apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have to comment on this, because the press she is receiving is so one-sided. While it's lovely that she's reusing materials, this is not terribly earth shattering in Portland. At all. She judges construction that relies on skips to dispose of materials, when what she's put up in place of a modest sized house is tragic. It's an ugly McMansion that hogs the whole lot and looms over all the neighbors. The house next door went up for sale, and, interestingly enough, isn't selling. The backyard privacy of three houses is GONE. And, she cut down a 50 year-old laurel hedge so her monstrosity can be displayed in all it's vulgarity. Shannon is a publicity whore, and is so focused on doing something "extraordinary" that she has lost whatever "green" esthetic she might be promoting, and has marred the community where she is committing this travesty. The Oregonian is letting her blog it, but no one seems willing to step up and ask the hard questions about community and eco-friendly living. It's hardly a big deal to reuse a teeny tiny house in the building of a 3000 square foot house. They could have shoved the whole of the old house in the new garage. Did I mention that the new house is hideous?

I don't know the house in question, but judging from the website I would say she is definitely not publicity-averse...

Thank you pdxmama! Finally someone is calling out this pseudo "eco" project. Sorry, but tearing down a small house to make a big one is hardly ever eco friendly. The whole project screams "publicity stunt"-which wouldn't be such a bad thing if the project was actually eco friendly. This is the type of fake environmentalism that will ruin the growing green movement-or, at least, steer it in the wrong direction.