Our not-so-hidden agenda: We want to use your building project to make the neighborhood / city / world a better place.
Opinion
Today, Let's Drink to Clean Water … and Then Do More to Protect Our Water Supply
Monday’s Chicagoist headline, “It’s Okay to Drink the Water, Chicago,” is accurate but perhaps a little dismissive of the larger issues about drinking water which should be raised in all our minds by the recent drinking water scares topping news across the country. This weekend’s public drinking water ban in Todedo, Ohio follows the ongoing […]
If They Build it We Will Park – So Why Require More Parking With Every New Construction Project?
Bring on the predictable outrage, folks, but we’re about to do it … we’re about to say … There is WAY too much free parking available in Chicago. We should stop building more of it! For all the hoopla over the (admittedly) terrible parking meter deal made by Mayor Daley and regardless of the sticker […]
Invisible Sustainability: Starting from the Drawingboard
For all the noise made about sustainable technology ( PV panels on the roof, energy star everything, etc. ) an equally important part of what makes a building green is invisible. Today’s post explores some of the less tangible qualities that make a green building – nothing you can buy, or add on after the fact – concepts […]
Ancient Hearth to Modern Design: Inspiration from the Cooking and Construction in India, Hawaii & Korea
Illustration by Emily Torem American disposable food culture notwithstanding, a restaurant is about more than efficiently transferring food from a refrigerator to a stomach. The best restaurants create a sense of place—through the food preparation, the physical surroundings, the textures and the temperatures—that make diners feel at home and nurture our humanity. At […]
Do you need an Architect? Probably. You might be surprised at how useful we can be.
If you thought you might need an architect … you probably do. (No false modesty here!) Here’s why!
Dishing the Dirt on Composting Toilets
If you’d like go one step farther in your quest for water conservation … what about composting toilets? Before you gasp, shudder and click away, give us a minute to explain why.
Spectacular Portraits of South Africans and their Bikes
As a group of avid bike enthusiasts, there’s little we like more than seeing other people love their bikes. This collection of portraits South Africans with their bikes photographed by Stan Englebrecht and Nic Grobler by is available in a kickstarter funded book, unsurprisingly called “Bicycle Portraits.” The whole project is an amazing union of […]
Arbor Day and the Importance of Chicago's Urban Forest
sketch from City of Chicago press photo We’ve been talking a lot about trees lately – which is only appropriate as last friday was Arbor Day. While protecting the rainforest and preserving our National Parks is vitally important to the health of our planet, we can’t forget the trees right around us. Urban trees are important. Dan […]
Why You Should Care About Saving Water At Home
Today’s post has 5 great reasons why we should all be a little more conservative (so to speak) with our domestic water use. How you can be saving water?
Earth Day: Three (easy) Ways to Love Your Planet
Did you know that Earth Day is the world’s largest civic holiday? Here are three totally manageable ways to say “THANKS” to the planet we call Earth:
How We Operate: Field Measuring in Existing Buildings
Moss explains the essential tools (and considerations) for a good field measurement site visit.
Work Life Balance: Following the Classic Cycle Races
We support many outside interests at moss HQ, and spring fever here manifests in excitement about the Classics – the series of one day professional bike races held all over Europe which have been a test of cycling skill since the 19th century. Matt’s very own Roubaix (pictured above) was designed by Specialized Bikes with […]
Is it Good for Humans? Lessons and Questions from Structures for Inclusion, New York
While moss isn’t explicitly a public interest design firm, we all definitely try to keep a finger on the pulse of that community. We helped spearhead the People Spot project here in Chicago, designing the first parklet which is re-installed every spring here in Andersonville. Team member, Lety Murray, has served on the board of […]
Five Reasons To Live in a Walkable Neighborhood
Where you live affects how you live. Choosing to live in a walkable neighborhood is linked to happiness, health, efficiency, and finances.