New hardware and rating methods underpin the data-rich plaque USGBC is promoting for already-certified buildings, but insiders have questions. For those who never felt that a static LEED plaque adequately captured the performance of a building in all its complexity, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has an answer: the LEED Dynamic Plaque. The flatscreen […]
The flexibility and simplicity of steel framing systems draws many clients because there are no interior load-bearing walls, so remodeling or re-configuring rooms when needs change is a snap. “When children leave at 28, you can easily knock down walls. And when they return at 32 you can erect them again,” BONE founder and president […]
Imagine a building that self-regulates its temperature without electronics. A building that adapts, allowing outside air in as needed and eliminating the need for air conditioning, but that uses no energy in doing so. A University of California-Berkley research team has developed a new type of “building skin” that can do just that, and they are offering […]
With the rapid pace of advancement from energy efficient smart homes, to passive homes, to energy plus homes, the architecture and construction industries are leading the way in terms of building a sustainable future. Japan, however, is hoping to ensure that sustainable design doesn’t become a passing fad by pushing for all public buildings to be […]
The US General Services Administration has released a review of LEED v4, the first step to determine if the latest version of the green building system can help government agencies meet green building requirements. GSA says it will make a final recommendation on LEED v4 after receiving input from stakeholders in and outside of government. The US Green Building Council published […]
Old tech- in the form of hydronic heating– meets a new in Amazon‘s data centers, creating ‘green heating’ in Amazon’s latest new buildings in Seattle, WA. The offices and work areas of the new buildings will be heated by utilizing the waste heat of a nearby Amazon data center, and Amazon’s not stopping there. Heat from the […]
Have you ever wondered if becoming a LEED Accredited Professional, or Green Associate, was really worth the effort? “Will it help me get a job?,” you wonder. According to a press release from the US Green Building Council, the demand for LEED accredited applicants in the North American job market has actually increased – by 46% in the […]
The U.S. Green Building Council and Ember Strategies recently released the results of a deep dive study into the design energy efficiency of a decade of LEED buildings (PDF). Ten years of LEED data shows the evolution of the best in the architecture, engineering and construction industry — and a few industry quirks — as they strive […]
Passive house design has gone from an emerging architectural trend to a firmly established movement that’s entrenched itself in the professional and public mind. Even so, most people – both industry experts and laypeople – take the term literally, and equate “passive house” with, you know, houses. The truth, meanwhile, is that the same principles that […]
Since an increasing number of builders and building owners are requiring minimum energy efficiency performance, more engineers are deciding they need to get on board by developing a better understanding of how to harness technology prior to construction to ensure energy savings are achieved. It would be nice if they could know intuitively the building […]