Savannah Enmark Bridge Run -Camilla's 5k POV

First of all, I was really disappointed that my bright green, shiny Zentai suit (head to toe spandex unitard!) didn't arrive in time for the race, so I was regular old me in sweat shirt and running tights.

All was not lost because my first race experience was one of the most fun days I've had in a while.

I managed to not set my alarm clock, so the day started off somewhat panicked, but once my running partners and I made it down to the Savannah Civic Center, we realised there were SO many people there that everything was moving behind schedule anyway.  

We froze our bums off waiting to board the Grey Line Trolley that would take us across the bridge to the start line on Hutchinson Island.  Driving over it for the first time made me see not only how much of an incline I'd soon be dealing with, but also how exposed and frankly, scary, the bridge is.

The start line was dense with walkers and joggers and seasoned runners alike.  We warmed up as best we could, and then the crowd began to move and we realised that this was it: THE START.

We had to high tail it, weaving and sometimes bumping into people as we raced to make up time and move ahead of the masses.  I started to worry that 1.  I'd lose my running partners and 2. Get tired from trying to dodge and sprint past people.

Before we knew it we were a good amount ahead and onto the ever-increasing climb.  Even though I've run for many years, I've never raced.  The crowds urge you to go faster and it feels good to hurry past people, but knowing I'm inexperienced, I kept thinking I might use up all my get-up-and-go too soon.

The climb didn't feel as bad as I anticipated, and somewhere around the top I reminded myself to take in the view.  Before I knew it I was hurtling down the hill and past the 2 mile mark.

Once onto the last 1000 meters, my lovely boyfriend was there on his bike egging me on when I needed it most.  And once I saw the finish I did my best to go into a sprint.  I saw the race clock at 28.07 and was happy at least to have done the run under 30 minutes then happier still when I found out my chip time was 26:38.  

Afterwards I felt thoroughly accomplished and, well, hyper.  I'm ready to sign-up for another, if not a 10k!

I'll let my fellow Structured Green running man tell his tale of doing the Bridge run dressed as a leprechaun!

Until next time.

Camilla

Your Moment of Green

Camilla

Structured Green Hosts SCAD's Interior Design Show

Structured Green was proud to give host to 3 prominent SCAD Interior Design students' final projects on 11/20/08. More than 30 parents, friends, and interested enthusiasts came to the Structured Green show room to enjoy display and conversation from the participants. The function help shed light on the incredible talent developed at Savannah College of Art and Design and allow the students to fully showcase thier well crafted projects. It's always a privalege for Structured Green to highlight local talent and encourage new development and creativity in the forever changing dynamics of interior design.

The Landings Renovation Home Tour and EXPO

Structured Green is happy to announce that we are participating in The Landings Renovation Home Tour and EXPO this Sun. 11/16 from 12pm - 5pm at the Plantation Club. The Landings is one of Savannah's premier living destinations consisting of a master plan of 4,000 + fine households and offering amenities such as; golfing, tennis, fishing, dinning, fitness, boating, and much more. There is not enough room on this page to possibly illustrate the unique character and lifestyle of The Landings, so I'll just plug a nice Link to thier page for exploring.

Structured Green is very excited to feature our products and resources to thousands of unique residents in The Landings this weekend. This is the 1st time the event will host the EXPO portion of the event to help link residents to various home rennovation specialists. We look forward to the opportunity to share our eco-friendly appeal and design to The Landings culture and be a part of the Skidaway Island atmoshphere.

Organic in Savannah

I moved to Savannah from Brooklyn, NY a couple of months ago.

I came here with fantasies of Spanish moss, peach pie, sunny days and soireés in courtyards.

It's all true, except for the peach pie.  The mythic Georgia peach seems to be completely missing from the local geography, let alone the local supermarkets and farmers markets.

I am, well, dejected.

Nonetheless, the missing peach aside, I am so thankful for Savannah's small but hardy infrastructure supporting local agriculture, local business and the organic and/or eco-intelligent movement.  For instance, Georgia Organics, a brilliant organisation, pools the resources of local organic farmers and business making a hub of activitiy and events for those of us who stand by a healthier, more sustainable way of life.

There is still so much more that can happen.  What I love about the size of Savannnah is that I really feel I can affect change.  With a smaller community, but a no less active and dedicated one, the opportunities to augment and develop the green movement seem manageable and best of all, personal.  

Here, I can very easily meet the farmers, the designers, the artists, the activists and thinkers who are part of a larger move to treat the world gently, while still maintaining the economy, creativity and growth.

It's a beautiful thing.

So, while were at it, can someone please find me a Georgia peach farm?

Camilla[at]structuredgreen[dot]com

Green? Whatever Dude

Have you ever been in a discussion with a friend or acquaintance about the "green" revolution. Your friend is one of those people that thinks it's BS and tells you that these "treehuggers" are idiots and there is no such thing as global warming. I had this experience with a buddy of mine a few months ago (about 6 months ago). I was so taken back by the things that he had to say that I just kept my mouth shut and took it all in. Well, here is my response:

Dude, wake up. Most everyone knows that global warming is happening; is it just the natural life cycle of the earth or is it because of the human races need to burn fossil fuels. I don't know, but let's figure it out.

Yes, there is green washing, but if you do business with a reputable company then there is a pretty good chance that you will not fall victim to that. You spend 2 weeks researching the new t.v. you wanted, what's another 30 mins. of research to make sure the place you are doing business with is a legitimate business.

Drill here, drill now: sure, drill where ever you want to, but lets figure out a better way to do it, burn it, and better yet get to the point when we don't need it. There are better ways to produce energy, more efficient ways to produce energy, lets do it that way.

Yes, there are no perfect products out there, but there are a lot out there that are much better than the others, do some research on the materials that are used, where the are sourced from, how are they are put together, how are they shipped.

The "green" revolution is not a fad, and companies that are producing, selling, and running in a more eco-friendly way are not jumping on the bandwagon, they are researching materials, studying business practices, designing more efficient products. They are creating a better place, living healthier lives, and influencing policy makers to make better decisions. It is being label as "green", but this movement is about being efficient. More efficient in the way materials are manufactured, more efficient in the way we make energy, more efficient in the way that we build, more efficient in transporting goods, more efficient in the way that we consume.

Dude, I don't care if you don't believe in global warming, really I don't. What I do care about is that you realize that this "green" movement is about figuring out how to design, make, produce, consume, and live in a more EFFICIENT way.

So, here is how I plan to help; First, I promise to pressure the companies that I deal with to take the next step, to never settle for good enough, to become more efficient next year than they are this year. Second, I promise that I will continue to design and create products that push the boundaries of sustainable design, to produce a product that you purchase, not based on the green attributes but because it was the exact product that you needed. And lastly, to educate as many people as I can on the subject so that the companies that are green washing are forced to actually be green or to no longer be able to advertise as such.

My hope that in a few years you will be able to walk into a store and pick up anything on the shelf and wouldn't have to ask why its "green", my hope is that it is no longer a question, that everything is "green." But I guess at that point you would be right, at that point, the "green" movement would have been a fad.

Living in a material world

Today the Structured Green crew had the pleasure of donating our marvelous podium made for the Creative Coast's inaugural Innovation Awards last Friday, to the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center. The podium is built from reclaimed timber and covered in beautifully rusted tin sheets (cast-offs from the set of the Bagger Vance movie).

Herty is a fascinating company who deal in the creation, testing and development of new materials. It may sound vague but in actuality these guys are helping people to produce and market cutting edge material innovations.

For us, this is a crucial sector. With new discoveries being made in material science, we're given the media to create pieces of furniture who's life cycle, from inception onward, is low to no impact on our environment.

More good news on the horizon, we'll be sure to keep you posted.

Structured Green contributes to the Creative Coast Alliance's 2008 Innovative Awards Ceremony

Structured Green was proud to have participated in this year's Creative Coast Alliance Innovative Awards Ceremony. The food, sponsors, and contributions to the event were nothing short of spectacular. The awards show was a first for Structured Green and we were truly honored to have had the privilage to participate in the annual showcase.

We helped develop an "eco-friendly" stage set up accompanied by a comfy modern lounge area for all guests to enjoy. The stage podium was constructed from salvaged lumber from a delapidated home and covered w/ scrap metal from a local junk yard -it sounds creepy, but check out the result in the pic above. The stage back drop is a 10' version of the Creative Coast's logo constructed entirely from various aluminum cans -over 600! 11 Matching "leaves" were built out from random cans as well and placed at ground level around the stage. We also managed to sneek a small bamboo table on stage to showcase the intricate trophies designed for the event.

The Friday night event was truely spectacular and our friends at the Creative Coast sure knew how to put on a good show. Everyone at Structured Green had a blast and we look forward to the next big event.

Structured Green announces the addition of RC Green

Structured Green is pleased to introduce rcgreen's line of sustainable sofas to our eco-friendly gallery. Robert Cramer, rcgreen's founder and designer, has been making, designing, and selling furniture for more than 15 years. After spending some time researching his practices, he realized that he needed to make some changes to create a product that was both well designed and eco-friendly. The frames of the sustainable sofas are made with FSC wood, recycled steal is used for the springs and screws, glues and stains are non toxic and formaldehyde free, cushions and pillows are made from soy foam, and the sofa is finished with a range of eco-friendly fabrics.

Robert has designed rooms for The Stoli Hotel, Al Gore’s vip suite for Live Earth, The Oscars, The Golden Globes, Sundance Film Festival, Hollywood Life, and much more. Please take some time to explore rcgreen’s line, and if you don’t see anything you like, contact us, rcgreen builds to customers specs as well.

Structured Green is now a member of 1% For The Planet

Structured Green is pleased to announce they are now a member of 1% For The Planet. This is an organization where members donate 1% of all sales to a non-profit environmental organization. As of January 1, 2008, Structured Green has chosen to support two organizations, the wetlands and environmental education. We will donate 1% to preserving our beautiful wetlands for future generations, and another 1 % to educating children to create a more sustainable future for our earth. 1% For The Planet is enabling businesses to take a leading role in being environmental stewards and to set an example for the rest of the business community. These companies embrace the notion that the sustainability of the natural environment is fundamental to the sustainability of business, and Structured Green is happy to be a part of it!