Construction archives 4

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A look back at our most recent work...

Week of October 3

First meeting of the library group in our new library.
'New' desks came from the Detroit Public Schools warehouse.
'New' chairs from the DPS warehouse.
'New' chairs from Bargain Office Equipment.
Coat rack purchased from Bargain Office Equipment.
The front at night.
Lamps in the library adding a little atmosphere.
Laurie Catey, ready for our blower test.
Sealing the doorway between the buildings.
Prepping for the blower door test.
Ken using thermal imaging to detect air leaks.
Sealed entrance to annex.jpg

Sealing the entrances to the annex for blower test.
Mike conducting a smoke test at the windows.
Laurie reading the numbers.
Smoke test at 3 season room doors.
Smoke testing to detect leaks.

Week of September 26

Laurie and Joe measuring the amount of air flow in the ventilation system.
Finished floor.
Another picture of the main building.
We're beginning the outfit the kitchen!
The beginnings of our library collection....

Week of September 19

Window washing and oiling floors....

Insulating primary manifold loops for heating system.
Wood covers the stairs now.
thumb|500px|center|Eduardo oiling the floor on Wednesday.

Week of September 12

Cleaning and oiling floors...

You know you're getting ready to open when you get your handicapped parking spot painted.
Dally visitors from Saturday.
The library's already in use!
martha working in the library.
Blue mist spirea blooming in the parking lot.
Clearing out wood in the annex.
Shaft of light pefectly illuminating our stair rail Monday afternoon.
Kevin Gardner talking with Joost backus from the Netherlands on Wednesday.
Tom giving a tour to the group from the Netherlands.
Helen and Tom Bradley with her family on a tour Wednesday.
Group from the Netherlands posing in front of the wall.
Kirsten walking along the new floor.
Jason putting finishing touches on the floor.
We cut up the last of the wood and sent it to Boxxster, who will process it into wood chips.
The floor was finally uncovered on Friday!

Week of September 5

The fence was completed this week with the addition of the parking lot fence and gate.
Ladybugs eating the aphids on our butterfly weed.
Kevin and friends working in one of our back rooms.
We laid down the floor in sections, and immediately covered it with paper to protect it. This week we had to life the paper on large sections to do some work, so it's the first time we've seen it on any scale. Beautiful!
A view of the kitchen from above.
Back staircase with wood wall.
The trusses in the ceiling.
Air vent
Greenhouse
Back railing
The kitchen lit at night
Kevin's wall

Week of August 29

We're not yet open, but the workshop is being used every day.
Big bluestem, a Michigan native grass in the alley.
Turtlehead, another Michigan native, is a late bloomer in the alley.
Completed library with black trim.
Another view of the library.
Blue mist spirea in the parking lot.

Week of August 22

The big thing this week was the clearing out of the rest of the materials that lingered from construction - out to Boxxster!

Caroline, who helped us this summer!
Cleaning out the last of the materials - sent to Boxxster.
Rich doing an air flow check.
Library under construction this week
Under-cabinet lights in the kitchen.
Chad with the library he's creating.

Week of August 15

Work was continuing for the kitchen and library this week. Tank town was completed. The first wood came in for Jason's mend business.

Kitchen nearing completion!
Chad oiling the new library table.
Heladio using our new garden bench.
Tank Town completed (it's where we store our water tanks).
Woodland sunflower in alley.
Cardinal flower in alley.
Big bluestem in alley.
Front yard in August.
The alley in August 2011.
Harvested wood from Van Dyke house for MEND business.

Week of July 25

Work continued on the kitchen and library. We hosted a movie and dinner in the alley this weekend to celebrate its first birthday.

Chad building the library book cases.
The kitchen as it looks this week.
Aircraft cable provides support to the shelves.
Chad with library book cases
A view of the library, reception area and kitchen.
Our new hand railings.
Nick working in the 3-season room.
Table decorations.
Dinner guests.
Dinner guests.
Melinda Anderson, who did the decorations.
Austin and Claire.
Max with a plate of food.
Alley birthday dinner

Week of July 18

Hot, hot week, but the GG remained relatively cool. Work began on the library. We sealed the ceiling of the building. Work on Tank Town this week.

Joe sitting at our prototype library shelving unit.
Heladio applying spray sealer to the ceiling of the greenhouse.
Chad working on the new library bookcases.

Ann, Rose and Judy, 3 sisters, over for a visit.
Working on the controls for the HVAC system.
New green exit sign.

Building out tank town (the space in the annex where the tanks are).
Air conditioning the old fashioned way.
The alley side of the building this week.

Week of July 11

Work began on the kitchen cabinets. Refrigerator came in. Celebration of the life of Mary Fran Gilleran, IHM, who was a huge influence in our decision to bring this project downtown.

Kitchen cabinets under construction.
Jason showing us the new refrigerator. It's really a freezer, but we'll be adapting it into a refrigerator. It should cost $4 a year to operate.
Heladio and Chad trying out the back rest for the bench.
The alley is in full bloom.
Library group reviewing design.
Big community lunch on Friday.
Mary Fran celebration.
Earth flag was raised on Friday in honor of Mary Fran Gilleran, IHM.
U of D Mercy class in for a service day Friday.

Week of July 4

Prime garden beauty week brought a visit from Google- Ann Arbor employees. Reception desk was finished.

Caroline planting some groundcover in the parking lot.
Mr O (in window) observing us in his alley.
The manifolds are open in the floor to check on the water that is now in the tubes.
Butterfly weed.
Black eyed Susans.
Joe Pye weed blooming in alley .
Purple bee balm blooming.
cardinal flower beginning to bloom in the alley
Kirsten used a rolling cart for weeding this week!
Chad oiling the reception desk.
Chad and Jason looking over the finished reception desk.
The alley on Thursday.
Purple bee balm in the alley.
Red bee balm in the alley.
Cardinal flower in bloom.
Front bench finished.
Google group at GG on Saturday.
Google employees visited the Green Garage on Saturday as a part of their Day in Detroit event.
Our grandson asleep in the alley before the tour.

Week of June 27

New light fixtures went in.Lots of visitors this week. Work continued on the reception desk.

Guests from the Lenawee School District visited Monday. They are doing a net-zero energy building on their campus.
New light fixture for the ceiling.
Finally! The front sidewalk and entrance to our parking lot is going in.
Chad working on the reception desk.
The flag on Tuesday.
A walk through the front garden.
Caroline watering the front garden.
Lit stairway.
Men at work.
Kirsten teaching a student from WCCC.
Looking into the workshop.
Front with clouds.
WCCC students visiting in the alley.
Green alley cat.
WCCC class tour.
WCCC class tour on stairs.
WCCC class tour.
First cars in our parking lot.
Leaving the lot.
Chad showing off top for reception desk.
A big group for our Friday lunch.

Week of June 20

A big week for water: Drinking fountains went in, as did a kitchen sink. Water dishes were also placed outside for the dogs (it was a hot summer!). Chad began work on the reception desk.

We are repurposing an old gate as an interior screen.
Lights are going in.
Nick working in the three season room.
Chad working on the reception desk.
Chad cutting out the reception desk.
Not completed yet, but here's a view of our new reception desk made by Chad Dickinson. Next to it is our entryway bench.
We now have dog dishes (water) in the alley.
New drinking fountains.
The front minus the sidewalk.
Taru Lahti made our kitchen sink.

Week of June 13

With great fanfare, the flags went up for the first time this week. More planting in the front. Chad's bench was carried from the annex to it home in the reception area.

The alley from the east side, June 16, 2011
The flags go up.
Tom Bradley hoisting up the flag.
Our great flag band!
The flags go up.
Peggy and Helen planting out the front last week.
The alley side of the Green Garage in June 2011
Mend (Jason's recycled wood business) meeting today
Carrying our new reception bench from the workshop to the reception area

Video for the Week of June 13

We hoisted our flag for the first time on Tuesday, and in celebration of the event, Laurie, Marsha and Tom played a great rendition of 'It's A Grand Old Flag' for the group. Book them now for your next event!

Week of June 6

We planted out the front fence plants this week. Our new flag was unveiled.

We planted coreopsis, catmint and boxwoods on Tuesday
Climbing hydrangea.
The front yard.
Watering our new tree with cistern water
Brendan and Alex hold up our new flag.
Alex and Brendan hold our new flag while Tom Bradley holds the topper.

Week of May 30

Chad worked on the reception bench this week. Kitchen cabinets came from Craigslist. Big blooming time in the alley.

Chad working on our reception area bench.
Beginnings of the reception bench.
1954 kitchen cabinets came from Troy (found on Craigslist)
Canada anemone blooming in alley.
Mazus reptans continuing to bloom this week.
Eduardo watering the alley on Friday.
The alley in early June.
Flowering dogwood in our back yard.
These wire vents (for fresh air) came from Acme Wire in Detroit.
Earth room finished.
Visit from Whole Foods representatives

Week of May 23

Chad was working on designing the furniture for the library and the reception area. Work was finishing on the men's room and the earth room.

Chad worked in one of the 'huddle' rooms on Wednesday
View out a back window over to Motor City Brewing Works
Men's room sink and new paint color
The back of the building on a stormy day
Jesse Gilsbach's boys found a hiding place on Friday!
heladio finished the earth room on Friday.
Work on the parking lot

Week of May 16

As HVAC work continues, bathrooms get finishing touches. Our business gets a big boost from Nick Wetzler (a U of M MBA/Erb Sustainability grad), who'll be working with us a few months on firming up the business plans. A final week of alley plant review and clean-up before planting the pavers next week.

Kirsten working in the alley
Mazus reptans in full bloom
Nick working on our business plans in one of our huddle rooms
Palmer working on our HVAC system
Donated marble was used for the sinks in the women's room
Donated tile seconds were fashioned into a mosaic in the shower

Week of May 9

Big week. Work began on the parking lot. The first industrial clean took place. Our first meeting in the 3-season room was wonderful. We acquired our lockers from the Detroit Public School System. And the blooming continued in the alley.