Floppy Disks, Really?
Can you imagine, still relying on a 50+ year old technology?
I read this article yesterday with bemusement, as I’m sure many others did. It’s hard to believe the San Francisco transit system still runs on something as obsolete as floppy disks! Dating myself, my 1st computer, an Apple ][+, had no hard drive and the keyboard was uppercase only. I loved it, at the time!
Anyhow, it made me think how this obsolescence is viewed with shock, yet we generally accept, and still build, houses with technology that has barely advanced from the 1950s. That’s 75-ish years old, making floppy disks look new-fangled!
What do I mean by this?
1. The approach to indoor air quality is “exhaust-only.” Bath fans and range hoods that intermittently suck stale air out of the house, with no thought given to the air that replaces it – basically sucking dust, pollen, wildfire smoke, and other pollutants into the house through cracks in the walls and floor.
2. Insulation as a “ritual afterthought.” Haphazardly stuffed into whatever space is available, with gaps in some of the worst possible places and interrupted by some of the most thermally conductive materials, like metal and concrete.
3. Windows and doors that are designed, constructed, and installed with insufficient thought to what’s needed. Doors and windows that can never really “close,” severely compromise the overall comfort of the home, and which fail to shield the occupants from street noise and outdoor pollutants.
Yes, you can open the windows in a high-performance home (many of our designs have huge, amazing, operable units), but you can also “close” them when you want!
4. Building assemblies that allow air to leak inside and find its way to surfaces that cause condensation, leading to mold, mildew, and rot.
5. Design and construction that aims for mere compliance with building codes. Despite most of the effort and expense required for an “A+” home, the result is a “D” – a home prone to stale air, drafty, noisy, and only marginally comfortable despite high energy use.
By contrast, high-performance homes are designed and constructed carefully. Centralized ventilation systems continuously exhaust bathrooms and kitchens and supply filtered, fresh, comfortable air to bedrooms and other living spaces.
The insulation is intentional, and optimized. High quality windows and doors provide plentiful daylight with balanced solar gains, and foster incredible indoor-outdoor connection without compromising the shelter.
The result is a “sanctuary in the modern world” – comfortable, quiet, healthy, and clean. With no energy bills, including car charging. Resilient and safe during grid outages and wildfire smoke events. A home you’ll feel great living in and feel great about owning!
This is readily achievable now! Join the ranks of our satisfied clients – book an appointment to discuss the details.