Start Up Project and Materials Usage

I was surfing online, and found a website that seamed what Ben suggested on how we should start the company. It is rather interesting.

http://www.calvertfoundation.org/impact/impact_areas/environment.html?gclid=CODvw5TLwpQCFR4sagodrh8bFQ

I think we should look at possible alternative on how to start this project. I was also reading in my Mechanical Engineering magazine about how they are creating insulation out of crop waste. That is something else that we should be looking at. Materials that will be good for the environment and that we will be able to use.

Just got the book from Amazon

You guys definitely need to get this book, "Unified Design"

here are some awesome excerpt
"Unified Design develops a mode of creativity that is more than simply the sum of the individual disciplines. Instead, when boundaries are blurred, the very process of design maximizes the potential of collective creativity." Pg 21, Unified Design, Arup Associates

"Whole life sustainability places people first. It enhances the cultural value systems found within different locations, rather than creating modernist models that expect people, cities and places around the world to behave in identical ways." Pg 20, Unified Design, Arup Associates

there is a competition about desiging the 21st century street.
If you want to participate with me, let me know
LINK

Unified Design

After our discussion into combining our skills into a single cause "design/build" I took a trip to the Los Angeles Central Library and read an article in Architectural Design Magazine about this firm, ARUP ASSOCIATES, they figured out a way to combine the different disciplines into a single entity called "Unified Design." I will post more into later

2 Topics - Personal Goals, Reasonable comany goals

Here my as thoughts as per the conversation between Omar, Raul, Mauricio, Sandra, Marla, Jeremy and I at my apartment on 7-3-08.

I know that there is a lot of excitement at this point while the whole concept is new, although

I think is important to
- During the idea development stage of the company, strive for life goals (Goals within the next 5 years) that will be of some value to the company BUT leave opportunities for a fall back plan in the event that the task of building a company is tooo OVERWELMING

Example:
Issue Statement:

Raul brought up the issue of leaving his company to perhaps gain experience in a construction field.

Concerns:

- Will working in a construction related field ultimately be worth the risk of being confined to only a construction related field?

Suggestion: as per myself – feel free to add on

- Work in that field if you feel that you will be happy regardless of what happens with the company.

A suggestion of Mine
A suggestion is that we all post action items that related to life goals for the next 5 years so that we all can review each others. Therefore, we can make sure that we will all be doing something for the company, yet leaving the opportunity to be happy in our individualized field.

Goals for Ben:

- Goal 1 - Within (2) years – Gain an MBA in finance to be able to take on the financial and administrative duties of the company as a primary role.

o Reasoning behind goal / Is it reasonable for both instances –

§ Yes, this will definitely be a valuable asset to our company.

§ Yes, also because it allow me to be happy doing managerial duties in another company as an alternative.

- Goal 2 - Within (5) years – Gain a E.I.T. certificate, then gaining experience to become P.E. certified regardless of what company I am working for.

o Reasoning behind goal / Is it reasonable for both instances –

§ Yes, this certificate will allow be more a rounded engineer for our companies sake.

§ Yes, this certificate will allow me to be a more rounded engineer in an alternative event.

Goals for Omar-

1. Obtain bachelors of Architecture from the East Coast ( This will enable me to learn the design methods as well as social, political, environmental and other relate forces that shape how our built environment is accomplished from the East coast, as I have learned from the West.) (Length of time: 3 years approx)
   
2. Obtain LEED certification (Currently there is a huge shortage of professionals that are not LEED certified to comply with Federal "sustainable" measures, having this will improve qualifications for employment) upon or during completion of my degree, as well as testing for licensing for Certified Architect ( This license will be obtained outside of the state of California, for the tests are much less stringent in other states, and transfer to California will be effortless.( Length of time: 5 years)
   
3. These are goals that are tentative

• Work in Mexico for a year
• Work in Hong Kong for a year
• Obtain BS- Structural, (This would enable me to be sure what i design can be built)

Perhaps all should post goals
I think that it would be good idea for all of us to post up goals in the same format, so that we can see what they are and the reasoning behind them. Then end goal is to be able to contribute to the company, but leave an opportunity in being happy alternatively.

Post in an orderly manner
I suggest that we popcorn the goal posting and post goals ONE at a time. This way, the site will not be enamored with goals by all of us. It also gives each of us the opportunity to post goals and respond to each in an orderly fashion.

POPCORN, OMAR YOU GO NEXT!

SECOND ISSUE – FOOD for thought

I believe it is also important to construct ideas for a company that is reasonably attainable.

Explanation of Issue

Is “Green” design and engineering too muchI posed the idea of a high tech green company that creates “green” buildings. What this incompasses and what I really mean by this I don’t know at this point.

It may be the case the we don’t have all the resources man power, talent, time, drive, etc. It may be that it will take too much to take on all the appropriate roles of a company that can be affective at achieving such a task.

On the other hand- For simplicities sale
Maybe if we strive for something more simple, i.e. things that will take less research, less man power, less time, it will be possible to start a successful company in the beginning.

I don’t want to hamper the dreams of something more grand, but with regards to my expectations, I want this venture to be fun, exciting, and attainable.

In the end, I expectations are
I think it’s important (this is my view of course, don’t take it if you don’t want it) that we make something that will bring all our talents together so that we make a reasonable salary and gain the opportunity to make something as friends.

I DON’T WANT, in the end to this to be totally out of our control and be a big fuck up because we either,

- Got too greedy and went did it simply for money.

- Went to grand and didn’t go for something accomplishable.

At the end of the day I want it to be rewarding and be able to put something that will work and enjoy it amongst all of you.

Please Hold on comments
Let us respond to the blog in an orderly fashon. I suggest we answer to the first issue that I brought up in the beginning of my blog insert.

I suggest we keep this thought in the back of our heads for now.

Solar Water Purification

So I was watchin CNN online, and came across this video of a family in Kenya who store unclean water in bottle and set them on the roof. After 6 to 10 hours the water is pure of microorganisms like E.COLI. The video does a culture test of 3 samples; one from the bottles, one from a storage tank, and one from a stream. The bottle had no to little bacteria, the storage had ample amounts to cause abdominal sickness, and the stream would have caused severe illness.

Not bad for the sun eh?
LINK

I also found some links concerning solar water purification
low solar tech

and heres where good design comes in
Inhabitat- Solar Bottle