I have been looking into insulation as well. Check out this post on the Fourm. April 21, 2008 Icynene Vs Fiberglass. Just info to consider on Icynene.

Mr pig three,
You and I are not alone. All the greenwashing aside, it does seem green is a veritable revolution right now. In NY green is definitely the new black.

It is the first bandwagon I’ve jumped on since, well, ever.

Hey thanks for the comments!
BTW I put a web site http://www.EcoBrooklyn.com where I’ll be posting the progress of 22 2nd Street.

To answer your questions:
“Have you thought of planting trees on the south side of your property?”
I hadn’t thought of how trees let sun pass in winter and make shade in summer. Duh! The only problem is that I will probably be placing solar panels on the south wall since the roof is being used for greenery. Solar guys get a squeamish when I mention putting panels on the building face. They also get pricey….but we’ll see. I hope to work with one who will allow me to install them. NYCERTA certification and all that. God bless them they are needed. It is just like licensed plumbers, though. I fully understand the need for quality but when a licensed plumber charges $900 for something I could do for $50 I wonder if the law isn’t creating a monopoly. No offense to good honest plumbers.

“what is your time frame on this project?”
My girlfriend asks me this quite often…and I ask my architect the same thing. Why do architects boil my blood? They are like forgetful professors who have no respect for time or money (my time and money). I hope to be done in four months. I also said that four months ago. I only have one person to blame: me for choosing the architect I chose. In all fairness to my architects past and present (who will surely read this) they have their own story.

“I am curious what plants will take well on our hot, exposed roofs.”
I will use low laying succulents that flourish in low water, high sun, and little earth situations. It will have to be watered the first year…a small price for the years of green roof.

“You can insulate with used phonebooks but I am not sure how effective this is”
When I said recycled paper I didn’t mean from the dumpster. I meant cellulose. For example Green Fiber which you can buy at Home Depot now! Although the wet blow in version is better because it creates an airtight seal and does not settle.
“Hell, why not bluejeans like Adrien Grenier’s house!”
Because when you build without a budget like Adrien you aren’t green regardless of the material. Life may be abundant but we certainly haven’t mastered the skill and too many live in need to build recklessly. And bluejean insulation, although wonderful and green, is stratospherically expensive.

“I’m interested in how the spray foam insulation works out & costs.”
Spray foam is about $1 per square foot one inch high and give a range of 3-5 R value. DIY foam is also about the same. Cellulose spray on insulation is cheaper and slightly better R value, although foam people contest that.

“about how much time do you devote per week to the project?”
Full time.

“”I am building a green roof both for beauty and to feed the bee hive we are going to put up there.”
I hope that doesn’t become a trend.”
I do. The bees need all the help they can get right now.

“why would you want a bee hive?”
Bees form a huge part of our ecosystem and are currently in crisis. And they make less mess than pigeons.

Regarding MrSmiths comment about no work permit, your account was created a couple hours ago specifically to slander this thread in anonymity. Mr Smith you are a coward. Get a life. I know who you are. Bees are not the only flying insects that bite.

I had a stop work order because the old architect withdrew his plans, rightly so since he was no longer on the job. And the new architect has not submitted his. Just like Mr Anderson correctly uncovered.

Mr. Smith, DOB permits are supposed to be posted where they are able to be read. If Mr. Brooks-Church put any permits on any of his front facing windows, they’d be three stories above the ground. I don’t think they’d be easily readable up there. I’m sure they’re posted somewhere that you can’t see in the photos.

If you looked a little further in the BIS System, you’d notice that the stop work order on the site was issued because the Borough Commissioner revoked the approved plans that the architect, Ira Sherman, self-certified a year and a half before Mr. Brooks-Church purchased the property. Generally, this is the result of a lazy architect not putting enough detail on plans before he self certifies them. There is no mention on the stop work order complaint of work being done contrary to those approved plans. Your accusation that the architect’s shenanigans on plans that were filed before Mr. Brooks-Church even bought the property in some way taints his noble effort to go green is laughable.

I’ve done some work with Mr. Brooks-Church, and found him to be reasonable and honest. Please, before you shit in someone else’s coffee, take a sniff of what’s floating in your own cup.

Has anyone noticed there are no work permits in the windows of the photographs?

DOB site…has a stop work order…going green but not following the construction guidelines that everyone else follows…what does that tell you about the story that has been posted here…?

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/PropertyProfileOverviewServlet?boro
=3&houseno=22&street=2nd+street&requestid=0&s
=A03C41B885B461E4F46BD08866A7430E

…the bee hive…and honey…no license or permits required.