The Green Garage is blooming in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. The old Model T showroom is getting ready to become a showplace for new sustainability-oriented businesses.
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The last time Model D covered the Green Garage, back in December 2009, owners Peggy and Tom Brennan were chugging along with their project, transforming a 1920 building that once served as a Model T showroom into a business incubator and green building model. Earth tubes and water cisterns were installed, most of the ceiling removed to showcase the building's bow tresses, and a three-season room was added to the front of the building. They've since installed a Duro-Last roof and cleaned the interior and exterior brick and woodwork using a non-toxic process of walnut shell-blasting. The interior wood has been coated with low-VOC Defy.
The project is currently going through the brownfield approval process and design is being "taken to the next level of sustainable detail," says Tom. "Our design is solid, but not detailed enough for someone to pound a nail." This process is complicated by the level of efficiency they are working to attain. For example, windows will allow 0.1 air infiltration, be rated 45 R, achieve zero-waste, and will last 100 years.
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