During the 2020 Biden campaign, climate change was a priority issue. Consistent with that messaging, the administration is now plowing forward with urgent and sweeping climate mitigation policy proposals that will significantly impact the power, transportation, building, waste, and industrial sectors. Navigating the policy and regulatory implications for business models takes time, but the risks... Continue Reading →
Net zero modeling answers “how to” for policymakers
Both local and state governments continue to pledge commitments to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. While aspirations are high and worthwhile, and even more are in fact needed, the details on how to meet those pledges have been scarce, confusing, and fraught with political hand-wringing. Indeed, the complexity of solving for climate change... Continue Reading →
Why a National Climate Bank matters for the design industry
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 →
National Green Building Standard has been updated
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 →
AIA publishes sustainable projects documents
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 →
Rethinking the things we thought about wood
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 →
Painting the town white
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 →
New study connects worker cognition to indoor air quality
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 →
Do LEED-certified buildings result in more productive workers?
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 →
The National Performance Based Design Guide for Buildings
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 →