One of the primary objections to green building made by non-believers is related to money, of course. Doesn’t money always seem to be a driving force in our society? However, there are some things that we should not postpone addressing, like environmental sustainability and global warming. It is imperative that building design, engineering, and construction […]
The return of Daylight Saving Time (DST) each year invariably sparks debate. Although it’s tempting to think of DST as some kind of perverse invention designed to deprive us of sleep, its chief purpose has always been to save electricity. Today this means not only saving money, but reducing the usage of non-green energy sources, […]
On March 3 of this year, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) launched a global project to prove that green office buildings actually do result in greater business productivity. This comes at a time when business owners, developers, and investors remain skeptical about the profitability of “going green.” With this project, WorldGBC hopes to supplement the research summarized […]
Tsk…tsk…can’t the green rating systems get along? As LEED and Green Globes duke it out in the press and through lobbyists, the question is: What’s the fuss all about? Let’s back up for a moment into respective corners of the ring and briefly review the game plans. For years, the U.S. Green Building Council’s building […]
Remember when you played connect-the-dots as a child? On a page was a set of numbered dots that formed a picture when the lines were correctly drawn between them. As interest in environmental sustainability, and all of its associated issues, grows, it becomes increasingly important to connect the landscaping dots. The many dots are labeled […]
Baby boomers have forced people to think differently about aging. They are learning new technologies, exercising to stay healthy, and working longer. It seems that age is relative to how well the existing structure (body) is maintained and upgraded as new information is introduced. There are certainly some similarities to aging, existing buildings, isn’t there? […]
With tongue-in-cheek, let us say that the principles and practices of building green represent a work in progress. People used to moan that nothing ever stayed the same anymore, but you don’t hear that complaint much anymore. As technology advanced, so did our capacity to accept change. So what is changing now? The answer is: […]
Just when you were sure there could not possibly be any more building rating systems introduced, the International Living Future Institute introduced the Living Building Challenge (LBC). Although it is a certification program and uses categories like LEED and Green Globes, it has one major fundamental difference. LBC challenges us to develop sustainable buildings and […]
There has been a lot of discussion for over three years concerning the most recent LEED update. Not updated since 2009,what was supposed to be LEED 2012, became LEED v4 for implementation in 2013. Though this may sound like a delayed process, the release date move reflects a more participative process that embraced one of the […]
ZNE, EO, NZEB, GBRI…Don’t we love acronyms? In the building design and construction industry there is an endless supply of them, and eventually they roll off the tongue of architects, engineers, and construction managers like water rushing downstream after a rainfall. Two of the energy acronyms related to sustainability that are heard more frequently today […]