Mullet Hall – LBC Materials Red List

Posted on Jul 25, 2018
Mullet Hall – LBC Materials Red List

As could have perhaps been predicted, the main “challenge” of the Living Building Challenge, particularly during construction, is the Materials Petal. In this post I will discuss the Red List Imperative of the Materials Petal. According to the International Living Futures Institute, The intent of the Materials Petal is to help create a materials economy […]

Mullet Hall – Recycled Glass Concrete Aggregate (Poraver)

Posted on May 7, 2018
Mullet Hall – Recycled Glass Concrete Aggregate (Poraver)

One of the most exciting aspects of the Mullet Hall project is one that will never be seen once it is covered with insulation and finished. About 6/7 of the fine aggregate (sand) in the wall concrete was replaced with Poraver recycled glass beads. This accomplished a few goals: Increased recycled content, reducing sand use. […]

Mullet Hall – Living Building Challenge – Site Petal

Posted on Apr 17, 2018
Mullet Hall – Living Building Challenge – Site Petal

Why does the Mullet Hall Project Team feel that it is appropriate to build on this greenfield site? Human Powered Living The Site is within 2km of a major train station providing access to NYC and other points along the Hudson River. This is within easy walking and/or biking distance, providing current and future owners […]

Mullet Hall – Trees Cleared for Milling

Posted on Apr 13, 2018
Mullet Hall – Trees Cleared for Milling

As part of the subdivision process, every single tree on the entire Mullet Hall property above 12″ caliper was tagged. This allowed for easily identification of trees for removal, saving, protection, and trimming. We learned that most of the trees on the property are Sugar Maple, Red Oak, and Black Locust. We learned through research […]

Window Reminiscing

Posted on Jan 29, 2018
Window Reminiscing

As we move on to a newly designed office space, we look back at a selection of our Cold Spring, NY Main St. windows over the years.

Stones and Solar Orientation

Posted on Nov 26, 2017
Stones and Solar Orientation

Stones, earth, sun, seasons. Ultimately, as they told us in art and architectural history class, all of architecture can be traced back to the primitive hut. And what direction would it make sense to orient a primitive hut? To the south, to capture the warm sunlight on cold fall and winter days. This was solar […]

Organic Lawn Care in the Northeast

Posted on May 11, 2017

You are right to be upset about the lawn care chemicals being dumped on the lawns of your community – or anywhere for that matter. the Figure Ground Studio cares deeply about responsible land management and has done a fair amount of research and even public speaking about the importance of organic lawn care. Here […]

Energy Model and Solar Analysis

Posted on Feb 17, 2017
Energy Model and Solar Analysis

There are so many factors that go into the design of a home. To name a few, there are: site selection, regulatory constraints, client wishes, budget, material and structural considerations, solar orientation, etc. As we work in-house and with consultants to move towards a final design, it seems like the 3d model of the home, […]

Love your neighbor as yourself

Posted on Feb 10, 2017
Love your neighbor as yourself

Office Planter Garden and “Gift to the Street”

Posted on Oct 13, 2016
Office Planter Garden and “Gift to the Street”

We’ve created a planter garden and a “gift to the street” here on Main Street in Cold Spring. The installation features the classic Fermob Bistro collection in red, Vietnamese pottery, and a colelction of decorative, edible, and pollinator-friendly plants.