publication says.
Some Key Sustainable Features are:

• In-ground Cool Tubes to help with cooling

• Sliding Edible Garden Walls to block sun penetration

• Green Roof for added thermal insulation

• The Buffer Zone "The lungs of the house" & "Food Basket" separates the external environment

• Healthy Materials High Grade sustainable materials and formaldehyde and VOC free

• Airtightness - Airtight building envelope improves sound protection and saves energy

• Hard wired data lines to reduce electromagnetic radiation

#7 LiveStrong Headquarters

The Gold Coast Paper warehouse was built in the 1950s and served the Austin, Texas, area for a number of years

The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a non-profit organization that dedicated time to support and create a “relevant, vibrant cancer movement based on evidence and strategic investment.” The Foundation helps to provide one-on-one support as well as cancer awareness and research funding advocacy. The renovated building is a beautifully day lit office space, reusing most of the original materials and landing themselves a LEED Gold certification for renovations.

#6 Gasometer City, Vienna Austria

One of the most successful residential reuse projects is Gasometer City, in Vienna Austria. Four immense disused gasometers were successfully revamped in the late ‘90s and have since become infamous in the world of adaptive reuse.

Since the end of the 1900s, four teams of star architects have been working on converting four 112-year-old gasometers into a new urban complex.  

The Gasometers have developed a village character all their own and are a city within a city. A true sense of community has developed, and both a large physical housing community (of tenants) as well as an active virtual internet community (Gasometer Community) have formed. I found that numerous theses and dissertation in urban planning, journalism, and architecture have been written about this adaptive reuse property. 

Four indoor facilities include a music hall (capacity 2000–3000 people), movie theater, student dorms, municipal archive, and so on. There are about 800 apartments (two thirds within the historic brick walls) with 1600 regular tenants, as well as about 70 student apartments with 250 students in residence.

#5 Oakland City Center

Oakland Leads the Nation in Transit-Oriented Development
 

Situated at the very heart of the Bay Area’s mass transit system, Oakland is busy working to facilitate the development of its eight Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) stations into transit oriented villages.

When completed, these villages will provide sustainable places where people live, work, shop and relax with minimal dependence on the automobile. Each will have a distinct character. All will be connected with each other and linked to the surrounding city neighborhoods.

Oakland is said to be the 7th most creative city in U.S.
Oakland’s downtown has different parts with distinctive characters. Its ongoing transformation demonstrates the challenges and benefits of implementing TOD in an intensely developed, already established area.

Here is a link to know more about this cool TOD
http://www.equinoxcenter.org/assets/files/oaklandnowspecialtodsummitissue2003.pdf

#4 The Vickery Meadow

 The Vickery Meadow TIF District was established to assist in the creation of a catalyst mixed-use development (Park Lane) on 33.3 acres of land, located at the southeast corner of the intersection of U.S. 75 and Park Lane.

 

The centerpiece of the TIF District is the $750 million Park Lane redevelopment project.
Vickery Meadow TIF is located on the east side of the intersection of US 75 (Central Expressway) and Park Lane and extends eastward along Park Lane to the “Five Points” intersection at Park Lane, Fair Oaks Avenue and Ridgecrest Road.The District was created in 2005 to enhance the real estate market and encourage new investment by providing a source of funding for public amenities and infrastructure improvements.

#3 Uptown Dallas

Uptown Public Improvement District (UPID) was first created in 1993 and was renewed twice in 2000 and 2005. 
The Uptown ares consists of approximately 2,181 properties, primarily a combination of business, office and residential uses. Uptown Inc.manages the PID. The general nature of the service and improvements provided by the PID are to enhance public safety and security, design and construct public infrastructure improvements, maintain common areas and lighting produce pedestrian amenities and linkages and provide other improvements that are approved by the Dallas City Council.

#2 The High Line in New York

The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long New York City linear park built in Manhattan on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad spur called the West Side Line. 

This was a revitalization project conducted by Friends of the High Line founded by Joshua David and Robert Hammond. It is a non-profit public private partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Friends of the High Line virtually funded all the High Lines Operations by raising contributions, and working with the city to ensure maintenance as a great public space for all.

#1 Introduction/Favorite Development

-My name is Ezekiel Torres, I'm majoring in Urban and Regional Planning. I am expected to graduate May 2016 and my hometown is San Antonio,TX

-I am a pretty athletic person all around and enjoy playing all sports, but my favorite sport is soccer. I enjoy the outdoors, camping, fishing, backpacking and hunting. I am also a huge coffee snob. Sometime later in the future I plan on opening my own coffee shop. 

-In this class I hope to learn more about how financial funding practically plays a practical and hands on approach on growing and building a city. 

-My short term career goal is to work as a transportation or sustainable development urban planner for the public sector. My long term goal is to be in the ministry and work as an Evangelist to plant/grow churches.

-Some cool thing about me are, I can play the didgeridoo which is an Aboriginal instrument. I have also gone backpacking at Guadalupe state park, backpacking a total of 8 miles and summiting 4 mountains. One being the highest natural point in Texas which is Guadelupe Peak (8,749 feet elevation)

My Bucketlist

- Travel Africa 

- Go to europe
-Bungee Jump from the highest point in the world
-Go squirrel base suit jumping
-Travel China
-Backpack the Himalayas
-Go skydiving 

-Links to my favorite sites

•   http://www.sweetmarias.com/
• https://www.spotify.com/us/
• http://www.blueletterbible.org/
• http://www.pinterest.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/ 

What is the most fascinating, interesting, or inspiring parcel of real estate from your perspective?  Explain why.

The most fascinating parcel of real estate from my perspective is the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio, TX. 

This parcel of land is most fascinating to me because one it is in my hometown and secondly because of the rich history behind this new redeveloped/revitalized land. 

Once being a brewery back in 1881, then becoming the Pearl Brewery  in 1952, and then finally closing operations in 2001.

Its final reopening in 2008 the Pearl is now a culinary and cultural destination in San Antonio, Texas. As a dynamic and evolving environment, the Pearl is committed to stewardship and learning. This historic gathering place is where everyone is welcome to eat, play and learn along the banks of the San Antonio River.