What is a National Climate Bank? Despite the name, it isn’t really a bank in the traditional sense of the word because it isn’t a depository institution. Rather, it’s a non-profit 501(c)(3) created for the sole purpose of leveraging limited public funding (through financing instruments such as market term loans, soft loans, equity investments, and... Continue Reading →
The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is the most used green building standard in the US. The 2020 version of the ICC 700 NGBS is now available as a free download for public use (users need to fill out a simple form to get the download link).The NGBS is a uniquely drafted “standard” in that... Continue Reading →
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) added to its current sustainable project exhibits by releasing its newest document, C204-2020, Sustainability Consultant Scope of Services. In addition, the AIA published an updated version of D503-2020, Guide for Sustainable Projects, which is available as a free download.The new C204 is for use by a sustainability consultant (architect... Continue Reading →
A recent article from David Roberts on Vox resurfaces the benefits of using mass timber (aka, “cross- laminated timber” (CLT)). Over the last century, the design and construction industry has leaned away from wood, especially for non-residential construction, and moved toward more manufactured materials, such as steel, concrete, and iron, in the name of safety.... Continue Reading →
Temperatures are rising and cities, in particular, are feeling the heat as a result of a phenomenon known as “Urban Heat Island effect.” An urban heat island (UHI) is a metropolitan area that’s much warmer than surrounding rural areas. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, temperatures in US cities can get as much as 10... Continue Reading →
A recent study published in the monthly journal, Environmental Health Perspectives, revealed that cognitive scores were 61% higher when participants were exposed to conditions similar to those in green buildings, and were 101% higher on days in so-called “Green+ days.” Participants in the study included architects, designers, programmers, engineers, creative marketers, and managers. The study... Continue Reading →
Contrary to previous studies that have indicated that worker productivity, health, and overall well-being increase in green offices, a new study by Stefano Schiavon of UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment and Sergio Altomonte of the University of Nottingham’s Environmental Physics and Design Research Group concludes that most office workers do not experience a... Continue Reading →
An article in this month’s Journal of the National Institute of Building Sciences (on page 36) discusses its National Performance Based Design Guide for Buildings (NPBDG). The NPBDG was created to help owners make choices to achieve better-performing buildings and aid them in communicating their goals to the designers and builders of the projects. Traditionally,... Continue Reading →
New developments in the energy efficiency arena are happening all the time. From new products meant to increase efficiency and lower life-cycle costs to new design paradigms that weave new technologies and procedures with traditional building methods, green design has become commonplace in the market. However, the best-laid plans do not always delivery the best... Continue Reading →
A recent study performed by the University of Cambridge suggests that the construction industry could reduce its carbon emissions by up to 50 percent by optimizing the design of new buildings to use less steel. Currently, the UK study purports, the design of buildings calls for double the amount of steel and concrete required by... Continue Reading →
