Solar Hot Water Heater

We recently made the switch from our dinosaur electric hot water heater to our spiffy new modern solar hot water heater. Can I tell you how smart I felt by doing so?

It all started back in May when Leon and I discovered a leak coming through our fairly newly installed IKEA light fixture over the kitchen sink. As new home owners that don't know anything about home repairs, we went into a state of panic. Our one saving grace was that our "miracle leak" occurred right over the kitchen sink. You really can't ask for a better spot to have a leak. We felt blessed.

We consulted with a handful of contractors, roofers and handymen. The first thing we did was pull the entire seal off our roof to determine what kind of crack we were dealing with. Well....let me tell you, one doesn't realize one has a leak until it's rainy season in the tropics. One also doesn't realize how bad the leak is until one has no seal on the roof.

Once the seal was removed and we discovered enough cracks to break my mothers back. Our miracle leak turned into multiple miracle leaks. We got another one directly over the bathroom shower, and another one over our kitchen cabinet that just so happened to have a chip and dip platter resting directly beneath it. I was finally able to prove my point to Leon that the platter would someday be used. Chips it hasn't held, water is has.

We finally got a break in the weather and were able to seal the roof with Crossco 8500, a product that seems to be working ok and is available at Home Depot. The following day we had PR Solar Products come out to install the solar hot water heater. We purchased an 80 gallon tank with three panels. Basically we have enough hot water for our entire neighborhood to take showers, do laundry, wash dishes and do whatever else one does with hot water. It took less than 2 hours for the entire system to be installed and we had scalding hot water immediately.

The best part about it is that we get a 50% tax credit on the total amount paid ($2000). If we had installed it last year we would have received a 75% tax credit. Now our electric bill should be reduced significantly. I'm actually looking forward to receiving our next electric bill so I can see the reduction. Not only will we be saving money but other added values of the solar hot water heater are reduced CO2 emissions, added value to our home, free hot water and we can feel good about being environmentally friendly.

Rincon is the highlife

I am Henry Smith, the current intern at Big Prototype. Last week my internship (John Nafziger and Sarah Strauss) brought me to Rincon, in order to work onsite at the Little Malibu home and Dos Ceibas development. I embarked on this trip with little knowledge about puerto rico other than the Dos Ceibas development. Needless to say I was in for a splendid surprise. From the moment I landed, I was surrounded by warm weather and thick lush green tropical scenery. I believe it was at that moment that i said, this is going to be a great week..., and it only got better. Soon I was indulging in some of the most delicious cuisine. I met the locals who were all very friendly and hospitable. There was a just very relaxing laid back aura about this place. Every day, before and after work, I went swimming and snorkeling in the ocean. I experience the most awe inspiring spectacles of coral reef, who's dire fates were reversed and saved by the persistent work of Leon Richter and the Surfrider Foundation. The corals, being the keystone species of that ecosystem, rendered themselves as condominiums of refuge for the other beautiful living organisms that dwelled there. I couldn't get enough of it. 

Work was an amazing experience. I was working on the Little Malibu home. The house itself is a modern marvel. It is not your average home by any means. This house incorporates a beautiful modern aesthetic, prestigious amenities for tropical island functionality, breathtaking captivating views, and cutting edge technologies for environmental responsibility and self-sustainability. Not only is it a beautiful home conducive to never ending great experiences, but it also has a symbiotic harmonious relationship with the environment that it shares space with. It requires far less external resources. Many homes resist, over-consume, and detrimentally impact the land they sit on, but this house embraces the natural flow, in all facets, of the land that it rests upon. So the best part of this trip, for me, wasn't only to be working in perfect conditions with mesmerizing views and easy ocean/pool accessibility. But really it was the feeling of being a part of this new positive green revolution, that is the future, not only of architecture and design, but of every living aspect of society.

So now as I sit in my little space in New York surrounded by noise and concrete, and reflect on my relatively short time in Rincon, I reflect upon one of the greatest relaxing exhilarating experiences of my life. I hope to return very soon to the Highlife of Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Colors of Lil Bu

Coming Soon to Vieques

One of the most interesting and innovative building projects we've encountered in PR is El Blok, a 22 room boutique hotel in enchanting Esperanza, Vieques "that is part sculpture and part contemporary tropical oasis."

This hotel will be LEED certified, features a roof top pool and will include a bar and restaurant serving locally grown food. It will be a while before you can book a reservation (set to open in late 2010), but once you can, be sure you do. Beyond the green design and mission, El Blok will unquestionably feature some of PR's finest hospitality. We should know... The owners are our friends Simon and Marija and we have experienced their special breed of hospitality on many occasions.

Read more about the project as reported in Caribbean Business.

INTERN TACKLES TOPO!

Summer intern, Henry Smith, hard at work with BigPrototype. Using the new laser cutter technology, Henry is creating a comprehensive site model of the Dos Ceibas development in Rincon, PR with contours of 0.5 meters.

Henry is stoked to be in NYC for the summer and wants to send a shout out to Leon and his brother, Chewy, for hooking up the sweet gig!

International Surf Day Rincon, Puerto Rico

Yesterday was International Surfing Day and it was observed in surf communities around the world. Here in Rincon, Puerto Rico we celebrated it by starting with a beach clean up inside the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, followed by stand up paddle boarding by some, paddling on surfboards by others and a snorkel by the rest around the reserve, and we ended the day with a potluck lunch on Steps Beach. The sun was shining and the water was crystal clear....it was another gorgeous day in paradise!

International Surfing Day is held annually on the summer solstice. It was established by Surfing Magazine and Surfrider Foundation in 2004. It's not just for people that surf, it's for everyone that loves the beaches, oceans and waves. It's for people that are environmentally conscious and want to give back to the community. It's also a day for people to get outside and enjoy the water. It's an opportunity to invite people to come spend the day on the beach, together as a community, and that's what we did!

The good news is OUR BEACHES ARE PRETTY DARN CLEAN!!! We gathered about 10 bags of trash, some corrugated tin, two tires and broken flower pot. I have to say that the beaches here in Rincon seem remarkably cleaner than they were a few years ago. I think a lot of that has to do with the monthly beach clean ups we do with Surfrider Foundation. Also, due to the clean ups a lot more people are aware of the "keep our beaches clean" effort and whenever they go to the beach they pick up scraps of trash on their way out. Now, I'm not talking about masses of trash everywhere, but it's the cigarette butts or the plastic cup you see while lying on the beach that really bug me.

Anyhow...yesterday was a great success. Thanks to Joel Cordero for all the great photos. Thanks to Steve Tamar for tirelessly setting up the Surfrider tent. Thanks to Roger Wagner from 787 Surf School for carting all the tables and coolers back and forth. Thanks to everyone that made delicious food for lunch and helped clean our beach! Thanks to Surfrider Foundation, Kaenon and Monster Beverage for donating all the cool schwag that we gave away at the event. And thanks to David and Maureen Miller for donating about 30 lbs of delicious squash, free for the taking, from their farm.

Arte Acuatico Exhibit

The Aquatic Art Workshop is an after school art project spearheaded by Annette Blasini, Wess Merten and Leon Richter, all dedicated Surfrider activists.  The project involved 39 middle school students from the Jorge Seda Crespo middle school in Rincon.  The talented students were given various themes relating to the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve Tire Removal Project.  This project has been funded two years in a row by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and led by Wess Merten and Pauco, a local fisherman.  Over 475 tires have been removed from the reserve as well as clothing, plastics, fishing nets, abandoned boats and other debree that suffocate and threaten the coral reefs.  None of the clean ups could have been possible without the help of many volunteers week after week.

The students participated in two Saturday workshops led by Annette and Wess.  Their assignment was to paint a picture of what the marine reserve means to them, relating to certain topics such as marine life, coastal clean ups and pollution that affects the reef.  The paintings are being printed and bound into a book that will be available to the public as of June 25th, 2009 at the art exhibit on display at the Rincon of the Seas Hotel.  

Annette, Wess and Leon have been educating the students year after year about the importance of the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve.  Every student in the elementary, middle school and high school has been educated about the TPMR and taught  about the wonders of the natural beauty they have in their back yard.  I'm often reminded of that when our friends and family visit us from the states.  They're always in awe of the beauty and the marine life we have literally in our backyard.

I have to say I was incredibly impressed with the sophistication and talent of these students.  I had the opportunity to be a part of the first workshop when I volunteered to make lunch for the students.  Not only was I impressed with their talent but their focus to get the job done.  As soon as they finished eating they wanted to get back to their paintings.  

Many thanks to other volunteers.  Oliver Bencosme was ready and willing to document the project as the on site photographer.  Cuqui Gonzales graciously volunteered lunch for round two of the project.  Leon Richter, my husband and long time Surfrider Coordinator was there to oversee the project.  Wess, Annette and many teachers from the middle school offered their time on the weekends to help remind us  of the unique place that we are so lucky to live in.  I smile when I have those moments when I'm reminded of the fact that Rincon is a special place.  It's not something that can be created by hand, it's  natural wonder that we are lucky to be a part of.

DOS CEIBAS Planning Green

This video is the 1st of a 4 part series featuring Dos Ceibas entitled "Conscious Living." These videos by MTV Networks tell the story of our collaboration with BigPrototype as we explore sustainable strategies building custom tropical homes here in Rincón, PR.

Some of these strategies are dramatic, like the green roof on the Little Malibu House. Others, like orienting each home to take advantage of the prevailing trade winds, are more subtle, but equally significant.

The videos are airing on Logo Network and are part of the launch of the Saturn VUE Hybrid.

Shot in Rincón, PR in December 2008, the videos would not have been possible without the help of the Uncharted Studio's Tony Dooley who saved the shoot.

Check out the video above or watch it here, then please share it with friends and family.

Little Malibu House at Night

The Little Malibu House, the first of 8 unique custom designed residences at Dos Ceibas in Rincón, PR, is finally nearing completion. This house includes a number of green strategies to reduce its impact on the environment and to make it easier to maintain for its owners.

It's been a group effort. Many thanks to Johnno for his help and for this great photo.

Want to know more? Interested in being a neighbor? It's not too late. Your custom dream home in the tropics awaits... Contact Ali to learn more.

From the Big Screen to the Little Screen

While Salva Tres Palmas was on the big screen, my sister Sharon appeared on NBC's the Today Show to talk about healthy eating habits.

Sharon appears 90 seconds into the video.

One thing I learned from watching was how to choose the right type of carbohydrates. Sharon, a registered dietitian, said to choose carbs that are high in fiber and low in sugar (who knew?). Her rule of thumb for selecting carbs, which I really thought helped clarify things, was:

Pick carbohydrates that contain more than 3g of fiber and less than 10g of sugar (per serving).

Learn more from the video or at sharonrichter.com

Happy snacking.

2nd Annual Rincón International Film Festival

A lot has changed since I first moved to Rincón over 7 1/2 years ago. With each passing year, life in this small town gets a little richer with art, food, music and culture.

The 2009 Rincón International Film Festival is taking place this week in Rincón, PR. 60 films were selected from over 350 submissions and are being screened around Rincón from April 28 - May 3.

Salva Tres Palmas - The Film is being shown on Sunday, May 3 at 7pm in Rincón's town plaza. This screening is free and open to the public.

As many of you know, I have spent over seven years collaborating with our good friend SuperChad Nelsen on the Salva Tres Palmas campaign. With the adoption of the Tres Palmas Management Plan and the formation of a Management Board comprised of locals that will govern the management of the Reserve, our work is drawing to a conclusion. Consequently last summer we offered an internship to a journalism graduate student to describe the community effort in her own words and images.

Salva Tres Palmas tells the story of the Surfrider Foundation campaign and the resulting environmental victory that gave life to the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, the first marine reserve on the main island of Puerto Rico. Tres Palmas has earned a global reputation for its "giant" surfing waves and for possessing one of the healthiest Elkhorn coral reef colonies throughout the Caribbean. This coral is of vital ecological importance to the shores of Rincón, the health of the sea and the species that inhabit it.

If you can't join us on Sunday, May 3rd at the Plaza, you can watch the film on-line here.

Enjoy the film and post your comments. We want to hear what you think...

The Film Festival is being sponsored in part by the Tourism Association of Rincón and Porta del Sol along with a variety of local merchants including the Secret Garden Art Gallery, the Shipwreck Bar & Grill, and Uncharted Studios.

1st Annual Beach Boy SUP Race in Rincon

On April 4^th, 2009 the 1^st Annual Beach Boy Race for Stand Up Paddleboarding was held in Rincon, Puerto Rico. Organized by local Rincoeños, there were over 70 participants in the race and many more on hand to watch.

Villa Cofresi was the starting point of the race and they graciously sponsored part of the event. Food and refreshments were provided before and after the race. Angelo Cordero was on site volunteering his time as the official photographer on land and in the water, as he snapped photos from a jet ski. Mar Azul donated boards for contestants that didn’t own their own boards. Shipwreck Café and Taino Divers were there with staff members helping out and participating in the event. The event really brought together everyone in the community.

The open race had about 40 participants, male and female of all ages, racing from Villa Cofresi to the marina and back. That’s about 2.5 miles but it looks a lot less when standing onshore. My confidence got the best of me when Leon encouraged me to enter into the elite category with 30 other competitors. The elite race went from Villa Cofresi, to Domes Beach and then back to Villa Cofresi for a total of 6.5 miles.

I turned in my white open shirt for the red elite shirt and lined up for the horn that signaled the start of the race. Right from the get-go the serious competitors took the lead. I quickly realized that I was in a little over my head. I began to doubt myself especially when I reached the first orange buoy marking the halfway point for the open race. I started thinking of escape plans. I thought I could turn around as soon as I saw Leon lapping me on his return trip. When he passed me and I told him my plan he insisted that I keep going. Then I thought I could discreetly exit the beach in front of my house and no one would notice. But then I thought about how good it would feel to cross the finish line. That’s when I made up my mind to finish. It didn’t matter how long it took me, it mattered that I complete the race. At that very moment I realized that I had been daydreaming and the guy I had been neck and neck with for the first half of the race had gained 20 yards on me. As I snapped to it he fell off his board in the choppy waters just as he rounded the point between the Rincon Lighthouse and Domes. That’s when I made my move. I passed him as he fell off his board for a second time in the hellish waters by the point. As I passed him I made a wake so big I knocked him off his board a third time (ok…that’s a slight exaggeration). As I rounded the buoy I smacked it so hard with excitement I knocked myself off my board. But that didn’t stop me. I let out a whoop and a holler knowing that I was half way home. As there had already been a number of people that had already passed me, I knew heading home would be much easier moving with the current. On the way back the waves were pumping, surfers were catching waves and cheering us on. I even managed to catch 2 waves around Dogmans that propelled me closer to the finish line. By this time I had a solid 200 yard lead ahead of my male competitor. As I turned the bend at Steps Beach I saw Miss Snickerdoodle Bruiser on the beach running alongside me. It was like she was cheering me on. My very own mascot! Next I passed the marina and I reached the finish line at Villa Cofresi. I knew I had placed 4^th in the women’s category since 3 other women had passed me during the race. As the wave took me to shore and everyone was cheering I felt a huge sense of accomplishment and pride. That’s when a teeny tiny vicious wave knocked me off my board and lurched me onto shore face first into the sand. What a photo finish!

Bamboo

Leon and I were interested in planting trees, bushes and flowers to beautify the property and reduce erosion. We were able to get over 200 plants for free from the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources DRNA, mostly consisting of different varieties of palms and we bought hundreds of small mani plants for ground cover. Over time we continued to add different types of bushes, shrubs and flowers with some successes and some failures. Some of our favorite plantings are the various species of bamboo we planted on the east side of the property. We heard there is a man in town that goes by the name Bamboo Joe. He has 12 cuerdas (approx 12 acres) in Barrio Cruces covered in bamboo and various hard woods that he planted himself. Bamboo Joe was offering a tour of his property for anyone interested in seeing what he was doing. It turns out he built his house out of bamboo as well as furniture, lamps, toys, and tree houses too! Joe has created his own bamboo jungle unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

We were so impressed with the beauty of the bamboo garden that decided to hire Joe to plant bamboo on our property, Dos Ceibas. We already had one large patch of bamboo on the property that's been there for many years and it’s a special spot on the property for us. In fact we named one of the lots “Bamboo” because of it. The tranquility and shade it provides is a unique aspect of the bamboo patch. We love the noise it makes when the wind rusltles the leaves and makes the stalks rub against one another. The fallen leaves also provides a unique ground cover. We planted various types of bamboo as a screen on the north side of the property which has the closest proximity to a neighbor. We're looking to create a natural barrier on the border of the cano.

Here are a few species of bamboo we planted:

Bambusa Textilis, also called weavers bamboo. It's wind tolerant, compact, ideal for hedges and can grow up to 40 feet in height.

Bambusa Vulgaris, also called common bamboo has feathery yellow and green leaves. Its known to be great for erosion control and can grow up to 40 feet in height.

Dendrocalamus Asper, also known as giant bamboo can grow up to 4o feet in height. It has spines and sharp edges and grows really fast with large bright green leaves.

Bambusa Tuldoides is also known as buddhas belly because of the swollen sections called internodes. Buddhas Belly can grow up to 70 feet tall with zig zagging lowers culms! It's one of the largest bamboo species around. Obviously these are great for foliage and a privacy screen The height can also be stunted when put into pots and used for ornamental decorations.

The History of Dos Ceibas, Rincon, Puerto Rico

As I was about to leave my corporate job at Gap, Inc in NYC and move to Rincon I weighed my options about what to do next. Leon and I both have real estate in our family backgrounds so it was a natural course to follow. We also felt that Rincon, Puerto Rico is a special town that lent itself to tourism and we were watching the real estate market grow before our eyes.

The opportunity presented itself when we were introduced to Mama Kahuna. She was the owner of the legendary piece of property formerly owned by her husband, Kahuna. Back in the 60’s when the pioneers of the surfing began to visit the island, Kahuna ran the first guesthouse on the west coast. Kahuna would pick up eager surfers from the San Juan airport and drive them across the island to Rincon and continue to taxi them around daily to all the epic surf spots in town. Kahuna had a knack for deciphering when and where the waves would break. Unfortunately a fire devastated the guesthouse and shortly thereafter Kahuna passed away. That was the end of the first surfing guesthouse in Rincon. In 2004 we were fortunate enough to cross paths with Mama Kahuna. She took a liking to us, or should I say she took a strong liking to my husband Leon in particular. She blessed our future, sold us the property and our dream was born.

We interviewed a number of landscape architects around the island to help us cultivate our vision. Unfortunately we didn’t see eye to eye on some design aspects and we eventually met up with Big Prototype of Brooklyn, NY. Once we teamed up with them it was a match made in heaven. We spent the first 6 months contemplating the site design. We spent many hours day and night walking the site, getting to know the intimacies of the land. I spent three weeks clearing over 2 cuerdas (approx 2 acres) by hand with a team of local professionals in the art of machete swinging to understand what we were working with. Once we cleared the brush and opened up the view we realized we had a true gem on our hands. After months of review we finally landed on a design that felt like the perfect fit for the topography. We decided to place the road on the lower west side of the land where the views were least spectacular and most conducive for the road. That allowed us to save the most spectacular views up on the ridge for the home sites. This also allowed us to preserve the two most magnificent ceiba trees smack dab in the middle of the site, hence the name Dos Ceibas. It turns out Kahuna had planted the trees over 55 years ago. Not only are ceiba trees protected be the law, I felt like the trees represented Kahuna and Mama Kahuna and how they will always be watching out for us. We decided to divide the property into 8 lots, all offering unique ocean views from each site. I’ve tried capturing the view through photos but it never does it justice. It’s one of those things you need to experience for yourself. We’ve sold two out of the eight lots and the first home we like to call Little Malibu is nearing completion. It’s been a wonderful learning experience and I look forward to doing it seven more times.

Streetlights - Neighborhood Planning

One of the most critical decisions in planning the Dos Ceibas neighborhood was the placement of the road. The undeveloped land was a 4 acre parcel with a ridge running down the center of the property -the only access to the site was along the southern border from road 413. With the exception of a few foot trails, most of the site was covered in thick vegetation and was difficult to navigate. Figuring out the ideal location of the access road was one of our first tasks in the design of the master plan.

After walking every inch of the site with machetes, we evaluated the possible options. The road would provide access to each of the lots, but would also be the service spine for utilities (water, electricity, cable and phone service) AND have to be lit by streetlights to comply with municipal codes. We constructed a 3d model of the site topography to test the extents of the light pollution from the anticipated streetlights. Below are the images from preliminary designs A and J.

Design A locates the road on the top of the ridge - roughly dividing the property in two. While this seemed like a straightforward solution to vehicular access, the downside was that half of the properties would lose their ocean view and all of the lots would experience nightime light interference.

Design J locates the road to the west, below the ridge - allowing all of the houses to occupy the ridge and taking advantage of the elevation for ocean views. This also located the streetlights in such a way that the natural topography of the site helped to contain the light pollution. We determined that Design J would be the basis of our master plan.

Underground Electric Rincon

The development at Dos Ceibas strives to be conscious of all of the elements that go into building a neighborhood. During the planning phase of the project one of the decisions we were confronted with was how to provide municipal electric for each lot. Standard practice on the island is to run wiring from the closest pole to each house, creating an above ground network of wires crisscrossing the property.

This standard solution seemed problematic on a couple of fronts. First, we wanted to preserve the spectacular view without interference. Second, above ground wiring can be dangerous in a hurricane or high wind storms. Exposed wires are vulnerable to falling branches and debris, and if damage does occur, residential lines will only be serviced after the main municipal line are working again. We made the decision to underground all of the electric lines for the neighborhood. Timing was coordinated with the cutting of the road, so we dug a trench parallel to the road to lay our lines.

The gray PVC piping carries the lines to a junction box on the property and from here the lines are run to each lot. This strategy facilitates later construction by ensuring that each lot has direct access to municipal power, and helps to deliver a consistent attitude within the neighborhood. The image below shows the local termination for a lot - once connected to the house the electric runs will be entirely underground!

LITTLE MALIBU HOUSE: construction photos

The first house on the Dos Ceibas development located in Rincon, PR is almost complete and the slide show below gives an overview of the construction.

The dominant building method in Puerto Rico is cast in place concrete construction. Our goal for the Little Malibu house was to utilize this construction typology and re-deploy it in a way to create spaces that break with the now so common air-conditioned boxes, re-engaging a dialogue with the openness and passively oriented and cooled structures of a century ago.

Rincon Student Art Project Underway

The Surfrider Foundation's Aquatic Art Project is underway at Rincon's Jorge Seda Crespo Middle School. Check out the slideshow from Day 1 or simply learn more about this outreach and education program.

Solar Louvers

One of the passive cooling strategies employed by Bigprototype in the Little Malibu House (Rincon, PR) is a system of fixed solar louvers to shade the southern elevation of the house from the intense Caribbean sun. The louvers are made from 6" Ipe wood decking sourced from Maderas 3C's in San Juan, PR.

Here Sarah selects and cuts the wood louvers to size in the soon to be finished garage space.

The support frames were fabricated locally and are made from stainless steel.  Here John attaches the louvers to the brackets.  Ahhhh!  It's cooler already!!!

Almost done!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Composting is Cool!

Leon and I are doing our best to live by the motto reduce, reuse, recycle. We've been composting for well over a year now at R House in Rincon, Pueto Rico and have seen major improvements in our home garden by using the compost material for our organic herb garden and yard plants. We've also seen a dramatic decrease in the amount of trash that goes into our trash barrels.

Picking out the right composter was important to us.  We evaluated how we would use the composter and how often we would add to it.  Since I love to cook, and cook often, we realized our composter would be added to daily.  For that reason we chose the bin style as opposed to the tumbling composter.  The problem with the tumbling composter is if you use it daily, you're constantly adding fresh produce to it, which makes it more difficult to sift out the dark crumbly matter when gardening.  Living in a warm environment like Puerto Rico helps speed up the decomposition, but one can also compost while living in cold regions; it just may take a bit longer.

We chose the Earthsaver Compost Bin.  I found it online for about $180, but after searching the web a little longer, I found it on ebay for only $89 with shipping! The Earthsaver Compost Bin was easy to assemble, has dual sliding doors and a large locking lid to keep the rodents out. We added a mesh wire to the bottom of the composter and tacked it to the sides so that the rodents wouldn't be able to dig under the composter to get at the food scraps. It seems to have worked since we've never had any problems with rodents.  We do have about a million cockroaches living in the bin.  I was a bit worried about it so I did some research and learned that roaches are actually helping breakdown the food scraps added to the bin.

The best combo for your composter is layering greens and browns.  We add fruit, veggies, coffee grounds, cardboard toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, eggshells (no yolks!) and lint from the dryer as well as dry dead plants, leaves and grass.  Never add bones, meat, dairy, diseased plants, oil or chemically treated yard waste as this can lead to bad odors, rodents and flies.  Steve Tamar, my composting guru, told me that mango leaves are highly acidic so I try not to add that type of leaf to the mix.  Also, chemically treated yard waste can contain pesticides that are harmful to the composting organisms that help break down the matter.  I've also been told that horse manure is excellent to add and Pintos R Us happily agreed to donate all the manure I want for my bin.  I just haven't been able to bring myself to scoop the poop for the bin!

Caribbean Coralina

This is one of the best local materials we came across in our Puerto Rico building adventure! Coralina or Coral Stone is quarried from multiple locations in the Caribbean - our lot was sourced from our stone supplier in Puerto Rico, but originated from the Dominican Republic. Coralina is a sedimentary rock composed of compressed shells and corals rendering it with some interesting properties.


Coralina is a pale pinkish/orange stone that bleaches out to almost white with intense sun exposure. Due to its composition, many tiny air bubbles are trapped within its layers making this stone an excellent insulator. BigPrototype used the stone on all of the exterior surfaces of the Little Malibu House. On the upper deck the coralina insulates the bedrooms below - using a passive cooling strategy to reduce or eliminate the need for AC.

In addition to having exceptional insulating properties, the surface is wonderful for barefoot traction. The porous finish is not slippery and is the perfect material to use around the saltwater pool. It should, however, be grouted and sealed to maintain a pristine surface - the tiny holes will otherwise trap water and cause mildew.

To find out more or to buy coralina tile, contact Yaniel Merced from Northwest Rustic Tile at 787-882-0520 or go visit them at: Carr 2 KM 118.1, Interior Carr #110, Bo. Ceiba Baja in Aguadilla

Rainwater Harvesting Rincon, Puerto Rico

The tropical climate in the Carribean is ideal for collecting rainwater. With daily afternoon showers, and heavy downpours in the rainy months, clean fresh water is plentiful. Bigprototype designed a rainwater catchment system to take advantage of this resource for the Little Malibu house at Dos Ceibas.

On the upper floor of the house a shade structure doubles as a water funnel to collect fresh rainwater. The rainwater catchment is located high up on the structure to keep the pan clear of dirt and debris. The total area is 128 sqft that gently slopes to a drain at the edge of the catchment.

From the drain the water flows down thru the center of concrete column in a 2" diameter PVC pipe which terminates in a 600 gallon tank. We use this tank to run our toilets throughout the house and to water the landscape. This also provides the opportuity to maintain a local source of freshwater when the municipal supply is down - a frequent occurence in Puerto Rico!

Our system is gravity fed, taking advantage of the topography of our site. A 2" overflow valve is run from the top of our tank to an external drain preventing backups when we have unusually heavy rains.

From Brooklyn, NY to Rincon, PR

BigPrototype rolled into town with a posse this last weekend. Upon arrival, the crew stopped by the Little Malibu House at Dos Ceibas and photographer Jessica Creedon sent us these shots from her visit to Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Like designers John & Sarah, Jessica currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

In her own words, "A few years ago I went back to my roots so to speak, and began working for an architectural photographer, continuing to expand my knowledge of 4x5 cameras and lighting - both in the studio and on location.

I live in Brooklyn now, pursuing my dreams, perfecting my craft and framing life as it comes. I shoot daily with my Nikon D70. You can see my daily life unfold here."

Check out Jesse's impressive body of work by visiting her website.

As Seen in El Coqui

El Coqui of Rincon is the primary print publication in Rincon, Puerto Rico. The March 2009 issue is dedicated to real estate and Publisher and Editor Rhea Maxwell visited Dos Ceibas and the Little Malibu House for her lead story on different approaches to home building in Rincon.

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Her article describes Dos Ceibas as "a new concept to Rincon" and the Little Malibu House as a "model of 'green efficiency'".

The March El Coqui discusses Puerto Rico Real Estate from a variety of perspectives: from going green and fung shui to stories on local real estate brokers and market conditions. It also includes the Surfrider Foundation's monthly column, an announcement for the Rincon Film Festival, and a report on the Tourism Association of Rincon's annual meeting. And, as usual, it also contains local ads, restaurant information, listings of land for sale, and other real estate listings.

The April issue of El Coqui of Rincon will be dedicated to environmental issues and community efforts in and around Rincon, Puerto Rico.

First Green Roof in Rincon Puerto Rico!

Green roofs in the Caribbean offer many benefits to home owners. The plant medium absorb the radiant heat of the sun insulating the living spaces below keeping them cool. They also help with storm water management by reducing runoff, soaking in rainwater and mitigating erosion.

Bigprototype used a green roof at the Little Malibu House in Rincon, PR for several reasons. The house can be seen from all of the other lots in the Dos Ceibas development; it was an important concept for the vision of the neighborhood. We decided to use the strategy of passive cooling instead of air conditioning to reduce energy costs. More importantly, Harrison gets to tee off his biodegradable golf balls!

February 4, 2009 Progress Shots

Almost there........here are some progress shots of the Little Malibu House in Rincon, PR from February 4, 2009. The home includes a number of green design strategies. Note the water catchment and wood solar shades in the top image. The bottom image shows the North elevation: top floor contains main entry and kitchen/dining space; middle floor contains living room and two bedroom suites; ground floor has one bedroom suite, outdoor living room and bunk room.

Getting Close

A view of the Little Malibu House at Dos Ceibas in Rincón, PR. This home features a green roof, passive cooling, passive solar, water catchement and a salt water pool. Little Malibu House will be completed this winter. Thanks to Johnno for the photo.

Keeping Dirt in its Place

Puerto Rico's coast is fringed with coral reefs and Rincon is home to one of the healthiest elkhorn coral communities in the Caribbean. Sediments that enter the water system and which end up in the ocean can kill corals by blocking the sunlight these reefs need to survive. There are many simple methods that can be implemented by real estate developers and home builders to reduce the amount of sediments that leave a construction site.

The easiest thing one can do in Puerto Rico is to do all earth moving during the dry season.

Home builders and contractors should install Sediment Control Devices like hay bales and silt fencing.

Another sustainable strategy to reduce sediments is to work with nature and plant in the disturbed area.

As soon as we had completed the grading for our road at Dos Ceibas in Rincon, PR, we planted over 2000 plants, shrubs and trees on the roadsides to help stabilize the soil and reduce erosion. These plantings are more than decorative, they are functional.

In this case, adding green is going green.

Sediment control helps maintain a healthy watershed and protects endangered coral reefs...learn more about the Effects of Sedimentation on Coral Reefs
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